Idaho overpowers Stockton, 6-3

Stockton, CA (2/21/15) – Six different players scored goals and the Idaho Steelheads collected a season-best four power-play tallies Saturday night as the team defeated the Stockton Thunder, 6-3, at Stockton Arena.

With the win, Idaho (31-16-4, 66 points) moved within two points of first-place Colorado in the ECHL's Pacific Division standings.  The Steelheads conclude their three-game/three-night set with the Thunder Sunday with a 4 PM Pacific (5 PM Mountain) late-afternoon start on Sunday.

The game started with a big-time bang with a pair of fights in the opening six seconds of play.  Off the opening draw, Devin DiDiomete overwhelmed Stockton's JP Chabot and then, off the ensuing face-off, Mike Dalhuisen got the best of Stockton's Mario Larocque to set the mood for the night.  There was a third fight later in the first as Idaho's James Livingston and Stockton's Tyler Shattock dropped the mitts.  The two teams combined for 50 penalty minutes in the first period.

The Steelheads scored first on Rob Linsmayer's first of the season, a blast from the slot off a feed from Ludwig Karlsson at the 2:18 mark.  Stockton tied it less than a minute later on a Jack MacLellin goal but, during the celebration, Shattock was called for roughing to put Idaho on the power play.  Idaho cashed in at 4:37 as Alex Belzile and Jefferson Dahl found themselves all alone in the low slot, playing catch uncontested before Dahl finally tapped home his eighth goal of the season to give Idaho a lead it never relinquished.  The power play clicked again late in the first when Brett Robinson's pass from beneath the goal line was one-timed from the hashmarks by James Livingston, his tenth goal of the season, at 16:29 to make it 3-1 in favor of Idaho.

Idaho added its fourth goal of the game off the rush at 7:05 of the second when Robinson sprung Wade MacLeod up the right wing.  MacLeod ripped a wrist shot past Kent Simpson's blocker for his 23rd goal of the season to make it 4-1 before an Austin Levi point shot for Stockton bounced in the net off a player in front to shave Idaho's lead to two goals, 4-2, going into the third period.

The power play continued to work for Idaho in the third.  First, at 7:06, Brett Robinson found a seam up the slot into the zone on the man advantage and he buried his 14th goal of the season to make it 5-2.  Then, at 15:37, Gaelan Patterson banged home a cross-ice pass from Wade MacLeod at the bottom of the left wing circle for the team's fourth power-play goal, making it 6-3.  Tyler Maxwell got one goal back for Stockton, a power-play shot late in the third, to conclude the scoring as Idaho improved its record to 27-0-2 when it scores at least three goals.

Jack Campbell picked up his third win in net for Idaho, stopping 35 of 38 shots.  Simpson allowed six goals on 39 shots as he was under constant pressure all night long.  Idaho's penalty-kill unit had a streak of 30 consecutive kills snapped by the Maxwell goal, finishing the night 4-for-5.

Robinson (goal, two assists), MacLeod (goal, two assists) and Karlsson (three assists) all had three-point nights for Idaho.

Idaho returns home on Wednesday, March 4, to host the Stockton Thunder before hosting its annual "Pink in the Rink" weekend on March 6 and 7 as the team will auction off game-worn jerseys to raise money for St. Luke's Mountain States Tumor Institute.  Tickets are available online at www.idahosteelheads.com or by calling 208-331-8497.

COORS OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME –  Ludwig Karlsson (3A)

CENTURYLINK THREE STARS:1)   Brett Robinson (ID)2)   Ludwig Karlsson (ID)3)   Wade MacLeod (ID)

Group outings at a Steelheads game are a great way to gather friends, colleagues, or co-workers for a fun night out in downtown Boise. Ticket prices are discounted and you can get a Pepsi, Double-R Ranch Hot Dog, and bag of chips with each ticket. Contact the Steelheads front office at 208.383.0080 or log on to www.idahosteelheads.com for more information.