Spirited Comeback Nets Viper Win:

This is posted on the Vipers website:

spirited comeback nets Viper win

by Don Klepp | Added 2010-05-05

A rocket fired by “The Admiral,” David Robinson, decided an exciting contest in which the Vipers defeated the Brockville Braves 4-2.

Robinson’s slap shot, the third of four goals in the third period, went over the glove of red hot Braves goalie Justin Gilbert, whose stellar play helped the Braves take a 2-0 lead into the final frame.

His goal capped a spirited Viper comeback that started when Sahir Gill fired shot from the corner, just in front of the extended goal line. Gilbert was caught sliding over from the far post and the puck beat him to the near corner of the net at 1:14.

Two minutes later, Patrick McGillis tied the game when he jammed a wraparound past Gilbert. His goal came from a strong shift by the new-look line of McGillis, Trevor Fitzgerald, and Dylan Walchuk. Fitzgerald, Darren Robak, Blake Voth, and were given their first taste of RBC action.

Robinson’s winner came just 10 seconds after a Garrett Noonan penalty had expired. The kill was critical to the Vipers’ cause. They blanked the potent Brockville power play, which had been 8 for 13 in the previous two games. Referee Ryan Galley called six power plays for the Braves. The Vipers notched one power play goal in their six chances.

The final goal came with the Brave net empty. Kellen Jones stole the puck behind that net and fed Jonathan Milhouse in front for an easy tap in.

Before the third period, when the Vipers generated 13 scoring chances and 21 shots, the Braves had ridden solid goaltending and two opportunistic goals to an apparently comfortable 2-0 lead.

The Vipers started the game strongly, registering five shots before the Braves could enter the Viper zone. However, on their first shot on Blake Voth the Braves went ahead when their captain, Shayne Thompson, blew by Adam Thompson and placed a perfect shot just inside Voth’s right goal post.

Thompson’s goal came from one of only two chances in the period. The Vipers, who had 16 shots in the period, had several good chances that Gilbert parried. The best Viper chance came when Braden Pimm stole the puck when killing a penalty. Gilbert was unable to react to Pimm’s high, hard shot, but the puck skimmed off Gilbert’s left shoulder.

Shayne Thompson was involved also on Brockville’s second goal, at 4:27 of the second period. With four Vipers trapped in their zone, three Braves broke out with one Viper back. Thompson swung left and fed Shayne Stockton in the slot for one-timer.

Although the Braves had much of the play in the first half of the middle frame, the Vipers responded with good play for the remainder of the period. Their dominance eventually led to a Shayne Thompson hooking penalty at the end of the period, an infraction that was punished by Sahir Gill’s ice breaker in the third.
In the final analysis, the Vipers won more than the scoring battle in the game. Their 44 shots comfortably surpassed the Braves’ 27. With 15 hits in the third period, the Vipers outhit the Easterners 35 to 23.

The two teams will meet in Saturday’s matinee semi-final if the Braves defeat the La Ronge Ice Wolves in Thursday’s afternoon contest. A La Ronge win would give the northerners a chance to avenge Sunday’s 4-2 defeat at the hands of the Vipers.

The Vipers’ win over the Braves assures a second place finish for the Vipers and home ice advantage in their semi-final showdown on Saturday.