Palidwor shuts the door on Toronto
Express drops Rock, 15-9, on stellar netminding
Joe Fee (Outsider's Guide Game Correspondent)

The Montreal Express surprised the Toronto Rock on Friday night with a 15-9 victory in front of an announced crowd of 9,339 at the Molson Centre.

Curtis Palidwor was named the game's first star for his 58-save performance, which put the Express in strong position for making the playoffs.

The Express jumped on starting goaltender Anthony Cosmo in the first quarter, chasing him to the bench in just less than ten minutes. Todd Richard opened the scoring at 1:36 for Montreal but D'Arcy Berthiaume was called for an illegal crosscheck on the ensuing faceoff. Mike Murray converted on the power play thirty-five seconds later.

Bruce Codd started a run of four straight goals for Montreal seventeen seconds later. Tracey Kelusky scored on a bouncer from the point at 7:28. The ball must have hit the ground a yard from the crease line and still nailed the top corner. Codd got another at 8:54 with a really pretty play. He posted up on the crease, took a diagonal pass from Aime Caines over the shoulder, turned his stick over, and beat Cosmo long side. Steve Penny made it 5-1 which chased Cosmo at 9:57. Jim Veltman did a nice job press checking in the last part of the quarter. He made a couple of steals but couldn't convert them into goals.

Dan Stroup got one back at 1:21 of the second quarter but Codd and Kelusky hooked up for another beauty at 3:43. Codd again got to the crease when Kelusky fed him from the wing with one of his patented backhand passes and completed the early hat trick. Rodd Squire went off for a hold at the seven-minute mark but the Rock penalty killers did a nice job to nullify the foul. Veltman hit Steve Toll with a long bomb out of the defensive zone. Toll had cheated up the floor when the ball was loose and converted the breakaway at 8:38. Caines was called for a hold twenty seconds later and scrapped with Glenn Clark on the stoppage to boot. Codd fed Peter Lough for the power play goal at 9:26. Richard got his second at 11:40 from Ted Dowling. Kelusky set up Eric Pacey at 12:19. Colin Doyle closed out the scoring in the last minute of the half but Palidwor had 25 saves and Montreal led 9-4.

Berthiaume opened the third quarter with his second stupid penalty on a face off. He went off for interference just four seconds in. Kim Squire went off for an illegal crosscheck on Codd at 1:32 to erase the last part of the advantage. The play was very physical early in the quarter and Shawn Parnell got tagged for checking from behind at the four-minute mark. Palidwor made a terrific post to post save on Stroup during the power play.

We all held our breath at the 5:38 mark when a Toronto rocket came off the pipe and struck referee Mark Triniastich right in the face. He got up and walked off under his own power to an ovation from the crowd but had to leave the game. Reports indicated a fractured cheekbone.

The Toronto defense was looking good early and the Express didn't get its first shot on goal of the half until more than six minutes had passed. Doyle got whistled for holding at 6:59 and it took Bruce Alexander just ten seconds to convert from the point. Dowling scored at 11:09 then set up a Jason Crosbie score at 11:41. Bob Watson was yanked at that point and Montreal kept a 12-4 lead through the break.

The Express should consider a name change for their goalie. They should call him Curtis "Shut-The-Door" after shutting out the Rock in the third quarter and then stoning Toll all alone in front in the first minute of the fourth. That was his 43rd save and it spoiled an awesome play by Veltman. The Rock captain snared a loose ball at center, drew a double team, lost the ball, got it back with a great second effort, and made a feed from the faceoff circle to Toll on the crease under heavy pressure.

Pacey went off for roughing at 1:04 but he got Kim Squire to react and take a five-minute major for slashing. Stroup scored at 2:30 during the four-on-four and again at 4:15 while shorthanded. Palidwor did stop Toll on a clean breakaway between those goals and Richard got the power play even while completing his hat trick at 5:06. Brad MacArthur scored at 6:09, waiving Penny off on a two-on-none.

Pacey was stirring it up again when he and Doyle went off for roughing at 6:11. Bartley pulled Cosmo to create a five-on-four in the Montreal end and the gamble worked with Toll scoring at 6:28. Doyle and Pacey were coming out of the box with the ball in the Montreal end and Doyle's door closer to the action. Pacey was desperately trying to catch Doyle and was forced into a tackle, which sent him right back to the sin bin at 8:32. Hat trick! Darryl Gibson converted the power play chance at 9:12.

Cosmo was pulled in favor of an extra forward again but he was on his way back to the cage when Crosbie scored an empty netter at 10:36.

All hell broke loose at 13:23. Kim Squire made a late hit on Codd and Crosbie stood right up with a big slash on Squire. Parnell took Squire down. Doyle came in after Crosbie and they went toe to toe in a good fight along the boards. Sandy Chapman completed the scoring in the last minute of play.

Curtis Palidwor was the first star. Bruce Codd was the second star for his hat trick and his continued loose ball work. Steve Penny was the third star for his stellar defensive play. I have no arguments with that. It was especially nice to see a defender taken for his defense instead of a big scoring burst.

Game Report reprinted with permission from The Outsider's Guide to the NLL. (Original text is here.)