Game 20: Florida @ Trenton

Pre-Game Notes (LIVE from SBA): 5:15 PM — Two things of note so far…Tony Zancanaro is expected to make his season debut, as is Brad Snetsinger.  Snetsinger was sent down from Lowell yesterday, where he posted just one goal in eight games.

Considered a highly regarded prospect within the organization, the 21-year-old tallied 103 goals over four seasons in the OHL.

As for Zancanaro, the undersized Providence alum played in all 72 games for Trenton last season, scoring 15 goals and adding 24 assists in his first full professional season.

Looks like Matt Radoslovich and Scott Bartlett will be joining me in the press box for the evening.

Charlie Effinger vs. Anton Khudobin is your likely goalie matchup, with Kevin Baker in the lineup for Florida after being in the AHL the last time these two teams met.

Not in Florida’s lineup is Jacob Micflikier, who was assigned to Rochester this morning.  You might remember Micflikier scored a hat trick in a losing effort last Friday.

Around The ECHL: With that whole Augusta no longer existing thing, former Trenton winger Mark O’Leary signed with Phoenix.

Around The Division: Reading activated goalie James Reimer off of IR and also acquired a trio of players from Phoenix; D Brett Thurston, F Peder Skinner and F Chris Stevens.

Alford (Photo: Mike Ashmore)

Wheeling added former RPI goalie Jordan Alford as an emergency backup.

Live Box Score: Click here for the ECHL.com updated boxscore from tonight’s game.

Radio Broadcast: Click here to listen to Paul Roper’s radio broadcast of tonight’s game.

First Period: Your starters are…

Effinger

Gunderson-Dyment

Snetsinger-Castonguay-Burton

17:00 left — Lots of back and forth action so far, but not a whole lot of scoring chances…

13:23 left — Trenton had a few good chances, including a two-on-one with Snetsinger and Castonguay and a shot by Jeremy Akeson that Khudobin made a glove save on.

12:58 left — Jim Henkel gives Trenton an early 1-0 lead.  He and Trevor Kell had a 2-on-1 and Henkel carried the puck up the right side and kept himself for the shot and beat Khudobin with a wrist shot.

12:38 left — Trenton narrowly misses a 2-0 lead, with Tony Zanacanaro putting a puck on Khudobin, the rebound getting loose, and Dan Eves Jeff Prough clanking a rebound off the post.  Power play for Trenton, however…

9:15 left — Trenton didn’t really do much with the man advantage, and just gave Florida one of their own, with Jeremy Akeson heading to the box.

8:32 left — Kevin Baker with his 15th goal in 18 games, beating Charlie Effinger with a wide open rocket from the circle, top left corner.  Game tied, 1-1.

3:30 left — Tyler Burton scores his eighth of the year, assists to David Leaderer and Matt Cohen.

42.6 left — Florida’s Mathieu Roy just had to be helped off the ice by a ref and the trainer…seemed as though he couldn’t put much weight on his right foot.

2-1, TRENTON AFTER ONE.  PERHAPS THEY SHOULD…HMMM, I DON’T KNOW, PLAY LIKE THIS AGAINST EVERY TEAM, NOT JUST GOOD ONES LIKE FLORIDA.

Second Period: Shots are 13-11, Trenton, after one…

15:41 left — Mathieu Roy is apparently fine.  After a bad giveaway, he turned around in the high slot and flipped a wrist shot on Effinger that inexplicably beat him.  Not a good goal.  Tied at 2-2.

14:16 left — Nice play by Matt Cohen to block a shot on a play where Ryan Lang had the puck trickle out to him right inbetween the hashmarks with nobody on him.  Lang got the puck back and Effinger made the save, but the initial block was nice…

11:34 left — Doug O’Brien in the box for a stupid slash after the play was over, Trenton with their second power play of the game.

7:43 left — Florida takes a 3-2 lead on a power play goal by Matt Auffrey.  This game has a pretty similar feel to the first time these teams met up…

2:40 left — Florida had some real nice puck movement on their most recent power play, but couldn’t capitalize.  Still 3-2, Florida.

10.2 left — Matt Cohen scores his second goal of the season on a power play where Trenton showed some nice passing around the perimeter as well.  He got a rebound to the right of Khudobin, was patient with it and cut to the middle, and beat him to score a crucial goal to tie the game at three.  3-3 game.

GAME TIED 3-3 AFTER TWO PERIODS OF PLAY.  SHOULD BE AN INTERESTING THIRD PERIOD…

Third Period: Trenton leading in shots, 25-19, heading into the final frame.  Jeremy Akeson leads the team with four.

17:52 left — Snetsinger seems to be good at carrying the puck and protecting it and such, but doesn’t seem to have a real knack for passing once he gets it just yet.  He must have had it for a good 20-25 seconds on the power play, but couldn’t really create anything.

15:41 left — Trenton goes on the power play just after Khudobin makes a nice toe save…

13:00 left — Not one of their better efforts with a man advantage…

7:26 left — Snetsinger had a nice chance on Khudobin, somewhat in alone for a brief second, but the Wild prospect made the big stop.  Still tied, 3-3.

4:12 left — Jeremy Akeson takes a five minute major for boarding and a game misconduct, right in front of the benches, essentially giving the game to Florida.  No way Trenton can pull this off now…

TIED AT THREE AFTER 60 MINUTES…GREAT JOB BY TRENTON ON THE PK SO FAR, THEY DIDN’T REALLY LET FLORIDA SET UP TOO MUCH.

Overtime:

3:30 left — Penalty killed…two great chances by Trenton afterwards, on a 2-on-1 by Henkel and a slapper by Gunderson.  Nice action so far.

16.8 left — A few nice chances by both teams…Cohen had a nice chance at the point on a one-timer, but he just missed wide.

TIED AT THREE AFTER OVERTIME, WE’RE HEADING TO A SHOOTOUT.  ECHL SHOOTOUTS ARE FIVE ROUNDS, THEN SUDDEN DEATH IF NEEDED…

Shootout:

FLA: Bouchard – save

TRE: Castonguay – goal

FLA: Auffrey – save

TRE: Burton – save

FLA: Hartlieb – save

TRE: Snetsinger – goal

FLA: Baker – save

TRE:

DEVILS WIN, 4-3

Final Score: TRENTON, 4-3

Three Stars:

*

**

***

Post-Game Notes: Added my picture to the “about the author” section, since many of you still have no idea who I am, etc.  It’s a typical poorly dressed sportswriter shot, nothing to get worked up over.

Pre-Game Photos:

Some of the tools of the trade on the Florida bench

Emergency backup Scott Savich

ECHL Goalie of the Month Anton Khudobin

Rick Kowalsky

Charlie Effinger

Robert Page

Brad Snetsinger

Kevin Baker

Savich

In-Game Videos:

Castonguay shoots wide

Dyment stopped by Khudobin

Snetsinger shot

Fight Videos:

Next Game: 12/6 @ Elmira

Mike Ashmore, mashmore98 AT gmail.com