JACKSONVILLE, FLA – When he was recalled by the Tampa Bay Lightning to AHL Syracuse, Orlando Solar Bears goalie Martin Ouellette was one win away from 100 in his professional career. Over the last month, Ouellette stayed on 99 thanks in part to some incredibly hot goaltending that kept him on the Crunch bench in a backup role.
Wednesday night at the Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Ouellette finally got his chance to get win number 100 and took full advantage.
Ouellette made 29 saves in his first game action since November 14th and rookie Corey Kalk chipped in with two goals as the visiting Solar Bears (12-9-2-0) bested the Jacksonville Icemen (13-10-1-0) 4-2 in front of an announced crowd of 3,284. Jonne Tammela and Mathieu Foget each added a goal and an assist for the victors.
No one knew exactly how Ouellette would play not having seen any game action since he last suited up for the Solar Bears against the Maine Mariners. Still, most hoped that the veteran netminder would be laser focused and give his teammates a renewed confidence. Early on, Ouellette showed he was more than ready, foiling a short-handed opportunity by Jacksonville’s Cody Fowlie and moments later denying an odd man rush chance by the Icemen.
Special teams dominated the opening period as Orlando had three power play chances while Jacksonville played with a man advantage twice. With both Ouellette and Icemen goalie Ken Appleby being stingy, the teams hit the first intermission scoreless.
Jacksonville opened the scoring 2:37 into the second frame when Nikita Korostelev was able to beat Ouellette for his first goal as a member of the Icemen.
It took a little over five minutes for the Solar Bears to respond. Brady Shaw was able to get the puck out of his defensive zone to a spot where Tammela was able to chase it down. Tammela used his speed to drive into the Jacksonville end down the right wing and cut to the net. Once there, he was able to put the puck past Appleby for his third goal of the season.
Late in the period, Orlando was handed its fourth power play of the night and the boys from Central Florida finally cashed in. With less than a minute left in the period, Foget got the puck from down low to the side of the net where Kalk jammed it home to put the Solar Bears ahead. For Kalk, it was his third of the season and just the start of his big night.
The visitors held that slim 2-1 lead until the 8:13 mark of the third period when they increased the margin. Rob Mann made the key play, sliding the puck from the point down to Foget who tucked it inside the left post for his sixth tally as a Solar Bear (7th overall) to make it 3-1.
After failing on a man advantage midway through the final period, the Icemen were able to pull back within one at the 14:04 mark. It came when Maxime Fortier got the disc to Dajon Mingo who fired it past Ouellette for his sixth goal of the season.
Kalk sealed the win for Orlando when at the 17:47 mark, he took a drop pass from Tammela after a Jacksonville turnover and dangled his way into position for a shot that found the back of the net. It was the rookie’s second of the game and fourth of the season.
Seconds after the goal, Orlando’s Alex Schoenborn and Jacksonville’s Wacey Rabbit let out some frustrations with a wildly entertaining fight. Once the two were sent off, things settled down and Ouellette finished off his milestone victory and earned his seventh win with the Solar Bears.
Appleby made 22 saves in suffering the tough luck loss.
Notes: The Solar Bears finished the game 1-for-5 on the power play while the Icemen went 0-for-4… Foget’s power play goal gave Orlando man advantage scores in back-to-back games for the first time since a three-game streak at the start of November… Mingo’s goal was his second against Orlando and gave him at least a point in all three meetings between the two teams so far this season… With the win, the Solar Bears moved into fourth place in the ECHL’s South division… To make room for Ouellette’s return, the Solar Bears waived goalie Hayden Stewart… Forward Troy Bourke, who had six goals and 13 assists in 13 games with Orlando, was reassigned by Tampa to Syracuse on Tuesday. The move necessitated Head Coach and General Manager Drake Berehowsky moving Kalk into Bourke’s spot with Shaw and Tammela… Orlando is off until Sunday when they start a five-games-in seven-days stretch heading into the Christmas break when the Atlanta Gladiators visit the Amway Center.
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