A Will Strickland overtime winner spoiled a 30-save effort from goaltender Max Kogler and Blake Schultz’s second goal of the season as the Spud Kings defeated the Pueblo Peppers in overtime, 2-1, last night at the Pueblo Ice Arena and Events Center.
A defensive duel marked most of the opening period. Neither team recorded a shot in the first five minutes of the contest until Peppers goaltender Max Kogler saw a shot from the point to make one of his twelve first period saves. The Peppers got a power play opportunity with 6:02 left in the period when Boone Kindseth was hauled down by Tyler Rothstein, who was sent to the box for a tripping minor. Pueblo was unable to get a shot on net in their first man advantage chance as the Spud Kings stood tall in front of Dylan McFayden. Pueblo found the scoresheet late in the first period when Jake Spraetz pickpocketed an Idaho Falls defenseman and soared down the left wing. Spraetz dropped a pass to a wide-open Blake Schultz, who buried a slapshot past McFayden for his second goal of the season to give the Peppers a 1-0 lead with 2:06 to play in the period.
Each team had a power play opportunity in the middle frame – the Spud KIngs had their first power play after a tripping penalty to Marcus Jackson with 16:02 left in the period. Kogler made two saves and the Peppers blocked two shots to fend off the Idaho Falls power play unit. It was the Peppers’ turn on the man advantage with 6:32 left in the second after a Ryan Turner high sticking minor. For the second consecutive power play, the Spud Kings prevented the Peppers from recording a shot on goal and Pueblo retained their 1-0 lead into the second intermission.
Idaho Falls found their equalizer early in the third period when Ryland DeMars finished off a 3-on-2 break in the low slot. DeMars faked the one timer and slipped a wrist shot past the blocker of Kogler for his first goal of the season to tie the game, 1-1, with 15:07 to play in regulation. The scoreline stayed knotted up after the Peppers had two more power play chances in the middle of the third period that were stymied by the visitors as the game moved to overtime.
Idaho Falls took possession off the opening faceoff in overtime and controlled the puck into the offensive zone where Strickland used Jake McIntosh as a screen and ripped a wrist shot from above the left wing face off circle that beat Kogler underneath the glove just 27 seconds into the extra session to give the Spud Kings the extra point.