<div align="center">Vancouver Whalers @ Colorado Mammoths

Final Score
5-1
Game Link

Starting Lineups

Vancouver Whalers

Conklin Owen - Jon Ross - Ace Redding
Theodore Graham - Connor MacDonald
Triforce Link


Colorado Mammoths

Master Maguku - Steven Stamkos Jr. - Frontdoor McGraw
Ben Dover - Maverick O'Dooley
Ekaterina Rudnikova

Game Recap

The Vancouver Whalers visited the Colorado Mammoths on Day 14. It was a night to forget for the home team, as the visiting Whalers ran out convincing 5-1 winners. Let's have a look at how the game went.

Period 1

The game got off to a flying start, with Frontdoor McGraw taking a penalty 17 seconds in for hooking. During the PP, Conklin Owen found Jon Ross, who moved the puck to Theodore Graham. Graham moved the puck into the Mammoths zone and picked out Alfred Holiday. Holiday made no mistake, firing the puck beyond Rudnikova, giving the Whalers a goal on their very first shot.


Things went from bad to worse for the Mammoths only 4 minutes later. After Brynjar Tusk checked Maverick O'Dooley out his skates, the Whalers gained possession of the puck. The Mammoths recovered and dumped it as both teams made a line change. Triforce Link recovered and passed to Graham, who switched it to MacDonald. MacDonald made some slick moves carrying the puck in to the offensive zone, then fed Thor Pederson a beautiful pass that he converted on the one-timer, extending the Whalers lead.


As the period approached the halfway mark, both goaltenders were tested. Link made a nice save on a Steven Stamkos Jr. breakaway, before Rudnikova denied Olson Stuart in front after he stole the puck in the offensive zone from William Goddard.

Tord Yvel was sent to the box after 9 minutes for holding, but the Mammoths PK unit was much more compact, denying the Whalers any opportunities during the man advantage.

With both teams struggling to create scoring chances, Evgeny Yakikov should have punished the Whalers on a breakaway with less than 5 to play. Matthew Leetch released him after a Vancouver turnover, but Link was equal to Yakikov's effort, and the frustrations of the home crowd were on display.

In the closing minutes of the period, Rudnikova denied goon Ieuan Llewellyn, and Link gloved an effort from McGraw. Outside of those two chances, the only real highlights were a couple of big hits, one from Ben Dover and one from Olson Stuart.


Period 2

The Mammoths came out of the traps strong in the second period. Stamkos Jr. won the opening draw, and he saw his early shot blocked by MacDonald. Dover collected the rebound though, but his shot went sailing by the post. Coloroda kept the pressure on though, as McGraw recovered along the boards. McGraw made a nice move inside to create space, then fired low at goal, but Link was equal to it. After the face off, Link was again called in to action, this time to deny Sim Browski.

While Rudnikova had to make a smart save from a Jon Ross wrist shot, it was Colorado who were continuing their dominance early in the period, though they still could not get the puck beyond Triforce Link. Taro Eichelele and Jacob Renninger both saw excellent opportunities pass them by, with Link looking seemingly unbeatable in the Whalers' goal.

Jon Ross found himself on the receiving end of some punishment 8 minutes in, as Eichelele and then Poon Slayer both teed off on him withing seconds of each other.

Poon Slayer was called for boarding with 12 minutes gone in the period, giving the Whalers their third chance on the PP. Jon Ross almost made the Mammoths pay immediately, as he hit the post with a shot just 6 seconds in to the PP. Rudnikova was saved by the iron on that occasion, then proceeded to pull out excellent saves to deny Holiday, Kaiser and Bobby during the PP, keeping the score at 2-0 with a minute left on the penalty.

Theodore Graham gave the Mammoths a reprieve with a hooking penalty, giving us 4 v 4 for a minute. There was little of note during this though, and the Mammoths then failed to take advantage of their one minute PP.

After Stamkos Jr. iced the puck, Levi Kubrak won the resulting face off back to MacDonald on the blue line, who ripped a huge slapshot that crashed off the post, a second lucky call for Rudnikova.

With under 3 minutes to play in the period, Colorado dumped the puck for a line change, and it was retrieved by Ace Redding. Redding found Kaiser, who carried the puck the length of the ice. Kaiser passed to Owen, who fired to Redding. Redding crafted a bit of space for himself and saw his shot elude Rudnikova to extend the Whalers' lead to 3-0.


The second period came to a close shortly after, the home crowd despondent at the play of their team.


Period 3

The Colorado fans had something to cheer about only 18 seconds in to the third period when McGraw fired home a rebound. Link denied Stamkos Jr., but was unable to get over in time to stop McGraw from roofing the puck.


The atmosphere was sucked out of the building only a minute later though, as the Whalers regained their 3 goal advantage. OG Bobby passed to Corey Bearss, who was hit hard by Trev Legend. The puck stayed with the Whalers though, and Stuart gave it back to Bearss who put it through Rudnikova's 5-hole to light the lamp. It was a night to forget for Rudnikova, who was pulled for Curtis Allison having conceded 4 goals on 14 shots.


Trev Legend took a double minor penalty for high sticking 5 minutes in to the period, but Allison only had one save to make in the 4 minutes, with most of the Whalers' shooting ending up off target.

Throughout the middle of the period it was a back and forth game with few chances created, and some big hits thrown. Max Wilburn laying out Stamkos Jr. with a huge hit was the highlight, as every save each goaltender had to make was relatively routine.

With under 4 minutes to play, the Whalers finally broke through Allison and added their 5th of the night. O'Dooley blocked an OG Bobby shot, but Allison was out of position as the puck broke to Olson Stuart, who made no mistake with half the goal gaping.


With the result not in doubt, the remainder of the game was relatively quiet, until a flurry in the last 15 seconds. Allison had to make a smart double save on Jon Ross to prevent the Whalers picking up their 6th goal of the night. In the end, the buzzer sounded and the Whalers ran out worthy winners.


Highlights


Frontdoor McGraw takes a penalty early doors


Ace Redding scores


McGraw pulls one back for the Mammoths


Jon Ross misses a check

Team Stats

Hits

16-24

Despite the result, the Mammoths threw more hits than the Whalers, and were by far the more physical team on the night.

PIM

2-10

The Mammoths created a lot of problems for themselves with penalties in this one. They gave up a PP goal and went down a man at critical times during the game when they were searching for a goal. The Mammoths will need to be more disciplined than they were tonight if they want to pick up some more wins.

Shots Blocked

4-7

The Whalers were the dominant team in the shot total category, and were the much more offensive side all night. The Mammoths blocked more shots, a result of being pinned back in their own zone frequently.

Three Stars

3rd Star - Alfred Holiday
1G, +2, 2S, 2H, 19:10 minutes

Holiday had a decent performance picking up the third star, adding a goal and a couple of hits to go with his solid +2.

2nd Star - Theodore Graham
3A, +2, 2PIM, 2H, 1SB, 22:16 minutes

It was a great distributing performance from the blue line for Graham, as he tallied three assists on the night. He was solid defensively as well, with a couple of hits and a shot blocked, though he was the only Whaler sent to the penalty box all night.

1st Star - Olson Stuart
1G, 1A, +2, 2S, 3H, 11:46 minutes

Olson Stuart put in an all-action performance in just under 12 minutes of ice time, picking up the first star having contributed a goal and a assist, as well as three hits on the defensive end.
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