Wranglers Blank Punchless Roadrunners 2-0
by Andrew Nordmeier
Published on January 15, 2006 under ECHL (ECHL)
Phoenix RoadRunners
The Las Vegas Wranglers picked up goals from Sean O'Connor and Marco Peluso while Vegas netminder Marc Magliarditi turned aside all 20 Phoenix shots as the Wranglers blanked Phoenix 2-0 Saturday night at the Orleans Arena.
The game was a power-play festival as Las Vegas (29-6-3) converted once on eight chances while Phoenix took the collar in five chances with the man advantage. Las Vegas outshot Phoenix 44-20 and that helped contribute to Phoenix (10-23-3) getting shutout for the seventh time this season. Phoenix had as many shots in the first period (10) as they did over the final two periods. Vegas has won five straight while Phoenix is winless in its last three games (0-2-1).
All three of the shutouts in the ECHL this week involved Phoenix and the Roadrunners were on the losing end of two of them.
O'Connor's goal came at 18:42 of the second period when be banged a rebound past Roadrunners' netminder Michael Mole for all the offense Vegas needed. They got another goal off of a Mole turnover behind the net that Peluso jammed home with three seconds left in regulation to ice the win.
Magliarditi raised his record to 18-5-2 while Mole fell to 6-17-3 with his ECHL-leading 17th loss of the season. The Utah Grizzlies lost in a shootout to the Long Beach Ice Dogs and that keeps Phoenix 20 points (10 games) out of a playoff spot with exactly half of the season remaining.
The Roadrunners will have a few days to practice before these two teams meet again in Phoenix's next game Thursday night at the US Airways Center. It will be Phoenix's last home game as they have a nine-game road trip coming up and don't play again at home until February 14.
Three Stars
3. Mole-PHX Stopped 42 of 44 shots, got no offensive support
2. Magliarditi-LV 20-save shutout
1. O'Connor-LV game-winning goal
Notes: Phoenix has scored just five goals in its last five games...Vegas scored the three fastest goals in franchise history when they beat Fresno 7-2 Friday night...The Wranglers are 17-1-2 at home this season and wrapped up a six -game homestand at 5-1-0...Phoenix is 4-9-0 on the road this season and 1-8-1 in its last 10 games...Las Vegas is 19-1-0 when scoring first...Magliarditi leads the league in wins with 18 and is tied with Alaska's Matt Underhill for the league lead in shutouts with three...Referee Max Battimo played the role of Mikey Gonzalez on the first season of the teenage sit-com "Saved By The Bell"...Attendance was 6,432.
ECHL Stories from January 15, 2006
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