In a goaltending duel that lasted into the fourth round of the shootout, Steelheads goaltender Branden Komm had the last laugh as the Idaho Steelheads (2-3-1) defeated the Reading Royals (3-1-1), 3-2 in the middle game of their three-game series.
Komm stopped 32 shots, three of them in overtime, and all four shootout attempts to earn his first win of the season in front of 3,235 fans at CenturyLink Arena. He sealed the win with a poke-check on Reading’s Steven Swavely on the game’s final attempt.
Rookie Will Merchant was the only player to succeed in the shootout, beating Reading goaltender Mark Dekanich with a backhand deke in the fourth round. Dekanich was strong all night for Reading, stopping 41 shots on the evening.
The Steelheads and Royals wrap up their series at CenturyLink Arena on Saturday night, with the Steelheads looking for their first back-to-back wins of the season and to move back to .500. Puck-drop is scheduled for 7:10pm MT.
