New Jersey’s Zak Brice stopped all 26 shots he faced to lead the Titans to a 4 – 0 over the visiting Rebels. It was the second straight game that the Rebels were shutout and third in their past five contests – all losses.
The Rebels were unable to gain ground on sixth place Northeast who lost to the New Hampshire Mountain Kings tonight 6 – 4. Philadelphia will host the Mountain Kings this Friday and Saturday.
After a scoreless first period, New Jersey’s Dominik Bartecko scored the eventual game winner just forty-one seconds into the middle stanza. Bartecko was able to keep the puck alive in the offensive zone when he intercepted a Rebels outlet pass at the far side point. Bartecko made a bounce pass off the boards to Nikita Meshcheryakov at the hash marks and Meshcheryakov made a return pass to a breaking Bartecko in the slot. Bartecko took a wrist shot that beat Jakub Krbecek blocker side to make it a 1 – 0 game.
Just two minutes later Kyle Kim doubled the Titans lead. As New Jersey’s Johnny McMahon gained the offensive line, he passed the biscuit to Matej Teply on his right. As Teply skated to the bottom of the far side faceoff circle, he made a cross-ice pass through the slot to Kim who took a shot that went bar down past Krbecek for Kim’s first goal against the Rebels this season.
The Titans’ Reece Brednich made it 3 – 0 with 6:06 remaining in the second period. New Jersey’s Kai Elkie kept the puck in the offensive zone at the top of the near side faceoff circle and passed it up to Ethan Wongus in the slot. Wongus passed it to Brednich who was to the right of Krbecek. Brednich made a backhanded pass through the slot that was blocked out front and the rebound came right back to Brednich who lifted the puck up and over a fallen Krbeck for Brednich’s ninth goal of the season.
Meshcheryakov make it 4 – 0 at 8:33 into the final period.
Krbecek stopped 36 of 40 shots. Click HERE for the complete box score. After this weekend, the Rebels will return to the Middletown Sports Complex next Tuesday, April 2 to face the Titans for the final time this season. It will be the Rebels last away game as well.
