Niagara Falls to Donuts, Day 149

   # TEAM PER  TIME  PLAYER        GOAL#  ASSIST #1      ASSIST #2      TYPE
-- ---- --- -----  ------------- -----  -------------  -------------  ------
1-0 WIS  1  08:32  Zajac            3 
1-1 NIA  1  09:13  Umberger         9 
1-2 NIA  1  18:58  Sturm           24 
1-3 NIA  2  17:28  Salo            17 
2-3 WIS  3  00:47  Sharp           13 
3-3 WIS  3  05:53  Stumpel         22   PPG
4-3 WIS  3  08:25  Rolston         41   SHG
5-3 WIS  3  12:21  Straka          41   PPG
6-3 WIS  3  16:18  Sharp           14 
7-3 WIS  3  18:49  S.Niedermayer   18 
8-3 WIS  3  19:24  Doan            27 

* 8-62-153 game
* Jagr 11 SOGs
* Niedermayer 26-0 passing

First Star: Niedermayer, 1G 1A, 26-0 passing
Second Star: Doan, 1G 2A
Third Star: Langkow, 3A

Donuts let Niagara Fall, Day 111

In the middle of a 3 day/3 game series the stop this time was in Niagara. The players wondered a bit where they where when they landed on the airport.

For the second straight game the Donuts where off at the buzzer! There have been quite a few games the they haven't been able to score first. But last game they scored 2 in the first 3 minutes. This time it was 2 in 6 minutes, with Jagr (31) and Sharp (10). Jagr again pulling ahead in the scoring race against Straka with a score after 6 seconds! Zubov (10) added a power play goal around mid period got a short handed on a mistake to make it 3-1 after the first. 21-6 in shotting first period and Biron looked a little rusty.

Straka (31) pulled even with a goal to 4-1. Mid period Thunder responded with 2 gaols to come close at 4-3. Then Donuts added another 2, by Jovanovski (11) and Langkow (24) to make it 6-3 with 2 min to go. The game should be over but Sturm scored before the end to make it 6-4. Donuts continued shooting 22-8 in this period but 3-3 in scoring. Biron let in 4 goals on 14 shots and must have been awfully close to being pulled.

Third period showed another 3 goals Umberger sandwiched between Niedermayer (15) and Straka (32). Straka again taking the lead in the Donut king race. Game ends 8-5 to Donuts.

Donuts out shot the opponent 64-21 almost 3-1, and had possession a massive 15:17 in offensive zone. In passing Donuts had the "edge" with 157-59 with a completion of 89%. This game should in reality never have been so close. Niagara should thank Biron for keeping them in the game! Lehtinen left the game late in the period with a sprained knee. 3 out of 8 goals came from defensemen.

First star: Jagr, 1G 3A, 5 SOGs and 11-0 in passing.
Second star: Gomez, 3A, 13-2 in FO and 9-0 in passing.
Third star: Niedermayer, 1G, 7 SOGs (second after Rolstons 11!) and massive 19-0 in passing.

Tomorrow game in Stockholm, Lehtinen out and maybe Doan back. then back on the plane to Hawaii for a days rest before a new away game on island fellow Hawaii.

Niagara Falls in the hands of Jagr

It was supposed to be an easy game and they are sometimes the hardest.

After 2 periods the score was 0-0 and Wisborg had an shot advantage of 24-11 which is a sign of the lack of ignition spark. Coach Donut ordered better offense for the last period or a shake up was in order, this show for a few minutes in the third period where Gomez scored the 1-0 goal after 5 minutes. After that Jagr got a penalty for a late and high slashing on Boogard (who went without penalties during the game) and then the offense had no focus. What usually happens in that situation is that the other team gets a chance and with a second left of the game Umberger scored his 5:th of the season. It was a 1-1 game after 3 periods with a 17-9 shot advantage in the third period.

The overtime started with the Broadway line Gomez-Straka-Jagr where Gomez created a face off in the offensive zone and won the face off with a pass to Straka who got a good shoot high off Khabibulin shoulder where Jagr had placed himself to just tap the puck in the net. Game ends after 28 seconds, 2-1 to Wisborg and they out shot the Falls with 43-20 in a very unfocused game.

As predicted two days ago Jagr was the to go man, he scored his 22 :nd goal of the year and 7 shots. Phillipe Boucher was back and came out flying on the otherwise soft Donuts. He had 8 shots on goal, 2 blocked shots and 5 hits, all team highs. The Broadway line outscored the Donut line with 2-0.

Four players got minor injuries and left the game Ohlund, Niedermayer, Langkow and Zajac. None more injured than they are expected to play tomorrow in Stockholm, only a 35 min flight away!

First star: Jagr
Second star: P. Boucher
Third star: Nabokov for keeping the ´nuts in the game.