Post by QC Mike on Mar 23, 2023 22:16:20 GMT -7
The Titans stormed into the Quad Cities Qualcomm Quonset Hut looking to put an end to the Quarrymen's winning streak. Their high energy, pressure offense paying off at the eight minute mark when Mikko Rantanen opened the scoring for Cremona and quieting the home crowd. A few minutes later Troy Terry doubled the lead on the power play while Dylan Cozens was off for slashing. Elias Lindholm pulled one back for the home side just before the fifteen minute mark to bring some energy back into the Hut but the visitors went into the first intermission up 2-1. The second saw Quad Cities come out with a little more push back but were not rewarded. Thatcher Demko was injured just after two minutes and Spencer Kinght came in to carry on. This seemed to fire up the visitors with Rantanen restoring the two goal lead at 3:12. Andrei Svechnikov stretched the Titans' lead to three at the eight minute mark before Lindholm pulled one back with another power play marker at 12:48. Less than a minute later Matthew Barzal restored Cremona's three goal lead and the Titans went into the break up 5-2. Quad Cities stepped up their energy level even further to start the third but the Titans were able to match them. Brady Tkachuk extending the lead before Kevin Fiala And Teuvo Teravainen scored less than a minute apart to give the home side some hope. Unfortunately the home sides' hopes were not to be realized. Mathew Barzal's second at 12:48 took any remaining wind out of the Q-Men's sails and Rantanen completed the hat trick off a penalty shot at 13:36. Alexis Lafreniere's marker with just over a minute remaining was just an extra twist of the knife. Cremona skating to a deserved 9-4 win.
Cremona 9 (11chances on 47 shots + 1PS) vs Quad Cities 4 (8 chances on 32 shots)
1. Rantanen (CRT) - 3G
2. Lindholm (QCQ) - 2G, 2A
3. Barzal (CRT) - 2G
The Quarrymen got off to a slow start in Cremona being put on the back foot almost immediately. Michael Rasmussen being penalized off the opening face off. Although the Q-Men were able to kill off the penalty, it definetely tilted the ice and Mikhail Sergachev was rewarded for the home sides' pressure when he beat Philip Grubauer just over five minutes into the frame. Against the run of play, Barclay Goodrow pulled one back for the visitors less than two minutes later. The Titans kept up there pressure however and were rewarded at 13:48 when Troy Terry put them ahead 2-1 going into intermission. The second saw Quad Cities come out with more purpose and they were quickly rewarded. Kevin Fiala tying the game at two two minutes into the second. A back and forth affair followed that saw Jack Hughes put Cremona ahead at 11:36 with Nazim Kadri evening it back up just over a minute later. It looked like the two teams were going to go into the break even when Auston Matthews scored out of nowhere with less than a minute in the second. Cremona up 4-3 after two. Kadri evened the score off the opening face off in the third. The Quarrymen then pulled out all the stops and blasted away at the Titans but were unable to pull ahead. David Pastrnak put the Titans up by one and Noah Hannifin scored on the ensuing face off as Quad Cities tried to regather themselves. The Titans now up 6-4. The Quarrymen then pulled out all the stops and ended up outshooting the Titans 23-9 in the period but were unable beat Thatcher Demko again. Goaltending being the difference as Cremona skated to the 6-4 win.
Quad Cities 4 (10 chances on 48 shots) vs Cremona 6 (9 chances on 40 shots)
1. Pastrnak (CRT) - 1G, GWG
2. Kadri (QCQ) - 2G
3. Demko (CRT) - W, 4GA on 10 chances from 48 shots