Fresno Monsters @ Ontario Avalanche
Fresno went into Ontario Friday night and won, but on their return visit Sunday the Avalanche picked up the home win and with it, moved past Valencia into fourth place in the Western Division.
Fresno 3, Ontario 2 – The Fresno Monsters rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the second period to pick up a big road win, 3-2, over the Avalanche in Ontario Friday night.
The Avalanche led, 2-0, late in the second period when the Monsters scored two quick goals to tie the game up and give the team a lift heading into the locker room for the second intermission.
With the Monsters on the power play, a sloppy play behind their net resulted in a turnover and a point-blank shot that Karlenzig stopped. The play turned up ice quickly and a tic-tack-toe passing play set up Zack Turpin to put Fresno on the board with 2:43 left in the period. Martin Dlugolinsky played the puck down to Logan Domagala deep in the right corner and he transferred the puck right onto the doorstep where Turpin cashed in.
Ontario took a penalty with :51 left in the period and the Monsters converted again to even the score with Petr Philippov passing across the crease to Stanislav Danev on the back door.
About six minutes into the third period, Fresno worked the puck around the perimeter on the power play. A shot was tipped wide on the short side, but Ty Wright was the first one on the puck and made a quick centering pass to Danev who buried a quick one-timer and gave the Monsters their first lead.
Fresno goalie Max Karlenzig (28 saves) held the fort the rest of the way, stopping all 18 shots he faced over the final two periods.
Ontario’s Will McEwen made 32 saves.
Ontario 5, Fresno 3 – The Avalanche, who have struggled scoring goals this season, lit the lamp four times in the second period on their way to a 5-3 win on Sunday.
Five different played scored for Ontario, including Liam Massie, who accounted for the game-winner. Quinn Deshler assisted on four of the five Ontario goals.
Connor Duffy made 28 of his 33 saves through the first two periods for the Avs, keeping the Monsters off the board while Ontario built their lead. The Monsters beat Duffy once in each period.