Special teams battle won by Walleye in OT, 6-5
January 8, 2010 - ECHL (ECHL)
Trenton Devils News Release
Toledo, OH - The largest first-period scoring output and the most power play goals of the season could not propel the Devils past the Walleye Friday in a 6-5 overtime loss. Trenton's 3-0 lead shocked the Walleye into a goaltender change, but Toledo chipped away with five special teams goals (four power play, one short handed) including a four-on-three chance in overtime to win the game.
An interference call against Kyle Kucharski put the Walleye on the power play with 17 seconds left in the third, and the extra man chance carried into overtime with the score tied 5-5. In similar fashion to the meeting October 24, Toledo capitalized on its extra-man chance to win the game. J.C. Sawyer had won the game 1-0 ten weeks ago, but this time Mark Nebus scored the game-winner, a wrist shot from the left wing-circle over goalie Gerald Coleman's left pad after sharp passes from Derek Nesbitt and Sawyer at 1:18 for the 6-5 overtime win.
The Devils had won nine of ten games when leading after two periods, but Friday's 4-3 advantage going into the third was tenuous, as Toledo had shrunk a three goal deficit to just one. With a power play winding down, Derek Nesbitt took a feed from Sebastien Piche at the right-wing circle and snuck a shot inside the right post for his sixth of the year to tie the game 4-4 at 6:44 of the third. Trenton responded with feverish pressure, but less than a minute after the game was tied, Toledo scored its only even-strength goal of the game. A centering feed from Maxime Tanguay from behind the net connected to Adam Hobson who scored his first goal with Toledo since returning from AHL-Rockford, his 12th of the year.
Jack Combs, who garnered third-star honors, scored his eighth of the season and second of the game to get the Devils back even at 5-5. A marvelous sprawling effort from Jeff Prough not only kept a power play possession in the zone, while on the ice he passed to Combs who came unabated across the slot, beautifully stickhandling around goalie Alec Richards and scoring at 13:34, the Devils third power play goal of the year, a season-high.
Combs had scored the third of four goals for Trenton in the first period. Matt Vokes, Slavomir Tomko and Combs combined to get the Devils up 3-0 less than nine minutes into the first, chasing starting goalie Thomas McCollum. Bryan Ewing's unassisted short handed tally stopped the bleeding at 12:55 and Evan Rankin's power play goal got the Walleye within striking distance. Trevor Kell, is his first game since December 26, notched his second point of the game with a power play goal at 19:06 to get Trenton some breathing room at 4-2 going into the second period, but the captain's return to the lineup could not thwart Toledo's comeback.
Trenton (12-16-3-4, 32pts) earns a point and pulls to within two of second place Elmira who won in Florida. Toledo (18-13-1-3, 40pts) keeps pace in the competitive North, also remaining in third going into Saturday rematch with Trenton at 7 p.m.
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