Salmon Kings Rally In Third For Victory

Published on December 7, 2007 under ECHL (ECHL)
Victoria Salmon Kings News Release


The Salmon Kings and the Roadrunners met for the fourth time in eight days at the US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Victoria took the first three games in Canada, but all three took at least overtime to determine a winner.

The Roadrunners were the first to get on the board when Peder Skinner was able to bring the puck through the slot area, and then fed Mitch Carefoot who made no mistake beating Victoria goalie Julien Ellis. Phoenix would lead 1-0 after the first period.

Phoenix would increase their lead early in the second when Sean O'Connor would bat in a rebound. It would turn to a 3-0 lead after Jeff Kyrzakos tipped Corey LeClair shot past Ellis. LeClair would increase the Roadrunners lead to 4-0 when he blasted a shot past a screened Ellis with less than a minute remaining in the period.

The third period would see the Kings make one of the most improbable comebacks in the team's brief history. Kiel McLeod got the Kings on the board with a power play goal 5:40 into the third period. Kevin Estrada would pull Victoria to within two when he snapped a shot past Roadrunners goalie Kody Rudkowsky two and a half minutes later. Marc-Andre Bernier made it 4-3 game with 5:36 remaining in the game. Matt Kelly would tie the game with a point shot that snuck past Rudkowsky with 2:23 seconds left on the clock. Regulation time would end with the score tied 4-4.

Overtime solved nothing, and the teams went to the shootout. After three shooters neither team had scored. Phoenix's Ryan Walsh scored on Ellis to put the Roadrunners up 1-0. Milan Gajic would answer for the Kings beating Rudkowsky tying the shootout at 1-1. Julien Ellis stopped Sean O'Connor's attempt, and that enabled Kiel McLeod to grab the spotlight. McLeod did just that by beating Rudkowsky, and the Kings completed the comeback with the 5-4 shootout victory.

Victoria went 1/4=25.0% and Phoenix was 1/5=20.0% on the power play. Victoria outshot Phoenix 46-34.

The Salmon Kings and Roadrunners take to the ice again tomorrow night game time is 6:11 p.m. PT. Victoria returns to the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre on December 19 to take on last year's playoff opponent the Alaska Aces. Call 220-7889 for tickets.

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ECHL Stories from December 7, 2007


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