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ECHL Idaho Steelheads

Steelheads Storm Americans; Third Period Surge Gives Idaho Fourth Straight Win

December 19, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


Boise, ID - The Idaho Steelheads (11-14-4) pushed their winning streak to four games on Friday night thanks to another four-goal period, taking down the Allen Americans (15-10-1) at CenturyLink Arena, 6-3.

The game was hardly comfortable at the start of the third period, with the teams tied at 2-2 and the Americans holding a 26-14 advantage in shots. The Americans would take a 3-2 lead at just 1:15 of the third period when Eric Roy's one-timer from the top of the right circle got past the glove of Philippe Desrosiers. That was the last goal the Americans would score, as it was the Steelheads' power play that would take over the rest of the game.

Idaho earned just its second man-advantage of the night when Tristan King was called for high-sticking late in an Americans' 5-on-3 advantage. After the man-power shifted in the Steelheads' favor, Zach Yuen and Kyle Jean crisscrossed high in the Allen zone, with Jean sliding the puck over for a one-time blast from Yuen that beat goaltender Riley Gill and tied the game at 5:11 of the third. It was Yuen's second goal of the season and first as a Steelhead.

At 12:46, the Steelheads went in front for good. On a delayed offside, the Steelheads cleared the zone and stormed back in on the forecheck, with Carson McMillan flushing Allen defenseman Rick Pinkston out from behind his own net to throw the puck up the right-wing boards. Idaho forward Jake Fallon crashed the boards and broke up that pass, with the loose puck squirting between the circles to Andre Morrissette. Morrissette buried the eventual game-winner, his fourth of the season and second in two games.

Jefferson Dahl would add the Steelheads second power play marker of the period just 56 seconds later when at the right point Yuen found him just above the goal line out of the left wing corner. Dahl lifted the sharp-angled shot over Gill as the goaltender sprawled across for his 12th of the season and sixth on the power play.

Rob Linsmayer would add an empty-net goal to seal the game.

Emil Molin's eighth goal of the season opened the scoring for Idaho, before a power play goal by Allen's Ian Schultz knotted the score. Former-Steelhead Tristan King netted a power play goal at 2:23 of the second period to give Allen their first lead of the game, but the Steelheads responded with Shawn Boutin's first goal of the season at 18:38 of the second. An "Idahop", a whacky bounce off the partition in the glass, squirted to the high slot and gave Boutin an empty net to tie the game.

The Steelheads' power play has now converted for eight goals over its past four games. The team has also won three of its past four home games to improve its record at CenturyLink Arena to 4-5-2.

Idaho faces the Americans again at CenturyLink Arena on Saturday night, with puck-drop scheduled for 7:10pm MT. The game can be heard on 1350AM KTIK, and seen on Cable One Channel 72 and ECHLTV.

STEELHEADS STATS:

Goals: Molin (8), Boutin (1), Yuen (2), Morrissette (4),Dahl (12), Linsmayer (8)

Philippe Desrosiers: 33 saves on 36 shots

Power Play: 2-for-4

Penalty Kill: 1-for-4

CENTURYLINK THREE STARS OF THE GAME

1. Andre Morrissette IDH

2. Zach Yuen IDH

3. Philippe Desrosiers IDH

COORS LIGHT OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME

Zach Yuen: PP goal, PP assist, plus-1 rating.

PLAY OF THE GAME:

Eric Roy's power play goal pushed the Allen man-advantage to 3-for-3 and made it a 3-2 game early in the third. Things could have spiraled out of control when just 18 seconds later, Andrew Panzarella was whistled for high-sticking and Emil Molin for unsportsmanlike conduct, giving Allen a full-length 5-on-3. But the Steelheads dug in and held the Americans off the board, thanks in large part to two big saves by Desrosiers. That penalty kill would lead directly into a Steelheads advantage and the Yuen power play goal. In a gut-check momentum swing, the Steelheads' struggling penalty kill stopped the bleeding and turned the tide of the game.

Check out the Idaho Steelheads Statistics

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