BY MIKE MASTOVICH
On most nights when the Johnstown Chiefs score five goals and convert three power play opportunities on home ice, the ECHL team would land in the win column with two hard-earned points.
Saturday wasn’t a typical evening for the Chiefs.
The Wheeling Nailers netted five goals in a span of six minutes, 14 seconds during a dismal second period of an 8-5 Chiefs’ loss.
In one outburst, Wheeling actually potted three goals in 2:19 to transform a 2-1 Chiefs lead into a 4-2 Johnstown deficit.
“We came out in the first period and played well,” Chiefs coach Ian Herbers said. “We were skating and were strong on pucks. We were physical. We were winning battles. We were getting to pucks first and putting pucks on the net. In the second period, we stood around and watched. We weren’t strong on pucks. We let ourselves get outworked for 14 minutes at the start of that period. You can’t do that against that team.”
The Chiefs began the night tied for first in the North Division. After the three-goal setback, Johnstown slipped into a second-place tie with idle Cincinnati, Wheeling and Elmira (71 points). Trenton took sole possession of first place with 72 points.
“We were flat at the start of the second period,” Chiefs captain Jason Spence said. “We had the hype that we had a chance to go up more points on Wheeling. Maybe in some guys’ heads we already had it won. It’s a reality check. You’ve got to learn from it. At least it happened now instead of April 1, because this division is going to come down to the last couple games. Two points separates you from first and fifth place.”
The Chiefs led 2-1 after one period. Blair Yaworski’s 5-on-3 power-play goal and Andrew Sarauer’s power-play tally sandwiched a power-play goal by Wheeling’s Erik Johnson.
In the second, Wheeling’s Billy Ryan, Johnson and Tommy Goebel each scored within 2:19 to make it 4-2.
Andrew Lord’s 4-on-4 goal and a 5-on-3 power-play tally by Ryan chased Chiefs starting goalie Sebastian Dahm (30 shots, 24 saves).
Spence banked a shot off the leg of goaltender David Brown to pull the Chiefs within 6-3 through two periods.
“They were angry,” Herbers said. “We came back and scored the one at the end of the second and came back and scored the first goal of the third period to put us within two goals. Then we got soft in our defensive zone again. We broke down for a shift and weren’t strong on the puck. It wound up in our net.”
Johnstown’s Ryan Del Monte scored 2:36 into the third, but Wheeling’s Lord beat Ian Keserich at 6:51 to break the momentum.
“That was big for Wheeling and it was almost a little too late for us at that point,” Spence said.
Bryan Ewing’s power-play goal made it 8-4 five minutes later. Yaworski closed the scoring with his second of the game at 13:18.
“We have to regroup and come back (today),” Herbers said. “We need to be ready to go from the start of the game and go for 60 minutes, not just part of the game.”
Notes: Syracuse returned former all-star center Ryan Garlock to Johnstown on Saturday, but Garlock’s car broke down in State College and he spent the evening at a repair shop, Chiefs broadcaster Ray Schmitt said. ... The Chiefs’ special green St. Patrick’s Day jerseys brought in approximately $11,000 in a postgame auction, with defenseman Russ Sinkewich’s No. 27 earning a Chiefs’ record $900 bid, according to Schmitt, who added that Keserich and Del Monte’s jerseys each fetched more than $700.
