Rivermen comeback bid fizzles in overtime
December 27, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release
Milwaukee, WI (December 27, 2005) - If ever a team can be proud of an overtime loss, the Peoria Rivermen can be proud of their 4-3 overtime loss to the Milwaukee Admirals on Tuesday evening at the Bradley Center. The Rivermen forced overtime in this tilt by scoring twice and holding the Admirals scoreless in the third period. Milwaukee, however, stymied the Peoria comeback attempt with a goal just nine seconds into overtime.
Peoria converted a power play to draw to within one goal of Milwaukee at 3-2 in the third period. On a laser-like shot from the high slot by Rivermen center Troy Riddle, winger Brendan Brooks skated across the top of the crease at just the right moment to tip the puck by Rinne at 7:52 of the third.
Rivermen right winger Mike Glumac then tied the match at 3-3 with a nice, patient play at the 12:30 mark of the third period. Taking a pass from center Trent Whitfield at the far left edge of the left circle, Glumac curled toward the slot, faked a shot, took his time, and waited for Rinne to commit. After the Milwaukee goalie went down, Glumac roofed a shot up over Rinne's left shoulder to tie the score.
The game moved to a five-minute period of sudden-death, four-on-four overtime play when the score stood at 3-3 when regulation time expired. Just as the overtime period opened, Milwaukee dashed Peoria's hopes of a comeback victory. Off of the opening overtime face-off, Admirals center Rich Peverley and right wing Timofei Shishkanov got behind the Rivermen defense, and Peverley got a shot on net. Shishkanov then skated to the crease and just barely poked the puck across the goal line when a rebound of Peverley's shot bounced away from Lalime. The game-winner came just nine seconds into overtime.
Peoria did earn a point in the standings for the team's efforts against Milwaukee in this contest. Overall, the Rivermen presently stand at 16-13-1-1. On the road, the club is now 6-7-1-0. The Admirals improve their overall record to 21-9-1-1 with the win, and the team goes to 11-3-0-0 at home.
The Admirals used a power play to take the first lead of this contest. Taking a feed from defenseman Greg Zanon above the left face-off dot in the Peoria zone, Milwaukee forward Chris Durno wristed a shot on net that Rivermen netminder Patrick Lalime blocked. When a rebound of the shot dribbled to Lalime's right, Admirals right wing Brandon Segal came in and poked repeatedly at the puck until it went in at the 2:24 mark of the first period.
The Rivermen answered with an even-strength goal soon thereafter. On a long shot from the right point by Peoria defender Mike Mottau, Admirals puckstopper Pekka Rinne made the initial save but left a rebound near Rivermen center Blake Evans, who quickly deposited the puck into the Milwaukee net from in close with a swipe of his stick at 4:27.
About midway through the opening period, Milwaukee took a 2-1 lead. On a delayed penalty call against Peoria, Rinne was able to get off the ice in favor of a sixth attacker, and the Admirals employed their man-power advantage to control the puck and work it around the Rivermen zone. Eventually, the puck came to Milwaukee winger Timofei Shishkanov, who blasted it past Lalime's left elbow from within the right circle at 10:02 of the first.
The Admirals stretched their lead to 3-1 in the middle period. Looking for his second goal of the game, Shishkanov fired a shot at Lalime from the left point that dented the Peoria twine, but it did so thanks to Milwaukee center Greg Classen, who deflected the shot near the bottom of the left circle at 17:56 of the second period.
The next Rivermen game will take place on Friday, December 30, when the Peoria squad will travel to Chicago to meet the Chicago Wolves at 7:30 p.m. at Allstate Arena.
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