Post by Belfast on Dec 10, 2021 18:25:12 GMT -7
The Patriots and Mammoths renew their yearly rivalry with an early afternoon tilt in Revelstoke.
2:24 in Tom Wilson pounces on a loose puck in front of Kahkonen after a slapper from the point by Artem Zub, to put the visitors up by one. Another chance for Wilson moments later is denied by a sprawling Kahkonen to keep it a one goal game. The Patriots keep applying pressure, Strome forcing Kahkonen to make another brilliant save off a bad turnover by the Mammoths on a line change. The 16:24 marks finally see’s Jason Robertson finish off a perfect tic-tac-goal sequence on passes from Zub and Ristolainen. The Patriots control play in the first with 11 shots, 4 quality chances and Goalie Ned holds down the fort, turning aside the lone chance from the Mammoths. Pat’s out to a 2-0 lead after 1.
The second period sees the Patriots applying even more pressure, Jamie Oleksiak has a wide open cage, only to be denied by a desperate, lunging paddle stop by Kahkonen early. Sturm beaks in on a nice feed from Ristolainen and puts one 5 hole on Kahkonen to increase the lead to 3-0 at the 10:00 mark. Goalie Ned turns aside a couple quality chances by Brad Marchand to keep the shut out bid alive, and Josh Norris pounds one past a helpless Kahkonen on the PP off a set up from Jason Speza. Kahkonen is whistled for 2 minutes after breaking his stick over the post in a fit worthy of the Brooks Sniper. No more damage from either side as the 2nd period mercifully ends with the Patriots up 4-0. The demoralized Mammoths only mount 7 shots total in the second period while the Pat’s register 19 shots on goal.
No miracle comeback for the Mammoth in the 3rd period, despite having 3 quality chances to solve Goalie Ned. Kahkonen manages to do his best and turns aside another 2 scoring chances from Eriksson-Ek and Robertson, but his teammates can’t solve Ned and the 3rd period goes scoreless to give the Pat’s a 4-0 win on the road.
Patriots 41 Shots, 9 Quality for 4 goals and the Mammoths 29 shots 6 quality and no goals.
1st Star: Tom Wilson, 4 shots, 1 goal, 1 assist, one fight for the Gordie Howe hat trick.
2nd Star: Nedeljkovic 0 goals on 29 shots, 6 quality for the shut out.
3rd Star: Brad Marchand, 4 quality chances on 8 shots and dangerous all night.
In the return match in Belfast, Rasmus Ristolainen puts the home team up by one early in the 1st on a slick no look pass from Spezza, and the Patriots pour 13 shots on goal to set the tone early. The Mammoths are looking rather road weary as they muster only 5 shots in the period with no hard shots registered. Jakub Vrana and Tage Thompson both have quality chances blocked by Mammoth defense to try and keep the score close at least. Pat’s up by one after one period.
Second period sees a bit more life from the Mammoths who get 14 shots on goal, but fail to muster a real quality chance, making it an easy night for Hellebuyck in the Pat’s net. The Patriots fire another 15 shots on goal with Rudolfs Balcers converting a sweet cross ice feed from Jason Spezza near the middle of the frame and then Jason Spezza finds the back of the net on a break out pass from Travis Sanheim. Patriots up by 3 after 2. Josh Norris and Jason Spezza each have shots blocked again by Mammoth defensemen who are flailing all over the ice, trying to stop anything from reaching Kahkonen who is clearly off his game.
The third period finally sees some life from the visiting squad as they direct 12 shots with 2 good chances on net, only to be stymied by Connor Hellebuyck. Alex Formenton, on a nice give and go with Josh Norris, posts the Patriots to a 4-0 lead. And finally Eriksson-Ek breaks through with a goal on his 7th shot of the game, late to seal the 5-0 victory. Roslovic and Eriksson-Ek both have hard shots blocked in the 3rd period for a total of 6 blocked shots by the Mammoths. Of note, both blocks by Patriots defense were screened down onto goal.
Patriots 37 shots, 6 quality for 5 goals and the Mammoths were 31 shots with only 2 quality for no goals.
1st Star: Jason Spezza, 4 shots, 1 goal, 2 assists, 1 hard shot blocked.
2nd Star: Haydn Fleury 3 shots and 2 hard shots blocked
3rd Star: Connor Hellebuyck 0 goals on 3 shots, 2 quality for the shut out.
Patriots are now 3-1-0 – 17 goals for vs 6 against.
2:24 in Tom Wilson pounces on a loose puck in front of Kahkonen after a slapper from the point by Artem Zub, to put the visitors up by one. Another chance for Wilson moments later is denied by a sprawling Kahkonen to keep it a one goal game. The Patriots keep applying pressure, Strome forcing Kahkonen to make another brilliant save off a bad turnover by the Mammoths on a line change. The 16:24 marks finally see’s Jason Robertson finish off a perfect tic-tac-goal sequence on passes from Zub and Ristolainen. The Patriots control play in the first with 11 shots, 4 quality chances and Goalie Ned holds down the fort, turning aside the lone chance from the Mammoths. Pat’s out to a 2-0 lead after 1.
The second period sees the Patriots applying even more pressure, Jamie Oleksiak has a wide open cage, only to be denied by a desperate, lunging paddle stop by Kahkonen early. Sturm beaks in on a nice feed from Ristolainen and puts one 5 hole on Kahkonen to increase the lead to 3-0 at the 10:00 mark. Goalie Ned turns aside a couple quality chances by Brad Marchand to keep the shut out bid alive, and Josh Norris pounds one past a helpless Kahkonen on the PP off a set up from Jason Speza. Kahkonen is whistled for 2 minutes after breaking his stick over the post in a fit worthy of the Brooks Sniper. No more damage from either side as the 2nd period mercifully ends with the Patriots up 4-0. The demoralized Mammoths only mount 7 shots total in the second period while the Pat’s register 19 shots on goal.
No miracle comeback for the Mammoth in the 3rd period, despite having 3 quality chances to solve Goalie Ned. Kahkonen manages to do his best and turns aside another 2 scoring chances from Eriksson-Ek and Robertson, but his teammates can’t solve Ned and the 3rd period goes scoreless to give the Pat’s a 4-0 win on the road.
Patriots 41 Shots, 9 Quality for 4 goals and the Mammoths 29 shots 6 quality and no goals.
1st Star: Tom Wilson, 4 shots, 1 goal, 1 assist, one fight for the Gordie Howe hat trick.
2nd Star: Nedeljkovic 0 goals on 29 shots, 6 quality for the shut out.
3rd Star: Brad Marchand, 4 quality chances on 8 shots and dangerous all night.
In the return match in Belfast, Rasmus Ristolainen puts the home team up by one early in the 1st on a slick no look pass from Spezza, and the Patriots pour 13 shots on goal to set the tone early. The Mammoths are looking rather road weary as they muster only 5 shots in the period with no hard shots registered. Jakub Vrana and Tage Thompson both have quality chances blocked by Mammoth defense to try and keep the score close at least. Pat’s up by one after one period.
Second period sees a bit more life from the Mammoths who get 14 shots on goal, but fail to muster a real quality chance, making it an easy night for Hellebuyck in the Pat’s net. The Patriots fire another 15 shots on goal with Rudolfs Balcers converting a sweet cross ice feed from Jason Spezza near the middle of the frame and then Jason Spezza finds the back of the net on a break out pass from Travis Sanheim. Patriots up by 3 after 2. Josh Norris and Jason Spezza each have shots blocked again by Mammoth defensemen who are flailing all over the ice, trying to stop anything from reaching Kahkonen who is clearly off his game.
The third period finally sees some life from the visiting squad as they direct 12 shots with 2 good chances on net, only to be stymied by Connor Hellebuyck. Alex Formenton, on a nice give and go with Josh Norris, posts the Patriots to a 4-0 lead. And finally Eriksson-Ek breaks through with a goal on his 7th shot of the game, late to seal the 5-0 victory. Roslovic and Eriksson-Ek both have hard shots blocked in the 3rd period for a total of 6 blocked shots by the Mammoths. Of note, both blocks by Patriots defense were screened down onto goal.
Patriots 37 shots, 6 quality for 5 goals and the Mammoths were 31 shots with only 2 quality for no goals.
1st Star: Jason Spezza, 4 shots, 1 goal, 2 assists, 1 hard shot blocked.
2nd Star: Haydn Fleury 3 shots and 2 hard shots blocked
3rd Star: Connor Hellebuyck 0 goals on 3 shots, 2 quality for the shut out.
Patriots are now 3-1-0 – 17 goals for vs 6 against.