Luke Minard and Otto Polakovs scored and Jakub Krbecek stopped 21 of 22 shots to help lead the Rebels to a 2 – 1 win over the visiting New Hampshire Mountain Kings and end Philadelphia’s five game losing streak.
With the win and Northeast being idle, the Rebels moved within two points of the Generals for the final playoff spot with two games in hand.
Minard opened the scoring with 4:43 remaining in the first period. After Brock Jones won the draw deep inside the New Hampshire zone, Minard picked up the loose puck at the top of the far side faceoff circle and took a clapper that went off the long side post and behind Mountain Kings goalie Stefan Carney for Minard’s sixth goal of the season.
After a scoreless second period, Polakovs doubled the Rebels lead at 4:42 into the third period. Jett Otwell brought the puck into the neutral zone and passed the biscuit to a breaking Polakovs down the near side boards. As Polakovs reached the bottom of the faceoff circle, Polakovs made a drop pass to Thomas Neu who took a wrist shot that was saved by Carney but the rebound came right out on the doorstep for Polakovs who banged it past Carney and into the back of the net for his twelfth goal of the season.
Two and a half minutes later, New Hampshire’s Landon Steffen cut the Rebels lead by one. The Mountain Kings’ Matthew Hale brought the puck into the offensive zone and took shot from the near side faceoff circle that went of the blade of Rebels netminder’s Jakub Krbeck’s stick and right to Steffen in the slot and Steffen redirected the biscuit past Krbeck to make it 2 – 1 and close out the scoring.
Carney, who was exceptional throughout the game, stopped 38 of 40 shots. Click HERE for the complete box score.
