Thunder grab 2-1 series lead; Game 4 Wednesday
WORCESTER, MASS. » The Thunder held off a torrid 6- on-5, lategame Worcester rush before Ryan Schmelzer broke free and scored an empty-netter with 12.3 seconds left, giving Adirondack a 3-1 in win ECHL Kelly Cup playoff action on Sunday.
The Game 3 victory gives the Thunder a 2-1 edge in the bestof-seven series, with the next two contests slated for Glens Falls on Wednesday and Saturday, at 7 p.m. both nights.
After getting shut out the night before, with only 14 shots on net, the Thunder peppered the Worcester cage with 18 first-period shots alone on Sunday. Mackenzie Blackwood, playing his third game in less than 48 hours, stopped 28 shots for the win.
“The last 2-1/2 minutes was hard on our guys, but they put their bodies on the line,” Coach Brad Tapper said. “Blackie did a great job in net. I thought the biggest difference was we took a little bit more pride in our overall game, getting pucks to the net, competing at their net, competing at our net and blocking shots.”
Brian Ward put Adirondack in front, 1- 0, at 10:51 of the opening stanza as he beat Railers goaltender Mike McAdam from the left side. The play started with a Dylan Olsen slapshot from the top of the slot that McAdam stopped, but couldn’t settle.
Kenton Miller took aim from the right side. The puck hit McAdam again and caromed left where Ward finally sent it home.
The score came with 19 seconds left on a power play after Worcester’s Connor Doherty was called for roughing.
Mike Szmatula scored what proved to be the game-winner 2:48 into the second period. His shot, off a pass from Ward, went under the crossbar from 15 feet way, between the circles.
Worcester answered 3-1/2 minutes later when Jeff Kubiak skated through a pair of Adirondack defenders, came in from the left side and ripped a shot past Blackwood’s stick side to make it, 2-1.
The Railers started the third period with 1:34 left on a power play, but couldn’t get a single shot off. The Thunder penalty kill is now a perfect 12-for-12 in the series.
Action was fast-paced from coast to coast as time wound down, although neither side could add to their score. With four minutes to go, McAdam stopped three point-blank Thunder shots in a row.
Worcester coach Jamie Russell called for a timeout with 2:23 still left on the clock. When play resumed, McAdam stayed on the bench in favor of an extra attacker. The Railers threw everything they could at Blackwood, who somehow
followed the puck in the midst of a huge pileup in front of his net, and didn’t let anything get past him.
When the puck finally came out, Schmelzer raced down ice to seal the deal with his first goal of the series.
The Thunder could clinch the series with wins Wednesday and Saturday, and advance to second-round action against
Manchester or Reading. However, Tapper is taking things one game at a time.
“We’re going to have to play the right way, we’re going to have to play with good structure,” he said. “Our special teams is going to have to be sharp. We’d like to see our ‘ Seventh Man’ show up and have a nice full-house crowd on Wednesday. Let’s get his place rockin’.”