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ECHL Idaho Steelheads

Smith's Three-Point Debut Helps Steelheads

December 5, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


Boise, ID - Gemel Smith wasted no time making an impact in Idaho, scoring a shorthanded goal and adding two assists in his debut to pace the Idaho Steelheads (7-11-4) to a 5-1 win over the Florida Everblades (15-8-0) at CenturyLink Arena.

Smith was assigned to Idaho from the AHL's Texas Stars late Thursday along with rookie forward Cole Ully and goaltender Maxime Lagace. Ully picked up an assist in his first game with Idaho, while Lagace made 23 saves to earn his second win in a Steelheads sweater.

Idaho opened the scoring off of good forecheck pressure at 18:04 of the first period, with Rob Linsmayer and Jefferson Dahl digging the puck loose in the right wing corner and freeing it up for Emil Molin. With four Everblades sucked into that corner, Molin was freed up and saw Corbin Baldwin creeping down from the left point. With Florida goaltender Daniel Altshuller drawn out, Molin slid it across to Baldwin who beat Altshuller up top for his first goal of the season.

While the Steelheads did their best work in the final 40 minutes on Wednesday, Friday's first period certainly belonged to Idaho.

The Steelheads were shorthanded to start the second period but added to their lead thanks to the speed of Smith, who turned a 1-on-2 into a 1-on-0 with a few powerful strides to break between the Florida defense and snap a quick shot to the blocker side of Altshuller and give the Steelheads a two-goal cushion.

With Kevin Lynch and Mark Nemec in the box midway through the second period, the Steelheads had a 5-on-3 power play that was interrupted for roughly 20 minutes after a slapshot broke the glass behind Altshuller. When play resumed, the Steelheads made quick work to extend their lead as Dahl jammed a puck on goal from the side of the net that ricocheted off a defenseman and into the cage, Dahl's eighth of the season and fourth straight on the power play.

Gabriel Desjardin's wrap-around goal at 13:22 of the second got Florida on the board, but that was as close as they would come. Just 2:32 later, Andre Morrissette collected a Smith face-off win in the offensive zone, swung around to the top of the left circle, and wired a wrister past Althsuller that chased him from the game.

Altshuller came into Friday night's game arguably as the best goaltender in the league, with six consecutive wins, a 1.30 goals-against average, and a .950 save percentage. He'd given up just one goal in the previous 190 minutes, but he would only last 35 minutes on Friday.

For Morrissette, it was his first goal since October 21st despite leading the Steelheads in shots on goal this season. Morrissette was finally rewarded and was mobbed by teammates.

The Steelheads would add one more at 4:03 of the third with a nifty lead pass from Dahl to send Molin in alone on back-up goalie Anthony Peters for his sixth goal of the season. Both Dahl and Molin had two points on the night.

The Steelheads and Everblades wrap up their series at CenturyLink Arena on Saturday night at 7:10pm. The Steelheads host their Teddy Bear Toss for Tots, sponsored by the US Marine Corps and the Steelheads Booster Club. Fans are invited to throw plush or stuffed unbreakable toys onto the ice after the Steelheads' first goal on Saturday, with all toys collected and donated to the Marine Corps' Toys for Tots program.

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