BARABOO, Wi. - The Chicago Crush Premier unit had a chance to make a statement in their back-to-back road series against the Dells Ducks, a team known for relentless pace and sharp offense. But despite pushing the Ducks to the limit, the Crush ultimately left the Poppy Waterman Ice Arena with two hard-fought losses.
Game 1: Chicago Crush 2, Dells Ducks 3 (OT)
The opening game on October 29 was a tug-of-war that ended in heartbreak for the Crush. After two scoreless periods for Chicago, the Ducks capitalized on an early second-period goal by Angelo Massaro, a player who's been at the heart of the Ducks’ offensive machine all season. The Crush struggled to find their rhythm, while the Ducks pressed forward, outshooting Chicago 46 to 37 by the end of the night.
The Ducks struck again late in the second, with Dante Zaffarano netting a power-play goal at 19:20, assisted by Jake Knieling and Massaro, who had already demonstrated their chemistry. This put the Crush down 2-0 heading into the third, where they needed an urgent answer.
Chicago clawed their way back early in the third with a goal from forward Jacob Rozanski just 46 seconds into the period, assisted by Brody Luzbetak and Peter White. The goal re-energized the Crush bench, and a revived Chicago squad went on the attack. After several near-misses, Peter White finally tied the game at 2-2 with a well-placed shot at 15:18 off a setup from Jason Gongol. It seemed like Chicago had the momentum heading into overtime.
However, just seven seconds into OT, the Ducks’ John Scott broke free on a short-handed breakaway, beating Lukas Janicina for the game-winner. The Crush, who had fought tooth and nail to level the score, were left devastated.
Game 2: Chicago Crush 3, Dells Ducks 6
Game two on October 30 saw the Crush try to rally after the tough OT loss, but the Ducks came out of the gate with even more pressure, pushing Chicago’s defense to its breaking point. Dells outshot Chicago 49-30, leaning heavily on quick puck movement and strategic play in front of Chicago’s net.
The Ducks opened scoring late in the second with Quinten Clausen III getting a shorthanded goal, underscoring the Ducks’ ability to score in any situation. Less than two minutes later, Massaro scored his second of the series on the power play, extending the Ducks' lead to 2-0. Just before the period closed, Chicago’s Rozanski responded with his second goal in as many games, a goal that offered a glimmer of hope with a late-period surge.
Entering the third period down 2-1, the Crush quickly closed the gap with a goal from Jason Gongol just over a minute into the frame, tying the game at 2-2. But Dells would storm back, scoring four more times in the period. A brief resurgence saw Nick Zizas scoring on a power play at 11:31, narrowing the Ducks' lead to 4-3, but it wasn’t enough. Late goals by Alexander Wilkey and Massaro shut the door on any potential comeback.
Takeaways
Power Play Struggles: Chicago went 1-for-15 on the power play over the two games, a significant factor in their inability to capitalize on opportunities. Meanwhile, the Ducks’ special teams were clinical, netting three power-play goals.
Top Performers: Massaro’s dominant presence was evident with three goals and two assists over the two games, while Knieling contributed four assists. For Chicago, Rozanski was a bright spot, scoring twice, while Gongol and White contributed key assists in critical moments.
Discipline Issues: The series saw a combined total of 59 penalty minutes between both teams. The Crush were handed two game misconducts, which led to challenging penalty-kill situations and contributed to the Ducks' success on the power play.
While Chicago fell short of a win, they showed tenacity and resilience against a formidable opponent. The team will need to work on discipline, power-play efficiency, and maintaining defensive pressure as they prepare for their next series. Despite the losses, there were glimmers of potential, and fans can expect a fierce response from the Crush in their next matchup.
Make sure to catch all of the Chicago Crush action live on FloHockey.tv!
Commenti