Nick Lappin has a flair for the dramatic, and that’s a perfect fit for playoff hockey.
Lappin, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound rookie who played four seasons for Brown University, scored a pair of goals, including the game-winning power-play goal with 1:20 left in overtime, to lift the Albany Devils over the Toronto Marlies 3-2 Sunday night before a crowd of 3,510 at Times Union Center.
The Devils took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven AHL second-round Calder Cup Playoff series. They square off against the Marlies again Tuesday night at the TUC.
Albany won the game despite spending way too much time in the penalty box. But the Devils’ special teams were superb once again, scoring twice shorthanded and once on the winning power-play goal.
Lappin was all over the ice at crucial times.
“As a coach sometimes, you get a feeling about a player,” Albany Devils head coach Rick Kowalsky said about Lappin. “He’s got a knack around the net. The puck seems to follow him around. He’s got skill, and he always brings the puck toward the net.
“He’s got that knack of being at the right place a the right time. He’s in the lineup over a lot of other older players because he deserves to be.”
If it wasn’t for Lappin’s clutch play at the end of regulation play, the Devils wouldn’t have made it to overtime. Albany was trailing the Marlies 2-1 and Mike Sislo was sent to the penalty box for slashing with 1:34 left in regulation.
Albany pulled goalie Scott Wedgewood with 1:01 left, and the Devils kept the pressure on Toronto goalie Antoine Bibeau. After Damon Severson put a shot on goal, Lappin wrested in the rebound with just 21 seconds left in regulation to send the game into OT.
“We were just trying to score at the end of the game,” said Lappin, who scored 51 goals in his four seasons at Brown and added three in 12 games this season. “Sever [Severson] got the puck and put it on net. I was there for the rebound.
“I thought we had the momentum in overtime,” Lappin said. “Then I was lucky to get a chance in overtime to get it done again. I just try to get to the net when the puck goes out on top. I couldn’t be more thankful to be part of this team in the playoffs.”
Albany took a 1-0 lead in the first period on Rod Pelley’s first goal of the playoffs. He took a perfect pass from Sislo on a 2-on-1 break and deposited the puck past Bibeau for the shorthanded goal.
Toronto evened the score on a spinning wrister by Josh Leivo. The puck just slid past Wedgewood 3:50 into the second period.
The Marlies grabbed a 2-1 edge on William Nylander’s second goal of the playoffs at 8:30 of the third period when his slap shot from the left circle found the corner of the net.
Kowalsky was proud of his special teams once again. The Devils killed all eight Marlies power plays — not surprising since they’ve killed 95.5 percent of them in the playoffs. But he’s concerned about being in the box too much.
“Way too many penalties than we want,” he said. “We’re playing with fire there.”
Kowalsky said his team will take advantage of the day off today to get some rest in preparation of Game 4 of the series Tuesday.
Toronto 0 1 1 0 — 2
Albany 1 0 1 1 — 3
First period — 1, Albany, Pelley 1 (Sislo), 8:33 (SH). Penalties — Sislo Alb (high-sticking), 5:20; O’Neill Alb (slashing), 8:08; Leipsic Tor (high-sticking), 10:45; Hyman Tor (slashing), 17:41; Kelly Alb (slashing), 17:41.
Second period — 2, Toronto, Leivo 1 (unassisted) 3:50. Penalties — Thompson Alb (slashing), 5:28; Percy Tor (high-sticking), 19:27.
Third period – 3, Toronto, Nylander 2 (Percy, Holl), 8:30. 4, Albany, Lappin 2 (Severson), 19:39 (SH). Penalties — Kelly Alb (tripping), 4:07; O’Neill Alb (high-sticking), 6:25; Boucher Alb (delay of game), 13:51; Holl Tor (holding), 15:18; Sislo Alb (slashing), 18:26.
Overtime — 5 Albany, Lappin 3 (O’Neill, Gragnani), 18:40 (PP). Penalties — Leipsic Tor (diving/embellishment), 1:22; Gragnani Alb (holding), 1:22; Pietila Alb (holding), 15:41; C. Carrick Tor (kneeing), 18:28.
Shots on goal — Toronto 4-12-7-4 —27. Albany 6-11-10-12 — 39.
Power play opportunities — Toronto 0 for 8; Albany 1 for 4.
Goalies — Toronto, Bibeau 2-1-0 (39 shots-36 saves). Albany, Wedgewood 5-2-0 (27-25).
A—3,510. T—3:11.
Referees — Pierre Lambert, Mark Lemelin. Linesmen — Ryan Daisy, Francois Dussureault.
Categories: -Sports-
