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BLAZERS FIRE PAST KNIGHTHAWKS, 14-8

Boston wins third straight to even record at 3-3

02/06/2010

By Chris DiMatteo for NLL.com

The Boston Blazers (3-3) won their third straight home game Saturday night in front of 7,546 fans at TD Garden against the Rochester Knighthawks (3-3) by the final score of 14-8. The game brings both teams to a tie for third place in the East Division.

The Knighthawks were the first to score in the game but the Blazers answered with a goal seven seconds later, when rookie defenseman Matt Abbott scored his first goal in the pros. Boston later took a 2-1 lead on the power-play.

The Blazers were able to score on four of their six power-plays after not having converted any the previous week. Blazers captain Dan Dawson thinks the difference this week was being able to complete the play.

"We've had some great looks on our power-play but we just haven't had the chance to bury them, so that was the biggest difference. The looks we had all season, tonight we actually buried (them)," said Dawson.

Dawson believes Boston's strong performance the past three weeks is because the team's poor start has lit a spark in them.

"We are a very motivated group. Starting off 0-3 behind the eight-ball was real tough, but we have a bunch of hungry guys in our dressing room. Every week is a new challenge.

We've got to face Rochester again, and they're going be a new team so we are just going to stay hungry," said
Dawson.

Although, the Knighthawk's aggressive defense was able to stop Boston from setting up an offense, the Blazers were successful with their transition game. During the second quarter, the Blazers outscored Rochester 4-2 - three of which were by Dawson - to make the game 6-3 at the
end of the first half.

Boston scored just 56 seconds into the third with a goal by forward Nick Cotter and kept up the scoring throughout the rest of the half. The Knighthawks were able to set up their offense, but could not produce goals or get the shots they needed.

Rochester forward Shawn Williams believes the unproductive performance could be due to being on the road, but also poor warm up.

"There is just a different feeling we've had over the last couple games on the road as opposed to at home... There is something lacking going into the game. We are saying all the right things and preparing the right way, we just get into the warm up and it seems like a lackluster warm up. That is a tough way to start, especially on the road," said Williams.

Williams believes that everyone is doing all they can, but their problems come when people do not play conservatively.

"It is not that people aren't giving 100 percent. I think it's just decisions, and anytime you get behind in any sport, obviously you are going to do things that you probably should not do.

Whether it is trying to go for that extra check... or try to rush something on offense. You tend to do things the way you should not and once you get behind on the road it is tough to come back," said Williams.

It looked as though the game had changed in the fourth quarter, as Rochester nearly came back to tie the game. Strong performances by forwards John Grant and Gary Gait brought the score to 10-8, but Boston came back and expanded the lead.

Within the last two minutes of the game the Knighthawks pulled their goalie, which allowed Boston to score on the empty net and put the game out of reach.

Boston scored four unanswered goals to end the game.

Dawson had an excellent game, recording four goals and four assists, and forward Daryl Veltman tacked on two goals and four assists. Goalie Anthony Cosmo stopped 34 of 42 shots while between the pipes.

Rochester's determination to win was certainly there and could be see in the performances of Grant, who had four goals and two assists, and Gait, who had three goals and one assist. Williams also chipped in with 4 assists.

Aaron Bold started the night in net for the Knighthawks and stopped 30 of the 39 shots he faced. Pat O'Toole relieved him in the third and stopped nine of 14 shots in 19:50 of playing time.

Boston's Kyle Ross complimented his team's offense, but believed more credit was due to the defense.

"Our defense and goaltending played great, holding a team with that much offensive talent to 8 goals is an accomplishment in itself," said Ross.

Ross believes the team's success will count on a continued powerful performance by the defense.

"We're just going to have to stay consistent... Committing on defense seems to be working for us so we are just going to have to stay with that," said Ross.

The two teams will meet again next Saturday in Rochester's Blue Cross Arena at 2:05pm ET.

Williams believes that in order for the Knighthawks to win their next game, they must get back to the basics.

"We have to get back to our game plan. It is a tough thing to say... Other teams seem to be doing it to us, and it is time we stick to our game defensively and offensively through the transition," said Williams, adding that if Rochester can they will be very successful.

"If we play our game, there are not too many teams that can beat us. Not to take anything away from Boston, but we definitely beat ourselves early on."