GLENS FALLS, NY – Maybe just over two weeks into a seven-month season is too early for a big game to happen. Then again, any time is a good time to send a message.
Wednesday night at the Glens Falls Civic Center, two of the ECHL’s four remaining unbeaten teams faced off in a de-facto “king of the Eastern conference” challenge match as the Adirondack Thunder hosted the Orlando Solar Bears. When the ice chips had settled it was the host Thunder who carried the big sticks in a 4-2 win.
Ryan Lomberg scored two goals including the game-winner early in the third period and Mitchell Heard picked up three assists to lead Adirondack (4-0-0-0, 8 points). Goalie Kent Simpson also had a solid game, stopping 25 shots and keeping the high-scoring Orlando offense well below its six goals per game average. Johnny McInnis led the Solar Bears (3-1-0-0, 6 points) with a goal and an assist.
The game started off well for the visiting Orlando squad on two levels. An early power play created just one shot on net but it was a good one. With less than ten seconds left on the advantage, defenseman Eric Baier made a pin-point stretch pass to McInnis who had gotten behind the Adirondack defense. In alone on Simpson, McInnis threaded the needle for his first goal of the season and the Solar Bears’ second man-advantage score of the season.
Two minutes after the McInnis tally, the Thunder had their first chance on the power play. Orlando goalie Rob Madore was able to hold off the Adirondack offense but soon after the advantage had ended, he could not control the rebound of a Greg Wolfe shot and Mike Kirkpatrick put the puck in the net to tie the score. The goal was Kirkpatrick’s third of the young season.
Orlando, which had not been very lucky of late on the power play prior to McInnis’ score, found itself on another man advantage just over a minute into the middle frame. Midway thru the opportunity, defenseman Brenden Miller and forward Patrick Watling played a two-man game, trading passes until Watling found a shooting lane. Watling then ripped a shot that beat Simpson to the goalie’s blocker side for the Solar Bears’ second power play goal in three tries. For Watling, it was his second tally of the year.
It did not take long for the Thunder to answer back. Just past the five minute mark of playing time, Heard got the puck to Lomberg who sent a perfectly placed shot high into the net for his third of the season.
The rest of the second period was played primarily in the Orlando defensive end as Adirondack looked to press the gas pedal down on the necks of its visitors. Madore, who finished the night with 24 saves, refused to yield and kept the Thunder from taking the lead. He held the fort late in the stanza when a flurry of penalties left Adirondack with just under a minute of four-on-three power play time followed immediately by about a minute of five-on-three time, one save literally coming off his mask.
Knotted up at two heading into the final twenty minutes, both teams knew they were good in the third period but which one would take control. Two minutes in, the answer came when Lomberg planted himself in the slot area and redirected a shot from the point by Ryan Constant. The puck found its was past Madore for what would be the game-winning tally.
Despite Orlando’s best efforts, Simpson stayed calm and collected between the pipes, turning away all ten Solar Bears shots in the frame. His best stop came when Eric Faille, who had scored three goals in the previous two Orlando wins, got in alone and tried to go five-hole but the netminder used his blocker to plug the space and keep the puck out of the net. Rob Bordson finished off the scoring, taking a pass and scoring into the empty Orlando net with ten seconds left in regulation for his fourth goal of the season.
Orlando finished the game 2-4 on the power play while Adirondack went 0-5.
The Solar Bears head to Elmira for a Friday night match-up with the Jackals. Game time at the First Arena is set for 7:05 pm.
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