Macon falls in overtime to Columbus
About two weeks ago, the Macon Mayhem were on the verge of building a cushion atop the SPHL standings and entering the postseason on a roll. Now, they’re trying to regain that form.
Macon lost its second game in a row Friday at the Macon Coliseum, once again rallying from a two-goal deficit only to lose again to Columbus. This time, Jonathan Turk’s overtime goal gave the Cottonmouths a 5-4 win in a game in which Macon led 4-3 early in the third period before Columbus tied the game to force overtime.
The Mayhem (30-9-6) now cling to first place by a point, one in front of Huntsville and two ahead of Peoria and Fayetteville. Columbus (17-26-3) is tied for the final playoff spot with Roanoke. Macon’s loss spoiled the first career multi-point game by defenseman Brandon Pfeil, who had a goal and assist. Stephen Pierog, whose power play goal 2:21 into the third period gave Macon its only lead of the game, also had an assist.
Seven who mattered
Turk: The Columbus forward got the game’s scoring started quickly and also netted the game-winner in overtime to secure the win. Macon goalie Troy Passingham was not able to stop his shot in overtime from the left side, and the Cottonmouths won the final regular-season game of the season between the teams in Macon. Turk’s first goal came 2:16 into the game following a faceoff on the opposite end of the ice. He got enough space to skate in and beat Passingham down lowl.
Collin MacDonald: After multiple scoring chances by the Mayhem in the opening period, he got Macon on the board. He buried a wrist shot in the back of the net, beating Columbus goalie Mavric Parks with assists from Jake Trask and Daniel Gentzler.
Chad Brears and Keegan Bruce: The pair combined on two separate special teams opportunities to give Columbus a 3-1 lead less than eight minutes into the second period. Brears got the puck past Passingham just 48 seconds into the period, a power play goal assisted by Bruce. It would later be Bruce’s turn to score, taking advantage of a short-handed rush to make it a 3-1 game.
Pierog: He continued to keep up his scoring rhythm. His power-play goal early in the third period gave the Mayhem their only lead of the game.
Vadim Guskov: The ex-Mayhem standout pounced on a deflected puck after it was shot from the opposite side of the net, and he got it past Passingham for the equalizing goal at the third period’s 10:22 mark to eventually force overtime.
Pfiel: The defenseman had a career night on the offensive end. He scored to get the Mayhem within a goal in the second period and assisted on a Matt Summers goal 12:21 into the period to tie the game.
Observations
Different energies: If there’s one thing Macon needs to rectify, it’s the way that the game began. Columbus is fighting just to get into the postseason compared to Macon, which has clinched a playoff spot. The sense of urgency showed for Columbus as it led 3-1 and took advantage some defensive holes left open by the Mayhem. While there were moral victory points to be earned for coming back from a multi-goal deficit for the second straight game, those feel-good emotions don’t count in the standings.
Another two-goal rally: History repeated itself in a way for both teams Friday. As was the case March 11 against Columbus, Macon found itself trailing by two goals. And once again, the Mayhem rallied, needing 4:28 to erase the two-goal disadvantage.
Somewhat special: Special teams were indeed a mixed bag for Macon. While Pierog’s power-play goal did give the Mayhem the lead, Macon also gave up one goal on the power play and another to Columbus while they were short handed.
Worth mentioning
Filling in at goalie: The Mayhem tapped Passingham to start in place of Jordan Ruby, the starter in eight of Macon’s past 10 games. Ruby is taking a family leave of absence while his wife gives birth to a child back home in Ontario, according to team officials. Earlier this week, the Mayhem signed Mike DeLaVergne to a three-game tryout to give Macon two goalies on the roster during Ruby’s absence.
Other roster moves: The Mayhem placed two players on the season-ending injured reserve earlier this week and bolstered depth with one additional signing. Left winger Ryan Salkeld and Daniel Sobotka are on the season-ending IR. Jesse Paradis, a left winger, signed a contract with the team Friday. Matt Johnson also has been placed on the 14-day injured reserve, putting Macon down another top forward.
Rivera’s streak: Macon’s Mark Rivera recorded another assist, his sixth in as many games.
They said it
Mayhem head coach Kevin Kerr on the second loss in a row: “We’re not playing playoff hockey right now. We’re going backwards. We’re taking things for granted, and there’s a team (Columbus) that’s fighting for their lives and for the playoffs. Our guys are on cruise control, and you won’t be able to turn it around come playoff time. We hung on to get a point, but we should have had two. But when you’re playing catch up the whole game, it’s not easy.”
Kerr on the Columbus fighting for to playoffs in spite of off-ice adversity: “They’re fighting for their lives. They’ve gone through a lot of stuff this year. They’re talking about an ownership change and had a bus crash. They have a lot to play for and are doing a great job. (Head coach) Jerome Bechard has those guys dialed in ... that could be a first-round matchup (for us).”
What’s next?
The Mayhem play Saturday at Columbus and host Knoxville on Sunday.
This story was originally published March 17, 2017 at 11:57 PM with the headline "Macon falls in overtime to Columbus."