2020-2021 PLAYER & GOALIE OF THE WEEK #14
| EASTERN SKATER | TEAM | GP | GOALS | ASSISTS | POINTS | PM | +/- | SOG | S% |
| MIKA ZIBANEJAD | BGR | 4 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 29% |
| EASTERN GOALIE | TEAM | GP | GOALS AGAINST | G.A. AVERAGE | SAVES | SAVE % | |||
| BRADEN HOLTBY | POR | 2 | 4 | 2 | 57 | .934 | |||
| WESTERN SKATER | TEAM | GP | GOALS | ASSISTS | POINTS | PM | +/- | SOG | S% |
| DAVID PASTRNAK | CHI | 4 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 2 | -1 | 32 | 13% |
| WESTERN GOALIE | TEAM | GP | GOALS AGAINST | G.A. AVERAGE | SAVES | SAVE % | |||
| ANTTI RANTA | CAL | 2 | 4 | 1.98 | 71 | .947 | |||
| New Jersey Black Aces | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | Games vs Brentwood and Bathgate this week |
|
Brentwood Bandits @ New Jersey Black Aces |
NJ scores the most goals in a game ( that I recall) beating Brentwood, 5-3 |
|
Bathgate Rangers @ New Jersey Black Aces |
A 2-1 win |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | NJ wins both games. I could see more wind now with Hart playing most of the 33 games left |
| Chicago Cosa Nostra | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | Two at home for the week against two really good teams. Chicago can only hope for 2 Points. Anything more would be welcome. |
|
California Regulators @ Chicago Cosa Nostra |
One-shot on goal in overtime was the Regulators needed to bank the win. Patrick Kane 1:08 into the 3 on 3 gave California the one-goal win.
Final Score: California 4 – Chicago 3 – (OT) Labatt’s 3-Star Selection: GWG: Patrick Kane Notables: |
|
Toledo Walleye @ Chicago Cosa Nostra |
The Mighty Fish come into the Capone Center & double up the Cosa Nostra. Toledo dominated the game or so it felt, but Chicago actually outplayed the Walleye.
Final Score: Toledo 4 – Chicago 2 Labatt’s 3-Star Selection: GWG: Artem Anisimov Notables: |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | Chicago quietly is pouting in the corner as they get nothing in the line of Points on home ice. |
| Bathgate Rangers | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | 3 at home this week and home/home with NJ – cross river rivals…. |
|
Thunder Bay NorWesters @ Bathgate Rangers |
Atlantic leaders, Thunder Bay storm into the Round Garden and grab a quick 2-0 score in the 1st with goals from Nyquist and Conner (6 minutes into the game). Kunin helps the Rangers by drawing a hooking penalty at the 13 minute mark and Provorov scores to get the Rangers to within 1. 2nd Period starts with O’Reilly getting a 4 minute high sticking penalty and McCann makes the NorWesters pay with a PP goal. Then Nugent-Hopkins and Klingberg add goals later in the period for 4-2 Rangers lead. (For Klingberg, it was his 1st of the year!). But then with 31 seconds left in the period Couturier rips the puck away from Grimaldi, gets it to Slavin and over to Necas, shoots low – Goal and Thunder Bay draws within 1 setting up big 3rd period. What a wild period this was – Rangers played clamp down – fired off just 4 shots. Meanwhile the Norwesters threw everything they had into the battle – they even got 2 PP opportunities, the first when Tatar fires one into the seats, the 2nd when Vrana is nailed for tripping. At least the Rangers were about to thwart those PP attempts but Thunder Bay never stopped – firing 18 shots on Halak. Down the final minute 18, Thunder Bay still down by 1, extra attacker on 7 shots fired, 5 blocked by Rangers defensemen and Halak stops the 2 that get on him and the buzzer finally sounds and the Rangers hang on to win (in a comeback), 4-3. STARS: (all BGR) 1. Provorov 1 goal, 1 assist 2. Nugent-Hopkins 1 goal, 1 assist 3. DeAngelo 3 assists |
|
New Jersey Black Aces @ Bathgate Rangers |
New Jersey comes to the Round Garden after winning a tough 2-1 game on their ice 2 days earlier. It was a wide open contest that featured stellar goal tending by by Georgiev and Hart. Now for the quick rematch…. GOALIES for this one, Hart again for NJ, but Halak in nets for the Rangers. And the Rangers put on quit a show, -43 shots on net, 82 shots fired, 27 scoring chances (to 10 for the Black Aces). But the Black Aces get 4 of those chances past Halak (only 20 were on net). BUT – 4 goals were 3 goals too few and Bathgate reversed their minimal scoring event from their previous NJ game to score 7 times in this on – 4 in the final 20 minutes. 1st Period – NJ’s Kreci scores 56 seconds into the game. But ZBad and Tatar tally for Bathgate to close out the 1st with 2-1 Rangers lead. 2nd Period – the tied turns was Thomas (1:00 in) and Gaudette (1:41 in) score very early to make it 3-2 NJ! ZBad then gets his 2nd a few minutes later to tie it and that’s how it ends after 2 – score tied3-3. 3rd Period-Hanifan scores for NJ 2 minutes in and the Black Aces pull into a 4-3 lead. That’s when the Rangers go into overdrive. Vrana gets a PP goal midway in to tie it. Then ZBad gets his 3rd of the game with 7 1/2 to go giving Bathgate the 5-4 lead. Score stays that way until the final minute when Hart leaves the game and DeAngelo and Nugent-Hopkins are able to fire pucks into the empty net. The last goal was 5 seconds after DeAngelo’s as the Rangers basically scored off the center ice faceoff. Final 7-4 Rangers! STARS (all BGR) 1. Zibanejad 3 goals, 2 assists 2. Tatar 1 goal, 3 assists 3. Hertl 3 assists |
|
Brentwood Bandits @ Bathgate Rangers |
Bathgate has worked their way past Brentwood this year, but the Bandits have been coming on strong lately, so this game is big for both of them! Tight 1st PERIOD with each team scoring once – Provorov scores 1st for Bathgate and Kessel gets a late PP goal to tie it up. 2nd Period sees pretty even play except on the scoreboard as Pavelski and Connolly tally for the Bandits and they take a big 3-1 lead into the 3rd period. However, at the 3rd period starts, Nugent-Hopkins scores a quick PP goal to pull the Rangers within 1. But Debrusk retaliates with a Brentwood PP goal 4 minutes later and the lead is back to 2 for the Bandits at 4-2. ZBad makes it a 1 goal game again scoring a PP goal with 8+ to go. Then Nugent-Hopkins ties it up with 7 to go as he scores his 2nd of the game. Then the final 2 minutes of the 3rd period with the score tied 4-4, we see some amazing fireworks. Tatar has the puck for Bathgate but loses it to Koncny – he breaks clear on a breakway beating Georgiev glove side low and the Bandits have the lead 5-4 with 1:48 to go. Brentwood wins the faceoff but the Rangers get it quickly when Vrana grabs the puck, he works it to Provorov, to ZBad to DeAngelo who shoots and scores to retie the game,5-5! Minute and a half to go. Rangers win the faceoff and have total control, they take 1 that’s blocked, regroup and then work it in where Tatar is stopped cold by a Vasilevsky glove save. Then it goes the other way with Tavares, Debrusk and Konecny and Martinz working it in and Tavares shoots – Georgiev the save, loose out front, Rangers gain control (50 seconds left), new lines, Rangers into the zone, Nugent-Hopkins and Hertl set up Dylan Strome, he fires it back to Nugent-Hopkins, he shoots and scores! Hat Trick and the Rangers take a 6-5 leead with 40 seconds to play!! Rangers control the faceoff – but the Bandits have an extra attacker (Tavares) on the ice. 30 seconds to play and Tator overskates the puck. Stralman skates it up ice – line changes, Brentwood keeps control. Pearson, to Vlasic, to Tavares (20 seconds). Tavares passes to Horvat – Nugent-Hopkins breaks his stick, Horvat sees it, takes advantage, shoots and scores! With 16 seconds left the Bandits tie it back up. And that how it ends after 3, 6-6 with 8 goals (5 by Bathgate, 3 by Brentwood) scored in the final 20 minutes. WELL – not final, since we have up to 5 more minutes to go in OT. 5 minutes? How about 27 seconds…. Pavelski wins the faceoff, Josi gains the zone, to Konecny, to Pavelski who looks to make a play – slap shot, SCORE. Georgiev should have had, would have had, but never saw it (I don’t make this stuff up). Pavelski’s 2nd goal of the game wins it for Brentwood as they gain a point on the Rangers and with it 7-6 in OT. STARS 1. BGR – Nugent-Hopkins 3 goals, 1 assist 2. BWB – Pavelski 2 goals, 1 assist 3. BWB – Konecny 1 goal, 2 assists |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | Well, 5 of 6 points at home this week, but we did drop a point to Brentwood head to head – and dropped one to NJ on the road. However, still a good week! |
| Yellowknife Braves | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | 2 home games vs Bucks Co |
|
Bucks County Raccoons @ Yellowknife Braves |
Yellowknife doubles up the Racoons 6-3 Stars #1 YEL Palmieri 2G 4pts #2 YEL Monahan 1G 4pts #3 YEL Duclair 1G 2pts |
|
Bucks County Raccoons @ Yellowknife Braves |
Bucks Co wins it 9-6 Stars #1 BCR Oshie 2G #2 BCR Kane 2G #3 BCR Meier 1G 3pts |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | 2 Home games. A split |
| LA Great Danes | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | After a stretch of 13 road games in the last 18, the Great Danes have more than one home game on the weekly schedule for the first time since week 9.
It’s a home and home series against Cincinnati and home games against Pacific foes Alamo and Gilbert. |
|
Cincinnati Inferno @ LA Great Danes |
The teams play a 2-game series this week, not long after the recent trade. Ex-Danes Talbot, Teravainen, and Armia are in the Inferno lineup, and the Great Dane lineup includes trade acquistions Merzlikins, Boeser, and Schwartz, as well as Cody Glass making his LA debut.
Cincinnati is on fire early and score on their old backup goalie Elvis just 1:17 into the game – Patrick Laine off a rebound. But Brock Boeser evens the score midway through the period against his old team, his first goal of the season. It’s 1-1 after one – stats were a little odd as Cincy outshoots LA 14-5, but LA outchances Cincy 6-2. Period 2 is scoreless with only 2 scoring chances per team in the period. In the 3rd, it stays at 1-1 until late. Mark Scheifele of LA breaks the tie with 3:46 remaining, but Logan Couture ties the game at 2 with 2:35 left. Overtime was pretty wide open, and Brayden Point finally ends it in the last minute on a wrap-around goal off of a faceoff win. Cincy outshoots LA 7-5 in OT with a 5-1 scoring change advantage. So Cincinnati comes away with the 3-2 OT win. |
|
Alamo Defenders @ LA Great Danes |
Igor Shesterkin gets his first start in goal since way back in week 5, and it’s a tough start for him. Alamo leads 3-1 after one period, with all 4 goals occurring in a 2 minute span. Alamo adds 2 more goals in the 2nd to take a 5-1 lead before LA closes to gap to 5-2 heading into the 3rd.
LA starts strong with 3 scoring chances in the 3rd period’s first minute, but LA cannot break through until under 5 minutes left. But another LA goal after that with 1:32 left suddenly makes it a game at 5-4. But visions of a big comeback disappear when Draisaitl gets an empty net goal, and Alamo gets the 6-4 road win. LA’s Mark Scheifele is the #1 star with 2 goals, and Marchand/Wheeler with 1G-1A each for Alamo are the #2/3 stars. |
|
Gilbert Sharks @ LA Great Danes |
Igor gets his second straight start, and for the second straight game, he is facing a 3-1 deficit after one period. Only one goal in the second period, with Mark Scheifele scoring for the third straight game this week. With the Danes down 3-2 after 2 periods, they even the score midway through the 3rd on a goal by Roope Hintz off a 2 on 1 rush. After that, Gilbert peppers Shesterkin with 5 SOG on a power play opportunity, but Igor is up the challenge and we go to overtime.
William Nylander hits the post a minute into OT, but other than that it was a non-eventful OT with no recorded scoring chances. Gilbert would seem to have a big advantage in the shootout with Rask in goal and an intimidating trio of shooters in Kubalik, MacKinnon, and Panarin. But Shesterkin stops all 3 shooters, and William Nylander beats Rask in round 2, and the Great Danes earn a 4-3 shootout win. |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | Points are not exactly critical for the cellar dwellers, but 3 points in 3 home games.
Mark Scheifele, with 4 goals in the 3 home games, could receive player of the week consideration if he delivers in LA’s remaining road game for the week. |
| Toledo Walleye | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | With a 3-3 record the past 6 games, the previous 2-8 run is out of our memories as we stride to play spoiler during the last half of the season. Yellowstone and Chicago, 1st and 2nd place in the division come into town. Can we do it??? |
|
Yellowknife Braves @ Toledo Walleye |
Toledo 5, Yellowknife 3 – First year on the team, languishing on the 4th line, Tom Nosek gets his 9th goal of the season just 3 minutes in to put the Walleye up 1. Both teams then kill off a penalty and then its Backstrom from in close to put Toledo up 2. As Toledo hopes to head to intermission ahead by 2, the Braves say “Not so Fast!”, and Gurianov cuts the lead, and some enthusiasm in the crowd. The period ends 2-1 Toledo.
2nd period a quick score by Pettersson gives the Walleye a cushion at 3-1. Toledo kills off a penalty, and in spite of 13 Brave SOG, they remain stuck at 1. We’re at 3-1 as the buzzer sounds. 3rd period – Kucherov opens the door with a penalty, and the Braves are happy to use the opportunity when Palmieri scores only 24 seconds into the powerplay, and we are back to a one goal game, 3-2. The Braves kill off a Malkin penalty and we are down to 10 minutes to go. Nosek wants a promotion to the 3rd line, and he may have earned it with another goal, making it 4-2 with 8 minutes left. That only lasts a few minutes before Benn deflects one in and we have excitement again, as its 4-3 with only 6 minutes to go. Yellowknife continues to pound Binnington, registering 17 SOG in the period, but they cannot light the lamp any more as Binnington stands tall. Kucherov takes advantage of the aggressive attack near the end, and his steal leads to a one man breakaway, and he provides the insurance goal with only 2 minutes to go. Flurry of shots by the Braves in the last 2 minutes, but no goals. Final 5-3 Yellowknife 43 SOG 1st star – Nosek 2G |
|
Chicago Cosa Nostra @ Toledo Walleye |
Toledo 6, Chicago 5, OT – All the Walleye want to do is not have Pastrnak do them in. Toledo comes out with high energy and control the 1st period, with 14 SOG and 2 goals (Arvidsson and Backstrom) in the first 10 minutes. The energy gets a little overboard and results in 2 penalties late in the period. Chicago takes advantage of one, and a Werenski goal cuts the lead to 1. On to intermission.
2nd period Chicago bends but does not break. They allow 16 shots on goal, but none go in. 2 penalty kills in the process. On the other end of the ice, Chicago fine tunes the offense and finds some cracks to exploit. Goals by Toews and Dach flip the lead over, and on to 2nd intermission 3-2 Chicago. 3rd period – Defenses rule the 1st 10 minutes, No penalties and no goals. Then the ride goes off the rails. First Copp with a goal, and Chicago now up by 2. Then the tied turns and Toledo gets the mojo, Nosek (remember him from the earlier game?} and Kucherov get goals just 4 minutes apart, and we are tied at 4 with just over 3 to go. Good back and forth play, and then its (OH CRAP) Pastrnak putting Chicago up 5-4 and the fans get out their voodoo dolls to take him down. 83 seconds to go, and once the Walleye get controll, Off comes the goalie, and on comes the calvary. Aggressive attacking does not blow up in our face for once, and Pete finds the net. Now tied at 5 with 29 seconds to go. Conservative play for 29 seconds and we go for free hockey. OT – Both teams get a chance, but the puck seems to be in the Toledo offensive zone most of the time, and it results in a blast from Hoffman bringing it all to an end. Pandemonium……. We have defeated the Pastrnak curse. Love ya Stray. 1st star – Kucherov 1G 4pts |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | With 2 wins, the boat seems to have stopped taking on water ……………… for now.
Exorcizing the spectre of Pastrnak, at least for a while, is icing on the cake. |
| Cincinnati Inferno | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | The Cincinnati Inferno start the week tied with Thunder Bay for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. The back-end game of the home and home with LA is the lone game at The Incinerator for this week. |
|
LA Great Danes @ Cincinnati Inferno |
Playing its 14th road game in the past 20, LA rolled into Cincinnati after absorbing a 3-2 overtime loss to the Inferno on home ice last night.
CINCINNATI 3, LA 2 The Cincinnati Inferno used its pressure defense and got another solid goaltending performance from Conner Hellebuyck, to claim the 3-2 victory. The Great Danes were limited to just 18 shots and the Inferno capitalized with 14 takeaways to claim the win. William Nylander led the LA attack with both goals (including the game’s only power play score). Brayden Point (1-1-2) and Max Pacioretty (0-2-2) had multiple point nights for the Inferno. Hellebuyck turned aside 16 shots in the win and former Inferno netminder Elvis Merzlikins stood solid with 23 saves. |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | Cincinnati takes care of business with a pair of wins in the first half of the week over LA. Now, the drama builds as road games at Charlotte and Thunder Bay await.
The Great Danes are happy to be getting off the road, as they play three games at home next week and get six of the next nine on their ice sheet. |
| Alamo Defenders | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | Defenders host Portland, Brentwood, and California this week. |
|
Portland Storm @ Alamo Defenders |
This was a back and forth battle. Alamo would go ahead, but pesky Portland would keep tying, and eventually getting the go ahead goal with 5 minutes to go in the game. Hutton who does not have a good goalie rating plays out of his mind with 44 saves in route to the 1st star.
Portland 3 Alamo 2 1-Hutton |
|
Brentwood Bandits @ Alamo Defenders |
Stanley Cup finalists play again, and Brentwood gets the narrow win, Taveras and Draisaitl score for their respective teams. Early in the 3rd, Connolly scores for the Bandits, which proves to be the game winner.
Brentwood 2 Alamo 1 1-Vailevsky |
|
California Regulators @ Alamo Defenders |
The first and second place teams in the Pacific square off. California gets the big win as they put 4 on the scoring board. Crosby scores the lone goal.
California 4 Alamo 1 1-Nelson |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | Extremely disappointing week for Alamo as their big goal scorers went silent. The Defenders only score 4 goals in 3 games.
Portland, 3-2 |
| Jagr Mullets | |
|---|---|
|
New Jersey Black Aces @ Jagr Mullets |
1 2 3 4 F 2020-21 New Jersey 14-33-0-3 0 2 1 0 3 2020-21 Jagr 33-10-0-8 1 0 2 1 4 Scoring Summary Star 1: JAG Matthews 2 G, 4 Pts GWG: Alex Ovechkin Notables: NJB Hart 38 saves, Sergachev 5 blocks |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | One game one win |
| Gilbert Sharks | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | Gilbert has 2 Home Games versus Toledo and Chicago |
|
Toledo Walleye @ Gilbert Sharks |
All Gilbert from the get go, Fiala, Mangiapane, Coyle, and Kubalik score to put Gilbert up 4-0 at the end of 2. Keller adds one in the 3rd to make it 5-0. Bailey prevents the shutout for Toledo with about 6 minutes left but Kubalik scores a minute later to bring us to the final of 6-1. |
|
Chicago Cosa Nostra @ Gilbert Sharks |
Gilbert looks to continue the good vibes against Chicago but Kreider puts Chicago on the board just 3 minutes into the game. Gilbert gets it going and scores the next 3 (Mackinnon, Kubalik, and Panarin). Soderberg cuts the Gilbert lead to 1 but Makar extends it back to 2 midway through the 2nd period. Dubois scores for Chicago to cut the lead back to 1 going into the 3rd period. The 3rd period is shades of Early season Gilbert as they give up the last 4 goals (Pastrnak with 2, Dubois with his 2nd, Theodore with an Empty Netter) to lose 7-4. |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | Another split at home for Gilbert |
| Brentwood Bandits | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | One home game this week. It’s a big divisional and familial rivalry. “The Brother Bowl”
Those Jagoff Mullets come to town… always a game marked on the calendar! |
|
Jagr Mullets @ Brentwood Bandits |
1st period – Bandits out-shoot the Mullets 15-13, but both goalies hold their ground. 0-0 after 1.
2nd period – Konecny (10) scores on the PP to make it 1-0. A disappointing season thus far from the youngster, but a bright future ahead. Miller (20) ties it for the Mullets, 1-1. 3 minutes later, former Jagoff Phil the Thrill (6) puts the Bandits back up, 2-1. 3rd period – Bandit killer Bergeron (42) makes it 2-2 early on in the period. Foegele (2) puts the Bandits up 3-2. Tanev “the Manev” (4) puts one past Vasilevskiy to tie it 3-3 a mere 24 seconds later. Time winding down… with under 2 minutes to play, Debrusk (25) gives the Bandits the late lead. Which they hold onto for the 4-3 upset win! Key to victory – outshoot (43-34) and try to minimize penalties taken as Jagr has a VERY good PP unit. Keeping them 0-2 on the PP would be a victory in and of itself… and scoring our own PP goal helps, too! |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | One game, two HUGE points. So… do we make a deal at the deadline to try to make the playoffs? Or do we trade away Tavares, Debrusk, and Josi to look toward next season and beyond?
Hmmm… |
| Thunder Bay Nor’Westers | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | Two In-Division game so it it key to get a minimum of 2 points and hopefully 3 or 4. |
|
Charlotte Buzzards @ Thunder Bay NorWesters |
Thunder Bay jumps out to a 2-1 lead in the first period on goals by Nyquist (14) and Connor (31). Charlotte’s goal was by Duck Dynasty’s Brent Burns (6).
By the end of the 2nd period it was all tied up at 3-3 as Charlotte scored twice – Mikheyev (7) and Lee (13) while Thunder Bay scored once on Bertuzzi’s (9). The 3rd period saw both teams score twice sending us to Overtime. Charlotte’s goals in the 3rd were by Larkin (7) and Mikheyev’s (second of the game and 8 of the season. Thunder Bay’s 3rd period goals were by Couturier (13) and Connor’s 2nd of the game and 32nd of the seson. Overtime was scoreless so for the first time this season we head to a shooyout. |
| Thunder Bay @ Cincinnati Inferno |
With 2 points in the bank Thunder Bay is hungry for more Nyquist (15) opens the scoring but Cinci counter with two goals – Carlson (10) & Pacioretty (16) to lead 2-1 of 1.
In the 2nd Cinci just winds us the scoreboard two two unanswered goals to push the lead to 4-1. Carlson 2nd of the game and (16th) and Geuntzel (8). Thunder Bay counters with a goal by Couterier so after 40 minutes Cinci leads 4-2. Icing on the cake by Point (20) ends the game at Cinci 5 Thunder Bay 2. |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | After a good start the Inferno was toooo hot for the NorWesters to handle. |
| Portland Storm | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | Portland hosts Thunder Bay and Charlotte |
|
Thunder Bay NorWesters @ Portland Storm |
Atlantic Division leading Thunder Bay wins 2-1
Scoring Summary Star 1: TBN Nyquist 1 G |
|
Charlotte Buzzards @ Portland Storm |
Charlotte 2-0 over Portland
Scoring Summary Star 1: CHA Allen 40 saves GWG: Dougie Hamilton Notables: CHA Allen 40 saves |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | Portland loses both games at home once again |
| Charlotte Buzzards | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | The Buzzards, in search of their best season in their three years of existence, faced a key division nemesis, Cincinnati, in its lone home game this latest week. |
|
Cincinnati Inferno @ Charlotte Buzzards |
The Buzzards, who got pummeled into submission by the Inferno through last season’s Atlantic division playoff chase have fared better against their division rivals this year and captured a key 7-4 victory against its foe from the North, despite getting wildly outshot 49-18.
A one-two combo of Blake Coleman and Alex Killorn KO’d the Inferno. Coleman provided shocking early blows with goals at 2:34 and 3:31 of the first period, which was the catalyst for an early 4-0 Charlotte first period lead. Killorn would notch a hat trick for first star honors. Killorn’s latter two goals came on the power play in the third period and propelled Charlotte to a safe 6-2 lead that was never really threatened. For the evening, Charlotte was three of four on the extra man advantage and converted seven of the 18 shots it took on goal. Mitch Marner added four assists along the way and Carey Price continued a surprisingly strong season with 45 saves. Three stars all from Charlotte Notable: Cincinnati falls despite outshooting Charlotte 49 to 18 as Connor Hellebuyck had a rare dismal evening for the Inferno; Dylin Larkin wins 17 faceoffs for Charlotte while Braden point wins 16 faceoffs. |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | Charlotte gets on a second-half roll and wins its lone home game of the week to accompany a pair of road victories. Could this team make a late season run for the first time ever and chase down Thunder Bay and a Cincinnati squad it just broke through against? We will find out soon enough. |
| California Regulators | |
|---|---|
|
Gilbert Sharks @ California Regulators |
California wins at home against Gilbert, 4-3. |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | One game, two points. |