Ruslan Jamaldinov scored 1:37 into overtime to give the Rebels a 6 – 5 win over the visiting Northeast Generals. The Rebels scored four, third period goals to send the game into overtime, and it enabled them to split the opening weekend series between the teams.
It was Jamaldinov’s second goal of the game. Charles Panchisin, Thomas Neu, Linas Dedinas and Caesar Bjork also hit the back of the net.
Coaches are ways talking about compete level. Despite giving up eleven goals in two games, the common denominator with the first two contests of the season is grit and compete level. The Rebels never stopped playing in either game and have shown they aren’t out of it, regardless of the deficit.
Northeast built what appeared to be an insurmountable four goal lead starting with 6:46 remaining in the opening period. As a Rebels powerplay was about to expire, Ryan Vaites was breaking out of his own zone and sent the biscuit back to a teammate who was stripped of the puck by Northeast’s Mikey Bartkowski and Bartkowski walked in all alone on Philadelphia netminder Cole Werthman and Bartkowski beat the rookie goaltender to make it a 1 – 0 game.
It was the Generals second shorthanded goal in the series.
Northeast doubled their lead five minutes later when Thomas Klochkov picked up a rebound off the end wall that went straight to the Generals forward who tucked the biscuit in short side past Werthman for Klochkov’s first goal of the season.
The Generals scored two goals in eighteen seconds to make it a 4 – 0 game beginning with 6:09 remaining in the middle stanza when Jake Gutwirth, who had the game winner in Friday’s contest, redirected a backdoor pass by Werthman to make it 3 – 0. Then just eighteen seconds later Andrew DellaDonna scored right off the faceoff from the Rebels far side faceoff circle that beat Werthman long side for the veteran’s first goal of the season.
Owen Crudale replaced Werthman between the pipes.
Panchisin put the Rebels on the board with 4:27 left in the second after he redirected a Drew Belleson shot from the near side half wall past Northeast goalie Ryan Nolan to make it a 4 – 1 game.
Neu cut the Rebels deficit in half at 6:37 into the third period on the powerplay. As Billy Sheridan skated back along the near side boards, he cut across the slot and took a shot from the top of the far side faceoff circle that was redirected by Neu, who was to the right of Nolan, and past the Generals’ goalie.
Northeast’s Grady Logue scored his second goal of the season after he broke down the far side boards and took a wrist shot from the faceoff dot that beat Crudale through the five hole to make it 5 – 2 at 9:35 into the third.
What was thought to be a formality with the Generals walking away with an easy win, the Rebels never quit. Never.
Jamaldinov’s first goal of the game came with 8:27 left in the third after Panchisin brought the puck into the offensive zone along the far side boards. As Panchisin cut towards the slot, he made a centering pass out front to Jamaldinov who redirected the biscuit past Nolan to make it a 5 – 3 game.
Dedinas brought the Rebels within one, a minute and five seconds later when Zachary Spagnuolo brought the puck into the Northeast zone along the near side boards and made a pass from the top of the circle through the slot to Dedinas who cut towards the net and deked around the fallen Nolan and Dedinas backhanded the biscuit into the back of the net for his first of the season.
Bjork tied the game at five with 1:48 remaining in the contest. After Brock Jones won the draw deep inside the Generals zone, he turned and passed the puck to Bjork on his left and Bjork took a wrist shot from the slot. The biscuit went off of Nolan, up in the air and fell behind the Generals goalie and into the back of the net to send the game into overtime.
Playing three on three hockey, Luke Janviriya brought the puck out of his own end and through the neutral zone. As Janviriya gained the line, he skated from the center of the ice towards the near side boards. As he cut towards the net, he made a seamless pass back towards Jamaldinov in the slot and the Luleå, Sweeden native took a wrist shot that beat Nolan high glove side to give the Rebels their first win of the season.
Werthman and Crudale combined to stop 23 of 28 shots while Nolan turned aside 33 of 39. Click HERE for the complete box score. The Rebels now will face the Johnstown Tomahawks next weekend for a two-game series at the Hollydell Ice Arena.
