ECHL Idaho Steelheads

Steelheads Game Preview

Published on May 11, 2007 under ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


After dispatching the sixth-seeded Stockton Thunder and number one seed, the Las Vegas Wranglers, in two, six game series, the Idaho Steelheads (8-4 playoffs) advance to the National Conference Finals to take on the defending Kelly Cup Champions, and two-time, West Division winners, the Alaska Aces (8-2 playoffs). The Aces, who are in the ECHL's "Final Four" for the third straight season, enter the third round after a six-game series with the seventh-seeded Victoria Salmon Kings and a four-game sweep of the third-seeded Bakersfield Condors. These two teams have collided once before in the Kelly Cup playoffs, as the Steelheads beat the Aces 3-1 in a best-of-five second round series in 2004, en route to a Kelly Cup Championship.

SERIES SCHEDULE (all games listed in Mountain Time):

Game 1: Idaho @ Alaska - Monday, May 7; Idaho 1, Alaska 0

Game 2: Idaho @ Alaska - Tuesday, May 8; Idaho 3, Alaska 2 O.T.

Game 3: Idaho vs. Alaska - Friday, May 11; 7:10 p.m.

Game 4: Idaho vs. Alaska - Sunday, May 13; 7:10 p.m.

Game 5: Idaho vs. Alaska - Tuesday, May 15; 7:10 p.m. **

Game 6: Idaho @ Alaska - Saturday, May 19; 9:15 p.m. **

Game 7: Idaho @ Alaska - Sunday, May 20; 9:15 p.m. **

** If Necessary

GAME RECAPS:

GAME ONE: IDAHO 1, ALASKA 0

B.J. Crombeen deflected Lars Helminen's point shot into the back of the net late in the second period for the only goal in Game One, a 1-0 Steelheads victory from Sullivan Arena. Crombeen's third of the playoffs came on the power play at 16:05 of the middle frame, and occurred moments after Aces' forward Ryan MacMurchy picked up a major boarding penalty and a game misconduct for checking Marty Flichel from behind into the end boards. The Steelheads held the Aces to just 15 shots in Game One to pick up their second straight one-goal, shutout win of the postseason. The 15 chances for the defending champs was their fewest shot total in over three years and the 35 combined shots was the lowest total of their season. With the win, Steelheads' goaltender Steve Silverthorn earned his second consecutive blanking to tie him for the ECHL-lead with three in the playoffs. Derek Gustafson finished with 19 saves for the Aces, who despite the defeat, held their opponent to less than three goals for the sixth straight outing. The Game One victory was the first series opening win for the Steelheads in the 2007 postseason and their second in the last five series overall.

GAME TWO: IDAHO 3, ALASKA 2 O.T.

With just over five minutes left in sudden death overtime, Taggart Desmet collected his own rebound and beat Derek Gustafson (33 saves) with a backhander to lift the Steelheads to a 3-2 win, giving them a commanding two-games-to-none series lead. With the game scoreless heading into the second intermission, the two teams rattled off four combined markers in the third period, beginning with a five-on-three power play goal by Steelheads' defenseman Lars Helminen 1:14 into the frame. However, the Aces responded with two goals in 37 seconds, which marked their first tallies of the series. The first one, a power play tip-in by Joe Talbot, ended Steve Silverthorn's (25 saves) shutout streak at 164:22, dating back to Game Six of the Conference Semi-Finals against Las Vegas. At the 4:59 mark, Mike Scott beat Silverthorn from the right circles to give the Aces a 2-1 lead. The lead would be short-lived, with Scott Burt netting his first of the playoffs on a snap shot from the left circles midway through the third period to force overtime. The Steelheads managed eight shots in overtime, including Desmet's game-winner, which was the first playoff goal of his career. The win pushed the Steelheads to 3-0 in overtime and 6-2 on the road in the postseason, while sending the Aces to their first 0-2 series hole since Davis Payne took over as head coach in 2003-2004 (11 playoff series).

REGULAR SEASON TALE OF THE TAPE:

Record: Idaho 42-24-2-4 (90 pts.), Alaska 49-16-3-4 (105 pts.)

Offense: Idaho 10th (3.33 GF/GP), Alaska 3rd (3.75 GF/GP)

Defense: Idaho 7th (2.89 GA/GP), Alaska 1st (2.44 GA/GP)

Shots For: Idaho 8th (33.96 SF/GP), Alaska 16th (32.04 SF/GP)

Shots Against: Idaho 2nd (27.96 SA/GP), Alaska 3rd (28.42 SA/GP)

Average PIM: Idaho 6th (22.5 PIM/GP), Alaska 1st (27.4 PIM/GP)

PP: Idaho 7th (18.1%), Alaska 2nd (19.1%)

PK: Idaho 18th (82.4%), Alaska T-2nd (86.8%)

STEELHEADS' RECENT TRANSACTIONS: - 4/25/07: ADD Greg Rallo (C) reassigned by Iowa (AHL)

ACES' RECENT TRANSACTIONS: - NONE

STEELHEADS' NOTES: With their Game Two win, the Steelheads are now 27-16 in the Kelly Cup playoffs all-time...Scott Burt's game-tying goal in Game Two was his first playoff goal since 2004, a span of 26 games...The Steelheads boast three of the ECHL's top four postseason scorers in Galbraith (18 pts.), Flichel (15 pts.) and Helminen (14 pts.)...Steve Silverthorn is leading the playoffs in wins (10) and GAA (1.65)...The Steelheads have recorded at least one power play goal in 11 of their 14 games...In their four ECHL seasons, the Steelheads hold a .650 road winning percentage in the playoffs (15-8 record), which is the third highest in ECHL history.

ACES' NOTES: The Aces 0-2 series deficit marks the first time in 11 playoff series under head coach Davis Payne that they've failed to win at least one of the first two games...The Aces' Game Two overtime loss was their first such defeat at Sullivan Arena in the Aces' franchise history (including WCHL). They had previously been 5-0...Ryan MacMurchy has 31 penalty minutes in the first two games of this series, while leading the playoffs with 61 PIM...The Aces have three of the top four penalty minute leader...Prior to Game Two, Derek Gustafson had not allowed more than two goals in a game in six postseason outings... The Aces are 4-1 on the road in the 2007 playoffs.

REGULAR SEASON - HEAD TO HEAD:

The Steelheads posted a 3-3-0-0 record against the Aces in 2006-2007, including two wins after regulation expired. In three games at Anchorage in late December, the Steelheads won the middle game, 4-3 in overtime, but lost the other two tilts by a combined score of 8-1, including their first shutout loss of the season on December 20. In a three-game series at Qwest Arena in late March, the Steelheads again dropped the first game, 5-2, after an on-ice brawl in the midst of a 2-2 third period deadlock led to seven minutes of power play time for the Aces. However, the Steelheads responded the next two nights, gathering a 2-1 shootout win on March 23 and a 4-2 victory in the series finale on March 24.

REGULAR SEASON TEAM LEADERS:

STEELHEADS:

- Goals: Marty Flichel (39)

- Assists: Derek Nesbitt (51)

- Points: Marty Flichel (87)

- +/-: Travis Wight (+27)

- PIM: Lance Galbraith (238)

ACES:

- Goals: Olivier Filion (29)

- Assists: Kimbi Daniels (63)

- Points: Kimbi Daniels (81)

- +/-: Matt Shasby (+43)

- PIM: Hans Benson (205)

Check out the Idaho Steelheads Statistics

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ECHL Stories from May 11, 2007


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