JOHNSTOWN — The Johnstown Chiefs held a two-goal advantage with less than five minutes remaining against one of the top teams in the American Conference on Wednesday night.
A near capacity crowd packed Cambria County War Memorial Arena.
The Chiefs put forth one of their best efforts on home ice during this frustrating season.
If Johnstown was going to win its first home game since Dec. 4, this was the night, right?
Of course not.
The Kalamazoo Wings scored a pair of late third-period goals to force overtime and then won 4-3 on Rick Cleaver’s rebound goal with two
seconds left on a Wings power play 3:44 into OT.
“We had two soft plays. We didn’t get the puck out and they turned into goals,” Chiefs coach Jeff Flanagan said after the Chiefs extended their home winless streak to 0-6-1-1. “We shouldn’t have been into overtime. That’s the best game we’ve played in months against one of the best teams in the league. We ran the show for most of the game. We made two mistakes and it lost us the game.”
The Chiefs have only four home wins (4-8-3-2) and have yet to notch their 10th victory overall (9-18-4-3). Kalamazoo is 19-9-4-0 and has been at or near the top of the North Division all season.
But the Chiefs controlled play for much of the game in front of 3,904 fans, the largest crowd of the season and only 97 shy of the team’s first sellout of the year.
“We got a point and every point helps but we need two points,” Flanagan said. “We have to play better hockey than everyone else from here on out and to the playoffs. We did play better hockey (Wednesday night) against one of the best teams in the league.
“We did it with guys like Jim McKenzie (groin) out of the lineup, Connor Shields (on loan to Norfolk in the AHL), Mike Bartlett (on loan to Lake Erie in the AHL). Trevor Hendrikx played his first game in a while and played really well. Those are not excuses. We have to find a way to win, and instead we found a way to lose.”
Chiefs newcomer Jeff Martens broke a scoreless tie with his first goal
1:46 into the second period. A Wings player had just leveled Martens with a check inside the left-wing circle. But the former Southern Professional Hockey League player regained his footing and took Troy Schwab’s pass from behind the cage and beat goaltender Jeremy Duchesne.
Johnstown outshot Kalamazoo 16-8 in the middle period, but the score still was tied at 1 after Andrew Fournier converted an extended 5-on-3 power play at 6:58. A series of three Chiefs penalties preceded the goal.
Defenseman Greg Gallagher was whistled for holding at 3:52 and Chanse Fitzpatrick’s clearing attempt went over the glass for a delay-of-game call at 5:17. The Chiefs had just about killed off the 35-second 5-on-3 advantage when Sean Berkstresser was penalized for closing his hand on the puck during a sequence near the Chiefs’ crease.
That penalty put the Wings on a two-man advantage for another 1:26. Fournier scored against goalie John Murray with only 20 seconds left on the 5-on-3.
Another new Johnstown signee helped set up Fitzpatrick’s goal 3:10 into the third. Forward Tomas Klempa skated hard on the right side and centered a pass to Bryan Marshall in the slot. Marshall slid the puck to Fitzpatrick on the left side, and he squeezed a shot past Duchesne on the stick side.
Defenseman Hendrikx’s long pass sprung Dan Collins just inside the red line for a breakaway that the right wing converted at 14:34 to make it 3-1.
Collins ended a six-game goal drought dating to Dec. 19 and netted his second goal in
15 games since Dec. 2.
The cushion didn’t last long though.
Kalamazoo’s Jeff Mason scored with a blast from the right wing that got past Murray inside the far post at 15:24.
Cleaver capitalized on a failed Chiefs’ clearing attempt to tie the game at 17:44.
Chiefs
Late letdown costs Chiefs in OT loss to Wings
- Chiefs
-
-
Slapshot Cup expands to 18 teams in second year
The Slapshot Cup Hockey Tournament has expanded for its second year in Johnstown.
-
Former players rally to help ‘Ziggy'
Randy Rowe felt it was so important to wear the specially designed Ziggy’s Fundraiser sweater that he juggled his schedule and planned a 91⁄2-hour drive from Belleville, Ontario, to Richland Township.
-
Johnstown sufferes an epic loss
The final seconds ticked down in the Johnstown Chiefs’ ECHL existence on Saturday night, and even though the hometown team trailed by four goals, a standing-room-only crowd began chanting, “Let’s go Chiefs.”
That chant would be nothing out of the ordinary on most nights. But this game was the last game.
Twenty-two ECHL seasons and thousands of memories came to a conclusion when the Chiefs dropped a 5-3 contest to Elmira at Cambria County War Memorial Arena. -
Mike Mastovich: ‘A sad night for Johnstown’
Scott Allen stood on the New York Islanders bench during Saturday’s game against the Ottawa Senators.
Long Island and the NHL is about as far from Johnstown and the ECHL as one gets on a sunny afternoon. -
Joe Gorden: City teams usually on thin ice
A sellout crowd turned out on Saturday to say goodbye to the ECHL’s
Johnstown Chiefs in their last game at Cambria County War Memorial Arena. The irony was obvious. -
Nailers to play 11 games in Johnstown next year
The thought of loyal Johnstown Chiefs fans rooting for the Wheeling Nailers might have been difficult to grasp a few months ago.
But next season, Johnstown’s hockey fans have no other choice. -
Mike Mastovich: 10 Defining moments in Chiefs history
So, this is it.
Twenty-two ECHL seasons and 1,518 regular-season games.
It ends tonight at a sold-out Cambria County War Memorial Arena. -
Chiefs drop final road game
The Johnstown Chiefs dropped the final road game in team history on Friday night, falling behind early and failing to catch up to the Cincinnati Cyclones in a 5-1 loss in front of more than 10,000 fans at U.S. Bank Arena.
- Arena confirms: Wheeling Nailers to play some games in Johnstown next year
-
From goalies to grinders to scorers, the Chiefs have seen it all
Nineteen seasons of covering the Johnstown Chiefs have been filled with numerous ups and downs, unexpected twists and more than enough bizarre antics.
- More Chiefs Headlines
-
Slapshot Cup expands to 18 teams in second year
White House Attacks Romney on Birth Control
Homs Bombardment Continues, Global Outcry Grows
Mo. Teen Gets Life Sentence for Killing Girl, 9
Lower-hassle Screening to Be Tested at Airports
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Helmet Camera Captures Calif. Fire Rescue
Worker Tells 911: Powell 'exploded the House'
Triple Win: Santorum Takes Minn., Mo., Colo.
Injured Marine Inspired by Homecoming
No Rape Charges Against Son of NYPD Commissioner
Egypt's Ruling Generals Play Risky Game With US
Former Komen Exec Defends Funding Cut
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
Calif. Gay Marriage Ban Ruled Unconstitutional
Jury Selection for Ex-UVa Athlete Enters 2nd Day
Cab Driver Helps Wis. Family Escape House Fire
Staff Removed at LA School During Abuse Probe
Runaway Goat Leads Police on Wild Chase
