Salmon Kings Rout Reign

December 30, 2010 - ECHL (ECHL)
Victoria Salmon Kings News Release


Victoria, BC ‚¬" In a Wednesday night match-up at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre the Victoria Salmon Kings took on the Ontario Reign in the final of a two-game series. The Salmon Kings turned to Manitoba Moose contracted netminder David Shantz between the pipes whiles the Reign countered with University of Minnesota graduate Kellen Briggs.

The Salmon Kings controlled the play for the opening half of the first period pinning the Reign into their zone. Victoria's hard work paid off at 3:23. Rob Hennigar collected the puck from his skates and fired a pass to Ryan Turek at the top of left face-off circle. The Southfield, Minnesota native took a couple strides towards the net and wired a shot past the glove of Briggs. The tally was Turek's fourth of the year. The Salmon Kings continued to pressure the Reign and that resulted in a number of chances. The best opportunity came when Vancouver Island born Rick Cleaver rang a shot off the right post. Jeff Caister recorded his first professional goal at 10:52 to double the Salmon Kings lead. Matt Stefanishion and Matt Butcher broke in on a 2-on-1. Stefanishion floated a pass over to Butcher who fanned on the initial shot, but collected the puck and threw it to Caister at the left point. The former South Carolina Stingray fired a shot through a bunch of bodies and through the legs of Briggs. Tempers began to flare after the halfway point of the period and a skirmish after the whistle resulted in an Ontario power play. The Reign took advantage at 14:54 when Lane Caffaro managed to get his stick on the initial point shot that beat Shantz to the blocker side. The power play goal was Caffaro's fifth of the season. Victoria had a glorious chance to regain their two-goal lead after Tim Kraus blocked a point shot and broke in on a 2-on-0 with Matt Siddall, who had just jumped out of the penalty box. They burst into the zone and Kraus passed the puck over to Siddall, but he was unable to get a good shot on goal. The shots were tied 13-13 after the first frame with Victoria leading 2-1.

Just like the first period the Salmon Kings held the majority of the play during the opening minutes of the second. At the three minute mark Victoria regained their two goal lead. Chad Painchaud flew in down the right wing into the Reign zone. The second-year Salmon King held the puck and fired a shot that just squeaked through the glove of Briggs and past the goal line to notch his 10th marker of the campaign. Victoria got their first power play of the night halfway through the period. However it was the Reign that had the best opportunity during the Salmon Kings two minute power play. Michael Pelech came into the Victoria zone off the right side and put the puck on net, but ECHL all-star defenseman P.J. Atherton got his right leg down to block the shot before it reached the net. Later in the period, the Reign's Aaron Lewadniuk broke down the right side on a partial breakaway, but Shantz played the angle perfectly to deny a goal. Ontario cut the lead to one moments later at 14:34 mark. The Reigns' leading point scorer, Jeff Corey, received the puck at the top of the slot and fired a wrist shot that beat a screened Shantz for his 11th of the year. During the play Victoria's Cleaver received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for hitting Corey in the head. Ontario had plenty of opportunities to tie the game during the man advantage, including hitting two posts, but came away empty. After the final whistle of the period, Salmon Kings' center Ryan Dingle took exception to Reign captain David Walker taking a shot after the buzzer sounded and a pushing match ensued. Walker was assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct minor for taking the shot. Victoria took their 3-2 lead into the final period.

Victoria opened the third on the power play and held control of the play for the opening five minutes. The Salmon Kings doubled their lead at 8:10. From the right corner Hennigar got the puck to a wide open Painchaud in the front of the net. The Mississauga, Ontario native scored his second of the night after he quickly tipped the puck past Briggs before he could scramble across and save it. A mere 25 seconds later former Reign forward Tim Kraus notched his first of the year. Milan Gajic fed Kraus the puck from the left face-off dot, who quickly backhanded the puck over the shoulder of Briggs. Ontario called a timeout to try and regroup at 8:35 and it quickly paid off. Just nine seconds later Brett O'Malley got the Reign back into the game with his third of the year after beating Shantz with a quick shot past his glove. Minutes later the Salmon Kings were awarded a five minute power play at 9:47 after Doug Krantz kneed Victoria defenseman Derick Martin, leaving him on the ice for a brief moment. Krantz was also assessed a game misconduct for the incident. During the power play the Salmon Kings added two more goals. Stefanishion stole the puck by the Reign blue line and fired a wicked shot into the top right corner of the net. The tally was Stefanishion's fifth marker of the season. Geoff Waugh recorded the second power play goal after he received a pass from Stefanishion. The former Dallas Stars' draft pick went high glove on Briggs from the slot to notch his second of the year. Alex Bourret got Ontario's fourth goal of the night after he stole the puck from a Victoria defenseman. The former first round draft pick skated in on the breakaway and snapped a low shot past the outstretched glove of Shantz for the shorthanded goal. The marker was Bourret's first of the year. At 15:22 Painchaud recorded the hat-trick and Victoria's eight goal of the night. Painchaud skated across the top of the right circle and wired a slap shot past Briggs blocker side. Salmon Kings 8 Reign 4.

Victoria went 2/633.3% on the power play, while Ontario was 1/333.3%. The Salmon Kings outshot the Reign 45-31.

The Salmon Kings now travel to Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Grizzlies Friday December 31st, 2010 (5:05 PT) and Saturday January 1st, 2011 (6:05 PT) at the Maverik Centre. To watch or listen live to Salmon Kings hockey visit www.salmonkings.com . Victoria then return home January 5th, 2011 to open a three-game set against the Stockon Thunder. Game time is at 7:05 pm. For tickets call 250-220-7777 or visit www.selectyourtickets.com.



ECHL Stories from December 30, 2010


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