Halifax @ Anchorage

Anchorage, AK

For the second time in three days, Halifax is making the 7,000 plus mile journey across the breadth of Canada to visit Anchorage at home. On opening day, the Raiders were thrashed by a young Armada. Despite outshooting the opposition an astounding 43 shots to Anchorage's 28, the Halifax Raiders fell to a score of 5 goals to 2. Surely they'll seek to claw a few back tonight and set the scores even. The Anchorage Armada, on the other hand, will be looking to keep the ship steady, hoping for a repeat performance by (G) Peter Larson who tallied 41 saves from 43 shots (0.953) just two days ago.

Peter Larson, G, : Having posted 0.953 and 0.897 save percentages in his first two starts to the season, Peter Larson has been keeping his team in the fight.

Darnell Johnson, D, : A rookie d-man off to a flying start this season, thus far leading the league in shots blocked and tied with his partner Gabriel Johnson for first in +/-. He had two assists last game against Kelowna and will be hungry for a repeat performance.

Matt Kholin, C, : Matt Kholin scored Halifax's first goal of the season, as well as the game winning goal late in the third period against Anaheim. Matt leads his team in hits as well, stepping up and performing when necessary. Expect him to shoulder some extra weight tonight as Halifax attempts to take revenge on Anchorage.

Josef Kubinec, W,  : Josef scored a goal off of his only shot against Anaheim, having assisted Ricardo Cotalay's goal earlier in the game. Look for him on the left wing tonight waiting to snipe another sitter.

FIRST PERIOD:
Halifax's Mike McKorsy and Anchorage's Peter Larson take their positions in goals, and the puck drops. Anchorage's Xena wins the draw and we're under way. The Armada fire a warning shot early, Olivier Cloutier firing a shot through traffic which is easily swallowed up by McKorsy. Wanting to answer quickly, Halifax forces a turnover on the following drop, blitzing down the ice to put a shot on Peter Larson. Neither team can seem to gain traction, however. Passing seems a particular problem for both teams, losing possession in the offensive zone just as soon as they gain it in most instances. A string of hits through the neutral zone sees the puck change hands four, five, six times in the span of ten seconds, but neither team can capitalize on the opportunity. Five minutes in, and neither team looks to have the other figured out. Late in the 8th minute, the first truly dangerous play of the game erupts, Ekko Van Otter and Xena breaking away for a 2 on 1 for Anchorage. Xena intercepts the puck and passes to Van Otter, already deep in the neutral zone, who tosses it back in for a marauding Xena. A one time shot which deflects as Xena wraps around the net. Van Otter recovers the deflection and puts a second shot just wide of the net, but luckily Xena's there to deflect the puck in. Xena makes it 0-1 for Anchorage, with the lone assist from Van Otter. Looking to answer quickly, Halifax begins to set up in Anchorage's zone. Despite several interceptions and deflections, Anchorage can't seem to evict the Raiders and get a change. Their tired legs catch up to them, the defense rushing for a line change as the puck is forced out of their zone. Halifax's Freddie Sweeny rushes to catch the Armada in the midst of a redeployment, dumping the puck back into the zone, deflecting off of Atlas Rush. Andrej Doskocil retrieves the puck for Halifax and quickly wraps around, sneaking it by Peter Larson as he scrambles, searching for the missing puck. Goal Andrej Doskocil, honors even 1-1, assists Atlas Rush and Freddie Sweeny. One minute and fifteen seconds later, Anchorage answers with an astounding breakaway goal by Tony Ford. Xena wins a draw in the defensive zone and slips the puck up ice on a breakaway to a lone Tony Ford. Skating with speed, Ford makes a last second cut to evade McKorsy's poke and slips the puck between skate and post. Ford puts the Armada back on top, 1-2, Xena with the lone assist. The rest of the period seems to pass relatively quietly, until the dying seconds of the period. The Halifax Raiders bust down the door, storming through Armada's zone. Pass, pass, pass, the puck bouncing around like a pin ball, but Anchorage is smothering the shooting lanes, and the buzzer sounds before Halifax can find any truly dangerous space.

The second period begins with a 5 minute long series of mismatches, starting with an Anchorage penalty at 0:41 seconds, a Halifax penalty at 3:01 and a second penalty to the Armada at 5:11. Despite the power play opportunities, neither team can establish much momentum. Lots of empty skating and missed passes this period as the puck changes ends faster than either team can change lines. Anchorage sees the lion's share of possession, despite giving up several pucks through the neutral zone. The cannons fire, and the Armada keeps up the pressure with a tally of 10 shots on the period, while Halifax struggles to answer back, slipping 3 shots towards the net as they can. Deep into the final minute of the second period Olivier Coultier breaks up a pass through the neutral zone, leading to an odd man rush. A pass to Van Otter, who passes back to Coultier, round and round the puck goes until it's cut out by a reaching Ricardo Cotalay who tries to shove it out of the zone as help arrives. Xena joins Coultier and Van otter in the Halifax zone, keeping the puck in by an inch. It falls to Coultier who one times it on goal. Goal Olivier Coultier, 1-3 Armada with an assist by Xena. The horn quickly sounds once play resumes, ending a slightly one-sided second period. Halifax might consider themselves lucky to get away with only one goal against this period.

HAL 1 - 3 ANC

14 - 19

Anchorage starts the the period as if they were the team behind, flying into Halifax's zone to launch a brutal assault on goal. Halifax does well to force the puck out of the zone and strike back, swiftly raiding the Armada's zone. In the first minute alone, the puck travels end to end no less then eight times. Neither team seems to be building much possession, instead opting for quick rushes and long passes through the neutral zone. Rather than die down, the momentum seems to build, swinging back and forth from Halifax to Anchorage in time with the puck. A dizzying display of speed and endurance, players flying off the bench in desperation to beat an odd man rush, wingers curling around the boards to delay long enough for the rest of their line to catch up. One might struggle to remember the last completed pass. Finally the puck settles for a face off in the Halifax zone. On a constructed play we see a quick pass back from the point to the line and a one-timer on goal. McKorsy, screened, absorbs the shot but gives up a rebound. A mad scramble as the loose puck finds Tony Ford's stick first. He flicks it just past a reaching McKorsy. 1-4 Armada, Tony Ford assisted by Xena and Coultier. Just as before, given enough time to answer, Halifax shouts back on a constructed play of their own. Following a hooking penalty by Xena, Halifax sets up on the face off, the puck goes one-two-three from Gaspard Boone to Esa Parmborg to Ricardo Cotalay. Shot! Power play goal by Ricardo Cotalay for Halifax, score 2-4. Assists Boone and Parmborg.  Time is on Anchorage's side, and Halifax scrambling to force another late goal, but at even strength the task seems impossible. Anchorage's defense smothers any attempt to break through the neutral zone, and few pucks that Halifax is able to dump in rattle around the boards and into Armada possession. A far cry from the flying start to the period, the Armada forces the tempo down, choking out the last bit of Halifax's momentum until the final buzzer rings.

1 - Xena, C,   - 1 goal, 3 assists
2 - Olivier Cloutier, W,   - 1 goal, 1 assists, 6 shots on goal
3 - Tony Ford, D, - 2 goals