HUGE 3-4 OT WIN IN KLAGENFURT
What a sea-change we have witnessed here. Our last time at KAC, we got destroyed 8-1 (I was there to witness it...). Last game, we had 0% powerplay and 0% penalty kill. Today, we win 3-4 in OT and go 100% on the PP (2/2) and 100% on the PK (2/2). Let's give the coaching staff their dues here - I was ready to settle in for another season of poor special teams play. Instead, we go perfect against the regular season leaders from last year. Magnificent stuff!
Stars of the game
* Kale Kerbashian - 1G 1A - Game winning goal in OT and key assist. Was a real engine for the team tonight, driving so much play. Such an important signing for us, we needed an elite centre and we got one!
** Lukas Horak - made his usual preposterous amount of saves on high danger chances. He ends up with a .923 save percentage. Dneska ne!
*** Jan Ćosić - 1G 1A - Another brilliant game, very impressive stuff from him so far.
Lineup
Same as last time, except Crnović comes in as the 7th defender for Hebar.
Game flow breakdown
P1
KAC score
GOAL - Beričič, assisted by Ćosić
KAC score
PENALTY ON KAC - crosscheck
P2
PPG - Tomaževič, assisted by Kerbashian
PENALTY ON OLL - Mehle high stick
PENALTY ON OLL - Crnović holding
P3
KAC score
GOAL - Ćosić
OT
PENALTY ON KAC - too many men
PPG - Kerbashian, assisted by Lavoie
Stats
SHOTS - KAC 39, OLL 29
BLOCKS - KAC 3, OLL 4
FACE OFF WINS - KAC 28, OLL 26
PP - KAC 0/2, OLL 2/2
PK - KAC 0/1, OLL 2/2
PENALTY MINUTES - BOTH 8
Big moments / game notes
P1
19 - fast start, but Lavoie and Simšič can't link up in front of the net.
18 - good zone entry by Ege results in KAC icing.
17 - Big chance saved by Horak, Zajc with a key partial breakup on the 2 on 2.
16 - Lovely carry by Kerbashian, backhand shot saved
15 - Pavlin shot on goal (SOG)
14 - Horak double save.
12 Quite disjointed play from OLL, big KAC pressure.
11 Vodlan appearance on the 3rd line! KAC hit the post.
10 Mašič has 3 shots on goal in the same sequence, one blocked and two saved.
9 Horak pad save on a rush by KAC's Pastujov - a quick turn and shot by the same man beats Horak over his glove, 1-0.
8 - BERIČIČ SCORES IN RAPID RESPONSE! Lovely little 'ping pong', as the commentators said, with Ćosić, who continues his offensive spree this season. Great work from him joining the rush to help Miha seal the deal. 1-1
7 - Sharp kick save from Horak, followed by a trademark flashy glove save.
6 - nearly an own goal! Horak's foot saves the embarrassment.
It seemed like there would be a 4 on 4 sequence here after some crosschecks were exchanged between Beričič and a KAC player, but it remains 5 on 5.
No90 for KAC scores - a fast paced drive around the net and pass back against the grain leaves him wide open. Atwal and Simšič both chased after the other player, and Mašič and Kerbashian couldn't cover in time. Speed kills, as they say, but we need to work on not losing our defensive structure like that. In fairness to the boys, it was a great pass. 2-1
Mahkovec has a decent shot on goal, saved.
3 Atwal gets a good stick on a shot chance, Horak pad save.
Simšič loses it and gets stood up as he tries to enter the zone, leading to a slapshot chance the other way. Thankfully it went wide!
1 - PENALTY on KAC 81 for crosschecking. OLL and KAC get a shot on goal. KAC's Maier hacks away at Horak - he looks like a rat and plays like one, too!
P2
39s left of PP.
9s left... PPG TOMAŽEVIČ. Kerbashian shoots powerfully and Tomaževič is there to shovel in the leftovers! 2-2
19 - Horak saves.
18 - Mehle has a good shot on goal.
PENALTY high stick for Mehle.
PK2 turns out to be Beričič, Sodja, Gregorc and Ege. Zajc and Simšič come on as the 3rd forward pairing.
Penalty killed off! Now that's nice to write!
14 - big KAC pressure after the penalty ends, Horak making saves.
13 - Kapel makes an impressive net drive, nearly scores. KAC goalie Dahm pokes one just in time to make sure Mehle can't connect.
Another moment where it looks like it will be 4 on 4 after Bičevskis and a KAC player go at each other, but again it stays 5 on 5.
11 - Kerbashian loses it and Horak saves the resulting chance.
10 - Lavoie shoots into traffic but it's saved.
KAC have a couple of offsides, always handy!
8 - Nice to see Atwal give some physicality back after a KAC forward pushes him around a bit.
Kerbashian makes a powerful net drive, so much so that the goal comes off its placing!
7 - Crucial blocker save by Horak off a KAC rush.
6 - Lavoie's pass intercepted and Horak makes the save, then another blocker save on a net front chance. Ege and Kerbashian pleasingly hack the net front man after the play.
Some lovely skating from Crnović leads to a Kerbashian chance, followed by one for Kapel.
4 Another messy sequence from OLL, Horak saves but it is not controlled or corralled.
3 Slapshot from Kerbashian.
2 KAC rush chance just wide, Horak glove save.
1 Tomaževič nearly falls into the bench after trying to obliterate a KAC player, you love to see some mean intentions! I didn't know what to think of him when we signed him, but I am really liking what he has to offer to this team.
PENALTY on Crnović for holding. KAC miss backdoor chance.
P3
19 Sharp blocker save from Horak, Pance intercepts one and has a brilliant shorthanded chance saved by Dahm. PENALTY KILLED OFF.
17 Mahkovec hasn't really been able to get anything going offensively...but makes a diving stop on a great chance for KAC.
16 Sustained pressure from KAC leaves the 2nd line and 2nd pair on the ice for a long time, they start looking tired...But Gregorc eventually clears.
15 2 on 1 chance for KAC goes wide. Bičevskis with a nice pickpocket and turn into a dangerous cross-goal pass.
14 Beričič also gets in on the pickpocketing action in the offensive zone.
Gregorc does well on 2 on 1 chance the other way, no call on a trip of Crnović?
12 The centre of the ice is open again and Horak gets beaten 3-2. My toilet break curse from last year continues!
11 Mahkovec winds up for a big shot but puts it wide. KAC think they've scored but the goal comes off its moorings and Horak saves it so that it bounces wide anyway.
10 Awkward bounce off the boards leaves Horak sitting back on his own net with the puck!
9 Atwal passes to Kerbashian, who fires over the top of the net. He follows this with another strong net drive.
7 A dangerous screened shot is blocked and corralled by Mašič and Horak.
6 A fast rush entry from Kerbashian, who skates all the way around like Kaprizov for Minnesota.
ĆOSIĆ SCORES!!! High up in the offensive zone, Jan takes it, keeps drifting to the left and fires past Dahm, screened by his own D-men, for the equaliser. You really can't say enough about Ćosić's offensive blossoming this year. It's only two games, but he looks like he has made a significant jump in his development. 3-3
4 Tomaževič with some good behind the net play, sets up Mahkovec whose shot is saved.
3 Horak saves on a screened shot.
0 KAC make a dangerous cross net pass and should have really scored with 36s to go. Horak makes the save but the KAC player should have done better, he was wide open right in front of the goal. We are very lucky to stay at 3-3 and must be more vigilant in future!
OT
Kerbashian, Lavoie and Atwal starting. All new signings!
4 Lavoie loses an edge and we nearly concede 8 seconds in.
Horak with a beautiful glove save. It's all KAC for the first couple of minutes, as is usually the case for us in OT.
3 Simšič, Kapel and Mašič are on now. Horak saves 1 on 1 off the rush.
Mahkovec, Tomaževič and Ege on.
2 Kerbashian hits the bar!!!
1 PENALTY ON KAC - too many men! I thought this was us again, as it was something that happened often last year. Imagine my relief when it's actually on KAC!
1:57 to go before the shootout and it's a 2 minute penalty on KAC.
It's Kerbashian, Pance, Lavoie and Atwal for the 4 on 3.
Lavoie shoots wide...but then sets up KERBASHIAN FOR THE GAME WINNER!!!! A lovely cross-ice pass to Kale, who one-times it home with 45s left.
The broadcast doesn't show why Atwal gets booed and escorted off the ice early, but he continues his nasty streak - we love it!
Final thoughts
It was a very tight game, and I was happy to just to get to OT and get a point out of it. To win in OT against a team of this calibre should be a huge boost to the confidence of this squad. Some things need to be cleaned up a bit, as we got caught following the puck a couple of times for the KAC goals, but overall the literal 0-100 on both the powerplay and penalty kill is something to be lauded and marvelled at.
We shouldn't reduce a fantastic team win to one player's impact, but Kerbashian's elite centre play makes such a huge difference. He was everywhere tonight and had more than enough chances to warrant being the game winner.
On to Asiago next week - another win in the books, hopefully!
Right, I have some NFL RedZone to watch - enjoy your Sunday evenings, everybody!
No comments:
Post a Comment