GAME 8 PREVIEW: BATON ROUGE KINGFISH AT FRESNO FALCONS

KINGFISH BEGIN SERIES WITH FALCONS

The Baton Rouge Kingfish begin a two-game series with the Fresno Falcons tonight at Selland Arena.

It's the first ever battle between the Kingfish and the Falcons. Both clubs are among the six new franchises in the FPHL this season.  

It's the middle stop of Baton Rouge's seven-game road trip. The Kingfish swept the Stockton Thunder, 3-1 and 5-4, in overtime, last weekend. Next weekend, the road swing concludes with a three-in-three in Binghamton. 

BROADCAST COVERAGE

Kingfish Pregame at 8:50 p.m.

Streaming: Free-to-watch video on YouTube at
www.youtube.com/@BatonRougeKingfish 

LAST TIME OUT

Tyler Williams scored 2:02 into overtime to give the Kingfish a 5-4 win against the Stockton Thunder last Saturday night at Adventist Health Arena. 

The Kingfish fell behind, 2-0, inside the opening five minutes of the game but battled back to tie the contest before the end of the first period. Jason Brancheau buried a breakaway at 7:03 and then Scott Shorrock laced a perfect, bar-down, shot with 1:23 remaining in the first.

Early in the second, the Thunder reclaimed the lead on a scramble play in front of the Kingfish net. Baton Rouge responded with a powerplay goal from Jake Cox to level the score again, 3-3. 

Shorrock put the Kingfish in front for the first  time 95 seconds into the final frame. However, their advantage lasted just 14 seconds, as the Thunder responded to knot the contest, 4-4. We headed to overtime.

In the three-on-three extra session, Williams grabbed the puck, charged down the right wing and snapped a gloveside wrist shot into the back of the net for the game winner.  .

WILD BILL PROVIDES THE OT THRILL

Forward Tyler Williams scored  his first professional overtime goal to collect the extra point for Baton Rouge against Stockton, 5-4, last Saturday. 

The 26-year-old from South Lyon, Michigan, ranks third among Kingfish skaters with nine points and has appeared on the scoresheet in six of the club's first seven games.

GREAT SCOTT!

Scott Shorrock racked up a remarkable six points (2g, 4a) in last weekend's sweep of the Thunder. He's now pacing the team with seven assists and is tied with Jake Cox for the club lead in points (11). 

Shorrock, 27, is riding a four-game point streak entering tonight's game and has been held scoreless just once this season.

COX COLLECTS ANOTHER

Jake Cox extended his goal streak to three games with a powerplay goal on Saturday night.

The former Southern New Hampshire University Penman is the first Baton Rouge skater to score in three consecutive contests this season. 

Cox's goal also provided a huge jolt to the Kingfish powerplay. It was their first man advantage goal in 23 attempts.  

PUNISHING ON THE PENALTY KILL

Baton Rouge was perfect in five opportunities on the penalty kill last weekend against Stockton. The Thunder entered the weekend with the third-best powerplay in the league. 

It's the first time the Kingfish have held an opponent's powerplay scoreless in a series this season.

Overall, the Kingfish penalty kill ranks third in the league with an 87.8% success rate.

SCOUTING THE FALCONS

Fresno (12 pts) enters tonight's contest as the top team in the Frontier Division and Western Conference. 

The Falcons are both the league’s highest-scoring team, averaging 6.28 goals per game, and its most penalized team, averaging 33.4 penalty minutes per game.

Forward Aaron Huffnagle is the FPHL leader in points (20) and assists (13). He's recorded at least two points in every game this season and has totaled 11 points across his last three outings.

Austyn Roudebush is 4-0-0 in the crease with a 2.00 goals-against average and .939 save percentage.