The Mavericks host the Edmonton Oilers affiliate, the Wichita Thunder in their first of two games on the weekend. Mason McDonald got the start between the pipes. Greg Betzold gets the first penalty of the night trying to prevent a Wichita scoring chance. He heads off for holding but it is well worth it. The penalty is killed with ease. Wichita struggles early getting shots on net but are in the zone for a good portion of the opening 10 minutes. Mavs get another penalty trying to stop a breakaway. Mike Panowyk goes to the box for tripping and the Mavericks penalty kill cannot quite put this one out. The Thunder get on the board first just over 11 minutes into the game. The Mavericks push on and look for a goal of their own to tie up the last quarter of the period but are unsuccessful. Shots end 6-4 for Kansas City but the sit down on the board 1-0.
The Mavericks get a couple of quick power play opportunities to start the period but do not find the back of the net. Finally, David Dziurzynski is set up by Mark Cooper and C.J. Eick and they get on the board. Later in the period Thunder Goalie Dylan Wells flies back to his glove side and comes up with a giant save that prevents an almost sure Kansas City goal. The Mavs get fired up from that and Wichita looks for some energy to bounce back. Dyson Stevenson and Neal Goff drop the gloves by the blue line and land some huge punches that send them to the locker room early. At the end of 2 Mavericks lead 19-9 on the shot clock but tied on the scoreboard.
The 3rd plays slow with relatively no action other than a confusing penalty call with 4 minutes to go. After discussion, the Mavs gets a 2 minute power play but cannot produce. They head to overtime where 2 minutes in, Mark Cooper gets a partial break and dekes the goalie out and wins the game for the Mavericks. Not a pretty showing overall but they finished it nonetheless.
Shots ended 29-17 for the Mavericks and tomorrow night, they will be back in action again at home ice to host the Utah Grizzlies.
|