From the Idaho Statesman …
A sense of normalcy returned to the ECHL’s West Division as the Idaho Steelheads defeated the Victoria Salmon Kings 4-0 on Friday night at Qwest Arena.
The result was a stark contrast to Wednesday night, when the first-place Steelheads lost 5-3 to the last-place Salmon Kings (4-11-0).
But Friday night, the Steelheads (12-3-1) looked like the team with the most points in the ECHL (25).
“That was Idaho Steelheads hockey,” coach Derek Laxdal said. “If we can bottle that up and get them to drink it, that’s exactly what we want to do.”
The win was the first professional shutout for goalie Richard Bachman (7-2-1), who stopped 21 shots and continues to be impressive in his rookie campaign.
Bachman may be a 22-year-old playing his first year of pro hockey, but he’s wise enough to know that a goalie’s best friend is a solid defense in front of him.
Before the season, Idaho looked like it was going to have some offensive firepower, but the defense has been more than holding its own. The Steelheads have allowed 37 goals so far, and only Kalamazoo (36) has allowed fewer this season.
“From Day One we’ve been solid,” Bachman said. “They’ve been doing an excellent job of clearing pucks for me and battling in the corners and doing the little things that really help me out and help the team out.”
Mike Stuart and Weston Tardy have been two of Idaho’s defensive mainstays to this point. Both bring experience to a team that has 11 rookies on its roster.
Tardy, 26, played a year in the ECHL and two seasons in Sweden before coming to Idaho and he said he’s been impressed with the Steelheads’ overall effort.
“We’ve been keeping teams to about 20 shots a game, and that gives us a pretty good chance with the goaltending we have,” Tardy said. “The forwards have also been helping out. It’s really easy to play defense when you have forwards like ours bugging the team on the other end because when they come down on us they’re tired.”
For his part, Stuart showed that a little offense isn’t a bad way to help out a defense. The 29-year-old who has played five seasons in the AHL and appeared in three games with the St. Louis Blues scored a goal and added an assist in Friday’s win.
“Sometimes when we’re doing a good job of doing the little things … you kind of earn those,” Stuart said. “(The defense’s) main concern is keeping the puck out of our zone, but if we get a little offense, then it’s a bonus.”
From the Winnipeg Free Press …
A columnist laments the lack of a proven cetner for the Manitoba Moose. Want to know where the scoring is?
It’s in Rockford, where Mark Cullen has seven goals and nine assists (14G, 25A in Manitoba last season).
From the ECHL …
