Devils fall to Elmira, Johnstown

The Devils dropped the final two games of their three-game opening weekend homestand, losing both games by 4-2 scores, to Elmira on Saturday night and to the Johnstown Chiefs on Sunday afternoon.  Both games saw the wildly inconsistant play that plagued the Devils at times even during thier opening night victory over the Reading Royals.

The Elmira game got off to a bad start even before it began with the news that opening night star goalie Dave Caruso had been recalled to Lowell.  Backup netminder Jason Smith would get the nod, and the difference between the two was apparant almost immediately.

The Jackals opened the scoring when at 10:31 of the first period when Kevin Ulanski sent a Martin Sagat centering pass into the back of the net.  The Jackals would later take a 2-0 lead in the same period when on the powerplay, Pierre-Lue Faubert scored his first professional goal on a Benoit Doucet pass from the right circle that Faubert slammed home from the edge of the crease.  The powerplay goal was scored at 3:02 of the first.

The Devils would come storming back, however, in the second period when at the 18:38 mark, Joe Rooney and Brad Mills cycled the puck around to Eric Castonguay, who netted his first professional goal to draw the Devils back to 2-1, a score they would tie in the third period, when on the powerplay, Joe Rooney scored his second goal in as many nights at the 3:31 mark.

The Rooney goal seemed only to spur Elmira on, however, as they would take the lead again for good a the 14:55 mark on a powerplay of their own when a Bobby Robins wrist shot found its way past Jason Smith.  Scott May would add an empty netter to seal the deal at 4-2.

Sunday wasn't much better, especially after the news that Caruso had been sent back and would be starting the game, but his ability in net wouldn't make up for the neutral zone lapses that would cripple the Devils.

The visitors would once again open the scoring, although this time it didn't take the Chiefs long at all to grab an early lead, as with only 1:21 gone in the game Alexandre Imbeault won an offensive zone draw back to Mike Knight and then deflected Knight's shot past Dave Caruso to put Johnstown up 1-0.  The Devils would not go down 2-0 in this one, however, whrn at the 11:43 mark of the first, when Jason Paige found a Joe Rooney rebound in front of the net and stuffed it home for his first professional goal and a 1-1 tie.

Johnstown would answer back a few minutes later on the powerplay when off a Rob Drummond faceoff win, Jean Desrochers found a soft spot through Caruso's five hole to give the Chiefs a 2-1 lead.  The Devils would again tie the game on the powerplay at 16:17 of the third period when Eric Castonguay deflected a Joe Rooney wrister into the net.

The wheels would then quickly come off for the Devils, as Mark Tobin would score a shorthanded marker off a turnover in the neutral zone a few minutes later.  Alexandre Imbeault would add his second goal of the game, and empty netter with 19 seconds left to set the final score at 4-2.

If the Devils continue playing the way they did this weekend, its going to be a long season at the Soveriegn Bank Arena.

My Elmira game three stars:
1) Bobby Robins (ELM) - Gamewinning goal.
2) Benoit Doucet (ELM) - 2 Assists.
3) Joe Rooney (TRE) - 1 Goal, 1 Assist.

My Johnstown game three stars:
1) Mark Tobin (JOH) - Gamewinning goal.
2) Alexandre Imbeault - 2 Goals.
3) Joe Rooney (TRE) - 2 Assists.

~Titans Fan 25~