Good defense beats good offense more often than not, at least that is the lesson of the Air Force-Canisius series recently.
Air Force is 7-2-2 in its past 11 meetings with Canisius, including 3-1 this season, heading into Friday’s Atlantic Hockey semifinal. Granted the Golden Griffins were without two top-line players in the teams’ February series, but AFA was missing key forwards Evan Feno and Matt Pulver as well as defenseman Kyle Mackey.
Falcons leading scorer Erik Baskin (26 points) would be tied for fourth on Canisius’ scoring list, but AFA goaltender Billy Christopoulos has slightly better stats (20-14-5, 2.17 GAA, .916) than counterpart Daniel Urbani (17-4-1, 2.73, .918).
Air Force does it with defense, allowing only 2.31 goals per game, half a goal less than Canisius. But the Golden Griffins, who favor a wide-open high-risk, high-reward style, score substantially more (3.16 to 2.62 gpg). Canisius has a big edge on the power play (22.2 percent to 13), but Air Force boasts a better penalty kill (83.1 percent to 82.3).
With the benefit of The Flight Path’s time machine, here’s a look back the teams’ first four meetings this season.
Oct. 22, Air Force 3, Canisius 1 (at Buffalo)
This might have been the Falcons’ best win of the first half. Matt Serratore and Zack Mirageas scored power-play goals around an even-strength strike by Matt Pulver. AFA outshot the Golden Griffins 36-25. This game also saw the Falcons’ run of injuries continue when center Tyler Ledford went down with a knee injury that kept him out until December.
Oct. 23, Canisius 3, Air Force 2 (at Buffalo)
The Falcons chased the scoreboard almost the entire game, getting tying goals from Kyle Mackey and newly minted center Pulver, but giving up a short-handed goal early in the third period. Otherwise the game was fairly even. This kicked off a 2-7-2 skid to end the first half.
Feb. 16, Air Force 7, Canisius 4
This qualifies as the Falcons’ craziest game (in a good way) this season. Ledford scored in the first minute, but then AFA’s usually reliable penalty kill gave up three power-play goals in a row to AHC’s first-place team. So how did the Falcons respond? They scored the next six goals – two by Serratore. This was also notable because it’s the only time this season the Falcons won when allowing more than three goals.
Feb. 17, Air Force 3, Canisius 2
The Falcons gave up an early second-period goal, then bounced back with three in a row – including the second in two nights by Jordan Himley. Ben Kucera, whose every goal seems to be a clutch one, had what proved to the winner as the Falcons and Billy Christopoulos survived a 14-5 shot barrage in the third period. The series sweep catapulted the Falcons into fourth in AHC, a feat almost unthinkable in December due to the deluge of injuries.
©First Line Editorial 2017-18
