IceGators Unable to Rally Against Gladiators
April 21, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release
Duluth, GA - The IceGators dropped their second game in a row to the Gwinnett Gladiators tonight with a 3-2 loss in game three of the Central Division Finals. Konstantin Kalmikov's late goal sparked a rally for the Gators, but Gwinnett's goaltender Michael Garnett stole the game for the Gladiators.
The Gladiators struck first, but the Gators tied things up less than two minutes later. Chris Durno knocked the first goal past Frederic Cloutier at the 1:06 mark by bouncing it off a body in front of the Gators' net.
Ben Storey evened the game at 1-1 with a blaster from 40 feet out that beat a diving Garnett. Semir Ben-Amor and Kenny Corupe assisted on Storey's goal at the 2:22 mark of the first period.
Wes Swinson put up the go-ahead goal at 5:58 of the first when several players clogged Cloutier's crease and effectively blocked the netminder's view of the puck.
Garnett remained perfect between the pipes in the second period as he turned away 16 Gators' shots. The Gladiators were able to get one more goal past Frederic Cloutier when Kris Goodjohn snuck a power play goal through a three player screen. The puck beat Cloutier five-hole for the two-goal Gwinnett lead.
The IceGators trailed by two goals for most of the third period, until Konstantin Kalmikov kept his promise and scored a goal for his son Brooklyn's third birthday. With 58 seconds left on the clock and the Gators on the attack, Kalmikov beat Garnett to bring the Gators within one goal. Bruce Richardson and Matt Dzieduszycki assisted on Kalmikov's tally.
The Gators pulled Cloutier for the extra skater in the final minute and pounded Garnett with a flurry of shots, but to no avail. The IceGators finished with 40 shots on goal to the Gladiators' 36.
The IceGators trail 2-1 in the best of the five series. Game four will be Friday night at 6:35 p.m. CDT. If the Gators force a fifth and deciding game, the series will move back to the Cajundome on Sunday, April 25 at 4:05 p.m.
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