’Hounds pick up postseason scent

By Tom Williams

Youngstown rallied past the defending CHL champs to close in on the playoffs.

YOUNGSTOWN — Despite being slugged, outshot and dominated for most of two periods, the Youngstown SteelHounds pushed back Wednesday, stealing the momentum and a 3-2 victory against the Central Hockey League’s defending champions.

Goals by Eric Main, Joel Irving and Ryan Bennett postponed the Colorado Eagles’ division-winning celebration and moved the SteelHounds (37-20-5, 79 points) two points closer to their second straight playoff berth.

SteelHounds coach Kevin Kaminski, who admitted he had been awake since 4 a.m. Wednesday anticipating the crucial showdown at the Chevrolet Centre, said he played a hunch by inserting the healed Bennett on a line with top scorer Chris Richards and Bryan Lachapelle.

“Bennett sees the ice well, can make the plays and has a great shot,” Kaminski said. “He showed tonight the character he has — a Gordie Howe hat trick.”

Say what?

That’s a goal, an assist and a fight in one game. “That’s a great game,” Kaminski said.

Also excelling was SteelHounds goalie Andy Franck (24-10-4) who is 7-0-1 in his last eight starts.

Franck made 30 saves, most when the SteelHounds trailed 1-0 and were being outshot 25-10.

“Frankie was huge, he answered the bell tonight,” Kaminski said.

Main agreed.

“Frankie gives us a chance to win every night,” Main said.

The Rocky Mountain Rage, who played late Wednesday at Arizona, could push Youngstown into the postseason. The SteelHounds qualified if the Rage lost in regulation. Colorado (37-19-6) would clinch the Northwest Division crown with a Rage loss in regulation.

The SteelHounds and Eagles close the regular season with games Friday and Saturday at 7:05 p.m.

The SteelHounds had a golden opportunity to tie the game midway through the second period when Bennett was awarded a penalty shot after Seth Leonard tripped him during a breakaway.

But netminder Sebastien Laplante stayed with Bennett as he closed in, making a pad save.

Moments later, the SteelHounds tied the game when Main beat Laplante (20-12-5) with a shot from along the boards. Bennett and Patterson assisted.

“I saw an opening and I just threaded the needle,” said Main of his fifth goal. “That’s probably one of the biggest [goals] — we really needed this game.”

Late in the third period with the score 1-1, the Eagles paid for Scott Polanski’s highsticking penalty when Jason Baird slipped the puck to Irving in the slot. His shot clanked off the far goal post and into the net for the SteelHounds’ first lead.

“I ripped it as hard as I possibly could,” Irving said of his 25th goal. “I managed to hit the post and sort of lost sight of it for a second. Then it went zipping across and hit the mesh on the other side.”

Fourteen seconds later, Bennett tipped a pass from Richards into an open net for a 3-1 lead.

“It was a beautiful play but I just tapped it in,” Bennett said. “It was a relief; it lifted a little pressure.”

With 31 seconds to play, Ed McGrane scored his second goal of the game after the Eagles had pulled Laplante. That was their final shot.

Early on, the SteelHounds dodged a huge bullet as the Eagles had four power-play chances, outshot the home team 16-5 and netted the only goal.

Three seconds into the game, SteelHounds defenseman David Simoes tangled with Ryan Tobler. After they were sent penalized, another SteelHounds defender, Milan Maslonka, immediately dropped his gloves against Jay Birnie. A few minutes later, Bennett fought Jason Beatty.

”We came out a little sluggish and maybe didn’t play our best two periods at the start,” Irving said. “But we grinded it out and that’s what you have to do at this time of the year.”

williams@vindy.com