New overtime format doesn’t help RoughRiders

CEDAR RAPIDS - Fans at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena got a look at the United States Hockey League's new overtime rules Saturday night.

If they didn't enjoy them, there's something wrong.

Nathan Sucese's wrist shot with nine seconds left lifted Dubuque past the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, 3-2. Time of the goal was 6:51.

If that doesn't sound right, you need to realize OTs are seven minutes long now. The first three minutes, or at least until there's a whistle after the first three minutes, are played four players aside.

If no one scores, the remainder of overtime is 3-on-3. That's a whole lot of ice for guys to maneuver and make plays.

'It's crazy,” said RoughRiders defenseman Jack Ahcan. 'There are so many things you've got to do. You've got to play defense and offense at the same time. You've just got to play with speed. That's the whole thing with it.”

The idea is to try and make games that end in shootouts as few as possible. Let more than just a goaltender and shooter decide that extra standings point.

'It's definitely exciting,” said Riders Coach Mark Carlson. 'I think it's a good thing. Skating ability is really important, and strength, I think. You've got to be on the right side of people.”

Cedar Rapids (5-1-1, 11 points) opened the scoring on Ahcan's first USHL goal, on the power play at 9:45 of the first period. The defenseman, who finished with a stunning nine shots on goal, skated down the right side on an odd-man rush and took a wrister that eked between the pads of Dubuque goalie Hunter Miska.

The Fighting Saints tied it on an Evan Smith power-play goal six minutes later and took the lead with 46.2 seconds remaining in the period on a long backhander from Charlie Combs that somehow beat Riders goalie Ryan Larkin to the glove side.

The game remained that way through two. Cedar Rapids completely dominated the third period, tying it on a Ross Colton power-play goal at the 6:06 mark, taking a pass from the corner and one-timing a shot in the slot past Miska.

The RoughRiders outshot Dubuque in the third, 16-3, having numerous opportunities to get the go-ahead goal. In OT, Sucese broke down right wing on a 2-on-1 and beat Larkin to end it.

'I really liked our third period,” Carlson said. 'That was good, definitely a positive.”

'We dominated them from the start of the third period,” Ahcan said. 'But they got one break, and that's how it goes, I guess.”

This was the first time in over a year the RoughRiders lost a game in either OT or a shootout. It didn't happen at all last season.

They have just one game next weekend, on Saturday at home against Sioux Falls.

l Comments: (319) 398-8259; jeff.johnson@thegazette.com