SteelHounds register first shutout, 4-0

Goalie Simon St. Pierre got the shutout while Jeff Christian had three goals.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- It was a night of precedents and milestones and a night to remember for the Youngstown SteelHounds and their fans who comprised most of the 4,854 onlookers at Saturday night's game against the Tulsa Oilers at the Youngstown Convocation Center.
Jeff Christian achieved Youngstown's first three-goal game and goalie Simon St. Pierre pitched the team's first shutout, as the SteelHounds blanked the Oilers, 4-0, for a 5-3-1 record in the Northeast Division of the Central Hockey League.
Christian (6-2, 220), a 35-year-old left wing and a former NHL player, already had registered Youngstown's first four-goal (and most-goal) game Nov. 4 in a 4-3 win over Oklahoma City.
Had first three goals
Christian, a native of Burlington, Ontario, who played in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins, New Jersey Devils and Phoenix Coyotes and has been a pro for 18 years, registered the SteelHounds' first three goals against the Oilers, one goal in the first period and two goals in the second period.
Scott Barnes also tallied in the second frame to complete the scoring for Youngstown.
Chris Richards and Darryl Lloyd each had two assists to also pace the winners.
St. Pierre (5-10, 201), a rookie professional player out of Bentley College in 2005, and a native of Montreal, was outstanding protecting the net as he delivered 21 saves for his first professional shutout.
The SteelHounds enjoyed a 30-21 shot advantage.
Oilers goalie Chris King had 26 saves.
Christian angled in his first goal from about 10 feet out with 4:31 of elapsed time in the opening period on assists from Richards and Lloyd.
Christian leads league
That goal gave Christian the CHL lead in both goals (10) and points (18), and he boosted his loop-best totals to 12 and 20 before the night ended. He has 12 of the SteelHounds 33 goals.
Christian got his second goal on about a 20-foot shot directly in front of the net that had deflected off Tulsa goalie Chris King and went into the opening at 6:16 of the second. Lloyd and Christian again were credited with the assists.
Then Christian tallied again at 11:54 of the second from close range on a power play when he slapped back in Jeff Alcombrack's shot that rebounded off the goalie to give Youngstown a 3-0 lead. Alcombrack and Jeff Antonovich were credited with assists.
Barnes gets unassisted goal
Barnes found an unguarded and open net when the Oilers' goalie was distracted to the side of the goal, and punched in a 25-foot shot at 17:31 of the second period that was unassisted.
The SteelHounds will return to the Convocation Center next Tuesday and Wednesday for games against the Laredo Bucks at 7:05 p.m.
kovach@vindy.com