Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Phoenix de ja vu: Bad finish costly

For the second straight game the Phoenix Roadrunners played well for 50 minutes against the Las Vegas Thunder. And for the second straight game the other 10 lost it for them.

As in last week's playoff opener, the Roadrunners scored first Monday night before a barrage of Thunder goals sent them reeling back to Phoenix. They now trail two games to none in the best-of-5 IHL Western Conference Quarterfinals.

Game 3 is Friday night at the Arizona Veteran's Memorial Coliseum. Game 4, if needed, takes place there Saturday.

"We're headed back home and we're in a tough situation," said Roadrunners coach Rob Laird. "But we still have a chance.

"I don't think it's a monumental task (to come back from a 2-0 deficit). As much respect as we have for Las Vegas, once we go back home and get a win under our belts, things will start to look better."

Phoenix held Las Vegas in check during the first period, then 2:21 into the second went ahead on Brent Grieve's goal.

It appeared the Roadrunners would keep the lead heading into the second intermission, but with 46.8 seconds left in the period, Joe Day tied the score.

"That gave Las Vegas a different outlook coming into the third period," Laird said. "It was a big momentum lift for Vegas, especially in that type of situation, in a really tight game. It took the heat off them. They came out with a little more gusto."

Day's goal broke the ice against Roadrunner goalkeeper Frederick Beaubien, who until then was cool between the pipes, stopping the first 23 shots he faced in the first and second periods. But minutes into the third period, the Thunder beat him three times in 130 seconds.

Meanwhile, even though they equalled the Thunder's shot total at 33, the Roadrunners couldn't crack Pokey Reddick. The Thunder goalie, now 2-0 in the playoffs, registered 32 saves.

"We were real close tonight," Laird said. "It was a relatively even hockey game."

But Laird has twice been shown it will take more than a good performance to beat Las Vegas, which posted the best regular-season record in IHL history this year at 57-17-8. Phoenix, the Western Conference's bottom seed, went 36-35-11.

"We need to have excellent goaltending, have a couple guys have some big games, and we're there," he said with a chuckle, knowing it's easier to say than do.

"It won't take perfection, that's too much to ask, but it's gonna take near perfection. Our backs are to the wall."

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