Post by QC Mike on Mar 7, 2023 23:24:42 GMT -7
Quad Cites went into Chelsea looking for a break after their pummeling by Belfast. They got a couple of breaks but not the ones they were looking for. Chelsea's Alex Ovechkin broke his stick on the opening face off giving Ryan Nugent Hopkins a good look at net but he was unable to capitalize. A little more than two minutes later Quad Cities' Michael Rasmussen's stick broke and Brad Marchand was able to capitalize on the ensuing breakaway to give the home side the lead at 2:48. Both sides then settled into a tight checking slog with neither side able to generate any chances and the Daggers going into the intermission up 1-0. The second period saw both sides find their skating legs a little more. Chelsea's Erik Johnson found the back of the net at 2:48 to double the home sides lead. Then with Cale Makar off for Cross checking, Mark Giordano's shot tickled the twine to extend Chelsea's lead to three. Then with Johnathon Marchessault off for slashing, Chelsea's defense cleared goal-ward bound pucks off the line twice before Logan Couture buried the dagger with a shorthanded marker to put them up by four. Nick Schmaltz with an heroic individual effort pulled back a power play marker at 18:00. Elias Lindholm's stick broke just before the intermission but Philip Grubauer was able to force Darren Helm wide on the ensuing breakaway to give the visitors some energy going into the break even though they were down 4-1. Chelsea soon put paid to any Q-men hopes when Marchessault restored Chelsea's four goal lead less than two minutes inot the third. Erik Johnson than swept another Quad Cities shot off the line before James van Riemsdyk tallied a second for the visitors. Although they continued to press, it just opened them up to counter attacks and second goals from Couture and Marchessault sealed the deal and Chelsea skated away to a 7-2 victory.
Quad Cities 2 (4 chances on 28 shots) vs Chelsea 7 (9 chances on 29 shots [1 chance a Bkwy goal])
1. Couture (CHD) - 2G, 1 SHG
2. Marchessault (CHD) - 2G
3. Johnson (CHD) - 1G, 1 HSB
The rematch back at the Quad Cities Qualcomm Quonset Hut saw both sides come out and put on a performance more applicable to a tiny tykes game. Between them, the two teams were able to generate ten shots and no clear scoring chances. Quad Cities assistant GM Stephen Johns put it down to hard work and digging down deep and the fact the hadn't gotten all the dirt up from the weekend's monster truck and tractor pull event didn't hurt. The second period saw the pace pick up a little (the intermission's zamboni run probably didn't hurt either). The Quarrymen were able to generate a couple of early chances but Chelsea's Jeremy Swayman was able to beat those aside. It looked like the two sides were going to go into the second intermssion still at naughts but with two minutes remaining, Claude Giroux converted Kevin Fiala's slap pass to put the Q-Men up by one. Less than a minute later, K'Andre Miller swept in and put another past Swayman to send the home side into the recess up 2-0. The third period saw the ice improve further and the Quarrymen juggle their lines in an effort to lock down the victory. Quad Cities was tilting the ice in their favour when Kevin Fiala's insurance marker at 14:00 seemed to wrap everything up for the home side. They doubled down on their efforts to keep the Daggers at bay but Mark Giordano's wrister found a way past Alexander Georgiev at the eighteen minute mark and pulled Chelsea back within two. Q-Men Charlie McAvoy was incensed at losing the shut out so late in the game and caught Oliver Bjorkstrand attempting to make a rush in off the ensuing faceoff. McAvoy than blind sided Chelsea's Brad Marchand just before the final buzzer as the Q-Men skated to a deserved but surprising 3-1 victory.
Chelsea 1 (2 chances on 18 shots) vs Quad Cities 3 (8 chances on 30 shots)
1. Fiala (QCQ) - 1G, 1A, 3 chances on 4 shots
2. Makar (QCQ) - 2BS (1 quality), 2 chances on 3 shots
3. McAvoy (QCQ) - 1A, 1BS, 2 hits (message sent)