<div align="center">GAME 129 - DETROIT FALCONS AT COLORADO MAMMOTHS

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Game Link

Colorado and Detroit meet one night after the Mammoths picked up a 4-2 win in Detroit behind an absurd goaltending effort from Ekaterina Rudnikova. Rudnikova would again perform well, but Detroit avenges the previous evening's loss with a 3-2 shootout victory.

First Period

Colorado wastes no time in giving the home crowd something to cheer about, as Maverick O’Dooley tallied his eighth goal of the season just twenty seconds into the game.

Quote:
... And Toohoots is asked to leave the circle, it’ll be Stamkos and Berkis. Stamkos wins it, he slides it to Dover, who goes across the blue line. Dover shuffles it to O’Dooley, who gives it back. Now Dover passes it along the boards to Stamkos behind the net. He surveys, now to his left to Renninger. Renninger feigns, now to O’Dooley at the blue line HE SHOOTS AND SCORES! Well, that didn’t take long! Maverick O’Dooley scores in just 20 seconds, and Colorado leads 1-0!

It took a little bit longer, but Detroit soon leveled with its own first-line goal by winger Alex Berkis.

Quote:... Moleman SHOOTS, it goes wide! Metzler collects the loose puck, now there’s a scrum along the boards. Metzler ... comes out with it, and passes to Moleman, across the crease TO BERKIS AND HE SCORES! And we are tied! Alex Berkis with his 15th goal of the season, and Detroit has tied it at the 3:53 mark of the first period.

Colorado’s Serj Kovalchuk committed a cross-checking penalty with 5:14 remaining in the first period. Detroit capitalized on the power play to take a 2-1 lead to close out the period.

Quote:... Hippo SHOOTS, but Dover gets in the way! Kaspars Berzins with it now, slid back to Hippo behind the cage. Hippo dishes to Zjang, SHOT, he misses the net, BUT HIPPO’S THERE AND HE SCORES!

Second Period

There weren’t any goals in the second twenty-minute frame, but that didn’t mean there was a shortage of excitement. One such moment came four minutes into the period, when Erik Muller started hitting everything that moved wearing a Mammoths jersey.

Quote:
... Stamkos FIRES but Kaspars Berzins knocks it down. Stamkos retrieves the puck, but Muller knocks him off of it. Dover has it now, he passes to Renninger. Renninger gives it back to Stamkos and Muller levels him again! The puck slides behind McSieve, Colorado will take this chance to change lines and regroup. Zjang takes the puck behind the net, he gives it to Edvins Berzins. Berzins skates through the neutral zone ... and he’ll lose the puck all on his own, Yvel with it now. Yvel across the blue line to Browski, now to McGraw AND HE GETS REAMED BY MULLER! SOMEBODY STOP THE DAMN MATCH!

Third Period

Undeterred by Muller’s bullying, Stamkos, Jr. tied the match seven minutes into the third period.

Quote:Detroit will dump it to change lines, the checking line taking the ice now for the Falcons. Maguku gathers the loose puck, he’ll carry it through the neutral zone. Now into the attacking zone, Maguku FIRES, DEFLECTED BY STAMKOS AND IT’S IN! Lucky number thirteen on the season for Stamkos with 12:59 remaining in the third, we are tied!

Overtime

This took us to overtime. Detroit dominated the first two minutes of the period, utilizing a power play to generate several shots. However, the Falcons could not convert the opportunity into a game-winner.

Quote:
Toohoots wins the faceoff, he passes to Moleman. MOLEMAN SHOOTS, BATTED AWAY BY RUDNIKOVA, MOLEMAN WITH THE REBOUND AND IT SAILS HIGH. Toohoots collects the puck, HE SHOOTS AND MISSES THE NET. Now Prince Daniel James with it against the boards, he works himself free, skates into the slot HE FIRES AND MISSES WIDE, MY GOODNESS! JAMES WITH IT AGAIN, WRAPAROUND BUT IT HITS THE POST. Colorado surviving a complete onslaught right now!

Shootout

As a result, the game went to a shootout after a scoreless overtime. It took nine rounds, but finally Detroit claimed victory thanks to Alexander Odegaard.

Quote:...Perhaps the ninth time is the charm here. Odegaard skates in on Rudnikova ... he fakes right, now backhand OVER RUDNIKOVA’S SHOULDER AND IN. That nifty backhanded top-shelf effort might just give Detroit the two points.

Three Stars

Third Star - Ekaterina Rudnikova, Colorado: The Mammoths goaltender made 32 saves to ensure her team earned a point in the standings.

Second Star - Rising Hippo, Detroit: Hippo tallied a power play goal in the first period, five hits, and a crucial shootout goal, Detroit’s most valuable contributor in the victory.

First Star - Steven Stamkos, Jr., Colorado: The only player in the game to record two points, Stamkos, Jr. scored one goal and assisted on the other for Colorado in regulation.

Notebook

Working Overtime: Colorado has now lost seven of its last nine games. However, the Mammoths have reached overtime in all seven of those losses, losing twice in the overtime period and five times in a shootout. The team’s last regulation loss? A 5-1 defeat at the hands of Kelowna 15 match days ago.

Falcons on Fire: With the win, Detroit has now won 11 of its last 13 contests. The Falcons have soared to the top of the East Division standings during this hot streak, battling with Kelowna for the overall lead in the SMJHL.

Laying the Boom: The Falcons doubled the Mammoths hit tally in the game, laying 20 checks to Colorado’s 10. Oddly enough, the increased physicality did not lead to more penalties for the visitors. Colorado committed five penalties in the game, while Detroit made just two trips to the sin bin.