jmen va conduire , pis jai pas envi de traduire
Gomez´s pelvis broken in OT defeat to Condors
Alaska star hospitalized by cheap shot
By MATT NEVALA
Anchorage Daily News
Published: April 17th, 2005
Last Modified: April 17th, 2005 at 05:15 AM
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Alaska Aces leading scorer Scott Gomez suffered a broken pelvis early in the second period when Bakersfield´s Ashlee Langdone hit him into the open door of Alaska´s bench as the Aces dropped a 4-3 overtime decision to the Condors in Game 4 of the ECHL West Division semifinals.
Gomez was treated at Bakersfield´s Mercy Hospital and Aces coach Davis Payne expected him to be released to fly back to Anchorage with the team early this morning.
" He does not want to stay in this town any longer than he has to," Payne said.
Payne said Gomez´ long-term recovery prospects are good, but that like any broken bone it needs time to heal.
" It shows the character of the kid -- the first thing Scott told me ( at the hospital) was to make sure we take care of business on Monday."
In addition to worrying about the health of their star, the Aces´ memorable season hangs in the balance after Brad Mehalko of Bakersfield scored 25 seconds into overtime at Rabobank Arena.
The best-of-5 series, as vicious as it comes, is tied and shifts back to Anchorage for a decisive Game 5 Monday night at Sullivan Arena. Tickets go on sale today at noon at the team´s office on 15th and Gambell.
With the Condors clinging to a 1-0 lead at 4 minutes, 49 seconds of the period, Gomez came to the end of a shift and started toward the Alaska bench door close to the Bakersfield blue line. Before he stepped off, he retrieved a loose puck and whistled a shot in the direction of Condors goaltender Davis Parley.
As Gomez turned to the open gate, Langdone slammed into him. The severity of the shot couldn´t be seen on the arena´s video replay.
Gomez fell forward, the upper half of his body inside the bench and his legs sticking out onto the ice surface. Gomez immediately threw his hands to his face and kicked his legs, almost like he was doing an extremely painful swimming demonstration.
Alaska´s Mike Lee, the team´s chief enforcer and Gomez´s lifelong friend, didn´t waste time going after Langdone, a well known fighter and enforcer, as athletic trainer Jared Crawford tended to Gomez.
Langdone received a five-minute boarding major. Lee didn´t get any good licks in and took a roughing double minor for his trouble.
Gomez´ injury was bad enough. Then Alaska fell into a 3-1 hole before tying the game on Mike Scott´s goal with 3.1 seconds left in regulation.
Alaska´s comeback was full of passion and pride. But after the game, Payne could care less.
He was steamed.
" It´s one thing to play that type of hockey, to finish your checks, to check hard, punch, slash and facewash people from behind," Payne said. " But it´s another thing to take a premium superstar who did everyone in the game of hockey a favor by coming here and hit him like that.
" It´s absolutely disgraceful."
" There´s a code all players abide by, and it´s unfortunate one player broke the code and hasn´t atoned for his sins, but we´re dealing with a guy who´s never had to do that."
Mehalko, who scored twice, said he didn´t see Langdone´s hit.
" This is a playoff series and guys are playing hard," Mehalko said. " From what I understand Scotty is hurt and that is terrible. You never want to see that and that´s not what we´re all about.
" This is one hard-fought series right now."
After Thursday´s 3-2 Bakersfield victory, Condors coach Marty Raymond lamented the fact that his team had allowed 111 shots over three games. " We have to finish our checks and not give them too much time and space," he told the Bakersfield Californian.
One of the players Raymond said was getting too much room was Gomez. " There´s a reason he´s an NHL All-Star, but we´re going to have to do a better job of stepping up on him."
On Saturday, Bakersfield carried a 3-1 lead into the third period.
Alaska´s Chris Minard closed the gap to 3-2 with his second playoff goal at 6:44 of the third. Set up near the right post, he tipped a shot high above Bakersfield goaltender Davis Parley.
The goal created a maddening final 13 minutes.
Alaska feverishly tried again and again just to get the puck in Bakersfield´s zone, while the Condors often stood five strong at their own blue line. Bakersfield needed to flex its defensive muscle for 13:16 to send the series back to Anchorage.
It got it done for 13:12.
Alaska defenseman Ryan Gaucher gathered the puck at the left point and sent a shot slithering through traffic. The shot appeared to hit off Parley and carom directly in front to Scott. He sliced the puck back under the goalie´s legs with 3.1 seconds showing on the clock.
Scott reacted by jumping straight into the air multiple times. Minard exploded off his feet, flying over the boards and into the waiting arms of some teammates on Alaska´s bench. Everyone in Alaska white, blue and back was thrilled.
The Rabobank Arena crowd of 6,006 went silent. The Condors were sullen.
And we went to overtime.
But almost immediately, a miscommunication between Aces goalie Peter Aubry and his teammates allowed Mehalko to scoop up a loose puck in the low right circle. Aubry was out of the net and Mehalko easily looped a shot through two Aces into the empty goal.
The series is tied. The Aces, who officially lost back-to-back games for the first time since Thanksgiving, face elimination Monday at Sullivan.
And they will play without Gomez.
" We did show our determination tonight and we showed some fire," Payne said. " We know we´re not done and we knew this was going to be a tough series.
" We didn´t know it would elevate to the level it has, and that is unfortunate. But we´ll deal with it when we get home."
Shuffling the deck
B.J. Young missed the game sitting out a one-game suspension for his match penalty for elbowing in Thursday´s 3-2 loss. Young should be in the lineup Monday. . .. A 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck 25 miles southwest of Bakersfield shortly after noon Saturday. Damage was said to be minimal.
Daily News reporter Matt Nevala can be reached at mnevala@adn.com.
Aces 0 1 2 0 -- 3
Bakersfield 1 2 0 1 -- 4
First Period -- 1, Bakersfield, James 2 ( St. Jacques, Mehalko), 16:26. Penalties -- Bast, Aces ( hooking), 1:09; Lutes, Bakersfield ( hooking), 8:07; Gaucher, Aces ( roughing), 11:33; Nagel, Bakersfield ( cross-checking), 11:33.
Second Period -- 2, Bakersfield, James 3 ( Coole, St. Jacques), 9:57. 3, Aces, Gaucher 2 ( Minard, Linglet), 12:04. 4, Bakersfield, Mehalko 1 ( Deschatelets, Kudelka), 19:13 ( pp). Penalties -- Lee, Aces, double minor ( roughing), 4:49; Langdone, Bakersfield, major ( boarding), 4:49; Mehalko, Bakersfield ( holding), 6:48; Serov, Bakersfield ( roughing), 12:04; Minard, Aces ( roughing), 12:43; Deschatelets, Bakersfield ( roughing), 12:43; Bast, Aces ( interference), 17:19.
Third Period -- 5, Aces, Minard 2 ( Filion, Linglet), 6:44 ( pp). 6, Aces, Scott 2 ( Gaucher, Talbot), 19:56 Penalties -- Lee, Aces ( high-sticking), :24; Coole, Bakersfield ( high-sticking), 4:48; Mehalko, Bakersfield ( roughing), 6:28.
Overtime -- 7, Bakersfield, Mehalko 2 ( James), :25. Penalties -- None.
Shots on goal -- Aces 12-20-14-0--46. Bakersfield 6-23-6-1--36.
Power-play Opportunities -- Aces 1 for 6. Bakersfield 1 of 3.
Goalies -- Aces, Aubry 2-1 ( 36 shots-32 saves). Bakersfield, Parley 2-2 ( 46-43).
A -- 6,006 ( 9,000).
Referee -- Andy Thiessen. Linesmen -- Craig Neale, Rob Fay.
pas grave la conversation étais pas mal terminer jpense...
