Special Teams Struggles Spell Disaster for Arizona in 6-3 Loss
January 30, 2009 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Arizona Sundogs News Release
PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - Struggling with special teams play the entire night, the Arizona Sundogs dropped the second of a three-game set to the visiting Rocky Mountain Rage Friday night at Tim's Toyota Center in Prescott Valley. The Sundogs finished just 2-for-9 with the man-advantage and gave up four power play goals and a shorthanded tally to Rocky Mountain in the 6-3 loss. Rookie forward Adam Perry collected two goals and an assist, having now recorded seven points (5g/2a) in his last two games.
Opposite Wednesday night's contest between the two clubs in which only 26 penalty minutes were handed out the entire game, the opening frame Friday saw a combined 51 minutes in penalties. Rocky Mountain skated to a 2-1 lead after the first 20 minutes of play on power play goals by Tyler Butler and Colt King. Perry collected his fourth goal in two games with an unassisted tally at the 15:47 mark, converting on one of three first period Arizona man-advantages. Butler opened scoring in the game a minute-and-a-half earlier with a shot from the point through traffic and past Marco Emond. King grabbed his team's second power play goal of the night with 10 seconds remaining in the period on a backdoor pass from Daymen Rycroft. Scott Wray, along with Rycroft collected his second assist of the night. The visiting Rage outshot the Sundogs 14-8 in the period.
Rycroft recorded his third assist of the night less than three minutes into the second period, sending a centering feed to King at the top of the crease for his second of the tally of the game. Nathan O'Nabigon was also credited with an assist on the play. While shorthanded, the Rage stretched their lead to 4-1 two minutes later as David Morelli skated in alone on Emond before beating him with a low forehand shot for his 19th of the year.
Simon Watson scored a pair of power play goals for Rocky Mountain in the third period while Perry and newcomer Matt Craig each found the back of the net for Arizona. Watson's first came just short of the period's halfway mark from Morelli and Pat Sutton to open scoring in the period. With the Sundogs shorthanded, Perry responded with his second of the night and fifth in two games at the 13:40 mark, out-maneuvering Scott Reid before cutting back to the net and slipping the puck behind the netminder and into the open goal. Joel Irving and Matt Hanson assisted on the play. Watson answered less than two minutes later with his team's fourth power play goal of the night from Domenic Maiani and O'Nabigon. Craig scored his first goal since joining the Sundogs with two-and-a-half minutes to play but Arizona would come no closer as the Rage garnered their first-ever victory at Tim's Toyota Center. Perry netted his third point of the night with an assist on the play.
Emond allowed six goals on 33 shots Friday night to fall to 14-11-3 on the year while Reid earned his club's first-ever victory in Arizona with a 33-save performance. Arizona finished just 2-for-9 on the man-advantage while Rocky Mountain converted on four of 11 power play chances. Each club netted a shorthanded goal in the contest.
With the loss, Arizona (18-21-3) remains one point ahead of Corpus Christi for the Southern Conference's fifth and final playoff spot. Arizona faces off against Rocky Mountain for the sixth and final time of the regular season tomorrow night at Tim's Toyota Center. Game time is set for 7:05pm. Tickets start at just $14 and are available by phone at 1-866-4-GET-TIX (1-866-443-8849), online at www.gettix.net and in person at the Tim's Toyota Center Box Office.
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