Game 2 of 3 comes on Saturday January 20th when the Mavericks shoot their shot at a retaliation after a 3-0 loss against the same team the night previous. They get their revenge and end the night with a hard earned 3-1 victory.
Freschi Gets His Recognition
Eric Freschi was absolutely buzzing last night. He was the Mavericks fastest player and was obviously one of the guys that wanted to be the difference maker in their 3-0 loss. Tonight, his efforts paid off as he had an assist on every goal of the night. He had some chances at the net of his own that very well could have made his point count for the night even higher. He rang one off the post late in the second that made the whole building shake. It was nice to see this forward be rewarded for his grit and hard work in these games.
The Unstoppable Chris Nell
“You come into a new team and you want to prove that you work hard every day and that you came here for a reason,” said Chris Nell and he does just that. When Tyler Parsons was called up to Stockton, Kansas City needed another option for a goalie and they found that in Chris Nell. He played an unbelievable game and while he did get lucky on some pucks off the post he still earned every save he made. He played a game worthy of a shutout but a bad bounce in deep was what took that away from him. Many times there were shots in point blank range that there is no way he could think to make the save. It was all pure skill and reaction. This Rangers prospect really showed tonight that he is not just a back up but someone that can win big games for the Mavs and do what he needs to do to get the win. Often he was the most important player on the penalty kill and he earned many pats on the back from his teammates after bailing them out on several occasions.
Calm and Composed
This game had the opposite feeling than last night. The Mavericks were not biting on the Walleye’s attempts to get them to fight. Making the adjustment to stick to hockey tonight was something that helped the Mavericks take it home. Just because there were no fights does not mean it was not an aggressive game. The Mavs did not hold back when it came to driving hard into the boards, finishing their checks and making Toledo aware of their physical presence. They just did not require the use of their fists in this matchup.
Loudest Fans in the ECHL
With the Kansas City Chiefs being out of the playoff race it felt as if tonight was the place for sports fans to get the exciting game experience they had been missing in the Kansas City area. It was Harry Potter themed night and that helped them sellout the building. The fans single handedly created an atmosphere that was hard to ignore by everyone and was praised by players and coaches in the post game. The first minute of the third period was absolutely electric. The Mavs had a 1:47 penalty to kill off and the place was electric. Everyone was on their feet and cheering for their home team. It was really what the Mavericks needed in that moment and carried them through the rest of the period.
Play for Tomorrow But Don’t Forget Yesterday
The Mavericks made adjustments and found a way to get a game past a team that is very highly ranked in the division. Coach John Scott Dickson said that the boys were allowed to celebrate a big victory like this until midnight and after that they need to prepare for the next one. Without a doubt, Toledo will make adjustments of their own and the Mavericks need to keep the last two games in mind when they play their last of 3 in this weekend series against the Toledo Walleye.
