Jackals Rally Behind Chaz And Robins To Down Cyclones 4-3

Published on January 12, 2008 under ECHL (ECHL)
Elmira Jackals News Release


Chaz Johnson netted a hat trick and Bobby Robins notched the game-wining goal as the Elmira Jackals trimmed the Cincinnati Cyclones 4-3 in front of 4,076 fans at First Arena, the eighth sellout of the year. The win ended the Jackals two-game losing streak and lifted the club into a share of first place in the North Division with the Cyclones.

Johnson's strikes (10th, 11th, 12th) erased three separate one-goal leads that the visitors had built up and Robins' goal, his eighth of the year and first in twenty-one contests, decided it on a wraparound stuff under the right leg of Cyclones goaltender Cedrick Desjardins (33 saves) with 4:21 left in the game.

Travis Fuller got the visitors on the board 13:30 into the game for the only goal of the opening period. Jean Michel Daoust let a drive go from the high slot and Fuller got a piece of it in deflecting the puck away from Joel Martin (26 saves) and a 1-0 lead.

The period featured an 11-10 shots advantage for the Cyclones, but the Jackals seemed to have the better of the opportunities. Desjardins came into play with the third-best goals against average at 2.08 and made several big stops to frustrate the Jackals in the opening twenty minutes.

The middle frame opened with a bang as Johnson pulled Elmira even when he stuffed home his own rebound just thirty-six seconds in to tie the game at 1-1.

Daoust regained the lead for the Cyclones when he drilled home a David Desharnais centering feed into a wide open net with five minutes left in the period for a 2-1 advantage. For Daoust, it was his ECHL-leading 27th goal and 51st point of the year.

The Jackals, more specifically Johnson, came back one more time to tie the contest as he redirected a Pierre-Luc Faubert drive for his second of the night and 11th of the season. The tipped shot appeared to slip through the pads of Desjardins for a 2-2 deadlock with 3:30 let in the period.

Fuller would get his second of the game with just 15.9 second left when he sent a knuckling drive past the glove hand of Martin to push Cincinnati in front one final time heading into the second intermission.

A Jackals power play that had gone scoreless in its last eighteen chances provided the unlikely spark that tied the contest three and a half minutes into the final period of play. Peter Hafner was nailed for tripping on what turned out to be the final man advantage in a game that totaled just four chances combined.

Johnson tied the game and finished the first hat trick in Jackals' ECHL history when he whipped home a low wrister under the stick of Desjardins at 3:27. A hat trick of sorts was also registered by Benoit Doucet, who assisted on three Johnson goals and took over the team lead in scoring with 34 points.

The Jackals are off until Friday when their four-game home stand continues a pair of tilts against the Wheeling Nailers. Friday's face-off is set for 7:35 p.m. at First Arena and good seats are still available at the Gray Street box office, charge-by-phone at 722-3711 and 734-PUCK (7825), and on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.

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ECHL Stories from January 12, 2008


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