ECHL Idaho Steelheads

Steelheads Game Preview

Published on May 31, 2007 under ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


IDAHO STEELHEADS QUEST FOR THE 2007 KELLY CUP

KELLY CUP FINALS (ROUND 4) PRESENTED BY FRESH EXPRESS & ALBERTSONS:

IDAHO STEELHEADS (15-6) VS. DAYTON BOMBERS (12-9)

BEST-OF-SEVEN SERIES

SERIES PREVIEW:

The ECHL's 19th season began in late October with 25 teams hoping to become champions. Now, seven months later, the Idaho Steelheads and Dayton Bombers tangle in the Kelly Cup Finals to fight for league supremacy. After winning six-game series against the National Conference's fifth seed, the Stockton Thunder and the number one seed, the Las Vegas Wranglers, the Steelheads ousted the defending Kelly Cup Champions, and second-seeded Alaska Aces in five games to win the National Conference. Back in the Kelly Cup Finals for the second time in four ECHL seasons, and coming off a 42-24-2-4 regular season, the Steelheads take on a Bombers squad that finished the campaign at 37-26-2-7 while claiming the regular season North Division title. The Bombers playoff journey began with a three-game sweep of the Trenton Titans in a best-of-five North Division Semi-Finals. Then, the Bombers erased a three-games-to-one series deficit to top the Cincinnati Cyclones in a decisive game seven of the North Division Finals. In the American Conference Finals, the Bombers used a 3-1 win in another seventh game to eliminate the Florida Everblades and reach the Kelly Cup Finials for the second time in franchise history.

SERIES SCHEDULE (all games listed in Mountain Time):

Game 1: Idaho vs. Dayton - Wednesday, May 23; Dayton 2, Idaho 1

Game 2: Idaho vs. Dayton - Friday, May 25; Idaho 5, Dayton 2

Game 3: Idaho @ Dayton - Sunday, May 27; Idaho 4, Dayton 2

Game 4: Idaho @ Dayton - Tuesday, May 29; Idaho 2, Dayton 1 (2 O.T.)

Game 5: Idaho @ Dayton - Thursday, May 31; 5:05 p.m.

Game 6: Idaho vs. Dayton - Saturday, June 2; 7:10 p.m. **

Game 7: Idaho vs. Dayton - Tuesday, June 5; 7:10 p.m. **

** If Necessary

GAME RECAPS:

GAME ONE: DAYTON 2, IDAHO 1

Trevor Frischmon scored with 2:36 left in regulation to snap a 1-1 tie and give the Bombers a 2-1 win over the Steelheads in Game One from Qwest Arena. Converting off a two-on-one rush, Frischmon, who was sliding onto the ice next to the left post, swept home a pass by Petr Pohl for his second game-winner of the playoffs. The only goal for either team in the first two periods came off the stick of Bombers' center Yannick Tifu, who took advantage of an odd-man rush late in the first period to put the visitors in front 1-0. With less than six minutes left in regulation, Francis Wathier drew the Steelheads even when he deflected home Colin Peters' right point shot for his first goal of the playoffs. Wathier's even-strength goal came in just his third game and looked like it would force overtime until Frischmon's tally minutes later. Steve Silverthorn made 21 saves in a losing cause for the Steelheads, while Bombers' netminder Adam Berkhoel, the reigning ECHL Goaltender of the Year, finished with 29 saves to earn his 12th win. Neither side converted on the power play, with the Steelheads having a playoff-low, one opportunity, and the Bombers going zero-for-four.

GAME TWO: IDAHO 5, DAYTON 2

Steelheads' rookie Greg Rallo notched his first career hat trick helping lift the Steelheads to a 5-2 win in Game Two, evening the best-of-seven series at one game apiece. A near capacity crowd of 4,926 watched as Rallo tallied twice in the first period and once in the third, including his second game-winner of the postseason. The Steelheads held a 3-0 lead at the first intermission, but the Bombers trimmed the deficit to one after 40 minutes of play thanks to a pair of power play goals by Matt Herneisen and Philippe Dupuis just 60 seconds apart. But in the third, the Steelheads would net two, man advantage markers with Lance Galbraith's 10th of the playoffs making it a 5-2 game with less than nine minutes left. The home team managed 43 shots for the contest, 16 of which came in the third, and the club's three power play markers tied a playoff-high. Derek Nesbitt added three assists for the Steelheads and Steve Silverthorn stopped 24 shots for his 13th win. Adam Berkhoel took the loss for the Bombers, making 38 saves.

GAME THREE: IDAHO 4, DAYTON 2

The Steelheads improved to 7-2 on the road in the playoffs with a 4-2 victory over the Bombers in Game Three to take a 2-1 series lead. Marty Flichel scored twice and recorded an assist for the visitors, while his line mates Lance Galbraith (3a) and Derek Nesbitt (2a) combined for five assists. With three, second period tallies, the Steelheads took a 3-0 lead into the second intermission and hung on for a two-goal win, improving to 10-1 when scoring first and 9-0 when leading after the second period. Steve Silverthorn stopped 19 shots for his 14th win of the playoffs, which ties him for the most wins in a single ECHL playoff year. Bombers' forwards Paul Kelly (1g, 1a) and Petr Pohl (1g, 1a) picked up two points each in the loss and Adam Berkhoel stopped 27 shots to drop to 2-6 lifetime in the Kelly Cup Finals.

GAME FOUR: IDAHO 2, DAYTON 1 (2 O.T.)

Rookie defenseman Kory Scoran snapped a shot from the left wing boards beating Bombers' goaltender Adam Berkhoel (51 saves) through his right arm at 14:20 of double overtime ending Game Four and giving the Steelheads a 2-1 win from the Nutter Center in Dayton. The 94:20 contest was the second longest in ECHL Finals history and it helped the Steelheads to a commanding 3-1 series lead. The only goals through the first four periods came in the second stanza with B.J. Crombeen giving the Steelheads a 1-0 lead at the 9:06 mark before Paul Kelly tied the game for the Bombers late in the frame. Steelheads' goaltender Steve Silverthorn stopped 41 shots for his 15th playoff win, which is the most in a single ECHL playoff year. Silverthorn, who like his club, improved to 4-0 in overtime also set a new mark for the most minutes played in one postseason at 1,328 and counting. Crombeen's tally, which was assisted by Scoran and fellow defenseman Lars Helminen, was the team's lone conversion in four power play opportunities, while the Bombers went zero-for-four on the man advantage.

STEELHEADS' NOTES:

The Steelheads are 2-1 in Game Five's and 3-1 in games when their opponent faces elimination. Their lone loss in each of those scenarios came on the road against Las Vegas in the National Conference Semi-Finals. B.J. Crombeen has five goals in the playoffs, four of which have come on the power play. Lance Galbraith has at least one assist in three straight games (5a) for the second time in this postseason. The Steelheads have not allowed a first period goal in the Finals since Game One. The Steelheads are 3-0 when scoring first in this series. The Steelheads lead the playoffs with 686 shots on goal. Steve Silverthorn has net new ECHL playoff marks for wins (15) and minutes played (1,328) in a single season.

BOMBERS' NOTES:

Tonight is the fifth time the Bombers have faced elimination in the playoffs. The Bombers are 2-0 in Game Five's. The Bombers have scored just six goals since the second period of Game One (194:20). Tim Konsorada has three points (2g, 1a) in his last four games. Brent Walton leads the club in postseason scoring at home with 12 points. With their Game Four loss, the Bombers are now 1-1 in overtime in 2007 and 7-11 all-time. Adam Berkhoel leads the playoffs with 616 saves entering Game Five. The Bombers lead the Kelly Cup Playoffs with 63 goals scored.

STEELHEADS' PLAYOFF LEADERS:

-- Goals: Lance Galbraith (10)

-- Assists: Lance Galbraith (16)

-- Points: Lance Galbraith (26)

-- +/-: Derek Nesbitt (+11)

-- PIM: Lance Galbraith (62)

-- Wins: Steve Silverthorn (15)

BOMBERSS PLAYOFF LEADERS:

-- Goals: Paul Kelly (10)

-- Assists: Brent Walton (11)

-- Points: Paul Kelly (19)

-- +/-: Paul Kelly (+15)

-- PIM: Paul Kelly (38)

-- Wins: Adam Berkhoel (13)

STEELHEADS' RECENT TRANSACTIONS:

-- 5/26/07: ADD Steve Chabbert (D) activated off the 30-day IR

-- 5/26/07: DELETE Blake Forsyth (D) placed on the 30-day IR

BOMBERS' RECENT TRANSACTIONS:

-- 5/17/07: ADD Matt Herneisen (F) activated off the 30-day IR

-- 5/17/07: DELETE Mike Berry (RW) placed on the 3-day IR

-- 5/17/07: DELETE Bryce Anderson (F) transferred to the 7-day IR

REGULAR SEASON TALE OF THE TAPE:

Record: Idaho 42-24-2-4 (90 pts.), Dayton 37-26-2-7 (83 pts.)

Offense: Idaho 10th (3.33 GF/GP), Dayton 19th (2.96 GF/GP)

Defense: Idaho 7th (2.89 GA/GP), Dayton 3rd (2.65 GA/GP)

Shots For: Idaho 8th (33.96 SF/GP), Dayton 9th (33.85 SF/GP)

Shots Against: Idaho 2nd (27.96 SA/GP), Dayton 1st (27.22 SA/GP)

Average PIM: Idaho 6th (22.5 PIM/GP), Dayton 20th (18.7 PIM/GP)

PP: Idaho 7th (18.1%), Dayton 10th (16.5%)

PK: Idaho 18th (82.4%), Dayton 12th (83.4%)

REGULAR SEASON - HEAD TO HEAD:

These two clubs did not meet during the 2006-2007 regular season. In their lone ECHL contest all-time, the Steelheads went on the road and defeated the Bombers 5-3 on February 15, 2004. On that day, the Steelheads jumped out to a 4-1 lead in part due to two goals by Darrell Hay and a tally by former Bomber, Lance Galbraith. Blair Allison made 32 saves for the win, as the Steelheads picked up their first of three victories on their six-game, non-conference road trip.

STEELHEADS' REGULAR SEASON LEADERS:

-- Goals: Marty Flichel (39)

-- Assists: Derek Nesbitt (51)

-- Points: Marty Flichel (87)

-- +/-: Travis Wight (+27)

-- PIM: Lance Galbraith (238)

-- Wins: Steve Silverthorn (36)

BOMBERS' REGULAR SEASON LEADERS:

-- Goals: Yannick Tifu (28)

-- Assists: Yannick Tifu (60)

-- Points: Yannick Tifu (88)

-- +/-: Ryan Reid (+31)

-- PIM: Lane Manson (166)

-- Wins: Adam Berkhoel (23)

Check out the Idaho Steelheads Statistics

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