Mississippi newcomer lifts Wolves past IceGators in OT
December 8, 2002 - ECHL (ECHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release
Biloxi, MS â Newcomer Kent Davyduke scored just five seconds into overtime, as the Mississippi Sea Wolves rallied by the Louisiana IceGators, 4-3, at Mississippi Coast Coliseum. Dave Paradise had a pair of goals, including the tying score early in the third period for the Sea Wolves, who improved to 2-5-0 against the IceGators this season.
Bruce Richardson scored 13 seconds into the game, and Bobby Brown and Daniel Goneau also scored for Louisiana, which picked up a point to extend its unbeaten streak to 10 games (7-0-3) and still leads second-place Mississippi by three points in the Southwest Division. Rookie Kyle Kettles was outstanding in goal, turning aside a career-best 37 shots.
Greg Gardner made 25 saves for Mississippi, and Darryl Campbell also scored.
Mississippi's Cody Bowtell won the overtime faceoff, pushing the puck into the IceGators zone. Davyduke, acquired Thursday from Trenton for cash, ripped a shot from the top of the left circle for the game-winner. The tally was the quickest ever in a period against Louisiana.
The IceGators have played three straight overtime/shootout games for just the sixth time in franchise history, and for the first time since a franchise-record, four-game streak from January 10-17, 2001.
The IceGators let a third-period lead slip away for the second straight night, although both nights they did pick up a point.
Paradise's second goal of the game and 16th of the season came on the power play at the 1:04 mark of the third. With Nathan Rempel in the penalty box for slashing, Paradise took a pass from Davyduke in the left circle and beat Kettles to knot the game. The goal was just Mississippi's third power-play tally in 44 attempts versus Louisiana this season.
The Sea Wolves dominated play in the third period, thanks to three power plays, while Louisiana had no man advantages in the stanza. The IceGators, who were outshot 16-5 in the third, killed off a pair of penalties in the final 6:19 just to force the extra session.
Kettles made three huge saves early in the final penalty, to Dennis Shiryaev at the 17:40 mark, to keep the game going. The final stop was on a Jim Baxter backhand.
Paradise had put Mississippi ahead 2-1 just 2:47 into the second period, ripping a pass from Chris Cava off the crossbar and past Kettles.
The Sea Wolves let their emotions get their best of them for a second time, allowing the IceGators to take the lead. Bowtell was whistled for tripping at the 8:23 mark of the second, and Travis Lisabeth picked up an unsportsmanlike conduct minor at the same time for arguing the call. It marked the second time in the game that the Sea Wolves picked up an unsportsmanlike minor at the same time as another penalty.
It took the IceGators just nine seconds to respond and tie the game on the 5-on-3. Brown's shot from the point hit Gardner, then glanced off the post, off Gardner's skate, and finally inching over the goal line to knot the score at 2-2. The tally was Brown's first since returning to the team from AHL Cincinnati.
Goneau's goal, which put Louisiana up 3-2 at the 10:34 mark, also was a result of the two minor penalties. With Bowtell and Lisabeth racing from the penalty box, Goneau wristed a Kenny Corupe pass from the right circle that went high blocker side on Gardner for his 10th goal of the season.
Richardson scored only 13 seconds into the game, one second off the team record, set November 25 of last season by Konstantin Kalmikov against Arkansas. Cal Benazic and Shiryaev won a battle in the corner, with the puck coming to Richardson between the circles. Richardson popped a one-timer past Gardner for his 14th goal of the season.
The Sea Wolves evened the score at the 9:17 mark of the first, as Campbell's shot from the mid slot eluded Kettles.
Gator Bites:
Richardson's point streak is up to a career-best nine games, with nine goals and 11 assists in that span. Shawn McNeil has the longest IceGators point streak this season, an 11-game span to open the season.
McNeil's seven-game point streak (7g, 5a) was snapped.
Kevin Mitchell assisted on Brown's goal and has 22 of his 29 points on special teams this season.
Baxter had both of Mississippi's power-play goals against the IceGators this season, both blasts from the point.
Louisiana is 15-5-5 this season, and its five overtime/shootout losses have already eclipsed last season's total.
The previous quickest goal against the IceGators was by Nashville's Harry York on November 19, 1995. York scored nine seconds into the first period.
The IceGators have dropped both overtime decisions to Mississippi in franchise history.
Mississippi ended 1-for-8 on the power play, making the Sea Wolves 3-for-46 with the man advantage against the IceGators this season.
The IceGators finished 1-for-7 on the power play.
Louisiana is 1-3 in overtime this season, and 1-2 in shootouts.
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