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Pinizzotto returns to spark Stingrays past Columbia
By Andrew Miller (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Monday, April 28, 2008
Mic Smith
The Post and Courier
The Stingrays' Steve Pinizzotto, center, celebrates his third period goal over Columbia that proved to be the game winner at the North Charleston Coliseum Sunday April 27, 2008. The Rays won 2-1.
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Stingrays Hockey
The S.C. Stingrays defeated the Columbia Inferno 2-1 at the North Charleston Coliseum Sunday to take Game One of their playoff series.
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Stingrays 2, Inferno 1
Steve Pinizzotto picked the perfect moment to score the first playoff goal of his professional career.
Pinizzotto got the game-winning goal early in the third period and Davis Parley stopped 21 shots to lead South Carolina past Columbia, 2-1, in Game 1 of the South Division Finals on Sunday night before a crowd of 2,775 at the North Charleston Coliseum. The Stingrays took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series against their in-state rival, with Game 2 scheduled for Tuesday at the North Charleston Coliseum at 7 p.m.
It had been nearly two months since Pinizzotto had scored a goal at the pro level. He was called up to Hershey, the Stingrays' American Hockey League affiliate, in late February. His last goal came in a South Carolina Stingrays uniform against Charlotte on Feb. 21.
"It's definitely been a while since I scored. Too long," Pinizzotto said. "I've got a different role up in Hershey. I'm on the fourth line up there, the crash and bang line, so I don't get a lot of opportunities to score. It's nice to come down here and have the chance to do things offensively that I really can't do in the AHL.
"I was trying to be an energy guy out there tonight. Hit everything that moved. Get the guys going. I'm much more comfortable being in the role I've got down here. I like being kind of the go-to guy in some situations."
The addition of Pinizzotto, who played 23 games with the Bears this season, to the Stingrays' lineup paid immediate dividends from the drop of the puck. Pinizzotto was assigned to the Stingrays after the Bears were eliminated from the AHL Calder Cup playoffs over the weekend.
"Steve is a force to be reckoned with at this level," said Stingrays coach Jared Bednar said. "He can shoot, he can score and he can skate. He got in on the forecheck like I thought he would tonight. He caused some turnovers. He was strong on the puck. He was tough for their defensemen to handle tonight. He was everything I thought he'd be for us tonight."
The line of Pinizzotto, Stephen Werner and Trent Campbell had not been together since late December, when Werner was called up to the AHL. The line seemed to pick up right where it left off before Christmas.
"We played well together earlier in the season and I was glad they put us together again," Werner said. "Obviously having Pinner in the lineup really gives us another dimension that we didn't have earlier in the playoffs. Trent and Steve have pretty good chemistry, so it's easy to play between those two guys."
Davis Parley had his second straight strong effort, building on his shutout in Game 5 against Gwinnett.
"The guys were great in front me again tonight," said Parley, who improved to 4-2-0 in the playoffs. "Five shots on goal in the third period is unheard of in the playoffs. If I get 22 shots, I should be able to stop pretty much every one of them."
Werner started the play on the game-winning goal. He dug the puck out of the corner and slid it out front. The puck came bouncing out into the high slot to Pinizzotto, who blasted it past Columbia goalie Todd Ford for the score.
"The puck was rolling a little bit, so I was waited for it to settle down," Pinizzotto said. "I actually got a hold of it pretty good, but I had no idea what the goalie was doing. I just put it on net and I was lucky it went in. I never thought that would be the game-winner, but it was a huge, huge goal for me and the team."
After a scoreless first period, the Stingrays grabbed a 1-0 lead on Marty Guerin's power-play goal five minutes into the second period.
Travis Morin got the puck behind the net and slid it out front to Guerin, who waited for Ford to commit. As soon as the Inferno goalie went down on the ice, Guerin slid the puck past him for the score.
The Inferno answered less than a minute later when Daniel Sparre slammed home a Julien Brouillette rebound to tie the game at 1 at the 5:34 mark of the second period.
"I thought I had the puck, but it dropped down into the crease and I heard someone shouting at me to cover it up," Parley said. "I tried to get on it, but I didn't. Credit Columbia for being at the right place at the right time."
Slap shots
--Andrew Gordon and Patrick McNeill are expected to join the team today. Gordon had 51 points, 16 goals and 35 assists for Hershey this season.
--Matt Smith and Paul McIlveen were healthy scratches.
--The Stingrays were just 3-2 against the Inferno at the North Charleston Coliseum during the regular season.
First Period: No goals. Penalties: Perry, C (interference), :54; G. McNeill, SC (slashing), 5:37; Werner, SC (hooking), 7:33; Doig, C (roughing), 20:00; Kiser, SC (roughing), 20:00; Pinizzotto, SC (roughing), 20:00.
Second Period: 1. SC, Guerin 6 (Morin, MacLean), 4:41. 2. C, Sparre 5 (Brouillette, Faulkner), 5:34. Penalties: Wellar, C (tripping), 4:24; Faulkner, C (holding), 11:11; McNeill, SC (interference), 16:56.
Third Period: 3. SC, Pinizzotto 1 (Werner, Campbell), 1:31. Penalties: Pinizzotto, SC (slashing), 19:31.
Shots on goal: Stingrays 10-17-10-37; Columbia: 11-6-5-22. Penalties: Stingrays 6-12; Columbia 4-8. Power play: Stingrays 1 of 3; Columbia 0 of 5. Goalies: Stingrays — Davis Parley (4-2-0) 22 shots, 21 saves. Columbia — Todd Ford (6-3-0) 37 shots, 35 saves. Att: 2,775.
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Stingrays Take Game One 2-1 Over Columbia
04/27/2008 9:25 PM
North Charleston, SC – The South Carolina Stingrays took game one of the best of five game series against the Columbia Inferno on Steve Pinizzotto’s game winning goal early in the third period.
“Pinizzotto is a guy who makes a huge impact on our team,” said Head Coach Jared Bednar. “Overall we played a very physical game tonight against a solid Columbia team.”
The first period featured a very physical style of play. Both teams had opportunities as momentum constantly shifted back and forth. The period however was dominated by the goaltenders, leading to a scoreless first 20 minutes.
In the second period the Stingrays took a 1-0 on a power play goal by Marty Guerin. It was Guerin’s sixth goal of the playoffs, tying him with Travis Morin for most on the team. The goal was assisted by Morin and Cail MacLean and came at 4:41. Less than a minute later the game was tied up at one. At 5:34 Daniel Sparre got his fifth goal of the playoffs, and after two periods the game was locked up at one.
Early in the third period, the Rays retook the lead on Pinizzotto’s first of the playoffs, in just his first game back with the Stingrays after playing up in Hershey. Stephen Werner took a shot that was kicked away by goaltender Todd Ford right on to the stick of Pinnizzoto. With all kinds of time, standing in the slot, he fired it past Ford to give the Rays the lead at 2-1, the eventual final.
The winning goaltender was Davis Parley who stopped 21 of the 22 shots he faced. The losing goaltender was Todd Ford who stopped 35 of the 37 shots he faced. The Rays went 1-3 on the power play while killing off all five short handed situations they faced.
The Rays are back in action on Tuesday night when they play game two of this best of five game series, at the North Charleston Coliseum. Game time will be at 7:05.
Don’t miss all the fast-paced, hard-hitting action! Individual tickets can be purchased at the North Charleston Coliseum box office, by calling Ticketmaster at (843) 554-6060 and online at www.ticketmaster.com.
Full and partial season tickets are available by calling (843) 744-2248 or by visiting online at www.stingrayshockey.com. Stingrays Hockey – A Whole Lot Cooler!
Tickets for Games in Columbia
04/28/2008 1:03 PM
North Charleston, SC-The South Carolina Stingrays will be playing game three in Columbia on Friday and game four (if necessary) on Saturday. The Columbia Inferno have offered special group rate tickets to all Stingrays fans thinking of making the trip to Columbia.
The Inferno will be offering three price levels for Stingrays fans. Tickets will be $10, $13 and $16. To get tickets for the game, call Wendy Hennessy in the Columbia office at 1-803-467-0523 or e-mail her at
.
The South Carolina Stingrays play their next home game tomorrow against the Inferno in game two of their best of five game series. Game time will be at 7:05 at the North Charleston Coliseum. Get your tickets through the Coliseum box office or through ticket master. If you are interested in bringing out a group to a game, or if would like to sign up for the playoff "Pay for Play" call (843)-744-2248. Stingrays Playoff Hockey...A Whole Lot Cooler!!
Pokulok taking game to next level
By Andrew Miller (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Sasha Pokulok will let you see glimpses of it. He gives snapshots of his potential on the ice that leave you nearly speechless.
There was the time last season when the South Carolina Stingrays defenseman stepped around two Charlotte forwards at the blue line and roofed a shot over the shoulder of Checkers goalie Chris Holt for a power-play goal.
There was Game 1 against Augusta in the opening round of the 2008 Kelly Cup playoffs when Pokulok went end-to-end, skating through all five Lynx players and eventually getting behind the Augusta net. With a Lynx defense-man draped all over him, Pokulok shrugged him off and found Sean Collins at the Stingrays' blue line with a tape-to-tape pass for an easy goal.
It is Pokulok's offensive skill, his skating ability, and his 6-5, 230-pound frame that made the former Cornell star a first-round pick in the 2005 NHL draft by the Washington Capitals.
Mic Smith
The Post and Courier
But while his skills are indisputable, the expectations that come with being a first-round draft pick have carried a heavy burden for the soft-spoken Pokulok. Labeled a bust by some hockey experts just two years into his professional career, Pokulok's development has been too slow for some Capitals fans.
"When you're a first-rounder, you are normally getting fast-tracked for the NHL," Stingrays coach Jared Bednar said. "The expectations are really high for a first-rounder, but that's to be expected because of the amount of money that the organization has invested in you. And, to me, it's really unfair to put those expectations on the kid himself.
"Everyone develops at a different rate. Two years from now, if Sasha is playing in the NHL and he goes on to have a 10-year career, then he was drafted exactly where he should have been drafted."
The comments on some Internet chat rooms and blogs have been so negative that Pokulok avoids them altogether.
"My aunt and uncle get on them from time-to-time and call me up," Pokulok said. "I tell them I don't want to know what they're saying. I don't care about what they say about me. I can only worry about working hard and improving each day I'm on the ice."
It's that kind of attitude that has Bednar convinced that Pokulok will land in the NHL one day soon.
"You look for certain things from a young player," Bednar said. "Does he have a good work ethic and is he improving? I can honestly answer 'yes' to both. Sasha works hard, he wants to get better, and he's getting better. He's so much better this year than he was last year. He's a totally different player and a totally different person.
"There's no question he has the ability to play at the next level and in the NHL. I played with first-round guys in American League that didn't have anywhere near the talent that Sasha has right now."
But there are reasons why Pokulok is with the Stingrays right now and not in Hershey, the Stingrays' American Hockey League affiliate, or in Washington.
"The biggest thing is that Sasha needs to be more consistent," Bednar said. "That's his biggest problem. You can see the potential and he'll show it to you during a shift, or during a period or for a game or two. But then the next shift, or the next period or the next game it's not there. Once Sasha figures that out he won't be in this league very long or the American League."
Pokulok's rookie season with the Hershey was a disaster.
After leaving Cornell following his sophomore season, Pokulok suffered a concussion in his first game with Hershey. He was forced to sit out for nearly four months before finally getting assigned to the Stingrays late in the season. He played in 16 games with the Stingrays, but then suffered his second concussion of the season in March.
"It was the most frustrating year of my life," Pokulok said. "It was depressing because normally there's a time line on when you can get hurt. You know when you're going to be back on the ice. With a concussion, you just sit there until you get better. You have to do the opposite of what you want to do. Some days you feel good, and then the next day you feel terrible."
Missing almost his entire rookie season is a major reason why Pokulok ended up with the Stingrays again this spring.
"He missed all that time with a concussion and that was a huge setback in his development," Bednar said. "Right now, he's probably where he should have been last year. If you think about it, Sasha would be a senior coming out of college this year. There's no doubt in my mind that if Sasha was in college, he would be dominating at that level."
Finally able to start working out in July, Pokulok played in 44 games with Hershey this season and felt like he was making progress. But with two weeks left in the regular season, Pokulok was assigned to the Stingrays so he could be eligible for the Kelly Cup playoffs.
"It's a whole different level up in the American League," Pokulok said. "I only played one game last year, and I got a little bit more of a taste this year, so I felt like I was improving. Right before I left they told me to prove I didn't belong in the ECHL. That's what I'm trying to do. I want to get better and move on to the highest level."
While most first-round picks usually sulk in the ECHL, Pokulok has used the ice time to hone his skills.
In 16 regular season and playoff games, Pokulok has been arguably the Stingrays' best defenseman. He has four assists in 11 playoff games and his plus-2 rating is among the best on the team.
"He was our best player on the ice for the first two games of the series with Augusta," Bednar said. "He showed a physical side of his game that we didn't see last year."
When other Stingrays were struggling to stop Augusta's Aaron Slattengren, Bednar put Pokulok on the ice to shut down the Lynx sniper.
"Sasha was great on Slattengren all series," Bednar said. "Some of our other defensemen and our forwards had trouble with Slattengren, but Sasha had no trouble stopping him and throwing him around out there. Not many guys in this league are going to be able to drive to the net with Sasha leaning on them.
"What's good about Sasha is that he just doesn't muscle guys off the puck and then chuck it away. He's smart. He gets the puck and he can skate out of situations and make plays up the ice."
Pokulok did the same thing against Gwinnett's Guillamue Desbiens in the next series, shutting down the Gladiators' power forward in the third period of the decisive Game 5.
"He's kind of been our go-to guy down the stretch," Bednar said. "I've got confidence that Sasha is going to get the job done."
It is Bednar's trust in Pokulok's ability that has given him more confidence in his own game.
"For me, when a coach has confidence in me, it brings my play up a level," Pokulok said. "I think that's one of the reasons why I've enjoyed playing here so much. I'm getting on the ice a lot, I'm getting to play in crucial situations. I think that will help me at the next level."
Guerin's hat trick lifts Stingrays to Game 2 win
By Andrew Miller (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Stingrays 5, Inferno 2
With most of the pre-game talk surrounding the new South Carolina players from the American Hockey League, Marty Guerin must have felt like a forgotten man.
He is forgotten no longer.
Guerin recorded a hat trick and Andrew Gordon had a goal and an assist to lead South Carolina past Columbia, 5-2, on Tuesday night in Game 2 of the South Division finals before a crowd of 2,851 at the North Charleston Coliseum.
The Stingrays can wrap-up the best-of-five Kelly Cup Playoff series Friday night in Columbia in Game 3.
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Stingrays Hockey
The South Carolina Stingrays defeated the Columbia Inferno, 5-2, on Tuesday night to take a 2-0 lead in the ECHL Kelly Cup South Division finals.
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With the return of Gordon, Patrick and Grant McNeill and Steve Pinizzotto over the weekend from Hershey (AHL), it would be easy to overlook the soft-spoken Guerin. But after his three-goal outburst Tuesday, the secret might be out.
"The new guys really played well, but Marty was the best player, by far, on the ice for us tonight," said Stingrays captain Cail MacLean. "He won the game for us. He's been playing great all year, so a performance like this is really no surprise for the guys in this locker room."
Guerin, who has been shuffled from line-to-line during the playoffs, leads the ECHL in scoring (13 points) and goals (nine) in the playoffs.
"The thing that Marty is doing now more than he was during the regular season is shooting the puck," said Stingrays coach Jared Bednar. "He's not doing anything fancy. He's leading the league in shots in the playoffs and as a result he's leading the league in scoring. That's not a coincidence.
"Marty is playing with a lot of confidence and he's having fun. When you enjoy who you're playing with and having fun, chances are you're going to have success on the ice."
Playing on a line with Gordon, who had 16 goals and 35 assists with Hershey, and Stephen Werner didn't hurt Guerin's cause either.
"Those guys are easy to play with," Geurin said. "They're smart. They move the puck. If you're in the right spot they're going to get you the puck. They made my job pretty easy out there tonight."
Mic Smith
The Post and Courier
Stingrays' Marty Guerin (9) is congratulated by teammate Patrick McNeill (2) after Guerin scored a third-period goal while Columbia's Todd Ford lies on the ice at the North Charleston Coliseum on Tuesday. Guerin had a hat trick in the game. The Rays won 5-2.
The return of Gordon, who played 11 games for the Stingrays during the regular season, paid immediate dividends for the Stingrays. On his second shift back with in uniform, Gordon got a pass from Sasha Pokulok from behind the net and wristed a shot past Columbia goalie Todd Ford to give South Carolina a 1-0 lead five minutes into the game.
"Great pass from Sasha, got a lucky bounce, and had a lot of net to shoot at," said Gordon, who missed Game 1 of the series. "I think that got everyone going early. I was happy I was able to come back and contribute and do something early on."
The Stingrays pushed their advantage to 2-0 on Guerin's power-play goal midway through the first period.
"We got off to a great start," Bednar said. "I'm not sure we could have played much better than we did in the first period."
The second period, however, was another matter. Despite outshooting Columbia, 13-6, the Inferno tied the game with goals by Reid Cashman and Mac Faulkner.
"I thought we got away from the things we had been doing in the first period," Bednar said. "We got a little too fancy at times and give Columbia credit, they took advantage with some timely goals. I didn't think we played that badly in the second period, but we didn't keep our game simple."
The Stingrays responded with a strong third period as Guerin added two more goals and Travis Morin chipped in with a power play goal.
"We finished the game really well," MacLean said. "We came out in the third period and played like we did in the first period."
The Inferno showed some frustration down the stretch, getting whistled for six penalties and 10-minute misconduct in the third period.
"They got frustrated, no question about it," Bednar said. "We went through the same thing in Gwinnett in Game 4 down at their place. It happens. Everyone's competitive and when things are not going your way, it can come to the surface."
Slap shots
--Todd Griffith and Paul McIlveen were placed on the seven-day injured reserve list Tim Judy was placed on the seven-day IR.
--Defenseman Rory Rawlyk was a healthy scratch.
First Period: 1. SC, Gordon 1 (Pokulok, Werner), 5:10. 2. SC, Guerin 7 (Collins, Morin), 11:44. Penalties: Morin, SC (hooking), 3:14; Ralph, C (tripping), 11:34; Tsimikalis, C (slashing), 13:39; Morin, SC (holding), 17:11.
Second Period: 3. C, Cashman 2 (Hanson, Ralph), 7:38. 4. C, Faulkner, 5 (Sparre, McJannet), 12:13. Penalties: Campbell, SC (high sticking), 11:29; Pinizzotto, SC (roughing), 13:07; G. McNeill, SC (slashing), 18:59.
Third Period: 5. SC, Guerin 8 (Werner, Gordon), 2:26. 6. SC, Morin 7 (P. McNeill, Chaput), 6:45. 7. SC, Guerin 9 (Romfo, Campbell), 15:57. Penalties: Lundberg, C (holding), 3:07; Wellar, C (cross checking), 4:59; Tsimikalis (double-minor, interference, unsportsmanlike conduct, 10-minute misconduct), 8:50; Perry, C (slashing), 10:07; Romfo, SC (hooking), 13:42; Fussey, C (slashing), 16:48.
Shots on goal: Stingrays 16-13-11-40; Columbia: 6-6-5-17. Penalties: Stingrays 6-12; Columbia 10-36. Power play: Stingrays 2 of 8; Columbia 1 of 6. Goalies: Stingrays - Davis Parley (5-2-0) 17 shots, 15 saves. Columbia - Todd Ford (6-4-0) 40 shots, 35 saves. Att: 2,851.
Thrice is Nice for Guerin as Stingrays Dump Inferno
04/29/2008 9:39 PM
North Charleston, SC – Marty Guerin got a hat trick for the South Carolina Stingrays, propelling them to a 5-2 victory over the Columbia Inferno in game two of their best of five game series with the Rays leading two games to none.
“The line of Guerin [Stephen] Werner and [Andrew] Gordon really worked well tonight,” said Head Coach Jared Bednar. “We played strong in the first period, probably one of the best periods we’ve played in the playoffs.”
In the first period the South Carolina Stingrays got out to an early lead when Andrew Gordon made his presence felt quickly. With the Stingrays killing off their first penalty of the night, Gordon got a pass from Sasha Pokulok and fired it past goaltender Todd Ford to give the Rays a 1-0 lead. The goal came at 5:10 and was assisted by Pokulok and Stephen Werner. It was the second short handed goal for South Carolina in the playoffs. The Rays got it down on the power play as well in the period, scoring just :10 seconds into their first power play. Marty Guerin got his ECHL leading 7th playoff goal from Sean Collins and Travis Morin giving the Rays a 2-0 lead after one period of play.
The second period featured more strong play by South Carolina, but the scoring belonged exclusively to the Inferno. At 7:38, Reid Cashman got his second goal of the playoffs to cut the lead in half, making it 2-1 in favor of the Rays. But, at 12:13, while on the power play, Columbia tied the game up at two when Mac Faulkner got his fifth goal of the playoffs past goaltender Davis Parley.
In the third period the Stingrays put their collective foot on the gas and did not let up. At 2:26 Guerin got his second tally of the night from Werner and Gordon. The Rays extended their lead to two when Morin got his seventh goal of the playoffs from Pat McNeill and Chris Chaput on the power play. Guerin got his third goal of the night and his league leading ninth playoff goal. The goal was assisted by Scott Romfo and Trent Campbell at 15:57 making the score 5-2, the eventual final.
The winning goaltender was Davis Parley who stopped 15 of the 17 shots he faced. The losing goaltender was Todd Ford who stopped 35 of the 40 shots he faced. The Rays went 2-8 on the power play while killing off five of the six short handed situations they faced.
The Rays are back in action on Friday night when they travel to Columbia for game three of their best of five game series against the Inferno looking to knock them out of the post season.
Don’t miss all the fast-paced, hard-hitting action! Individual tickets can be purchased at the North Charleston Coliseum box office, by calling Ticketmaster at (843) 554-6060 and online at www.ticketmaster.com.
Full and partial season tickets are available by calling (843) 744-2248 or by visiting online at www.stingrayshockey.com. Stingrays Hockey – A Whole Lot Cooler!
Keep up the good work. I enjoy reading the posts.
Stingrays Drop Game Three 5-3 to Columbia
05/02/2008 9:41 PM
Columbia, SC – The South Carolina Stingrays got two power play goals from Travis Morin and short handed goal from Trent Campbell, but it wasn’t enough as they fell 5-3 to Columbia in game three of their best of five game series.
“It was a hard fought game by both teams,” said Head Coach Jared Bednar. “Both teams could have walked away with the win here tonight.”
In the first period the Inferno scored on their first power play chance at 2:22 by Daniel Sparre to give Columbia the early lead. But like South Carolina has been doing all playoffs, they were able to answer back. On the Stingray’s first power play opportunity Travis Morin got his eighth goal of the playoffs from Sean Collins and Cail MacLean at 9:59. Morin scored again on another power play, his second of the night, ninth of the playoffs, at 16:15 from Marty Guerin and Chris Chaput to give the Rays their first lead of the night. Columbia would tie up the game with less than a minute left while on the five on three, and it was tied at two after one period.
In the second period, once again Columbia came out quickly and took the lead. This time it was Liam Huculak at 2:28, the first even strength goal for either team on the night. Trent Campbell got a short handed goal for South Carolina, their third of the playoffs to tie the game up at three. The goal came at 11:13 and was unassisted.
The Inferno took the lead for good in the third period when Peter Tsimikalis got his third goal of the playoffs at 15:11 to make it 4-3. They would increase the lead to 5-3 on another goal by Tsimikalis, this time an empty netter.
The winning goalie was Todd Ford who stopped 36 of the 39 shots he faced. The losing goalie was Davis Parley who stopped 33 of the 37 shots he faced. The Rays went 2-7 on the power play, while killing off five of the seven short handed opportunities they faced.
Stingrays Lose Heartbreaker in Overtime to Columbia 3-2
05/03/2008 9:44 PM
Columbia, SC – The South Carolina Stingrays let two leads slip away before falling in overtime 3-2 to the Columbia Inferno at the Carolina Coliseum.
“We played hard tonight,” said Head Coach Jared Bednar. “We just need to regroup tomorrow and get ready to come out strong on Monday.”
In the first period, the Rays got a late goal when Cail MacLean got off the schneid by scoring his first goal of the playoffs. The goal was on a back door play from Chris Chaput and Travis Morin at 17:35.
The second period feature back and forth play, but no scoring which left the Rays up by one in the third period. On the power play at 9:00, the Inferno tied the game up at one. MacLean once again got on the board this time at 14:41 from Morin and Chaput to give the Rays a 2-1 lead. The lead was not long lived as the Inferno got another power play goal with just over a minute left to play to tie the game up and send it to overtime.
In the overtime period Reid Cashman got his third goal of the playoffs winning the game for the Inferno 3-2. The shot by Cashman was saved by Josh Johnson but the puck fell in the crease, and was kicked in by Johnson for the final goal.
The winning goaltender was Todd Ford who stopped 30 of the 32 shots he faced. The losing goaltender was Johnson who stopped 14 of the 17 shots he faced. The Rays went 0-3 on the power play while killing off four of the six short handed situations they faced.
The Rays are back in action on Monday night when they try to close out the series in a decisive game five at the North Charleston Coliseum. The drop of the puck is at 7:05.
Fifth element: Stingrays face another decisive game
By Andrew Miller (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Monday, May 5, 2008
The Post and Courier
Josh Johnson
South Carolina Stingrays goalie Josh Johnson lay face down in the crease at the Carolina Coliseum Saturday night.
Just seconds earlier, the rookie had the game-winning overtime goal from Columbia defenseman Reid Cashman slide off the back of his skates and into the net, forcing tonight's decisive Game 5.
The Stingrays will take on Columbia in Game 5 of their best-of-five South Division final series at the North Charleston Coliseum beginning at 7 p.m. The winner will advance to the American Conference finals against the winner of the Cincinnati-Reading series.
With the game tied at 2, Cashman got the puck just inside the Inferno blue line. Cashman took a shot that Johnson stopped, but the puck fell to the ice and squirted underneath him. As Johnson was trying to locate the puck, his skate nudged the puck over the goal line for the winning score.
Johnson lay on the ice for several seconds before a couple of Stingrays teammates skated over to console the former Minnesota-Duluth star.
"There's really nothing you can say to Josh to make him feel better," said Stingrays captain Cail MacLean. "You almost want to stay away from him because you know how he's feeling. I think everyone in our locker room felt terrible for Josh because without him we wouldn't be where we are right now in the playoffs.
"We were down 0-2 to Augusta and Josh came in and shut the door on them in three straight games. He's a big part of this team. The only thing you can tell him is to keep his head up."
The Stingrays certainly have plenty of experience in Game 5's during the Kelly Cup playoffs. This will be their third Game 5 in the past three weeks. South Carolina defeated Augusta and Gwinnett in decisive Game 5's en route to the South Division finals.
"I think we can draw on that experience and that helps us (tonight)," MacLean said.
"We've faced elimination in each of the first two series we were in, and we seem to play our best hockey when our backs are against the wall."
South Carolina coach Jared Bednar said he won't change much about the Stingrays' game plan tonight. The Stingrays limited the Inferno to just 17 shots on goal and just eight shots through the first two periods in Game 4.
"I really liked the way we played Saturday night," Bednar said. "Defensively, that's about as good as we can play. We limited their shots, we limited their scoring chances and we were good inside our own zone. I felt like we deserved a better fate.
"We took (Sunday) off so we could re-energize and refocus on the Game 5. I really like our chances to win if we can come out with the same intensity level and the same effort we had in Game 4."
The fact that the Stingrays will be playing Game 5 at the North Charleston Coliseum shouldn't hurt their chances. The Stingrays are 8-0 at home during the postseason.
"We certainly are playing with a lot of confidence in our own building," MacLean said. "We've been playing really well in our own building, and hopefully that will continue (tonight). Our fans have been great. We've been feeding off their energy, and they're a big part of the reason why we've made it this far in the playoffs."
Bednar said Davis Parley will start in net for the Stingrays tonight. Sasha Pokulok, who was a healthy scratch in Game 4, is expected to be back in the lineup as well.
"Davis has plenty of experience in the playoffs and he came through for us in Game 5 against Gwinnett," Bednar said. "Davis didn't have a great game in Game 3, but we were not very good in front of him. We've got a lot of confidence that he'll get the job done."