Suns 7, Green
Mill 1
Friday
Minn. Green Mill 1 0
0 1
Sun Valley Suns 3 2 2 7
FIRST
PERIOD—(1) SV, Jamie Ellison 7 (unassisted), 10:22, shorthanded
goal. (2) Minn, Dave Olson (Mike Knoke, Pat Finnegan), 11:45, power play
goal. (3) SV, Brian Watts 1 (unassisted), 13:26. (4) SV, Tom Forti 3
(unassisted), 15:21.
SECOND
PERIOD—(5) SV,
John Stevens 12 (Ivars Muzis, Joe Lawson), 0:38. (6) SV, Ellison 8 (Vilnis
Nikolaisons, Paul Baranzelli), 18:01.
THIRD
PERIOD—(7) SV, Stevens 13 (unassisted), 6:06, shorthanded goal. (8)
SV, Chas Riopel 2 (Jon Bender), 11:28.
SHOTS ON
GOAL—for Green Mill 6-2-4 for 12; for Sun Valley 15-20-17 for 52.
GOALIES—Minneapolis
Green Mill, Jeff McMurchie (45 saves); SV, James Moskos (11 saves, 5-0-0
season record).
OFFICIALS—Referee,
Bobby Noyes; linesmen, Curt Martin and Richard Winkler.
NOTES—The
Suns went with four forward lines and three pairs of defensemen. The lines
were Vilnis Nikolaisons-Jamie Ellison-Ben Stauffer, Chas Riopel-Joe
Lawson-John Stevens, Chris Benson-Tom Forti-John Miller, Scott Carmack-Brian
Watts-Scott Winkler. The blueliners were Ivars Muzis-Paul Baranzelli, Kit
Hughes-Tim Tracy, Kris Webster-Jon Bender….The Suns scored two
shorthanded goals for the second straight game….Broken plexiglass along
the spectators’ gallery by the Suns blue line caused a 17-minute delay
at the 19:27 mark of the third period. At first, a piece of plexiglass by
the press box area was removed and carried across the ice, but it didn’t
fit into the area of the broken glass. So, to make it through the final 19
minutes, the officials installed a pad across the open area and advised
spectators to move away from the area and more towards midice….As
always, Minneapolis goalie McMurchie dazzled with some great saves….Happy
birthday Bump Finnegan, who will be 41 Jan. 28.
Suns 8, Green Mill
2
Saturday
Minn. Green Mill 2 0
0 2
Sun Valley Suns 1 1 6 8
FIRST
PERIOD—(1) Minn, Finnegan (Mike Stansberry), 5:01. (2) SV, Riopel 3
(Lawson, Stevens), 15:30. (3) Minn, Tim Ruud (Scott Hebel), 18:02.
SECOND
PERIOD—(4) SV,
Stevens 14 (Lawson, Riopel), 16:14.
THIRD
PERIOD—(5) SV, Ellison 9 (goalie Matt Gershater), 2:58. (6) SV,
Chris Benson 5 (Scott Winkler, Forti), 4:37. (7) SV, Muzis 3 (Nikolaisons,
Ellison), 6:25. (8) SV, Forti 4 (Winkler, Benson), 18:44. (9) SV,
Nikolaisons 13 (Ellison), 18:58. (10) SV, Benson 6 (Scott Carmack, Kris
Webster), 19:54.
SHOTS ON
GOAL—for Green Mill 8-8-4 for 20; for Sun Valley 21-12-17 for 50.
GOALIES—Minneapolis
Green Mill, Jeff McMurchie (42 saves); SV, Matt Gershater (18 saves, 7-0-0
season record).
OFFICIALS—Referee,
Richard Winkler; linesmen, Bobby Noyes and Curt Martin.
NOTES—Ex-Suns
defenseman Tom Maroste (23 goals and 80 points in four seasons) sat out a
one-game suspension tonight that dated back to a game last year, when
local officials said visiting player Maroste fired the puck at them.
Maroste said he will be back later this winter with the Dallas South Stars
March 1. Local Cody Lampl wore Maroste’s #17 tonight….The Suns (0-7
weekend) continue to struggle on the power play (6-28 for 21% season).
Last year, their success rate was 24%….Tonight’s game was the 444th
Suns win in 27 seasons….Four Suns are staying in lockstep on the
all-time scoring list. Jamie Ellison moved past Phil Hoene into 10th
place, but sixth-year Ellison (81-132 for 213) is followed closely by
11th-year wing Chas Riopel (93-117 for 210), in 12th place. Closely
aligned are 4th-year Vilnis Nikolaisons (67-107 for 174) and 7th-year John
Stevens (66-103 for 169)….The Suns improved their advantage to 6-3 (53
goals for, 27 against) over Green Mill in the four-year series….The
crowds were a little down this weekend because so many diehard Suns fans
were in Boise playing hockey themselves in the Idaho Winter Games…..The
Suns outpointed Green Mill 34-7 led by Ellison (3-2 for 5) and Stevens
(3-1 for 4). And they outshot Minneapolis 102-32….In their two-season,
19-game win streak, the Suns have outscored opponents 147-65 and won a
total of five 1-goal games.