Prevew - Stars vs Storm
Published on November 21, 2018 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Lincoln Stars News Release
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 21, 2018 | 7:05 P.M. | ICE BOX
RADIO: LINCOLN STARS RADIO | WATCH: HOCKEYTV
Tonight's Contest:
Round four of Stars (5-7-3-1) and Storm (11-4-1-0) will pair 7th place Lincoln and 2nd place Tri-City.
Last Game:
The Stars are coming off a hard-fought loss Saturday to the Waterloo Black Hawks. Penalties proved to be Lincoln's kryptonite, as Waterloo's top-ranked power play scored five power play goals en route to a 6-3 win. Scoring in the loss for Lincoln: Devlin McCabe (2), Josh Lopina (2), and Jordan Power (1). The Stars power play provided a silver lining with two strikes of their own, as the man-advantage continues to improve of late, converting at 20% in the month of November.
Tri-City is also coming off a showdown with the Black Hawks in their last game. In it, the Storm suffocated the normally high-flying Waterloo offense. Their vaunted power play was no match for Tri-City's stellar defense and Isaiah Saville, going 0-6 on the man-advantage, while tallying just one goal on the evening. Ronnie Attard (3), and Connor McMenamin (4) scored for the Tri-City while Saville stopped 33 of 34 to secure the victory.
Head-to-Head:
Lincoln notched their first win against Tri-City in the 18-19 season when the two teams met on Veterans Day. The Stars top line imposed its will in a monster performance against a normally stout Storm defense. Shane Pinto scored the game's first goal at 1:28 into the contest, then assisted the second to Caleb Rule at 7:10. The Stars battled hard in front of Jake Mucitelli to stall Tri-City's offense all afternoon. The first-year goalie was rock solid, stopping all 27 shots sent his way. Pinto added his second goal of the day in the third period to put the wraps on a Stars 3-0 win.
By the Numbers:
GF: LIN-2.81 (14th) to TC-2.75 (15th)
GA: TC-2.13 (1st) to LIN-3.50 (10th)
PP: TC-13 for 62, 21.5% (8th) to LIN-11 for 67, 16.4% (t-12th)
PK: TC-53 for 64, 82.8% (4th) to LIN-56 for 68, 82.4 (5th)
What to Watch For:
Goalie Showdown:
The season series between the Stars and Storms has been largely dictated by goaltending and the defense in front of it. Jake Mucitelli and Tyler Johnson have combined for 1-1-0-1 record, a 1.30 GAA, and a .953 saver percentage against Tri-City this year. The tandem of Isaiah Saville and Jake Barczewski is 2-1-0-0 with a 1.64, and a .938 save percentage. Together the two sides have allowed just 10 goals (one empty into an empty net) in three games.
Mid-Point Turning Point:
One area the Stars would like to see improve is their play in the second period. On the year, Lincoln is -10 in goals and -7 in shots against all opponents in the middle stanza. Last weekend, the Stars took nine penalties and were outscored 5-3 in two second periods against Sioux Falls and Waterloo. In their prior win against the Storm, Lincoln outshot Tri-City 12-10 while holding them scoreless in the second on their way to a complete, team win. A repeat performance could allow the Stars to go to work in the third, what has been their best period on the season with a +2 in scoring and a +4 shots advantage on the season.
Pinto Points:
Shane Pinto's three-point outing against the Storm on Veterans Day has kicked off quite the tear for the rookie. The Stars leading scorer has two goals and six points in his last three games. He leads all Lincoln players in points against Tri-City with two goals and two assists over three contests.
United States Hockey League Stories from November 21, 2018
- Late Goal Powers Madison Past Dubuque - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- Hawks Stopped in Third - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Flying Aces Wallop Green Bay - Central Illinois Flying Aces
- Stars Fall to Storm in Mid-Week Affair - Lincoln Stars
- Lumberjacks Dominate Team USA U17 8-0 - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Hawks Swap with Stampede - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Riders Trade with Omaha for Defenseman - Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
- Stampede Acquire Swankler & Draft Picks from Waterloo - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Prevew - Stars vs Storm - Lincoln Stars
- Gameday Preview: Storm Faceoff against Rival Stars in Lincoln - Tri-City Storm
- USHL and NAHL Announce Revised Player Movement Agreement - USHL
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