NORTH CHARLESTON, SC – Through two rounds of the 2017 ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs, the South Carolina Stingrays were impossible to beat at home, posting a 6-0 record including two series close out games at the North Charleston Coliseum. Thanks to scheduling issues, the Stingrays opened the Eastern Conference finals against the Manchster Monarchs Friday night with a chance to extend their streak and get a leg up as they get their three home games to start the best-of-seven series.
There was just one problem in the way of South Carolina’s plan: Monarchs goalie Sam Brittain.
Brittain made 21 saves to out duel Stingrays netminder Parker Milner as Manchester edged South Carolina 2-1 in front of an announced crowd of 3,747. Kevin Morris and Alexx Privitera provided all the offense Brittain needed with goals 2:25 apart in the second period to stake the North Division champs to a lead they would not relinquish.
Game two ofthe series is set for Saturday night in North Charleston.
The battle within the war between the two busiest goalies in the ECHL – both Brittain and Milner had played every second in the first two rounds – was expected to be the dominant storyline of the series and neither netminder disappointed. In the end, the difference in the contest turned out to be Manchester taking advantage of its special teams with a power play score and a second tally that came from momentum created by a man advantage situation.
The host Stingrays had the early jump in the first period, testing Brittain early and building a solid shot advantage. While Manchester’s netminder was busy, South Carolina’s Milner saw very little rubber until late in the opening frame when a power play helped the visitors bump their shot total up a bit. Neither team was able to find the back of the net as the period ended in a scoreless tie.
Brittain started the middle frame where he left off at the intermission, taking a sure goal away from Domenic Monardo. That save turned out to be a huge one a couple of minutes later when a four minute run of lack of discipline by the Stingrays cost the home team dearly.
At the 5:14 mark of the period, South Carolina’s Trevor Gillies was hit for a high sticking penalty that out the Monarchs on the power play. Although the Stingrays killed off the Manchester man advantage, the visitors maintained control of the puck and opened the scoring when Morris redirected a shot by Privitera. Milner made the stop but the puck rolled up the goalie’s body over his shoulder and dribbled across the line. For Morris it was his fourth goal of the playoffs.
Less than a minute later, South Carolina forward Andrew Cherniwchan was nabbed for elbowing, putting the Monarchs up a man. This time the power play connected as a drive by Privitera from up top beat Milner – who was screened by Morris – for Privitera’s first post season tally and a 2-0 lead.
Brittain made that lead stand up, making a big stop on an attempt by the Stingrays’ Olivier Archambault late in the period but Thomas Schemitsch was called for slashing on the play. The ensuing man advantage yielded nothing for South Carolina and was evened up with seven seconds left before the intermission when the home team was hit with a too many men on the ice penalty.
Back-to-back power plays early in the third period energized the Stingrays and their crowd when during the second advantage, defenseman Max Nicastro blasted a shot past Brittain’s catching glove for his first goal of the playoffs to bring his team within 2-1.
Nicastro’s score would end up being all that South Carolina would get as Brittain and his teammates closed the door the rest of the way, holding the Stingrays to a total of six shots in the final frame to take a one game to none lead in the series.
Notes: Milner finished the night with 25 saves in suffering just his fourth loss of the post-season… Neither team had much success on the power play as Manchester went 1-for-5 while South Carolina was 1-for-4… Privitera’s power play goal was the first allowed by the Stingrays during the playoffs.
Contact the author at don.money@prohockeynews.com
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