ALLEN, Texas – Jefferson Dahl and Kyle Jean both scored in the shootout to cement Idaho’s come from behind win on Friday night, as the Steelheads (16-10-3) fought back from a two-goal deficit to defeat the Allen Americans (17-13-2), a 3-2 win at Allen Event Center.
Branden Komm made 26 stops for Idaho and stopped two of three shootout attempts for his third consecutive win and a perfect 4-0 record in shootouts this year. After Greger Hanson slipped the puck past him on the first attempt, Komm stopped Chad Costello and Gary Steffes to secure the victory.
The Steelheads kept Costello quiet on the night, just the second time in the last 22 games Costello has been held scoreless.
The Americans started overtime with 1:59 of 4-on-3 power play time after Corbin Baldwin lifted the puck over the glass at the end of regulation. The Steelheads responded with clutch penalty killing, which was 5-for-5 on the night, as Charlie Dodero and Travis Ewanyk helped lock down Costello and Spencer Asuchak.
Moments after the penalty expired, Dave Makowski had a point-blank opportunity but was robbed by a lunging glove save from Komm. The Steelheads quickly broke the other way for a 2-on-0 but couldn’t get a shot on Allen’s Jamie Murray. Idaho would get one last glorious chance prior to the shootout, with Travis Walsh stopped in close on a breakaway in the closing seconds.
Allen opened a 2-0 lead in the first period, with Tanner Eberle scoring on a rebound at 8:27 and Bryan Moore beating Komm with a wrist shot from the right wing at 14:53. Idaho answered back on the power play when Joe Faust netted his eighth of the season on a 5-on-3 power play, beating Murray from the high slot with a wrist shot.
It was Faust’s third game in three nights after he joined the Steelheads on Friday from a two-game stint with AHL Texas.
The score remained 2-1 through the second period, with both goaltenders making big stops in the second period. At 11:38 of the third, Jean skated the puck from the right-wing boards and centered a pass for Ewanyk. After Murray made an initial save, Ewanyk buried the rebound for his team-leading 12th goal of the season to tie the game.
The Steelheads head into the Christmas break in fourth place in the Mountain Division with 35 points. They return to action on December 28th in Rapid City, kicking off a three-game series against the Rush with a 6:35pm MT puck-drop at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. The game is available on 1350KTIK and on ECHLTV.
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