A few shootout saves and a pair of shootout scores salvaged a Thursday win for the Fairbanks Ice Dogs and prevented a rare three-game losing streak at home. The Ice Dogs scored first but couldn’t produce more than one goal in regulation or any in overtime against the Chippewa Steel, an NAHL Midwest Division foe trying to join the Ice Dogs in locking down a playoff spot.
“The game as a whole was just choppy and, to be honest, probably one of the worst games that we played in quite some time,” Ice Dogs head coach Ryan Theros said postgame. “And the guys felt it, and they knew it. But at the end of the day, we got the two points (in the standings), and every point matters right now.”
The Steel outshot the Ice Dogs, 37-to-32, and finished with one fewer penalty and two fewer penalty minutes in a chaotic contest.
The first period was marked most by a series of scuffles as both teams recorded an almost identical number of shots and penalties.
Fairbanks took the first lead of the game 5:50 into the second period. Kyle Rohrer flipped the puck ahead to fellow forward Luca Ricciardi. He shifted past a defender to receive it and pitched it back to Rohrer, who maneuvered past the netminder for a goal.
Chippewa tied the game at the 18:14 mark of the second period when Mason Johnson succeeded after several attempts to poke a rebound in.
The Ice Dogs had several close misses in the final frame, including one that was reviewed for a potential goal with 3:30 remaining. They went on a four-on-three advantage in overtime but couldn’t close out the game despite possessing the puck for much of the extra period.
The Steel scored on their first shootout attempt. Riccardi was then denied, but Ice Dogs goalie Mason McElroy got a stop and defenseman Ian Norkevicus scored. Both goalies rejected the next attempt they faced, McElroy turned away another and forward Adam Timm scored to secure the shootout win for the Ice Dogs.
McElroy finished with a .970 save percentage by turning away 32 of 33 shots, not counting three of four one-on-one looks in the shootout.
“He was a stud tonight,” Theros said. “He was the reason that we got the two points. Timm scored the shootout winner, which is why we won, but the reason we even got there was because of McElroy. He stood on his head, he made some unbelievable saves that kept us in it, kept the guys’ energy in it a little bit, so he definitely deserves the two points himself.”
The Ice Dogs (34-15-3-3) continue their three-game series against the Steel (28-22-2-3) on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Contact Gavin Struve at gstruve@newsminer.com or 907-459-7544
