Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - 'Rays crumble against Kings

Marketplace \| Services \| Contact Us \| Community \| Arts & Entertainment \| Local Guides

Saturday, March 11, 2000

'Rays crumble against Kings
Stick violation costly in 6-3 defeat
By Mark Button
Caller-Times

David Pellerin/Caller-Times

Corpus Christi's Kurt Wickenheiser (11) battles Lubbock's Craig Binns (42) Friday as a shot sneaks past Cotton Kings goalie Cory Cadden during the IceRays' 6-3 loss to the expansion club.

First came the controversy, then the collapse.
   Eleven seconds into the third period, with the Corpus Christi IceRays holding a 2-1 lead over Lubbock, Cotton Kings coach Alan May requested that referee Steve Cruickshank measure the width of the blade of the hockey stick used by Corpus Christi forward Cory Johnson, who played for May in Lubbock before he was traded to the IceRays on Feb. 21.
   After measuring, Cruickshank concluded that Johnson's stick was indeed illegal. The penalty afforded the Cotton Kings a two-minute penalty and since Lubbock was already on a power play at the time of the coach's challenge, Corpus Christi faced a three-on-five penalty kill.
   And the IceRays crumbled.
   Lubbock scored three consecutive goals in the next 1:24 of the period and five in the period to win, 6-3.
   "It was too obvious," May said. "It looked like a goalie's stick. There's a three-inch maximum, and it looked like it was at least three and a half inches wide.
   "I saw it in warm ups, and when they were on the penalty kill, it was the perfect opportunity."
   The loss snapped a five-game home winning streak for Corpus Christi, which fell to 29-23-8 (66 points). "It's kind of a cheap call," IceRays coach Taylor Hall said. "You usually don't call sticks. But the call wasn't the big deal. It was the rest of the period that bothered me.
   "We got outworked and we lost our composure."
   Lubbock snapped a nine-game road losing streak and improved to 36-23-3 (76 points). If the current playoff picture holds true, Corpus Christi will face Lubbock in the first round of the Western Professional Hockey League playoffs.
   After Johnson was busted for the illegal stick, Cotton Kings forward Doug McCarthy scored 29 seconds to tie the game, 2-2. McCarthy finished the night with a hat trick. Kyle Reeves then beat IceRays goalie Jason Genik 16 seconds after McCarthy's first goal. Lubbock Bobby Brown put his team up, 4-2, with a goal 1:35 into the third period.
   Corpus Christi forward Tobin Praznik scored two goals, including one with 1:46 to play that put the IceRays within a goal, 4-3, before McCarthy completed the hat trick with an empty-net goal in the final minute.
   Corpus Christi's Most Valuable Player of the year candidate Geoff Bumstead recorded three assists, driving his league-leading point total to 105. After a Lubbock short-handed goal by Mike Legg tied the game, 1-1, early in the second period, Corpus Christi took its second lead, 2-1, on Jody Praznik's first goal since returning to the IceRays' lineup from a broken thumb.
   Jody Praznik's goal, his fifth, came on a four-on-three IceRays' power play at the 13:07 mark of the second period.
   Tobin Praznik's 37th goal concluded the first-period scoring as the IceRays took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
   IceCubes
   A QUINNELL BACK: IceRays defenseman Bob Quinnell's trip to Utah and the International Hockey League ended early.
   Utah Grizzlies coach Bob Bourne called Quinnell up Monday and after playing Tuesday, Quinnell was a healthy scratch Tuesday and he returned to Corpus Christi Friday.
   IceRays coach Taylor Hall said this week that he did not think he would see Quinnell back before the end of the weekend.
   "They're looking for a seventh defenseman for the playoffs and they've called up a bunch of guys for what amounts to one-game tryouts," Quinnell said. "The playoff roster has to be in by next Wednesday."
   Quinnell played 20 minutes and was a plus-one in Utah's 5-4 loss to Manitoba Tuesday. "He had me on the power play in critical situations," Quinnell said. "I had some good chances but nothing went in."
   Quinnell said he felt good about his chances to make the Utah playoff roster because he played 10 games for Bourne last season with the IHL's Las Vegas Thunder.
   With Quinnell's return and veteran defenseman Jody Praznik back from an injury, Hall released defenseman Aleksandr Troitsky.
   Lubbock 0 1 5 -- 6
   Corpus Christi 1 1 1 -- 3
   FIRST PERIOD -- 1, Corpus Christi, Tobin Praznik (Wickenheiser, Bumstead), 4:39. PENALTIES-Corbett, Lub (fighting), 5:10; Doherty, CC (fighting), 5:10; Bull, Lub (high-sticking), 14:04; Snesar, Lub (holding), 19:21.
   SECOND PERIOD -- 2, Lubbock, Mike Legg (Reeves), 1:21, (sh). 3, Corpus Christi, Jody Praznik (Bumstead, Olsen), 13:07, (pp). PENALTIES-Janicki, CC (high-sticking), 2:06; Cadden, Lub (4-min. dbl. minor, spearing), 2:19; Kupaks, Lub (high-sticking), 8:19; Green, Lub (cross-checking), 11:27; Quinnell, CC (interference), 11:27; Kupaks. Lub (holding), 12:00; Kholomeyev, CC (cross-checking), 13:43; Wickenheiser, CC (hooking), 19:34.
   THIRD PERIOD -- 4, Lubbock, Doug McCarthy (Kupaks, Green), 0:42, (pp). 5, Lubbock, Kyle Reeves (McCarthy, Kupaks), 0:58, (pp). 6, Lubbock, Bobby Brown (Binns), 1:35. 7, Corpus Christi, Tobin Praznik (Wickenheiser, Bumstead), 16:24. 8, Lubbock, McCarthy (Brown), 18:14. 9, Lubbock, McCarthy (Brown), 19:47. PENALTIES-Johnson, CC (illegal stick), 0:11; CC bench (too many men on ice), 11:18.
   SHOTS ON GOAL-Lubbock 6-11-12 29. Corpus Christi 11-11-8 30. GOALIES-Lubbock, Cory Cadden (26-17-3). Corpus Christi, Jason Genik (20 shots, 16 saves) left at 1:35 of 3rd period; Eddy Skazyk (17-12-5), entered at 1:35 of 3rd period. A-announced sellout, 3,510. REFEREE-Steve Cruickshank.



Staff writer Mark Button can be reached at 886-3613 or by e-mail at buttonm@caller.com

| Talk about this story | Next Story | Home |

[ Printer-friendly version ]
[ Subscribe to newspaper ]

SEND THIS PAGE TO A FRIEND

[an error occurred while processing this directive]