The Best for Last

For the first time in nine tries, the Steelhounds defeated Colorado.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Youngstown SteelHounds saved their best performance for last.
Tied 2-2 late in the third period against the Central Hockey League's best team, the SteelHounds engineered their biggest win of the season.
In the final home game of their second regular season, league MVP-candidate Chris Richards stole the puck off Colorado's Riley Nelson near the blue line.
Richards wasted no time zipping in, firing a shot from the right faceoff circle that beat Colorado Eagles goaltender Marco Emond for a shorthanded goal.
"I saw the goalie back up so I just needed to get the shot that hit the net," Richards said of his 39th goal of the season. "Thankfully it found its way in."
Sunday's 3-2 victory before 3,912 fans at the Chevrolet Centre, combined with Oklahoma City's 4-3 loss to Amarillo, has the SteelHounds (32-19-10) alone in fourth place in the Northern Conference with three games to play.
Richards said the victory was significant because "we needed this, especially so the winless streak would not have grown to five."
Alcombrack beats Emond
After losing twice to the Eagles by one goal this weekend, the SteelHounds were trailing 2-1 in the final seconds of the second period when defenseman Jeff Alcombrack scored on a shot from the point that was deflected by a defender past Emond.
"I was shooting for Mark Odut's stick, but their guy deflected it," Alcombrack said. "This is probably our biggest win -- what a confidence builder, especially with the playoffs right down the road."
That goal, with 2.2 seconds remaining before the second break, was key in the SteelHounds snapping their 0-for-8 record against the Eagles (44-16-1, 89 points).
"It feels awesome," SteelHounds coach Kevin Kaminski said. "They've been champions and they know what it takes [to win].
"This weekend, it was a battle every shift," Kaminski said. "We came up short Friday and Saturday, but I told the boys that the effort is there, but we must bear down when we get our chances.
"It's great to get this monkey off our backs, especially knowing that going into the playoffs we could meet those guys again," Kaminski said. "It gives us confidence knowing that we've now beaten every team in the league."
Crash to ice
Moments before his goal, Alcombrack was knocked to the ice, landing hard on his back and neck.
"We were down to four [defensemen] so I just had to suck it up and go back," Alcombrack said.
SteelHounds goalie David Currie (8-7-6) stopped 16 shots.
"It's been a struggle for me lately," said Currie who was inactive with a groin pull until about three weeks ago. "I haven't played a lot because I wasn't playing so well and the team has been winning.
"So it was really nice to get this win," Currie said. "It's great that the guys played so well in front of me."
Defenseman Stephen Margeson, who set up Jeff Christian for the SteelHounds' first goal, said the team's goal was to limit the Eagles to 20 shots to have a chance.
Rare shots
The SteelHounds didn't permit a shot on Currie during the game's first 10 minutes.
But after Margeson was penalized for crosschecking in the initial session, the Eagles' power-play unit took advantage. Defender Brad Williamson fed Nelson to the left of Currie and Nelson's shot from the edge of the face-off circle produced his 38th goal.
Twenty seconds later, the game was tied when Christian deflected Margeson's shot past Emond, a candidate for CHL's best goalie.
Nelson's second goal of the game put the Eagles ahead, 2-1, late in the second period. Currie stopped a shot by Eagles defender Aaron Schneekloth, but was unable to get in position to stop Nelson's shot that deflected off a defender's stick.
"This weekend was what it's going to be like in the playoffs," Kaminski said. "I think this win shows what type of character and heart we have in this room."
williams@vindy.com