At Ljubljana’s Hala Tivoli, in front of 2,000 spectators (including around thirty Milano fans), Milano fell to a narrow defeat in a game the hosts took control of in the first period before struggling to hold off the visitors’ comeback. Once again, a solid overall performance was not enough to earn points. Lindquist scored twice, and Grant was named Milano’s player of the game.
FIRST PERIOD 3-1 Milano were without Smith, resting for a few days after Friday night’s scare. Berti started in goal, with Tomasello as backup. Allison and Finoro were also out. Shedden reshuffled the lines in search of better balance between offence and defence. The start was far from encouraging: Ljubljana scored on practically their first two chances. First on the power play, with a precise cross-ice shot from Meyer, then at even strength, with a shot from the blue line by Urbas that caught Berti by surprise. Just over a minute later, the new-look fourth line of Hannoun, Chiodo and Lindquist cut the deficit: a nice finish under the crossbar by the Swede left Horak no chance. Soon after, Milano paid dearly for their second penalty of the night. With McKegg in the box, Mahkovec first hit the post, then on his second attempt found the bottom corner on the near side. After four goals in eight minutes, the game settled down, though momentum stayed with the Slovenians. Before the horn, there was time for a third power play, which the hosts failed to convert.
SECOND PERIOD 2-2 The middle frame had no shortage of action. Milano kept giving up too much at the back, but picked up the pace and shot more often. The goals kept coming: in the sixth minute, Olimpija went up 4-1 through Mehle, who finished off a quick give-and-go with Gomboc. Milano’s response was fierce: McLaughlin beat Horak with a backhand on a feed from Houde. Caamano followed suit shortly after, slipping the puck through the Slovenian goaltender’s pads to put the game back in the balance. In the eighteenth minute, Ljubljana stepped on the gas: shots rained in, the defence blocked two, and the third, from an impossible angle, ended up in the back of the net. Mahkovec again got the goal. Late in the period, Milano laid siege to the green-and-white net on a power play: the set play to free up Grant for a shot worked, but the Canadian defenceman’s repeated attempts were turned away. The teams headed into the second intermission with the hosts leading 5-3.
THIRD PERIOD 0-1 Milano didn’t give up. The final frame was even in both play and chances. The Slovenians hit the crossbar through Crnovic. Milano came close through Wylie in traffic, then scored on the power play, with Lindquist tipping in a Dal Colle shot from close range — further proof that Milano are always dangerous with the man advantage. The all-out push at the end did not reward the courage of Shedden’s men, who kept battling in front of the net until the final horn. On Tuesday the road trip continues in Hungary, against Hydro Fehérvár AV19.
