Long Beach Bombers @ Fresno Monsters The Long Beach Bombers took the first two games of this series in Fresno, but the Monsters avoided the sweep with a big win on Sunday.
Long Beach 7, Fresno 4 - The series started on Thursday and a five-minute power play early in the second period gave Fresno an opportunity to take control of the game. It took the Monsters no time at all to score. They won the faceoff worked the puck back back to the point, put it on net, and a scramble ensued for the rebound. Petr Philoppov eventually got a stick on it and backhanded it past a prone Long Beach goalie, Dominic Bosetti (16 saves) to tie the game, 2-2.
The power play continued and the Monsters managed to score again to take a 3-2 lead. Artyom Shura did a good job to keep the puck in at the blue line, evade a checker, and skate it to the slot where he slid the puck over to Deakan Fielder. Fielder wristed a shot on net and Rory Scott tipped it as it went past.
But, once play returned to five-on-five, the Bombers ripped off the next five goals - three more by the end of the second period to take a 5-3 lead, then two more in the third to extend their lead to four goals.
Artem Korolev notched four points (2-2-4) for Long Beach and Tomas Urbanec also added a pair of goals.
Martin Dlugolinsky scored twice for Fresno.
Long Beach 4, Fresno 3 - The Bombers opened up a 3-0 lead in Friday's game, only to see the Monsters come back to tie it, but it was Korolev again coming through for Long Beach, scoring the winning goal at 7:31 of the third period.
The Bombers, backstopped by Matthew Genter (21 saves) protected the one-goal lead for the final 12:29 on the road to secure the regulation win and three points.
Nikita Garin scored two goals late in the second period to complete the Fresno comeback from a three-goal deficit, but they were not able to translate that into any points in the standings.
Max Karlenzig made 50 saves in the game for the Monsters, stopping 22 of 23 shots in the first period alone to prevent Long Beach from opening up a big lead early and keeping Fresno in the game.
Fresno 4, Long Beach 2 - Fresno salvaged three points from the series by winning, 4-2, on Saturday behind two goals apiece from Philoppov and Dustin Truex.
Diego Gluck got the Bombers within a goal with 12:39 left in regulation, but Karlenzig continued his strong play in the Fresno net, stopping 28 of 30 shots, and putting a damper on any Long Beach comeback attempts.
Bosetti made 24 saves for the Bombers.
--- Jared Tennant for Harrington Sports Media
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