Jackals Cap Comeback with Shootout Win
January 7, 2004 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Elmira Jackals News Release
Sometimes you have to wiff in order to score. That's exactly how the Jackals drew level late in the third period as Elmira staged a dramatic comeback, equalizing from two goals down in the third period and then knocking off Richmond in the shootout for a 5-4 victory. Both teams have been struggling for points: coming into the game Richmond was 0-6-1 in their last seven games, and has not won a game since beating the Jackals in Virginia on December 20th.
But it was the Jackals who struck first, Nathan Gillies scored his 9th goal of the season on the power play at 1:59 of the first period. Two minutes later, on the power play Jay Murphy knocked in a rebound to tie the game, and at the eight minute mark, Murphy put Richmond in from 2-1 with his second goal of the period. The Jackals pressed and were rewarded with an equalizer three minutes from the intermission, as J.F. Boutin slipped Don Smith's picture perfect pass through the legs of Olivier Dannel (Dannel stopped 2-of-3 shots in the final 4:45 of the first period while starting goalie Maxime Gingras was in the locker room with an equipment problem).
The second period has not been good for Elmira lately, and it was no better Tuesday night. Richmond's Dave Shields, who had been suspended for 5 games earlier in the season for injuring Dean Jackson at the First Arena, scored two goals a span of thirty two seconds to give the Riverdogs a 4-2 lead, which they carried into the break.
But Elmira would find life in the final frame, and it came in the form of Gillies. The Jackals leading rookie scorer got his second goal of the season as tallied his first shorthanded goal of his professional career (the team's third of the year). The strike seemed to energize the Jackals who turned up the juice on Gingras who was spectacular. However, late in the frame, Boutin set himself up in front, received the pass but fanned on the shot, barely getting a piece of the puck, yet that was exactly what he needed to do. Gingras slid from post-to-post and would have stoned a cleaner shot from Boutin, but instead over-committed and the shot trickled past the helpless Richmond goaltender and into the net to tie the game at four.
In the shootout the Jackals took a 2-0 lead, but then had it tied in the fifth round. In sudden-death round seven, Eddy Lowe beat Gingras, and at the other end Peter Aubry stoned Olivier Fillion to give Elmira the much-needed victory. Aubry stopped 28 of 32 shots in the contest, while Gingras finished 17-for 20 (Dannel 2-for-30.
The two teams play the grudge match Wednesday at the Richmond Coliseum, 7 pm start time, 6:30 pregame show on WNGZ 104.9 FM.
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International Hockey League 2 Stories from January 7, 2004
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- Flint's Bobby Reynolds and Port Huron's Stu Dunn Earn Weekly Honors - IHL 2
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- Countdown to Face-Off - Kalamazoo Wings
- Jackals Cap Comeback with Shootout Win - Elmira Jackals
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