Ice Flyers Get Late Tying Goal, But Sustain Another OT Loss To Start Final Home Series
By Bill Vilona
Ice Flyers.com Correspondent
The Ice Flyers final home weekend began Friday night with a repeat of an unwelcome, season-long narrative.
After getting a rare tying goal in the final 63 seconds with their goaltender pulled, the Ice Flyers emotional lift was short-lived in a 3-2 overtime loss against the Birmingham Bulls on “Small Dog Race Night” at the Pensacola Bay Center.
The Bulls’ Arkhip Ledziankou, a forward from Belarus, scored his second goal of the game with 3:10 remaining in overtime. A crowd of 4,761 left deflated after the Ice Flyers’ 10th overtime loss this season.
“Typical, right? You don’t know what to say,” said Ice Flyers coach Rod Aldoff, who has seen his team lose four overtime games now since he took over on February 21.
“It comes down to this, we just don’t have the hockey sense. It’s frustrating as (heck),” he said. “Because you almost know (something bad is going to happen).”
Friday was the 50th game of the season for the Ice Flyers (15-25, 10 OT losses), who remained mired in last place in the SPHL standings. They are nine points behind Quad City for the final playoff spot, which would now require winning all six remaining games and hoping Quad City lost all five of its remaining games.
Aldoff said he will continue pushing this team to finish with a turnaround from current struggles. The Ice Flyers have won just twice in their last 11 games.
“For me, I want to win every game,” he said. “That is going to be our goal. I don’t look it like we’re in first place or where we are at (last place). I want to win.
“We will prepare to win. And play hockey. Out of respect to the game, our team, our fans, our club. go play hard. That’s why we’re here. It doesn’t matter the situation. Finish with class.”
Friday’s game was the first start for goaltender Brody Claeys since he sustained an injury in the Ice Flyers last game against the Bulls on Feb. 15 in Birmingham. He was hurt 13 minutes into the first period in a game the Ice Flyers eventually won.
Claeys stopped 31 shots against the Bulls (26-19, 5 OT losses), who have a one-point lead for fourth place in the standings.
“I thought he played well and I was happy for him. He did his job,” Aldoff said.
After a scoreless first period, the Ice Flyers scored the game’s first goal just 1:20 into the second period on a rush by Lukas Jirousek. The Bulls tied it on a power play with 5:44 left. They got a go-head goal in the third period before the Ice Flyers tied it.
A quick recap:
FIRST PERIOD
The game began with a center-ice fight. After the opening puck drop, Ice Flyers captain Jake Hamilton and the Bulls Jamie Dorsey squared off with both landing punches. Hamilton landed a flurry late before the officials separated the players.
The Ice Flyers had a good scoring chance by Sam Dabrowski just 30 seconds into the period, then another on a two-on-one break with 6:26 left.
The only power-play of the period was the Bulls chance with 2:42 left, but the Ice Flyers killed that off.
SECOND PERIOD
The Ice Flyers gave their crowd a lift when Lukas rushed the net and wristed a puck through the legs of Birmingham goaltender Hayden Stewart.
The Bulls tied the game with a power-player chance when Troy MacTavish got a perfect pass from Ledziankou and rifled it past Claeys.
“I thought early we weren’t shooting enough …just getting some shots on net and getting to the net,” Aldoff said. “We picked that up. We talked about it and got more pucks to the net. We had some good chances. We had point blank chances that (Stewart) made the saves.”
THIRD PERIOD
The Bulls finished an end-to-end rush when Ledziankou scored on a rebound shot right near the Ice Flyers crease area.
With 2:30 left, Aldoff pulled Claeys for the extra attacker. With 1:17 and a faceoff in the Bulls zone, Aldoff called timeout, went over a strategic play and it paid dividends.
Jirousek won the faceoff, got the puck to Nick Pryce, who sent the disc to Ivan Bondarenko. He rifled a shot through traffic into the net.
“The faceoff happened and we didn’t get the quick look we wanted,” Aldoff said. “But they (players) regrouped and I thought it was a nice shot. It was a big-time screen and Stewart didn’t pick up and it hit the corner and it was a nice goal.
OVERTIME
The Ice Flyers controlled the puck most of the way in the 3-on-3 situation but couldn’t get set up for a good shot. When the Bulls regain possession, they made the most of their chance to win the game.
GAME NOTABLES
The game sponsor was Olive Branch Pet Hospital. The small dog races featured about 130 pups of various breeds and an exciting championship race at the second intermission.
Dr. Mark Sprayberry from Olive Branch along with Stephanie Sanders participated in the ceremonial puck drop.
The Haze Gray Quartet performed the Canadian and American National Anthem.
Samuel Lane, a long-time U.S. Navy veteran was the Pen Air Center-Ice Hero.
Fans can bid on autographed goal pucks on dash.
WANT TO GO?
WHAT: Ice Flyers Final Home Weekend
WHO: Birmingham Bulls vs. Ice Flyers
WHEN: Saturday, 7:05 p.m.
WHERE: Pensacola Bay Center
PROMOTION: Military Appreciation Night: All active and retired military members and their families receive 50-percent discount if purchased at the Bay Center Box Office with proof of military ID.
TICKETS: www.iceflyers.com or at Bay Center Box Office.
LIVE STATS: www.thesphl.com.
SUNDAY FINALE: Peoria Rivermen vs. Ice Flyers. Puck drop at 4:05 p.m. at Bay Center.
