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Selects Advance to Next Round!

03/06/2017, 11:15am CST
By Sheldon Hille

Game 5 - Eastman Selects vs Winnipeg Thrashers

This series has been one of great momentum swings as Eastman had carried the play until the 3rd period of the second game.  The Thrashers went on to win 2 in a row to put the Selects in a hole.  With Stellar goaltending from Belluk in game 4, the Selects regained their play and notched the series at 2.  Can the Selects carry this momentum into game 5?  Normally the Eastman coaching staff alternate their goaltenders, but on this day they decided to go with Belluk who had a tremendous game 4.  Eastman came out firing and held an edge in territorial play for most of the first period.  Like all previous games, the Selects scored first as Dallon Wilton collected the puck off the end boards and scored before Bennet knew where the puck was.  At one point the shots were 12 to 2 for Eastman.  The Selects ran into penalty trouble and had to kill 2 penalties back to back.  After some great kills the shots were 15 – 16 in favor of the Selects.  In the Second Grossman scored his second on the power play from Brule and Dekoninck to give Eastman a 2-goal lead.  At the midpoint of the second Eastman furthered their cause by two quick goals from Hoffman and Cruise to take a commanding lead.  Late in the 2nd the Thrashers got on the board with a power play marker of their own making the score 4 to 1 after two.  The Selects must have come into the 3rd period nervous as the Burton / McKenzie combination scored 2 quick goals to put the game into panic mode 4 to 3.  With a Time out and a timely penalty by the Thrashers, the top Eastman line of Hoffman, Osadick and Cruise went to work.  Hoffman scored his second on a loose puck that Beat Bennet to the blocker side.  Bennet was stopping every shot he saw all night and was the Thrashers best player, however the Selects capitalized on rebounds and second opportunities.  Matthew Osadick scored an empty netter by hustling to beat the thrasher defense, making it 6 to 3.  The line of Osadick, Hoffman and Cruise each had 4 points on the night.  With the win the Selects move on to play the Wild on Monday night 7:45 at the Iceplex.  Be warned wild, a storm is a bruin.

 

Tag(s): Eastman