DULUTH, Ga. � Gwinnett�s Steve Slonina scored a shorthand in the second period, giving the Gladiators a lead that they would not relinquish in a 6-3 victory over the Mississippi Sea Wolves in Game 3, giving Gwinnett a 2-1 series lead in the best-of-five Central Division Semifinals.
�It was one of our better efforts, but we didn�t get the result that we hoped for,� Sea Wolves coach Bob Woods said. �The pressure is on them now. The third game is the toughest to win and they don�t want to go back to Mississippi for Game 5.�
Gwinnett opened the score at the 1:45 mark. Chris Durno, who was the Game 1 overtime hero, netted his second postseason goal by beating Gardner in close on the rebound for an unassisted tally.
Mississippi replied 44 seconds later. Yannick Tremblay, who was appearing in his first pro playoff game, lifted a backhand over Michael Garnett for his first pro goal. Lucas Drake picked up the lone assist.
The Gladiators recaptured their lead later in the frame. Jim Jackson let go with a shot, which was stopped by Gardner, but 34-year-old Cam Brown, who is the oldest player in the series, potted the rebound for his first goal of the 2004 postseason.
The Sea Wolves got back on even terms once again at 13:11. On a 5-on-3 man advantage, Kerry Ellis-Toddington got a right point shot to bounce off bodies in front for a power-play goal, tying the score 2-2. Brent Gauvreau and Sergei Kuznetsov collected helpers.
In the second, Gwinnett pulled ahead 3-2. Slonina slipped a pass across to the top of the right circle to Kris Goodjohn, who one-timed a slap shot into the back of the net at 11:40.
Moments later, Tremblay batted the puck into the net, but it was immediately waved off by referee Chris Brown, ruled that the puck was knocked in with a high stick.
Mississippi would draw even on the power play. Kuznetsov played the puck up top to Patrick Rochon, who rifled a point shot over the left shoulder of Garnett at 14:52, notching his first goal of the 2004 Kelly Cup Playoffs.
Just 50 seconds later, another Sea Wolves man advantage backfired. Gladiators� Slonina got behind the Mississippi defense, busted in on a breakaway and deked Gardner to tuck in an unassisted tally for the eventual game-winner.
In the early part of the third, with Gwinnett up 4-3, Sea Wolves� Tremblay sent a shot off the post and Mississippi wouldn�t get any closer.
Gladiators� Goodjohn buried his second of the night at 7:41, making it 5-3 for Gwinnettt. Durno nabbed the lone helper.
In the closing minutes, the Sea Wolves pulled Gardner in favor of an extra attacker. With two seconds to go in regulation, Gwinnett�s Brandon Dietrich slid the puck into the empty net, assisted by Kevin Doell and Wes Swinson to complete the scoring.
Mississippi converted on 2-of-7 power play opportunities, while Gwinnett failed to capitalize on five chances. Sea Wolves outshot the Gladiators 41-36.
Additional Note: Sea Wolves Steffon Walby left early in the first period due to an undisclosed injury and did not return to the ice.
Game 4 of the best-of-five series takes to the ice at 6:35 p.m. CT on Monday at Gwinnett Center. Listen live starting with the Nextel Pregame Show at 6:20 p.m. on ESPN Radio WXBD-AM 1490 and online at msseawolves.com.
If necessary, Game 5 shifts back to the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday.
Individual playoff tickets are on sale at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum box office, all Ticketmaster locations, by calling (228) 594-3707 and online at ticketmaster.com.
--- Box Score ---
DATE - 04/10/04 Mississippi (3) at Gwinnett (6)
SCORE BY PERIODS
Mississippi 2 1 0--3
Gwinnett 2 2 2--6
FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Gwinnett-Durno 2 (unassisted) 1:45. 2, Mississippi-Tremblay 1 (Drake) 2:29. 3, Gwinnett-Brown 1 (Jackson) 8:33. 4, Mississippi-Ellis-Toddington 1 (power play) (Gauvreau; Kuznetsov) 13:11. Penalties: Proskurnicki, MIS (Fighting, Major), 0:04. Bennefield, GWT (Fighting, Major), 0:04. Slonina, GWT (Slashing), 9:04. Drake, MIS (Holding), 11:01. Brown, GWT (Tripping), 12:00. Emmett, GWT (Hooking), 12:48. Tremblay, MIS (Holding), 15:13. Doell, GWT (Cross checking), 16:17.
SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 5, Gwinnett-Goodjohn 1 (Slonina; Bourne) 11:40. 6, Mississippi-Rochon 1 (power play) (Kuznetsov) 14:52. 7, Gwinnett-Slonina 1 (game winner) (short handed) (unassisted) 15:42. Penalties: Rochon, MIS (Hooking), 2:14. Blais, MIS (Interference), 5:24. Cava, MIS (Holding), 9:25. Bennefield, GWT (Elbowing), 9:25. Miller, MIS (Unsportsmanlike Cond), 9:25. Doell, GWT (Roughing), 9:25. Bennefield, GWT (Interference), 12:57. Weiman, GWT (Holding), 15:18.
THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 8, Gwinnett-Goodjohn 2 (Durno) 7:41. 9, Gwinnett-Dietrich 1 (empty net) (Doell; Swinson) 19:58. Penalties: Deis, GWT (Hooking), 3:16. O'Rourke, MIS (Tripping, Ten minute misc.), 11:57. Gauvreau, MIS (Cross checking), 14:09. Fox, GWT (Unsportsmanlike Cond), 14:09.
SHOTS ON GOAL
Mississippi 18 13 10--41
Gwinnett 12 11 13--36
Power Play Conversions: Mississippi - 2-of-7, Gwinnett - 0-of-5.
Goalies: Mississippi-Gardner (35 shots, 30 saves; record: 1-1-1). Gwinnett-Garnett (41 shots, 38 saves; record: 2-1-0).
A: 3916. Referee: Brown. Linesmen: Finley; Phillips.
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