Comment 1: Special Teams, Special Problems -- On the bright side (for both teams), both squads went 100% on the penalty kill, with Montreal killing off two penalties and Anchorage weathering all four of theirs. On the down side, both of these teams may want to spend a little more time focusing on their power play strategies. A power play goal could have been a huge difference-maker in this game, especially for Anchorage, who managed to tie up the game twice throughout the sixty minutes, and eventually lost by only one after a hard-fought battle. Montreal would probably like to see this improve as the season progresses as well, because a cushion of an extra goal or two can make all the difference in the world even when you're playing with the lead. 

Comment 2: The O's Have It -- Olin O'Dowd was undeniably deserving of the recognition he got as first star of the game. Tallying a goal and an assist (his third of each for the season), he also blocked three shots for Montreal in the 17:32 he spent on the ice, and played 1:39 of Montreal's well-defended four minutes on the penalty kill. Also worth a mention, Montreal's other O, Oliver Klozoff (who notched an assist and a blocked shot in his 16:12 on ice, 1:49 of that spent on the penalty kill), and Anchorage's Olivier Cloutier (who recorded an assist, two hits, and faceoff win during his 20:48).

Comment 3: The Ugly -- Regardless of what can be said of either team's power play or penalty kill, the offenses leading to those power plays were messy. Anchorage took a total of four penalties, and probably isn't particularly happy with at least a couple of them (Kalevi Karhunen took a charging minor just two minutes and twelve seconds into the game, and Tucker Baloo (tripping) and Dean Colt III (holding) sat two minutes each in the second period while the game was tied). Montreal's two penalties both came in the first period (James Truong for hooking at 3:44, and Commander Shepard for goalie interference at 12:30). Both teams managed to straighten things out and stay out of the box completely in the third period.