DULUTH, GA – Back in early November, the Orlando Solar Bears had a third period for the franchise record books with a seven goal explosion against the host Atlanta Gladiators. Tuesday night, the Solar Bears returned to the scene of that epic performance and once again it was the final frame that was the difference.
Led by two goals each from Alex Gacek and Chase Witala, Orlando (24-15-5-2, 55 points) rode a four goal third period to an 8-5 win over Atlanta (17-22-6-1, 41 points) in front of an announced crowd of 2,319 at the Infinite Energy Arena. Rookie Shane Conacher broke a 5-5 tie with a power play goal – his first in a Solar Bears uniform – with four minutes and thirty seconds left in regulation before Gacek and Darik Angeli put the game out of reach with empty net goals in the final minute.
Nobody in the arena had any idea that they were about to see an old fashioned shootout based on how the opening period played out. There were just two goals scored in the frame, the first coming off the stick of Solar Bears forward Alexandre Carrier who banked a shot from a nearly impossible angle off the skate of one-time Orlando defenseman Rory Rawlyk for Carrier’s first goal in a Solar Bears jersey at the 4:07 mark. One minute and ten seconds later, another former Solar Bear, Tyler Murovich, turned a give-and-go with A.J. White into his 11th goal of the season by wiring the puck past the blocker of Orlando goalie Kasimir Kaskisuo.
The teams combined for 21 shots in the period but Kaskisuo and Atlanta netminder Matt Ginn settled in for what many anticipated would be a defensive struggle, especially when Kaskisuo and teammate Brenden Miller combined to thwart a three-on-one break by the Gladiators.
As tight as the first period was, the second was about as wide open as it could be. The middle stanza started off quickly when Milos Bubela sent Joe Perry out on a rush. Perry did the rest, driving into the Atlanta end and snapping off a shot that beat Ginn before ringing off the inside of the post and going in for his 24th of the season.
Perry’s goal a minute in was just the beginning. At the 11:29 mark, Atlanta’s Trevor Mingoia took advantage of a poor line change by Orlando during a Gladiators power play to tap home a pass from Justin Buzzeo for his 16th of the season. Ginn, who made a long stretch pass to set up the four-on-one break, got credit for the secondary assist.
Less than a minute later, Murovich was back to haunt his old team once again. This time he was in position to jam home a rebound off his own shot for his second of the game and 12th of the season. White recorded his second assist of the game while yet another former Solar Bear, Connor Gaarder, picked up the secondary helper.
Trailing in the game for the first time, Orlando pulled out its quick strike attack to steal the lead back. At the 12:46 mark, Gacek started a rush and flipped a shot at the Atlanta net. The puck hit Witala’s stick after Ginn made the save but Gacek followed through and buried a backhander for his 18th of the season and his 10th for Orlando.
Less than 30 seconds after evening the score, Gacek stole a pass before setting up Witala for a shot that found the back of the net for his fifth of the season. Witala’s score ended a run of 1:44 in which the teams combined to score four goals.
Witala was back at it early in the third, rolling behind the Atlanta net and centering the puck where it hit a defender and went in for the rookie’s second of the game and sixth of the season.
The Gladiators were not quite done, scoring twice in a span of 1:38 to tie the score once again. The first came on a power play when Buzzeo cashed in the rebound of an Eric Neiley redirect of a point shot from Josh Atkinson for his 15th of the year. Moments later, Thomas Frazee knocked in the puck after Akim Aliu batted it into the crease behind Kaskisuo for his 14th.
The pivotal point of the game came at the 13:32 mark when Murovich was called for interference. Orlando’s power play, which had been held in check in three previous attempts, finally paid off when Bubela got loose for a shot that Ginn fended off but Conacher was there to bury the rebound.
This time Kaskisuo, who finished with 29 saves, and his defense were determined to hold the lead. With just over a minute left, Atlanta pulled Ginn (26 saves) but it backfired not once but twice as Gacek (19th) and Angeli (10th) each put the puck in the empty net to seal the win.
Orlando now moves on to Greenville for games on Friday and Saturday against the Swamp Rabbits.
Contact the author at don.money@prohockeynews.com
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