Ice Flyers’ Power Play Prowess Shows Again In Win Against Macon
By Bill Vilona
Ice Flyers Correspondent
The Ice Flyers had only a few days in mid-October to assemble a top specialty teams group.
Their power play unit has looked all season like these guys have been there forever.
Once again, the Ice Flyers unleashed the league’s best power play, scoring three times Friday night with the man advantage en route to a 5-2 victory against the Macon Mayhem in the second game this week between these teams at the Pensacola Bay Center.
“You don’t know (on proficiency) then, but you do know who you have,” said Ice Flyers coach Rod Aldoff. “The players should be effective on it. We had some pretty good players in the past and our power play wasn’t clicking like this.
“But at the end of the day it is about execution. And when you get some success, it builds confidence and you get a little swagger on the power play.”
The Ice Flyers season-long success with power plays merits that chest thumping kind of swagger.
They have now converted 26 of 66 power play chances at home – a near 40 percent (39.3) clip — which leads the Southern Professional Hockey League. The Ice Flyers also lead the overall category by converting 34 goals in 108 chances (31 percent), so far, this season.
Led by the dynamic tandem of Garrett Milan and Ivan Bondarenko, along with Tommy Stang and Kolton Olynek and new addition of veteran defenseman Jason Price, parts of this group factored into all five goals Friday
Price, who scored the game’s first goal on a first period power play, along with Bondarenko and Milan all deposited power play goals.
“Obviously, that is a testament to the players,” Aldoff said. “They are the ones out there getting it done. It is something we work on a lot and that is a big part of the game. (Power play unit players) are executing what we want to execute and obviously the finish to that is putting (puck) in the back of the net
“They are moving (puck) quick, moving it effectively and moving it to the right people and if you ‘re moving (opponents) four guys around and then passing to the right people when there are openings, you are going to get chances.
“So, we are getting those chances and we are finishing.”
Bondarenko, a Moscow, Russia native, who will turn 26 on Jan. 25, celebrated his wedding anniversary Friday night with a goal, two assists and more recognition as the game’s No. 1 star.
“He is a highly skilled player,” Aldoff said. ”He makes things happen, he is a good skater and he is creative. He has a creative mind in the game and he is creative with the puck.
“Someone who plays like that is effective and dangerous. And he is dangerous a lot.”
The win followed Monday’s 7-1 rout of Macon in a game where the Ice Flyers scored three power play goals in the first period and led 5-0 with nearly four minutes left before first intermission.
It pushed Pensacola back to .500 overall (15-15, 30 points) and two points ahead of the Quad City Storm for eighth place in the SPHL standings. The Ice Flyers will seek Saturday at the Bay Center to sweep the week against Macon (4-19-2, 10 points), which is tied with the Vermillion County (Illinois) Bobcats for the worst record in the league.
“You know going in you’re not going to pop out to 5-0 leads every night,” Aldoff said. “But As long as we are playing the right way. I thought we played a more consistent game (Friday) than we did Monday.
“I felt like that second period Monday was a little down, but (Friday) I thought we played pretty well all the way through.”
The final 1.5 seconds Friday did not tick off after the officials put a stop to play following a chippy third period that included a pair of fights and a combined 45 penalty minutes.
It could make for a wild Saturday affair in Macon’s final time at the Bay Center this season. The teams will meet once more on Feb. 26 in Macon.
“Well, whatever,” Aldoff said. “We have to be focused. We are going out to win the game.
“If we have to stand up for ourselves we will, but we’re in for the two points and we have to be focused and ready to play.”
The Ice Flyers played that way Friday. On the game’s first goal, Mitch Atkins took a point blank shot that goaltender Cody Karpinski kicked out, but Price swooped in on the rebound to redirect the puck in the net for his second goal since joining the team last week.
In the second period, Bondarenko scored on a power play just 61 seconds into play on a one-timer after a feed from Atkins. Macon got a goal just 41 seconds later, but Milan answered off a faceoff with an even strength goal 41 seconds later to complete the flurry.
Bondarenko won the draw, immediately passed to Malik Johnson, who then immediately found Milan waiting.
“He took a good shot through the crowd and it hit the corner (of netting),” Aldoff said. “Again, those are plays that happen quickly and by executing.”
Same for the power play where the Ice Flyers often make precision passes and wait for the right moment to take a point-blank shot.
“When you have people who can move the puck properly to the right people and make the right passes and execute the plays we want… and they are doing all of that,” Aldoff said. “It’s nice to see.”
GAME NOTABLES
— Megan and Anna Baransy from Ice Flyers sponsor A DJ Connection were part of the ceremonial opening puck drop. They were followed by the six board of directors members for the Junior Ice Flyers organization.
— The game was designated as NHL night and Junior Ice Flyers night. Fans were encouraged to wear their favorite NHL team jersey, which many did among the crowd of 3,545. The Junior Ice Flyers staged a five-game simultaneous exhibition at the first intermission.
— The Junior Ice Flyers use the Bay Center for practice and scrimmages games. The teams play October through March in road tournaments. There are three different age divisions beginning with the youngest age at 4-years.
— Prior to the game, the Ice Flyers players, team owner Greg Harris and Ranger, the Ice Flyers service-dog-in-training gathered together on the ice to honor Ice Flyers equipment manager Jim Chesnut, who was working the 1,400th game of his lengthy minor league hockey career in that role.
— During a break in the first period, the Ice Flyers honored Sean “Doogie” Houser as the Pen Air Credit Union Center Ice Hero. He retired after 20 years in the U.S. Navy and roles as a rescue swimmer and helicopter engineer.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Macon Mayhem vs. Ice Flyers
WHEN: Saturday, 7:05 p.m.
WHERE: Pensacola Bay Center
PROMOTION: (Military Appreciation Night) Discount tickets for military members when purchased at arena box office. Military them jerseys will be available for purchase at merch stands.
RADIO: Fox Sports Pensacola (101.1 FM, 1450 AM).
TELEVISION: YurView (Cox Communications subscribers)
