Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 30, 1994 TAG: 9411300092
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
On a night it conceivably could have had a breather, the Express blew a late lead, then beat the Charlotte Checkers 6-5 in overtime before 3,540 fans at the Roanoke Civic Center.
Derek Laxdal's goal with 19 seconds left in OT enabled Roanoke (10-5-3) to save itself from what would have been an excruciating loss.
Charlotte (11-6-3) had battled back to tie the score for the third and final time with 2 minutes, 39 seconds left in regulation on a freak goal by Shawn Wheeler. The score was set up when a clearing attempt by Roanoke defensemen Dave Stewart struck linesman Dave Spannaus at the Express blue line, setting up Wheeler for an uncontested walk-in on Roanoke goaltender Dave Gagnon.
``They didn't deserve to win after something like that,'' Roanoke defenseman Jon Larson said.
In the waning seconds of overtime, Roanoke averted going to another home shootout when Laxdal picked up a won draw by Pat Ferschweiler, spun and beat Charlotte goaltender Matt DelGuidice high.
The goal was Laxdal's sixth in three games after scoring only three goals in the first 15 games.
``Fersch did a great job getting the puck and I just roofed it on the guy,'' Laxdal said. ``I figured he would go down to stop me, so I was going up.
``It's great to be scoring again. My confidence is back now.''
After Charlotte took a 1-0 lead on Sergei Berdnikov's power-play one-timer from the slot at 7:02 of the first period, Roanoke tied it 3:16 later on the first of Rouslan Toujikov's two goals, a rebound from the left slot.
Roanoke made it 2-1 at the 15:22 mark on Stephane Desjardins' goal - a deflection of Mark Luger's drive from the right point. But Charlotte answered on Sylvain Blouin's power-play rebound drive with only 25 seconds left to tie.
The Express took the lead again only 3:29 into the second period when Larson took a centering feed from Ilya Dubkov and lifted the puck past Checkers goalie Matt DelGuidice.
Toujikov, the big Russian who gives Roanoke a much-needed presence in the slot on the power play, struck again 4 minutes later, stuffing a rebound of his own shot past DelGuidice.
After Wheeler cut it to 4-3, Luger blasted a shot from the top right circle for his first goal of the season to rebuild Roanoke's lead to 5-3.
Charlotte, which had a four-game winning streak snapped, cut it to 5-4 on Darryl Noren's power-play goal with 4 seconds left in the second.
It stayed that way until Wheeler took advantage of the break of having the puck hit Spannaus and cashed in.
ICE CHIPS: Toujikov was hit in his left ankle by a puck and didn't play in the third period. He was taken to the hospital for X-rays after the game. ... The Express traded forwards Robin Bouchard and Andrew Dickson to the Columbus Chill on Tuesday in exchange for future considerations. Bouchard, whom Anzalone labeled a ``major disappointment,'' had only one goal in 10 games. Dickson, picked up on waivers last week, had one assist in three games. ... Defenseman Nick Wohlers has been sent to Roanoke by the IHL's Minnesota Moose and will be activated for tonight's game at Hampton Roads. Wohlers, who hasn't played this season after having his shoulder seperated from a hit by Dave ``Moose'' Morissette in Minnesota's training camp, is expected to stay with the Express for only two weeks. ... Anzalone offered a public apology on his pregame radio show Tuesday to Express management and fans for his comments in a story in Tuesday's Roanoke Times & World News. ``The writer asked me some point-blank questions and I gave him some point-blank answers. I shouldn't have said what I said, end of story,'' Anzalone said. ... It was the Express' smallest home crowd in nine openings this season. The previous low was 3,902 on Nov.1, also against Charlotte. ... The Express returns home Friday to face Raleigh. East Division-leading Richmond, which sustained its only regulation loss of the season in Roanoke on Thanksgiving, invades the civic center Saturday.
Charlotte|| 2-2-1-0-5
Roanoke|| 2-3-0-1-6
First period-1, Charlotte, Berdnikov 8 (Robbins, Seher), 7:02 (pp). 2, Roanoke, Toujikov 8 (Dubkov, Yashin), 10:16. 3, Roanoke, Desjardins 1 (Luger, Smith), 15:22. 4, Charlotte, Blouin 1 (Robbins, Wheeler), 19:35 (pp). Penalties--Ferschweiler, Ro (roughing), 5:49; Fenton, Ch (roughing), 5:49; Desjardins, Ro (holding), 6:03; Desjardins, Ro (holding), 13:10; Tucker, Ch (roughing), 16:32; Toujikov, Ro (tripping), 18:55.
Second period-5, Roanoke, Larson 2 (Dubkov), 3:29. 6, Roanoke, Toujikov 9 (Stewart, Smith), 7:29 (pp). 7, Charlotte, Wheeler 10 (Bashkirov, Thibodeau), 11:37. 8, Roanoke, Luger 1 (Laxdal, Ferschweiler), 16:26 (pp). 9, Charlotte, Norn 8 (Wheeler, Robbins), 19:56 (pp). Penalties--Tucker, Ch (holding), 6:18; Tucker, Ch (elbowing), 8:37; Blouin, Ch (tripping), 15:06; Jestadt, Ro (holding), 19:48.
Third period-10, Charlotte, Wheeler 11, 17:21. Penalties--Fleury, Ro (boarding), 5:39; Noren, Ch (roughing), 7:40; Luger, Ro (roughing), 7:40; Jestadt, Ro major (misconduct), 17:21.
Shots on goal-Charlotte 9-9-11-1-30. Roanoke 10-13-6-2-31.
Goalies-Charlotte, DelGuidice, 2-2-1 (31 shots-25 saves). Roanoke, Gagnon 7-3-3 (30-25).
Power-play opportunities-Charlotte 3 of 5; Roanoke 2 of 4.
Referee-John Murphy. Linesmen-Mark Hamlett, Dave Spannaus.
by CNB