ECHL Idaho Steelheads

STEELHEADS: Game Day Storylines- at Colorado

Published on December 7, 2016 under ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


(13-6-2-0) (4-3-1-0 Road) (11-6-1-3) (6-3-0-2 Home)

Steel Reel

The Idaho Steelheads sit first in the Mountain Division, a point in front of the Alaska Aces and two points clear of the Colorado Eagles as they lace up for three games in Loveland. The Steelheads are 2-0-0 this year against the Eagles, both wins coming at Budweiser Events Center in early November. Idaho looks to extend a new winning streak to three games, while the Eagles are 3-2-1 over their last six but coming off a strong 6-2 win on the road over Adirondack.

The Steelheads took the final two games of their series with the Alaska Aces, with both games extending beyond 60 minutes. Joe Basaraba netted the overtime winner Friday and then came right back with a two-assist game in Saturday's 3-2 shootout win. Kellan Lain and Travis Ewanyk both scored in regulation, and Caleb Herbert buried the only goal of the shootout. Branden Komm stopped all three attempts in the shootout for his fourth win of the season.

Top-Ten Men...

Idaho is clicking on both sides of the special teams game, one of only three teams in the ECHL to rank in the top-10 in both power play and penalty kill rankings. The Steelheads power play is third in the ECHL at 24.1 percent after experiencing one of its dryer spells over the weekend. Idaho was 1-for-8 in three games against the Aces and their third ranked penalty kill, and they now face a Colorado unit in the middle of the pack but with five shorthanded goals, second-most in the league. The Steelhead penalty kill has reached ninth in the league, going 31-for-34 (91.2 percent) over the last ten games.

Hectic Hump Day...

The Steelheads have been one of the ECHL's best teams once the weekend hits, but they'll look to boost their midweek numbers in the series opener in Colorado. The Steelheads are 12-2-2 on Fridays and Saturdays this season, but they are 1-4-0 on Wednesday nights. The Steelheads have been outscored by six goals on Wednesday nights and have surrendered four goals or more in four of five contests.

Manic Ewanyk...

With Jefferson Dahl and Rob Linsmayer injured over the weekend, Travis Ewanyk was a player who continued to step up for Idaho. Ewanyk's goal late in the second period gave the Steelheads a 2-1 lead at the time and was his eighth of the season, establishing a new career-high for a single season. Ewanyk has six goals and 11 points in his last 11 games for Idaho. Joe Basaraba has also been a leader on offense, currently in the midst of a six-game points streak. Basaraba has two goals and eight points during that streak, and his plus-5 rating this season is tied for the team lead.

About the Eagles...

Casey Pierro-Zabotel continues to lead the Eagles offense, coming off a hat trick on Saturday night in Adirondack. His 25 points rank seventh in the league. Jesse Mychan has also backed up his goal-scoring prowess from a year ago with 12 goals in 16 games, two of them coming against the Steelheads. Jake Marto and Matt Register are both in the top-10 among defensemen in scoring, helping to power the ECHL's seventh-best power play. Traditionally a strong home team, the Eagles are just 3-2-2 at Budweiser Event Center dating back to the start of November.

Idaho Leaders Eagles Leaders

Goals: Ewanyk (8) Goals: Mychan (12)

Assists: Dahl (16) Assists: Pierro-Zabotel (16)

Points: Dahl (23) Points: Pierro-Zabotel (25)

Plus/Minus: Basaraba/Faust (+5) Plus/Minus: Garbowsky/Mychan (+10)

Power Play Goals: Merchant (5) Power Play Goals: Salazar (3)

Goals-Against Average: Komm (2.74) Goals-Against Average: Saunders (2.68)

Check out the Idaho Steelheads Statistics

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ECHL Stories from December 7, 2016


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