The Adirondack Thunder will head back East with four of a possible six points during their Southern swing. This is exactly what the Thunder needed after dropping six in a row. They now have at least one point in three straight games, all played on the road.
On Tuesday night, Adirondack showed that they were going to compete until the final whistle despite having some bad bounces go their way. It would be the Thunder’s top line that would get them on the board as Matt Salhany would finish off a tic-tac-toe sequence at the 16:44 mark of the opening frame. However, it would be an uphill battle for the Adirondack Thunder in the game’s second frame.
Atlanta’s Anthony Collins would get the Gladiators on the board less than five minutes in to tie the game at one and give the Gladiators some momentum. Atlanta would use the momentum as three minutes later, Thomas Frazee would give them the 2-1 lead over the hometown Thunder. Adirondack would fight back as Nikita Popugaev, who was around the net all game, would finally find the back of it to tie the game up at two.
A shift in momentum would occur once again as Frazee would take a shot that may or may not have crossed the goal line, but was ruled a good goal and seemed to deflate the Thunder as they would give up another goal seven minutes later and would enter the third period down two goals and with no luck to be had on their side.
Ludvig Larsson would get Adirondack on the board just thirty seconds into the third period and give Adirondack some life. Ara Nazarian would continue his hot stretch as he would feed Ryan Walker who would tie the game up for the Thunder and send the game into overtime. The Thunder entered Tuesday night’s game with a 2-7 record in overtime and would fall now to 2-8 in overtime as Samuel Asselin would get a break-away thirty-four seconds into the extra frame and beat McAdam to give Atlanta the extra point.
Adirondack will have two days off before a busy and crucial three-game North division showdown with the Brampton Beasts, Maine Mariners and Reading Royals starting Friday night.
Goals:
First Period:
ADK: 16:44 Salhany (16) from Edwardh and Pierro-Zabotel
Second Period:
ATL: 3:24 Collins (3) from Nelson and Messner
ATL: 6:34 Frazee (5) from Asselin and Nesbitt (PP)
ADK: 8:57 Popugaev (9) from Walker and Beauvais
ATL: 11:19 Frazee (6) from Thrower
ATL: 18:15 Asselin (22) from Conway and Messner
Third Period:
ADK: 0:30 Larsson (3) unassisted
ADK: 6:13 Walker (8) from Nazarian and Sdao
OT:
ATL: 0:34 Asselin (23) from Messner