Estero, FL – Terrence Wallin scored the game-winning goal with 3:10 remaining in overtime as the Adirondack Thunder came from behind to take Game 2 by a 3-2 final on Saturday evening at Germain Arena. With the victory, Adirondack has tied the Eastern Conference Finals at one game apiece heading back to Upstate New York.
Forwards Kenton Miller, Ryan Schmelzer and Terrence Wallin each found the back of the net in the victory. Goaltender Drew Fielding turned aside 52 shots, one save shy of his Kelly Cup Playoffs career high.
Adirondack opened the scoring inside the game’s first four minutes as Miller collected his second goal of the 2018 playoffs. Off of a 3-on-2 rush, forward Austin Orszulak fed Miller through the middle of the ice and the Thunder forward moved through the slot and fired past Florida netminder Martin Ouelette for the game’s first goal. Orszulak and forward Tim Harrison collected the assists on the play, the second of the postseason for both players.
Florida responded with less than four minutes to play in the opening period as forward Joe Cox scored his second goal of the playoffs. With the Everblades on the man advantage, forward Michael Kirkpatrick threaded a pass in front to Cox, who redirected the puck past Fielding for the tying tally. Kirkpatrick and defenseman Matt Mackenzie collected the assists on the play, Kirkpatrick’s third point of the series.
The Everblades took their first lead of the evening late in the middle stanza as Cox scored his second power-play goal of the evening. With Adirondack a man short, Mackenzie sent a shot from the point through traffic in front and onto the stick of Cox outside the crease for a deflected goal. Mackenzie and Kirkpatrick tallied assists on the play, the second of the evening for both players.
The Thunder tied the game at two midway through the third period as Schmelzer scored his team-leading eighth goal of the postseason. Schmelzer and forward Troy Bourke executed a give-and-go play in the neutral zone to create a breakaway for Schmelzer, which he converted on the forehand for the goal. Schmelzer’s tally sets the single-playoff high in goals in Thunder franchise history while Bourke collected his second point in as many games with the lone helper on the play.
The Thunder won the game in overtime after nearly 17 minutes of scoreless hockey in the extra frame as Wallin scored the game winner. After he took an outlet feed from defenseman Dylan Olsen, Wallin streaked down the left wing, moved in on Ouelette and snapped a shot over the glove hand for his first career overtime goal in the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Olsen collected the lone assist on the play, his sixth of the postseason.
The Eastern Conference Finals now shift to Glens Falls for three games, beginning with Game 3 on Wednesday evening at Cool Insuring Arena. Visit ECHLThunder.com or call 518-480-3355 for more information on Round 3 of the 2018 Kelly Cup Playoffs.
