Trenton Devils Amazing Comeback Not Enough to Beat Elmira Jackals, Devils Go Down 6-4 - ECHL

MLN - THE RAW FEED - www.mlntherawfeed.com - TRENTON, NJ (March 7, 2008) – The Trenton Devils fell behind far and fast on Friday, but battled back against the Elmira Jackals in a furious comeback bid. Trenton scored four straight goals after trailing 5-0 into the first intermission, but would be foiled by tough bounces en route to a 6-4 loss.

Trenton held onto the puck for most of the first ten minutes of play, but a turnover leading to a Matt Gens tally 10:58 in opened the floodgates. Four more goals came by Elmira before the horn blew on the first period.

The Devils would stop the bleeding and begin their climb back into contention with a marker 5:38 into the second period. Joe Rooney earned the Devils’ first non-empty-net shorthander of the season by breaking away with a pass from Eric Castonguay. Racing into the slot, the rookie put the rubber on the back of his blade and lifted it up and over Elmira ’s Ervins Mustukovs.

Jim Henkel then got the Devils started in the third period, netting the first of the squad’s three goals which gave Trenton a fighting chance. The alternate captain hammered home a one-timer feed from Matt Radoslovich, beating Mustukovs through the five-hole 3:07 in.

The Devils climbed to within two with a play they’ve seen all season long, when Ryan Gunderson—combined with Joe Rooney—fed Stephen Wood a puck for the defensemen to snipe past an unsuspecting goaltender on the power play. Rooney’s feed to Wood from Gunderson gave the Providence alum a completely empty net to shoot at, as Mustukovs was set up to cut off angles from the other side.

Brad Mills brought the Devils the closest they’d come to tying the game, knocking in puck which had settled behind a sprawled out Mustukovs to make the game 5-4.

Benoit Doucet’s second goal and third point of the night would end the Devils’ comeback bid, however, as the forward picked up an errant pass in the Devils zone and fired it past Jason Smith.

Smith allowed six goals on 33 shots while Mustukovs stopped 42 of 46.

Trenton ’s loss combined with the Johnstown Chiefs’ win against Wheeling drops the Devils back to 11 points behind the Chiefs with 14 games to play. The Devils and Chiefs will square off two more times.

Elmira Jackals 6 at Trenton Devils 4 - Status: Final
Mar 7, 2008 - Sovereign Bank Arena
1st Period
Scoring - 1. Elmira , M. Gens (1)   10:58  
2. Elmira , P. Faubert (23) (B. Doucet) 12:49  
3. Elmira , B. Doucet (24) (M. Gens, B. Robins) 14:02 PP
4. Elmira , M. Johnson (4) (K. Wharton, B. Robins) 14:57  
5. Elmira , B. Watson (5) (L. Fritshaw, T. Hendrikx) 19:49  
Penalties - J. Paige Tre (boarding - minor 42.2) 13:46

2nd Period
Scoring - 6. Trenton , J. Rooney (11) (M. Cohen, E. Castonguay ) 5:38 SH
Penalties - T. Harrison Tre (holding - minor 54.2) 3:55, C. Holmes Elm (slashing - minor 61.2) 8:55, B. Doucet Elm (slashing - minor 61.2) 15:04, T. Kell Tre (holding - minor 54.2) 19:33

3rd Period
Scoring - 7. Trenton , J. Henkel (18) (M. Radoslovich, E. Castonguay ) 3:07  
8. Trenton , S. Wood (13) (R. Gunderson, J. Rooney) 7:08 PP
9. Trenton , B. Mills (9) (J. Henkel, R. Gunderson) 9:47 PP
10. Elmira , B. Doucet (25)   16:07  
Penalties - T. Zancanaro Tre (interference - minor 56.2) 4:26, Z. Kane Elm (slashing - minor 61.2) 6:49, B. Robins Elm (slashing - minor 61.2) 8:14, J. Rooney Tre (tripping - minor 57.2) 10:06, Z. Tarkir Tre (interference - minor 56.2) 10:54, B. Mills Tre (interference on the goalkeeper - minor 69.2) 19:26

ELM Shots: 15 9 9 TOTAL: 33
TRE Shots: 20 14 12 TOTAL: 46

Power Play Conversion
Elmira Jackals 1-7. Trenton Devils 2-4.

Goaltenders
Elmira Jackals
Mustukovs 2-1-1-1 Start: 1st 0:00 Min: 60:00 SV: 42 GA: 4 [W]


Trenton Devils
Smith 7-13-2-1 Start: 1st 0:00 Min: 59:20 SV: 27 GA: 6 [L]



Start : 7:34 PM
End : 9:50 PM
Attendance : 3465
Referee I: Ryan Sweeney (9)
Referee II:
LINESMAN I: Rob Fay (88)
LINESMAN II: Mike McDevitt (64)

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