Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Genik a wall for IceRays against Buzzards

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Saturday, January 29, 2000

Genik a wall for IceRays against Buzzards
Skazyk's replacement stops three of five shootout tries as Corpus Christi wins, 4-3
By Mark Button

Caller-Times

Caller-Times

James Sheehan (left) and Dany Lavole (right) battle for the puck with Tobin Praznik of the IceRays during Corpus Christi's 4-2 win Friday night.

Jason Genik kept the IceRays in the game, so it was only fair that he won it for them, too.
   Corpus Christi defeated El Paso, 4-3, in a shootout Friday at Memorial Coliseum as Genik, a rookie from Winnipeg, Manitoba, stopped three of five Buzzard shooters in the extra session after denying several late El Paso attempts in regulation.
   Corpus Christi rookie forward Dave Gilmore notched the game-winner for the IceRays in the shootout. Corpus Christi improved to 18-16-8 (44 points). El Paso fell to 23-16-5 (51 points).
   "I felt good out there," said Genik, who improved to 7-8-3. "Once we got to overtime, I heard someone on the bench say, 'You do your job and we'll do ours.' "
   Genik entered the game early in the second period after IceRays coach Taylor Hall pulled starting goalie Eddy Skazyk for giving up to El Paso goals in the first 1:06 of the period. "I just feel a guy gets rattled after giving up a couple quick goals," Hall said. "I wanted to get someone in there with a fresh head."
   Geoff Bumstead scored his 27th goal in the win, upping his league-leading point total to 75.
   Corpus Christi plays at Austin today in a key Western Professional Hockey League Central Division game.
   "Austin will be another good test," Hall said. "We're building something here, and we're getting better. Not too many people may believe that, but I guess we'll have to keep proving it."
   Corpus Christi took a 2-1 lead after one period thanks to goals by Dustin McArthur and Bumstead.
   McArthur rifled a chest-high wrist shot over the right shoulder of El Paso goalie Danny Lavoie 3:26 into the period. Dave Gilmore and Bob Quinnell assisted on the McArthur goal, his 14th.
   El Paso scored the equalizer 3:15 later when Francois Archambault scored his seventh goal of the year on a five-on-three power play.
   Bumstead then slammed a low-lining slapshot past Lavoie with 3:10 to play in the first period to give Corpus Christi the 2-1 lead. The Buzzards took the lead, 3-2, so quickly that fans lingering in the concourse during the first intermission missed Archambault's second power-play goal. Archambault tied the game, 2-2, just 31 seconds into the second period and Trent Eigner beat IceRays goalie Eddy Skazyk 35 seconds later to give El Paso a 3-2 lead.
   Hall pulled Skazyk after the Eigner goal, replacing him with Genik. Kurt Wickenheiser then knotted the game, 3-3, with his 35th goal of the year 6:01 after the Buzzards took their first lead.
   Genik made two crucial, back-to-back saves in the 16th minute of the second period to secure the 3-3 tie. First, Genik stoned Blake Sheane on a breakaway then Genik stopped Jeremy Vanin seconds later on a two-on-one El Paso partial breakaway. Genik made two more big saves in the final three minutes of the third period during an El Paso power play to send the game to overtime.
   IceCubes
   A NEARING MILESTONES: IceRays forward Geoff Bumstead is seven points away from recording his 250th point in his five-year career. Meanwhile, fourth-year defenseman Kevin Holliday is 45 minutes short of reaching 1,500 in penalty minutes. Newly acquired defenseman Mike Vandenberghe needs two points to hit 200 in his 11-year career.
   A SEE THEM WHILE YOU CAN: Friday was the IceRays' last home game for January. The team will play just four home dates in February.
   El Paso 1 2 0 0 - 3
   Corpus Christi 2 1 0 1 - 4
   FIRST PERIOD - 1, Corpus Christi, Dustin McArthur (Gilmore, Quinnell), 3:26. 2, El Paso, Francois Archambault (Menard, Bernier), 6:31, (pp). 3, Corpus Christi, Geoff Bumstead (Vandenberghe), 16:50. PENALTIES - Lewis, CC (cross-checking), 4:48; T. Praznik, CC (hooking), 5:33; Olsen, EP (tripping), 8:29; Wickenheiser, CC (boarding), 12:57; Bumstead, CC (holding), 19:41. SECOND PERIOD - 4, El Paso, Archambault (Menard, Bernier), 0:31, (pp). 5, El Paso Trent Eigner (Vanin, Sheane), 1:06. 6, Corpus Christi, Kurt Wickenheiser (Quinnell, Wingfield), 7:08. PENALTIES - Wynes, EP (cross-checking), 8:10; Archambault, EP (obstruction tripping), 14:32.
   THIRD PERIOD - no scoring. PENALTIES - Bernier, EP (holding), 8:04; Wingfield, CC (holding), 15:07.
   SHOOTOUT - 7, Corpus Christi, Dave Gilmore.
   SHOTS ON GOAL - El Paso 16-8-9 33 . Corpus Christi 15-12-12 39. GOALIES - El Paso Danny Lavoie (12-7-2). Corpus Christi, Eddy Skazyk (20 shots, 16 saves) left at 1:06 of 2nd period; Jason Genik (7-8-3) entered at 1:06 of 2nd period. A - announced sellout, 3,510. REFEREE - Peter Friesema.

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