MOLINE, Ill. (Feb. 26) – Andrew Panzarella broke a 4-4 tie with 6:08 left in the third period and the host Quad City Mallards (31-22-2) went on to defeat the Wichita Thunder (16-33-4) 6-4 Sunday.
Panzarella gave the Mallards their third lead of the night by snapping the puck into the top corner from the right circle. Adam Gilmour’s shorthanded empty net goal finished off Wichita and capped a 24-shot third period for the Mallards with 1:15 remaining after the Thunder had twice rallied to even the score earlier on.
The Mallards had first moved in front in the third period when Grant Arnold roofed a rebound to crack a 3-3 deadlock at 4:44, but just over three minutes later Wichita’s Blake Tatchell knotted the contest at four by finishing off a 2-on-1 rush.
The Thunder’s first comeback was even more dramatic. Wichita ripped off three straight second period goals to erase a 3-0 deficit. Just 31 seconds after Chris Francis had scored the third Mallard goal from the doorstep on the power play, the Thunder turnaround started with Maxime St-Cyr’s tip-in at 3:11 of the second. James Melindy’s wrist shot from the right point narrowed the margin to one at the 10:27 mark and set the stage for Darryl Lloyd to equalize by pouncing on a rebound with just 1:46 left in the period.
The Mallards first seized the initiative with a pair of first period goals. Guillaume Gelinas turned a Justin Kovacs centering pass into the opening goal at 11:46 of the first. The Mallards were on the power play when Kovacs doubled the lead on a give-and-go with Josh MacDonald at 18:01.
With Quad City Mallards release
Contact the photographer: Rich.Guill@prohockeynews.com (Sean Flynn Photography)
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