Wranglers Down Roadrunners 3-2
by Andrew Nordmeier
March 2, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Phoenix RoadRunners
It was a playoff game with a playoff atmosphere with two teams that could potentially meet in the opening round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. The Las Vegas Wranglers battled a resilient Phoenix Roadrunners squad and escaped with a 3-2 win Thursday night at the US Airways Center.
Kelly Czuy broke open a 1-1 tie with a blast form the point that beat Phoenix netminder Cody Rudkowsky just 12 seconds into the third period. Chris Neiszner padded the Vegas lead to 3-1 at 6:51.
Phoenix (24-27-5) got a late power play goal from Jeff MacMillan to cut the gap to 3-2 and give Phoenix a chance to tie in the final minutes but failed to do so. Phoenix went the first nine minutes of the third period without a shot and that hampered their ability to come back.
"We're short players but I am proud of the battle our guys put out," Phoenix Head Coach Ron Filion said, "They stuck to the plan and gave a good game."
James Hiebert opened the scoring 17:50 of the opening period when he beat Las Vegas netminder Kevin Nastiuk for his 14th goal of the season. Nastiuk misplayed the puck and it squirted between his pads for the first strike of the night.
Las Vegas (31-10-13) responded 21 seconds later when Joe Talleri's wrist shot beat Rudkowsky along the ice to knot the score at 1-1.
Each team had four power play chances. Phoenix converted once while Vegas failed to do so. Shots favored Las Vegas 40-25.
These two teams will get to know each other even better as they head to Las Vegas to battle head-to-head at the Orleans Arena Friday and Saturday nights.
"We don't have the depth other teams have," Filion said about his team that has seven players recalled to the AHL, "It's do or die with the guys we have."
Three Stars of the Night
3. MacMillan-PHX First goal of the season
2. Rudkowsky-PHX 37 saves to keep his team in it
1. Czuy-LV Game-winning goal 12 seconds into the third period.
Notes: Phoenix had gone 10 straight games without scoring the first goal and have struck first just 22 times this season; The Roadrunners are 14-6-1 when scoring first and 10-21-4 when they allow the first goal...Of the 14 all-time meetings between the two teams, 11 of them have been decided by two goals or fewer...Las Vegas is the only team in the ECHL with more overtime and shootout losses (13) than regulation losses (10)... Las Vegas' magic number to clinch a playoff berth is four points...Attendance was 3,227.
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- Wranglers Down Roadrunners 3-2 - OSC Original by Andrew Nordmeier
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