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Victoria Salmon Kings defeat Stockton in OT

March 29, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


STOCKTON, Calif. - Patrick Coulombe scored 44 seconds into sudden-death overtime to complete a late rally by the Victoria Salmon Kings, who defeated the Stockton Thunder (31-31-7, 69 points) 5-4 in OT before 8,668 fans at Stockton Arena on Saturday night.

The Thunder was led by Ryan Huddy's eighth multi-goal game, who scored two goals but was countered with rookie Scott Howes' first hat trick as a professional. Damian Surma and Ryan Constant also scored for Stockton, who are in position to clinch a Kelly Cup Playoff berth with a victory on Sunday (magic number at 2) after the Phoenix RoadRunners lost 3-1 to Alaska on Saturday.

Howes put Victoria ahead 1-0 with a backhander from below the right circle with 8:21 gone in the opening period and Patrick Coulombe followed with a power-play goal to stretch the Victoria lead to 2-0, when he took Aaron Brocklehurst's pass at the left circle and snuck a wrist shot over Andrew Perugini's blocker side.

Constant cut the 2-0 deficit in half with a Thunder power-play goal with 28 seconds left in the first period, taking Mark Adamek's pass at the high slot and ripping a one-timer past Julien Ellis' glove.

Howes' second goal of the game and 9th of the year lifted the Salmon Kings to a 3-1 lead on a shorthanded break, when he stickhandled past a fallen defenseman at the left circle and beat Perugini with a snap shot through the five-hole. The Thunder cut the deficit to 3-2 on Surma's 11th goal of the season at 10:59, when he stripped Matt Kelly of the puck at the defensive blueline and converted on a 2-on-1 rush with a snap shot from the left circle.

Huddy's first of the game and 33rd of the season leveled the score at 3-3 with 32.9 seconds left in regulation, when he took Mike Lalonde's deflected pass in the slot and roofed a wrist shot under the crossbar.

Huddy's 34th goal of the year with 5:32 left in regulation gave the Thunder its first lead of the game at 4-3, when he scored from an identical position after corralling a bouncing puck in the slot.

Victoria capitalized on the forecheck with 2:15 left in regulation when Howes forced overtime with the hat trick goal, defecting a wrist shot from the slot past Perugini's blocker.

Coulombe was awarded his seventh goal of the season with 44 seconds left in regulation when he threw a pass at the goal mouth intended for Brady Leavold. The pass deflected off traffic and snuck through Perugini's five-hole to finish the Victoria rally.

Ellis earned his 11th win of the season and 9th lifetime against the Thunder with a 21-save effort, while Perugini helped force overtime with 15 stops.

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