ECHL Idaho Steelheads

Power Play Ignites in Three-Goal Win

Published on February 16, 2014 under ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


Boise, ID - The Idaho Steelheads got power-play goals from three different players against the best penalty-killing unit in the ECHL Saturday night as the home team defeated the Bakersfield Condors, 6-3, in front of a sellout crowd of 5,025 at CenturyLink Arena in Boise.

With the win, Idaho (26-17-5) has picked up six victories in its past seven contests, averaging over four goals per game in the wins.

After a tight start to the game between the two teams, Idaho struck on the power play as Gaelan Patterson led a quick, two-on-one rush into the offensive zone. Defenseman Charlie Dodero joined the rush and buried a perfect pass across the slot for his third goal of the season at 15:45 of the first.

The second period started with a frenzy as the two teams combined for four goals in less than five minutes. First, on the power play, Idaho's Rob Linsmayer gathered a loose puck and beat Laurent Brossoit between the leg pads at 2:23 of the second, his eighth of the season, to make it 2-0. Bakersfield cut the lead in half at 4:39 of the second on a Wes Cunningham power-play shot before Idaho struck twice in less than a minute to take a commanding, 4-1 lead. At 6:09, William Rapuzzi redirected a Patrick Cullity point shot past Brossoit - once more on the power play - to make it 3-1 and then, at 6:54, Rapuzzi scored again off a pretty feed from Anthony Nigro near the top of the crease, chasing Brossoit for the net as Bakersfield replaced him in goal with Chet Pickard. The goals were Rapuzzi's 10th and 11th of the season. Nigro's assist snapped a seven-game pointless streak for the team's leading scorer.

The Condors halved Idaho's lead once more when Spencer Bennett buried a perfect centering feed from Chris Collins at 11:14 of the second, setting up another tight third period.

Bakersfield pressured Idaho almost from the drop of the puck in the third period, putting 18 shots on net in the final frame. Former Steelhead Andrew Carroll scored at 5:34 of the third to get the Condors within a goal, 4-3. But Idaho managed to weather the storm, including two big penalty kills, before going on the power play at the 13:04 mark of the third. Bakersfield killed off the penalty but, four seconds after the man-advantage expired, David deKastrozza patiently swung around behind the Bakersfield net before finding Nigro in the left-wing circle for a quick snap over Pickard's shoulder at 15:08 of the third, making it 5-3.

Then, with one minute to play, deKastrozza netted a short-handed, empty-net tally - his eighth of the season - to seal the victory for Idaho.

Pat Nagle picked up the win for Idaho, making 34 saves on 37 shots. Brossoit was bested by Idaho for the second consecutive game after allowing four goals on just 14 shots before being pulled seven minutes into the second period.

Idaho's power-play unit converted on three of six chances while the penalty-killing unit stopped seven of Bakersfield's eight opportunities on the man-advantage. The Condors penalty-killing unit entered the night with an ECHL-best 90 percent conversion rate.

The Steelheads begin an important, four-game stretch with the rival Utah Grizzlies on Monday in West Valley City, Utah. Idaho and Utah play three times during the week in Utah before returning to Boise to square off again on Saturday, February 22, at CenturyLink Arena. Tickets are available online at www.idahosteelheads.com.

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ECHL Stories from February 16, 2014


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