3 min read

PORTLAND — Heading into Game 3 of the ECHL North Division finals, down 2-0 in the series, the Maine Mariners needed a jolt of energy.

Ben Allison, a rookie left winger making his Kelly Cup Playoffs debut on the Mariners’ fourth line, gave Maine its biggest jolt with a goal and two assists.

With some pregame line changes, an efficient power play and a lively home crowd roaring louder after every score, the Mariners found their boost quickly. Maine scored three first-period goals Monday night and cruised to a 6-3 victory over the Wheeling Nailers at Cross Insurance Arena.

Maine assured itself to more home games in the series. Game 4 is at 7 p.m. Tuesday and Game 5 is Wednesday.

“Found out about 20 minutes before morning skate this morning, so it was about 9 o’clock,” Allison said. “Got the tap on the shin pads from the coach, saying I was going, called my Dad, and I was fired up.”

Allison played seven regular-season games with the Mariners after joining the team on March 26 from Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, but the leading scorer in USports (the Canadian governing body of college sports) did not touch the ice in the first nine postseason games.

He called the experience “an investment” and questioned whether grinding through travel and practices to not play was even worth it, but Allison found joy in coming to the rink and helping his teammates prepare.

“If I can do anything for them, and I can work when I’m not (in the lineup) and put a smile on their face for one second, that’s all that I can do, that’s the most important part for me,” he said. “I was fortunate enough to get in today and do my part, and I’m sitting here now so very thankful and fortunate.”

Mariners coach Rick Kowalsky knows it can be difficult for a player who hasn’t seen much recent action to adjust to the playoff environment, but given Wheeling’s playing style, he felt the situation called for the changes. Ryan McGuire, the fourth-line right winger, also made his 2026 postseason debut, while forward Jacob Perrault and defenseman Loke Johansson returned to the ice for the first time since Game 5 of the Adirondack series.

“He can play a power play, and he’s got skill,” Kowlasky said of Allison. “And just with (Wheeling’s) speed and the way they play, we felt he could come in here and make an impact … It’s not really a gut feeling. It’s more of a strategic thing that we thought he could slide in here. And to his credit, he made us look like we knew what we were doing. He did a good job”

The Mariners were 3 for 6 on the power play, with a fourth goal occurring simultaneously with the Nailers returned to even strength. Allison and Andrew Nielsen assisted on Robert Cronin’s extra-man goal to go up 1-0 at 6:58 in the first with the same look as Antonio Venuto’s near power-play goal to go up 5-0 at 9:54 in the second.

Zachary Massicotte scored the second goal of the first period on a knucling shot that was slowed down and eventually knocked in by Wheeling goalie Taylor Gauthier (13 saves).

Allison was called for slashing midway in the first, one of the Nailers’ eight power-play chances. Maine killed the penalty, and sixth others in the game.

As an offensive player who spends his time in the box thinking about breakaway goals, Allison got his chance to rectify the situation 10 seconds after leaving, gathering a pass from Max Andreev off the boards in the neutral zone and outracing his defender before dangling a goal through Gauthier’s five-hole.

Brooklyn Kalmikov netted another power-play goal early in the second period, and Andreev added one more at 7:05 in the third.

Wheeling showed some life with two special-teams goals in the third period, one shorthanded by Zach Urdahl and one man-up by Blake Bennett, but there was little luck getting a puck by Luke Cavallin (36 saves) while the game was still competitive.

“Cav doesn’t show it, but he’s very competitive, and he’s got an internal fire,” Kowalsky said. “And really the decision (to not switch goalies) behind that was, we knew he wasn’t happy with Game 2. Obviously there is some pedigree there, and in what he’s done in the past, and I just told him this morning when he came in, I said, ‘You’re in, need you to bounce back.’ And he did.”