In the first period, it was the Cats who scored first as right wing Sean Whyte blasted one past Albany goaltender Corey Schwab, assisted by center Jim Nesich and newly returned defenseman Jason Weinrich, at less than 8 minutes into the period. Their lead didn't last for long, however, when two minutes later Rat defenseman Cale Hulse buried a slap shot past Worcester goalie Wayne Cowley.
The second period was almost an exact replay of the first as the IceCats jumped to an early lead off of a beautiful goal by left wing Cal McGowan at 7:24 into the period. The original shot by center Denis Chalifoux was rebounded behind the net where right wing Blair Atcheynum was able to grab it and squeak a perfect centering pass out to McGowan, posted in front. With a quick wrist shot, McGowan sunk the puck past an unsuspecting Schwab, who wasn't quite fast enough to recover from the first save.
Once again, the Cats couldn't stay on top and about a minute later, Albany right wing Mike Vukonich beat Cowley a second time, assisted by center Pascal Rheaume.
The third period became an intense shooting match as each team fought to establish any kind of a lead that would give them control of the game. Both teams had some excellent scoring opportunities and more than one shot was saved, not by a goalie, but by the post or the crossbar!
However, in the second half of the period, it was the River Rats (who outshot the Cats 11-5 in the period) who scored the first goal on a power play. Just 35 seconds after Nesich was called for a 2 minute holding penalty, Rat defenseman Bryan Helmer lifted a rebound through a crowded crease and over Wayne Cowley, who was sprawled across the entire width of the net in an attempt to cover a low shot.
Satisfied with a one goal lead, Albany sat back and played a defensive game in order to kill time and shut down any scoring opportunities for Worcester. As the minutes ticked by the Cats became more and more desperate for a tying goal, and the sold-out Centrum crowd went wild with excitement. With less than a minute on the clock, Rat right wing Bill Armstrong was called for a two minute hooking penalty, and the Cats went on the power play. As the play shifted into the Albany zone, Cowley was pulled in order to give Worcester a two man advantage in the closing seconds. Finally, with less than 10 seconds left, Chalifoux ripped one past Schwab assisted by defenseman Jason Widmer and Center Shawn Heaphy, and sent the crowd (myself included) into cardiac arrest!
The goal and his earlier assist put Chalifoux on top of the IceCats scoring list with 18 goals and 26 assists for 44 points. He is followed closely by Heaphy who has 21 goals and 22 assists for 43 points.
The real heartbreak, however, came in overtime when with less than two minutes left, McGowan was called for a holding penalty, which put the Cats on the penalty kill for the rest of the game. Only 44 seconds later, with several Rats mucking it up infront of the Worcester net, Albany right wing Rob Conn appeared to knock the puck past Cowley with his arm while committing a high stick infraction! (I could've sworn there were some rules about that?!!). Cowley and the rest of the IceCats argued the goal but, as the Cats well know, what the refs don't see...counts. The final score stood, 4-3 Albany, and the IceCats were left fuming in the locker room, dreaming of an instant replay where justice would be served.
Worcester has only three more home games before the end of the season, the next being a Monday night (the 20th) matchup against the Providence Bruins.
In other IceCats related news:
Before the game, Wayne Cowley was honored for winning the Sher-Wood Player of the Week award for the week of February 13th-19th. The first IceCat to win the award, it is Cowley's second since playing in the AHL. During that week, he posted a record of 2-0-1, a goals-against-average of 1.66, and a save percentage of .955 in three games.
Also, an as-of-yet unconfirmed rumor has it that the IceCats have secured an NHL affiliation for next season with the St. Louis Blues. The Blues, who have an IHL affiliation in Peoria have been looking for an AHL farm team for some time.