Another day, another point
22 October 2023
Kunlun Red Star 2 Barys Astana 3 SO
This was another game for the glass half empty vs glass half full debate. The downside is clear enough: returning home from our win in Minsk, the Dragons were unable to build on that with another success. But there are positives, too. Tying the game in the third period secured back-to-back points for the first time since early September. We’ve taken something from three of our last four games.
There was also good news for Nolan Moyle, whose two-point game brought his first goal since Sep. 29. It was also the first time our college graduate scored in successive games, after he picked up a helper in Minsk last time out. Leading scorer Devin Brosseau also found the net again after a six-game dry streak.
That said, Barys came into the game with its own renewed hopes. The Kazakhs got a much-needed win at Sochi last time out and made a bright start here. David Sklenicka is a defenseman with strong two-way skills, but his opening coast-to-coast effort was an unlikely way for a blue liner to find the net. It was also the only goal of the first period, although late in the frame there were signs of life among our forwards. Cliff Pu and Brandon McMillan both had reasonable chances but could not beat Eddie Pasquale in the visitor’s net.
Moyle tied the scores for us early in the second with a neat piece of opportunism. He picked up the puck in center ice and drove into the Barys zone. The visiting defense was undecided, reluctant to go to the puck for fear of opening passing options for Nolan. That enabled our man to get between the hash marks and fire in a shot that Pasquale could not stop.
A few shifts later, KRS had the first power play of the game. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out as planned. Mikhail Rakhmanov’s short-handed goal saw the Dragons behind once again. Happily, the home PK was more effective: late in the session we saw off six full minutes of penalties to keep the game very alive going into the third.
That third period began with a big chance for Brandon Yip when Spencer Foo found the captain in a great position. Barys survived that scare and then needed a last-gasp save from Pasquale to halt Brosseau on the wraparound.
But Brosseau would not be denied. Devin claimed his 10th goal of the season. Ryan Merkley fired the puck into traffic, knocking a Barys man off his feet as he tried to block the attempt. Bros pounced on the loose puck and steered it beyond Pasquale before the goalie could reset, and the game was on its way to overtime.
The extras saw Barys on top. Jeremy Smith stopped five shots in OT to keep the game alive and take us to a shoot-out. So far this season, we’ve done well in these, winning three previous contests. Today, though, that run came to an end. Pasquale came out on top in every duel, while Barys converted two attempts to seal the win.
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