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ECHL Idaho Steelheads

Wrangler Rally Sinks Idaho

March 4, 2012 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


Boise, ID - Three goals over the final ten minutes of play lifted the Las Vegas Wranglers to a come-from-behind victory over the Idaho Steelheads, 3-2, Saturday night in front of 4,633 fans at Boise's CenturyLink Arena.

Idaho (23-29-7) is now winless in its past ten hockey games.

Things looked promising for the Steelheads in the first period as the Wranglers clanged three shots off the crossbar while Idaho cashed in on a fortunate hop midway through the stanza. The puck was played from the left-hand wall toward the center of the ice in Idaho's offensive zone. The puck skipped over Channing Boe and right to Derek LeBlanc in the slot. LeBlanc's wrister beat Mitch O'Keefe at the 10:56 mark to give Idaho a 1-0 lead. The goal was LeBlanc's 17th of the season and fifth in the past seven games.

Idaho stretch the lead early in the second period as David Fredriksson's shot from the left circle trickled through O'Keefe and just over the goal line, Fredriksson's ninth of the season, to make it 2-0 two and a half minutes into the second period.

Each goaltender, O'Keefe and Idaho's Jerry Kuhn, stood tall over the remainder of the second frame to keep Idaho's lead at 2-0 heading into the third.

The two-goal lead remained until the midway point of the third. With Andrei Plekhanov in the penalty box for the Steelheads, Chris Francis got Las Vegas on the board with a power-play goal to cut Idaho's lead in half at the 10:01 mark of the final period. Less than two minutes later, Thomas Kiriakou netted his first professional goal, finishing a pretty pass through the crease from Robbie Smith, to tie the game at two. Then, at 15:05 of the final period, Adam Miller won an offensive zone faceoff to the inside of the left-hand circle, where Judd Blackwater snapped a one-timer over Kuhn to give the Wranglers a 3-2 lead.

A furious scramble in the final 30 seconds came up empty for Idaho as Las Vegas (37-19-5, 79 points) maintained their slim lead over Ontario (78 points) in the ECHL's Pacific Division. Ontario defeated Utah, keeping the Grizzlies (55 points) in sixth place, just two points ahead of the Steelheads (53 points).

O'Keefe stopped 28 of 30 for Las Vegas to pick up the win, Kuhn made 40 saves on 43 shots in the loss for Idaho. It marked the thirteenth time this season Kuhn has made at least 40 stops in a game. Idaho was 0-2 on the power play while Las Vegas converted one of three opportunities with the man advantage.

The Bakersfield Condors make their only visit to Boise this coming week, visiting the Steelheads on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at CenturyLink Arena. Wednesday is "Kids Eat Free Night," presented by the Idaho Statesman, as kids under 12 will get a voucher for a free Double R Ranch hot dog, Pepsi, and bag of Tim's Cascade potato chips with their ticket. Tickets are available by calling the CenturyLink Arena box office (208.331.TIXS) or by logging on to www.idahosteelheads.com.

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