Mallards end winless streak

MOLINE, Ill. – Sam Warning scored two goals- including the third period game winner- and added two assists and C.J. Motte made 40 saves as the host Quad City Mallards (9-21-3) rallied to end a 13-game winless streak by defeating the Indy Fuel (13-17-3) 5-3 Friday night.

It was on the power play that Warning broke a 3-3 deadlock and gave the Mallards their first lead of the night from the high slot at 5:56 of the third period. Warning then raced most of the length of the ice to set up Tristan King, who provided vital insurance with the Mallards’ third straight goal in the third at 16:32. Gergo Nagy started the Mallards’ late charge by blasting the puck home from the left wing and knotting the score at three at 2:04 of the final frame- exactly one minute after Josh Shalla had scored his second goal and produced his third point from the slot to put Indy on top 3-2.

A comeback from an earlier 2-0 deficit set the stage for the Mallards’ decisive third period effort. The Fuel drew first blood when Shalla swooped into the goalmouth unchecked at 5:40 of the first period. At 17:54 of the first Darian Dziurzynski tipped in the second Indy goal, but just over a minute later- and with only 57 seconds remaining the period- Ryan McGrath sparked the Mallards by snapping the puck in from the left wing circle.

Warning tied the game at two on a solo rush at 11:26 of the second period before providing even more dramatic heroics later in the evening.

Motte was at his busiest while turning away 16 Indy shots in the third.

The victory ended a drought that had seen the Mallards go 0-11-2 since last winning on December 2. That skid was the longest winless streak in Mallards history and the longest in the ECHL this season.