Las Vegas Rallies for Shootout Win
Published on November 30, 2013 under ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release
Boise, ID - Jeff May's forehand in the seventh round of the shootout proved to be the final margin as the visiting Las Vegas Wranglers rallied from three, one-goal deficits to defeat the Idaho Steelheads, 4-3, in front of 4,950 fans at CenturyLink Arena.
Idaho is now 9-5-4 (22 points) on the season and is tied for the most games in the ECHL to extend beyond regulation (7).
A physical, chippy first period saw Idaho score first when Brett Robinson chipped in a loose puck from the edge of the crease, his first of the season, at 10:52 of the opening frame. The Wranglers tied the game in the closing seconds of the first period on the power play when a Geoff Irwin shot from the top of the right circle glanced off the skate of Idaho defenseman Etienne Boutet past Josh Robinson at 19:41 of the first to tie the game of the first.
In the second, Idaho took the lead when Brock Montgomery redirected a Patrick Cullity point shot past Mitch O'Keefe at 9:46, his third of the season, to make it 2-1. Once again, the Wranglers would answer late in the period on the power play when a shot banged off the end boards behind the Idaho net, rolling out to the edge of the crease and onto the stick of Adam Hughesman. Hughesman tapped home the rolling puck at 17:18 of the second to tie the game at two.
The Wranglers had a golden opportunity to take the lead with a Geoff Paukovich short-handed breakaway in the first 30 seconds of the final period, but Robinson came up with a big save to keep the game tied. The game would hold until a 3-on-1 Idaho rush midway through the third when Austin Fyten zipped a shot wide of the left-wing post. Anthony Nigro picked up the rebound, centering the puck out front to Mitch Wahl, who knocked home his sixth of the season at 11:26, giving Idaho its third one-goal lead of the contest. It also extended Wahl's point streak to an ECHL-best eleven consecutive games.
Yet again, Las Vegas would not go away. With less than four minutes left in regulation, Bryce Reddick's point shot found its way through traffic, beating Robinson glove-side to square the score at three goals apiece, forcing overtime.
In overtime, the Steelheads penalty kill fought off a Las Vegas power play, allowing the game to reach the game-ending shootout.
In the shootout, Hughesman, Chris Francis and Matt Tassone scored to put pressure on Idaho. Justin Mercier and Montgomery - whose shot ricocheted off the post, off of O'Keefe's back and in - tied the shootout to force a seventh round. In the seventh, May's wrist shot beat Robinson high to the blocker side and O'Keefe got just enough of Nigro's wrist shot to keep it out of the net, securing the win and the second standings point for the visitors.
Robinson took the shootout loss, making 22 of 25 saves in live play and three of seven in the shootout. O'Keefe got the win, stopping 26 of 29 in live action and four of seven in the shootout. Idaho was 0-5 of the power play.
Idaho's season-long, eleven-game homestand resumes Wednesday when the Stockton Thunder come to town on Dollar Beer Night, presented by Bud Light. Tickets are available by calling the CenturyLink Arena box office at 208-331-8497.
COORS OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME - Anthony Nigro (2A)
CENTURYLINK THREE STARS: 1) Brett Robinson (ID) 2) Mitch Wahl (ID) 3) Bryce Reddick (LV)
Group outings at a Steelheads game are a great way to gather friends, colleagues, or co-workers for a fun night out in downtown Boise. Ticket prices are discounted and you can get a Pepsi, Double-R Ranch Hot Dog, and bag of Tim's Cascade Chips with each ticket. Contact the Steelheads front office at 208.383.0080 or log on to www.idahosteelheads.com for more information.
ECHL Stories from November 30, 2013
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- Stingrays sneak past K-Wings - Kalamazoo Wings
- Stingrays Fight Past Kalamazoo 3-2 in the Shootout - South Carolina Stingrays
- Jackals Storm Past the Cyclones - Elmira Jackals
- Cyclones' Rally Falls Short in Elmira, 2-1 - Cincinnati Cyclones
- Blades Come up Short at Fort Wayne - Florida Everblades
- Corbeil Closes Door on Walleye - Wheeling Nailers
- Two Defensemen to the AHL Jensen off to Grand Rapids; Sinkewich to Lake Erie - Toledo Walleye
- Defenseman Little Called up to AHL Norfolk - Florida Everblades
- Thunder Taken Down by Reign 4-1 - Stockton Thunder
- Reign Outwork Thunder in 4-1 Win - Ontario Reign
- San Francisco Beats Utah 2-1 - Utah Grizzlies
- Las Vegas Rallies for Shootout Win - Idaho Steelheads
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