Shootout-Savvy Jackals Take Over First Place in Conference
December 31, 2011 - ECHL (ECHL)
Elmira Jackals News Release
Trenton, N.J. - The Elmira Jackals took over first place in the Eastern Conference on Saturday night at the Sun National Bank Center, extending their perfect shootout mark in 2011-2012 to 7-0 with a 2-1 win over the Trenton Titans. Elmira has now won six-straight games for the second time this season, a 2011-2012 club season high.
Jordon Southorn stickhandled to the slot and fired a puck through a screen that slipped between the pads of Elmira goaltender Brian Stewart, putting Trenton up 1-0 at 13:18 of the opening period with a power-play goal.
The teams skated through a scoreless second frame, and for the third-straight contest, the Jackals entered the final period facing a deficit. Elmira, once again, overcame the deficit, with Jack Downing banging home a rebound on the power play off an Artem Demkov shot at 5:13 of the third, eventually sending the game to overtime.
Elmira took a 9-0 record past regulation into the game, with three sudden-death victories to go along with the six shootout wins. After a scoreless overtime, the Jackals went to their seventh shootout of the season.
Jack Downing, Mike Radja, and Artem Demkov scored in the shootout for the Jackals, with Radja netting his league-leading sixth shootout strike of the campaign. Jackals goaltender Brian Stewart allowed his first-ever shootout goal in the ECHL on 28 career bids, but made three saves to improve to 10-0 lifetime in shootouts (7-0 in the ECHL and 3-0 in the AHL).
Stewart improved to 13-5-0-0 on the season with 34 saves in regulation and overtime. Titans netminder Dave Caruso dropped to 8-9-2-2 with 29 stops.
The Jackals enter the 2012 calendar year as the first team in the Eastern Conference to reach 40 points and 20 victories. Elmira leads the Gwinnett Gladiators by one point for the top spot in the conference.
The Jackals will attempt to extend their winning streak to a season-best seven games when they return home to First Arena to host the South Carolina Stingrays next Friday at 7:35 p.m. To reserve your seats call (607) 734-PUCK (7825), visit the First Arena Box Office, or log onto JackalsHockey.com.
Notes:
Elmira earned its second four-win week of the season and third since joining the ECHL with the win...The Jackals ended December with an 11-2-0-0 record...Elmira has won 12-straight games decided by one goal and is tied for the league lead with 13 one-goal wins...The Jackals are 15-0-0-0 when allowing two goals or less...Elmira has won eight-straight Saturday games and is 9-2-0-0 on Saturday in 2011-2012...The Jackals are 6-7-0-0 when entering the third period facing a deficit, two wins than the club had all of last season...Elmira has won 13 of its last 15 games...The Jackals have a perfect 10-0 record past regulation...Of Elmira's 31 games, 26 have been decided by one or two goals
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