Steelheads Put a Bow on 2015: Idaho Tops Eagles, Points Streak Reaches 8
December 31, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release
Boise, ID - The Idaho Steelheads (14-14-5) closed out 2015 on a high note, scoring four unanswered goals to defeat the Colorado Eagles (14-15-2), 6-3 at CenturyLink Arena. The Steelheads are now unbeaten in regulation in their past eight games, going 7-0-1 and pulling to within one point of the West Division leading Grizzlies, who hold five games in hand.
Kyle Jean and Emil Molin both posted three-point nights, while Jefferson Dahl and Rob Linsmayer both extended their points streaks to six games. Jack Campbell made 28 saves to earn the win in his first start of the season for Idaho, pushing his career mark with the Steelheads to 6-0-2.
Corbin Baldwin has been the defensive rock on the back-end for the Steelheads, but tonight he got in on the offense. Baldwin's wrist shot from the left point just 29 seconds into the game sailed over the glove of Eagles' goaltender Clarke Saunders, off the post and in for his third goal of the season and a 1-0 Idaho lead.
Teigan Zahn's point shot just 3:13 later deflected off of Jean's stick and into the net to tie the game, but the Steelheads would retake the lead with a deflection of their own. At 16:39 of the first period, Shawn Boutin put a perfect slap-pass on the blade of Jake Fallon, popping it through Saunders for Fallon's first pro goal and the Steelheads' 14th power play goal in an eight-game power play scoring streak.
Colorado took the lead early in the second when a Darryl Bootland power play goal and a Giffen Nyren breakaway just 17 seconds apart put Idaho in a hole. It proved to be a shallow hole, as Molin's high-slot wrister off of a Linsmayer drop-pass eluded Saunders to tie the game, Molin's 12th of the season and sixth in eight games.
Jean took over the offense from there, sniping his fourth of the season off the rush from the left wing boards 58 seconds after Molin's tally, for what would be the eventual game-winner. With 4:35 left in the second Jean found the rebound of his own shot and fed Baldwin at the left point for a blast that deflected in off Andrew Carroll for his fifth of the season making it 5-3.
Jean sealed the scoring at 7:14 of the third period, driving the net and deflecting a Molin rebound behind Saunders with his body. Jean now has five goals and 17 points during an eight-game point streak, which is tied for the longest points streak of any Steelhead this season. Linsmayer had an eight game streak that ended in November.
Campbell made several key stops in the game, including a breakaway stop on Kyle Kramer in the second period to preserve what was a one-goal lead. Kraemer had scored four goals in two games against the Steelheads this season, but was held off the sheet tonight and was a minus-3. Campbell also made a terrific save late in the third on Kyle Ostrow, stretched out on the ice but somehow able to throw his leg in front of a gaping net to kick the puck away.
The Steelheads sit second in the West Division, a point behind Utah and three ahead of Colorado. They are fifth in the Western Conference and with the win moved above .500 on home ice and moved to .500 for the season for the first time since November 6th.
The Steelheads and Eagles meet again at CenturyLink Arena on New Year's Day, with puck-drop scheduled for 7:10pm MT. The game is available on radio on 1350AM KTIK and seen on CableOne and ECHLTV.
STEELHEADS STATS:
Goals: Baldwin (3), Fallon (1), Molin (12), Jean (4,5), Carroll (5)
Jack Campbell: 28 saves on 31 shots
Power Play: 1-for-4
Penalty Kill: 2-for-3
CENTURYLINK THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1. Kyle Jean IDH
2. Corbin Baldwin IDH
3. Jack Campbell IDH
COORS LIGHT OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME
Corbin Baldwin: Goal, assist, plus-4 rating,
PLAY OF THE GAME:
Zach Yuen made a terrific defensive play along the far wall of the Steelheads' zone, taking a hit to move the puck through the neutral zone for Jean. Showing his goal-scorer's touch, Jean rifled a shot from the left wing boards outside the dots and almost below the hash marks, putting it short-side over the shoulder of Saunders. It was a world-class shot from the hottest player in the ECHL and it would hold up as the game-winner, but it all started with a solid defensive zone transition play by Yuen.
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