Chris Clegg
NPHL.com Writer
It was a long time coming!
Michael Gillen scored twice and the Manning Comets struck twice on the power play to lead them to a 5-2 win at Grimshaw in the third game of their NPHL East Division series Saturday night.
Incredibly, it was MAN’s first playoff win in GRIM since 1990. MAN now leads the series 2-1 with Game 4 back in MAN on Tuesday night.
GRIM scored the only goal of the first period with Josh Peters scoring on a power play in the last minute.
In the second period, Matt Boyd tied the game before Peters restored GRIM’s lead, scoring again on the power play, with the lone assist again going to Sheldon Szmata.
But that was it for GRIM.
Thomas Simpson and Michael Gillen scored power play goals before the end of the period and MAN led 3-2. Gillen’s PPG proved to be the game-winner.
In the third, Taylor Paulovich and Gillen scored even strength goals to seal the win.
GRIM could not rally despite receiving all four PP chances in the period.
Comets 5 at Huskies 2
Sat., Feb. 9
[Comets lead series 2-1]
First period
1. GH, Josh Peters 3 (Sheldon Szmata) 19:49 (pp)
Penalties: Josh Rutherford MAN (slashing) 00:40, Mark Simpson GH (cross-checking) 2:23, Lowen Lambert GH (interference) 10:13, Payton Proskurniak MAN (cross-checking, slashing) 17:27.
Second period
2. MAN, Matt Boyd 2 (unassisted) 00:14
3. GH, Josh Peters 4 (Sheldon Szmata) 2:52 (pp)
4. MAN, Thomas Simpson 2 (Tyler Dillman) 5:35 (pp)
5. MAN, Michael Gillen 2 (Josh Rutherford, Matt Boyd) 18:25 (pp)
Penalties: Michael Vreeling MAN (goaltender interference) 1:43, Hunter Millar GH (slashing) 3:37, Spencer Ross GH (tripping) 9:15, Mark Simpson GH (boarding) 11:42, Jarrod Lorencz MAN and Davis Rose GH and Izaak Hudson GH (roughing) 17:00.
Third period
6. MAN, Taylor Paulovich 2 (Michael Vreeling, Logan Newman) 1:59
7. MAN, Michael Gillen 3 (Matt Boyd) 10:30
Penalties: Tyler Dillman MAN (slashing) 6:29, Jeremie Perron MAN (slashing) 13:19, Thomas Dechant MAN (tripping) 16:14, Payton Proskurniak MAN (unsportsmanlike) 17:23.
Shots on goal:
Manning 13 13 7 -33
Grimshaw 12 8 15 -35 Goaltenders: Comets, Braden Gamble; Huskies, Riley Medves.
Power Plays: MAN 2-6; GRIM 2-8.
Penalties in Minutes: MAN 18; GRIM 14.