OAK FOREST, IL - After hitting a speed bump against Columbus last weekend, the Chicago Crush Premier squad found their rhythm this week, securing two out of three in a statement week against Midwest divisional rivals. After falling short against cross-town rivals the Chicago Cougars, the boys in red, white, & blue managed to right the ship with a convincing performance, sweeping a two-game set against the Metro Jets Developmental Program (MJDP).
TUESDAY: COUGARS CLAW FIRST BLOOD, Chicago CRUSH RESPOND too LATE February 18, 2025 | Orbit Ice Arena
The week started with a tough pill to swallow as the Crush dropped a 4-1 decision to the cross-town rival Chicago Cougars at Orbit Ice Arena. Despite bombarding Cougars netminder Cameron Boville with 43 shots, only Mac King managed to find twine midway through the second period. The Cougars jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the opening frame, burying the Crush in a hole they couldn't climb out of.
Special teams proved to be the difference-maker, with the Crush going an ice-cold 0-for-7 on the power play while surrendering a man-advantage marker to Jack Schejbal. The contest descended into old-time hockey late, with the penalty boxes getting a workout as emotions boiled over between the bitter rivals.
THURSDAY: WHITE PLAYS HERO IN THRILLER AGAINST MJDP
February 20, 2025 | The Edge Ice Arena
The boys flipped the script Thursday night, showing their resilience in a back-and-forth barnburner against MJDP. After a scoreless opening frame, the floodgates opened in the second period with a six-goal outburst between the two clubs. Jason Gongol continued his torrid scoring pace, notching his 25th of the season and adding two apples to pace the offense.
Tied at 4-4 late in the third, Peter White capitalized on a power-play opportunity with less than five minutes remaining to draw even. White wasn't done playing hero, as he buried the game-winner just 45 seconds into overtime off a slick feed from captain Spencer Kauke, sending the Edge Ice Arena faithful home happy with a 5-4 victory.
Aidan Wysoglad stood tall between the pipes, turning aside 26 of 30 shots to earn his third win in four starts.
FRIDAY: JOHANSEN SLAMS THE DOOR WITH SHUTOUT PERFORMANCE February 21, 2025 | Orbit Ice Arena
The Crush capped off their three-game winning streak in dominant fashion, blanking MJDP 4-0 on Friday afternoon at fan favorite Orbit Ice Arena. Patrick Johansen was perfect in the crease, stopping all 27 shots he faced to record his second shutout of the season.
The depth scoring came alive as Nathaniel Zimmerman, William Kenny, Ryan Brown, and Jason Gongol all lit the lamp. Kenny had himself a day, finishing with a three-point effort (1G, 2A) to earn first-star honors. The Crush's suffocating defensive structure limited MJDP's high-octane offense to perimeter shots, and when they did break through, Johansen was there to slam the door.
Maltais' BREAKDOWN
"This was a statement week for our club," said Head Coach Steve Maltais. "After dropping a couple against Columbus, and then the loss to the Cougars, we needed to get back to playing Crush hockey – being hard on pucks, winning our battles in the dirty areas, and getting contributions throughout the lineup. That overtime win Thursday really galvanized the group, and you could see the confidence building shift by shift."
Maltais was particularly impressed with his team's defensive improvements throughout the week. "The way we locked things down against MJDP on Friday shows what we're capable of when we buy into our structure. Patrick [Johansen] was seeing everything, but our guys were keeping shots to the outside and clearing rebounds. That's playoff style hockey right there."
BY THE NUMBERS
Jason Gongol continues to lead the offensive charge with 26 goals and 32 assists for 58 points, including a 1G-2A effort against MJDP
Peter White played hero with back-to-back goals, including Thursday's OT winner
Patrick Johansen stopped all 27 shots for his second shutout of the season
The Crush penalty kill went a perfect 12-for-12 in the two MJDP contests
Mac King reached the 22-goal mark with tallies in back-to-back games
UP NEXT
The Crush (27-11-3-1) will look to build on their momentum as they prepare for a crucial final series against cross-town rivals, the Chicago Cougars. With the playoff picture tightening up, every point is critical as the regular season enters its final stretch. Catch all the Chicago Crush action live on FloHockey.tv!
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