Palffy helps Halifax win overtime shootout over London -- Great White Rumour Mill

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Subject: Palffy helps Halifax win overtime shootout over London

Author:
Rock Lobster

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Date Posted: 16:54:44 06/09/03 Mon

(HALIFAX)-Ziggy Palffy picked a good time to break out of his playoff scoring slump as he counted the winner along with another goal and two assists in an 7-6 overtime thriller over London here in Halifax. After struggling somewhat against the unheralded Steeltown Hammers there were many who were unsure how the Harpoons would react to the Lasers, who swept their first round opponents the Ottawa Oaks. Throw in the 5 game suspension handed down by the league on Petr Bondra and there was a lot of uncertainty in Halifax.

However, right from the first whistle, it was clear that the hometeam came to play tonight as the carried the play to the Lasers outshooting them 13-8. But sometimes hockey is a game of bounces and when Nik Lidstrom scored on a wacky one from the corner on a shoot-in at 10:43 of the first it deflated the Halifax attack.

However, Andy Murray must have said the right things in the dressing room because the team came out in the middle frame ready to go to war. First if was Palffy jamming home a rebound off of a Milan Hejduk shot at 4:30 to tie it up. Then Jeff O'Neill, serving double duty with Bondra's suspension, wired a shot just under the crossbar at 7:47 to give the hosts their first lead of the game. The teams then traded goals with Jamie Langenbrunner counting for London at 8:53 and Joe Thornton powering his way through a goalmouth scramble at 10:28 to restore the one goal lead. However as fast as the goals came in the second was merely a percursor to what would happen in the third.

Milan Hejduk took a nifty pass from Palffy on a two on one off the opening draw of the period and deked London netminder Olaf Kolzig putting Halifax up by 2 just 15 seconds in to the frame. O'Neill then tipped in a Mattias Ohlund slapper from the point at 4:26 of the third spelling the end of Kolzig. Many Legace came in for the starter and the visitors rallied to the banner First it was Peter Sykora one-timing a Peter Forsberg pass past Sean Burke to make it 5-3 at 4:46. Then Doug Weight pounched on a Geoff Sanderson rebound to socre the games only powerplay goal at 5:55. Halifax looked to have things back under control when Marian Hossa and rookie call-up Radim Vrbata combined on a slick 2 on 1 out of the corner at 12:47 but London would not be denied. First Donald Audette jammed home a Keith Primeau rebound at 18:15. Then with the goalie halfway to the bench Nik Lidstrom sprung Peter Forsberg on a breakaway and Forsberg made no mistake going top shelf with a snapshot. At 18:57, the game stood tied 6-6.

It was going to take over time to decide this one and it was time for Ziggy Palffy to step to the fore. With the line of Palffy, Mark Messier, and Vrbata on the ice the puck was dumped in by Rob Blake. The rookie outraced Dan McGillis to the loose disc and backhanded it to Messier who was winding up from the top of the circle. The grizzled veteran spotted Palffy cutting in behind the coverage on the other side and slappassed the puck to him. The winger merely re-directed it into the net and the game was over.

"That was a wild one," said Palffy after the game. "Whenever we scored they came back. That's a good team London."

"We almost let one get away from us," commented Mark Messier. "Anytime you get up 5-2 cin the third you've got to close it out and we didn't. We were fortunate tonight. London might not come up short the next time."

"I'm just happy to contribute," spoke a happy Radim Vrbata upon recording his first two GWHL playoff points. "I just want to learn how it's done in the playoffs and Mark Messier is a good person to teach me."

Rock Lobster
HALIFAX HERALD

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