Having played against all the other teams in HNA’s B3 division once, the St. Louis Outlaws began a second trip through the division with a rematch against the winless IceDogs Wednesday night at the Ice Zone.  Although the IceDogs lost each of their first 4 games, 3 of the losses have been by one goal, including the 4-3 loss to the Outlaws in the season opener. 

Playing without their leading scorer Pavel Nadin, the IceDogs were outshot in every period, and by a total margin of 42-31.  Still, they never trailed, acquiring 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2 leads during the game.  But the Outlaws stubbornly battled back, and a last-minute shorthanded goal by Joe Wallington earned the Outlaws a point for their efforts. 

A scoreless first period was notable only in that the Outlaws outshot their opponent 13-8.  The Outlaws had been outshot in the first period of every one of their first 4 games, by an average 10-6 margin.  So Outlaw goalie Craig Schellenbach was pleased to see the puck in the far end of the ice for most of the first period.  But he would be called upon to make several big saves during the game.

After killing off a penalty near the beginning of the second, the Outlaws were eager to take advantage of a power play opportunity they were given five minutes into the period.  But a turnover in the neutral zone led to a breakaway and shorthanded goal for the IceDogs by Bob Cohen.  Fortunately, the Outlaw deficit was short-lived, as Jim Owens centered a puck from the corner to captain Max Schwartz, who converted the pass for his first goal of the season shortly after their power play expired. 

A couple more power play opportunities were squandered by the Outlaws, and the second period ended with the score knotted at 1.  Five minutes into the third, the IceDogs Dan Casey centered the puck from the wing to a poorly covered Nick Verde, who tapped the puck across the crease to an uncovered Keith Overbeck, who scored to reclaim the lead.  But the Outlaws again briskly evened the score, as Sean McCloskey won an offensive zone face-off to Ryan Kromann in the slot, who quickly swatted the puck into the IceDogs net.

A few minutes later, the IceDogs took the lead once more, as Nick Abegg was able to break behind the Outlaw defense with the puck, stickhandle nearly past the net, and lift the puck behind Schellenbach into the goal.  With three minutes to go, and the IceDogs leading 3-2, the Outlaws were given another power play opportunity.  But they were unable to do anything with it, and poor puck control in their own end led to a penalty being called against the Outlaws with a minute to go in the game, and one second remaining in the IceDogs penalty.

After the ensuing face-off in the Outlaws zone, Wallington gained control of the puck, stickhandled through the entire IceDogs team, including the man freshly sprung from the penalty box, and slid the puck under IceDog netminder Grant Goddard for the equalizer with 39 seconds remaining in regulation.  The Outlaws were able to kill off the rest of their penalty, in regulation and in overtime, and hang on to preserve the 3-3 tie.  It was the IceDogs first point of the season, but it certainly won’t be their last, as they are one of the highest-scoring teams in the division.  The Outlaws climbed into a first-place tie with the Shock, just one point ahead of the Eagles and Hornets.  All three teams have a game in hand on the Outlaws.

NOTES: 
Injured forward Bill Gould, the team’s leading scorer over the past two years, has begun the rehabilitation effort on his broken ankle through a strict regimen of bowling and “macho mugs” each Wednesday.

The “Outlaw of the Week” is Doug Bennett.  Doug was second on the team in goals last season, his first with the Outlaws.  He has dressed for all five games so far this year, but has yet to crack the score sheet.  Although there has been (and hopefully will be) no formal voting, he seems destined to win the team award for “best mustache.” 

After a break for Thanksgiving, the Outlaws return in a 10:30 match on Tuesday, December 2nd at Kirkwood against the Hornets, a team the Outlaws tied 1-1 in their first meeting.