Game 33: Ice at Dubuque

The Indiana Ice are the hottest team in America right now, with seven straight victories and 11 games without a regulation loss.

Tonight, they go to face the team where the regulation streak started, facing the Dubuque Fighting Saints -- this time in Dubuque.

The 11-game streak began when the Ice swept two games from Dubuque, the defending Clark Cup champs who are in third place in the Eastern Conference, five points back of the Ice. Indiana is fresh off a 4-2 victory at Chicago in which Robert Polosello (six) and Sean Kuraly (seven) extended scoring streaks, and Polosello tallied his seventh and eighth goals of the season, and Kuraly his 19th. Newcomer Kirill Lebedev scored in his first game as an Iceman.

While the Ice have a high-powered offense with 20-goal scorer Daniil Tarasov and 19-goal scorer Kuraly, Dubuque is led by one of the USHL's most dynamic players in Zemgus Girgensons, who has 27 points in 25 games. We also will see old friend Cody Bradley, who has flourished in Dubuque with 10 points in 13 games.

This is the last game before a three-game, three-city weekend that will see the Ice play at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Muskegon and Green Bay next week.

Tonight's game
Indiana Ice (21-7-4)
at 
Dubuque Fighting Saints (19-10-3)
8:05 p.m., Mystique Community Ice Center, Dubuque, Iowa


Broadcast: ushl.fasthockey.com

Season series: Ice lead 2-0
Dec. 10: Ice 3, Dubuque 2 (at Pepsi Coliseum): Sean Kuraly 3G, Daniil Tarasov & Robbie Baillargeon 2A, Jon Gillies 41sv (Ice); Mike Matheson, Ryan Siro G, Gabe Antoni 17sv (Dub).
Dec. 9: Ice 6, Dubuque 1 (at Pepsi Coliseum): Jacob Fallon 3A, Christian Hilbrich 2G, Robbie Baillargeon, Daniil Tarasov, Ryan Cole G/A each. Jon Gillies 26sv (Ice); Teddy Doherty G (Dub)

Tale of the Tape
Ice (21-7-4, 2nd USHL East)  
Head coach: Kyle Wallack
GF: 116 (t2nd). GA: 84 (t2nd)
PP: 30.4% (1st). PK: 87.26 % (2nd) PIM: 553 (10th)
OT record: 3-2 SO record: 1-2
Road record: 10-2-3
Leading scorers: Daniil Tarasov (20-22-42), Sean Kuraly (19-14-33), Robbie Baillargeon (11-19-30), Jacob Fallon (9-21-30). 
Leading +/-: Daniil Tarasov (+19), Alex Barron (+19), Ryan Obuchowski (+17)
Leading PIM: Woody Hudson (73), Daniil Tarasov (59), R.J. Boyd (53)
Leading goaltender: Jon Gillies (19-5-4, 2.28 GAA, .928sv%, 2 SHO), Dalton Izyk (2-2-0, 3.43 GAA, .888 sv%)
Last 5: 5-0-0. Last 10: 8-0-2
Last 5
1/20: at Chicago (W 4-2)
1/13: vs. USA U18 (W 4-3)
1/7: vs. Youngstown (W 4-1)
1/6: at Waterloo (W 3-2)
12/31: vs. Youngstown (W 3-0)



Fighting Saints (19-10-3, 3rd USHL East)
Head coach: Jim Montgomery
GF: 98 (11th). GA: 84 (t2nd)
PP: 19.1% (8th). PK: 87.32% (1st). PIM: 495 (4th)
OT record: 1-2 SO record: 2-1
Home record: 10-2-2
Leading scorers: Zemgus Girgensons (9-11-20), Shane Sooth (3-17-20), Tyler Lundey (10-13-23), T.J. Moor (7-16-23)
Leading +/-: Matthew Caito (+11), Jake Downing (+7)
Leading PIM: Matt Youso (68), Mike Matheson (42), Michael Downing (42)
Leading goaltender: Matt Morris (8-4-2, 2.13 GAA, .913 sv%)
Last 5: 2-2-1. Last 10: 5-3-2

Ice next 5 games
12/21: at Dubuque
12/27: vs. Chicago (at Bankers Life Fieldhouse)
12/28: at Muskegon
12/29: at Green Bay
2/3: at Green Bay

A smashing debut & 7 straight

New Iceman Kirill Lebedev scored the game's first goal tonight and the Ice won their seventh straight game -- and extended their regulation unbeaten streak to 11 games (9-0-2) in a 4-2 victory over the Chicago Steel on the road tonight. 

Lebedev scored the game's first goal, giving the Ice a 1-0 lead after a period. Former Steel defenseman R.J. Boyd and Robbie Baillargeon -- who each assisted on Lebedev's goal -- each had two assists on the night. Robert Polosello also scored twice. The Ice -- who possess two of the league's best special teams units -- also scored power play and shorthanded goals in a complete victory.

With Green Bay losing to the USNDTP U18s tonight, the Ice gained two points on the Gamblers and now trail by seven points. The Ice are 21-7-4 with 46 points and a game in hand on GB. The Ice are also five points ahead of Dubuque, whom they visit Saturday night. 

Polosello has caught fire of late, and has tallied a point in six straight games. He scored on a feed from Ryan Obuchowski 1:54 into the second to give the Ice a two-goal cushion. Sean Kuraly added a power play goal four and a half minutes later to give the Ice a 3-0 edge. It was his 19th goal of the year, putting him one behind team leader Daniil Tarasov. Kuraly now has a seven-game point streak going.

Chicago's Bo Pieper and Jacob Slavin scored within the next five minutes to cut the lead to 3-2, but Jon Gillies slammed the door the rest of the night, making 29 saves. He stopped all 10 Chicago shots in the third period, during which Polosello added a shorthanded goal.

Matthias Dahlstrom made 39 saves for Chicago in the loss, as the Ice held a 43-31 shot edge.

Jacob Fallon and Alex Barron were both plus-2 on the night for the Ice.

Tarasov was scoreless, but he got off a whopping 10 shots on goal during the game.

3 stars
1. Robert Polosello (Ice), 2 goals, +1, 2 shots
2. Bo Pieper (Chicago), goal, +1, 2 shots
3. R.J. Boyd (Ice), 2 assists, +1, 1 shot

USHL boxscore