Flint Generals @ Kalamazoo Wings ... 1-14

[PigOut]

IHL/Game Stats -
http://www.pointstreak.com/stats/pro/boxscore.html?gameid=734857

[PigOut]

Wings Website -
http://www.wingsstadium.com/news/2008/01-14_gamerecap_Flint.htm

JARVIS CASHES IN

Defenseman Rob Jarvis Snaps K-Wings' Three-Game Losing Streak with OT Winner

Mike Modugno-Director of Public Relations and Broadcaster

January 14, 2009

Kalamazoo, MI – It took two full weeks for the Kalamazoo Wings to register their first power-play goal of 2009, but as it turned out the wait was well worth it.

Rob Jarvis (8th) ripped a wrist shot from the top of the left circle off the post and in at 4:10 of overtime to give the K-Wings a 3-2 sudden victory over the visiting Flint Generals Wednesday night. The four-on-three marker came on the K-Wings’ eighth overtime shot and was Jarvis’ third game-winner of the season, tying him with the injured Lucas Drake for the team lead.

Jason Tapp was strong between the pipes for Kalamazoo, turning 34 of 36 Flint shots aside for the victory. Justin Cross earned two assists, including the primary helper on Jarvis’ OT dagger.

A relatively quiet first period featured two penalties – both to Kalamazoo – and a goal for each club. Flint grabbed the game’s initial tally when defenseman A.J. Bozoian (5th) pinched into the high slot to one-time a Josef Fojtik dish pass into the upper-left corner of the net at 6:03.

The K-Wings were able to counter at 14:29 on Tommy Lange’s 13th goal of the season, set up by fellow rookies Jarvis and John Miller. Following a face-off win, Jarvis snapped a shot on goal from the right point and Lange was able to corral the rebound and bury it past Generals’ goaltender Chad Alban.

In the second period, the penalty balance swung the other way, as Flint was whistled for three minors. Although Kalamazoo was unable to score a man advantage goal during those chances, it did strike during a delayed penalty situation. With an extra Kalamazoo skater on the ice, defenseman Casey Handrahan (2nd) crept in from his point position to take a pass from Cross as he was cycling in the left corner. Handrahan’s first shot was stopped, but he managed to flip the second chance into the top of the goal at 11:41.

Despite two more power plays for Kalamazoo in the third frame, it was Flint that generated the better scoring chances. The Generals’ efforts paid off at 12:48, when Zach Pearson (4th) cruised down the slot on his backhand, turned to the forehand and stashed a shot past Tapp’s blocker hand.

The third period would expire with no further scoring, so the teams skated four-on-four in a five-minute sudden death overtime period. Ryan Jorde’s tripping penalty at 2:44 set up the K-Wings for the eventual winning tally.

Kalamazoo finished the contest 1-for-6 on the man advantage, while Flint came up dry in two attempts. Alban was credited with 39 saves on 42 shots in the losing effort.

[PigOut]

Generals Website -
http://www.flintgenerals.com/

Generals Get Hard Earned Point In OT

Thursday, 15 January 2009

Kalamazoo, MI - The Flint Generals of the International Hockey League get a much needed and hard earned point in a 3-2 overtime loss against the Kalamazoo Wings in front of 2,168 at Wings Stadium on Wednesday night.

Flint opened the scoring when defenseman A.J. Bozoian (5) took perfect pass from Josef Fojtik while moving into the slot and beat Wings' goaltender Jason Tapp at 6:03 for a 1-0 lead. Kalamazoo tied it up when Tommy Lange (13) scored at 14:29 for a 1-1 score after 20 minutes of play.

Kalamazoo scored the only goal of the second period as defenseman Casey Handrahan (2) connected at 11:41 for the 2-1 Wings lead. In the third period, the Generals tied it on an goal by Zach Pearson (4), who made a move from the backhand to the forehand and snapped a quick shot past Tapp for the 2-2 score. It would stay that way until 4:10 of overtime when Wings defenseman Rob Jarvis (8) rifled a shot, top-shelf on the power play, to beat goaltender Chad Alban and the Generals 3-2.

With the point, the Generals improve their record to 12-24-2-2, 28 points and 5th place in the IHL standings. Kalamazoo improves to 22-13-0-0, 44 points good for second place in the IHL.

[PigOut]

Flint Newspaper -
http://www.mlive.com/generals/index.ssf/2009/01/flint_generals_fall_32_in_over.html

Flint Generals Fall 3-2 in Overtime

by Brendan Savage | The Flint Journal

Wednesday January 14, 2009

KALAMAZOO — Getting a point on the road is almost always a good thing for a hockey team.

Unfortunately for the Flint Generals, they need more than just a .500 showing if they're going to have any chance of climbing into the International Hockey League playoff race.

"I said that after the game," coach Bobby Reynolds said tonight after his team lost 3-2 in overtime to the Kalamazoo Wings before 2,168 at Wings Stadium

"We got one (point) here but we have to win the next two. We have to look at getting five points this weekend. We have to play .600 hockey the rest of the year to make the playoffs.

"We play three games a week and we have to start winning two of three."

The Generals tied it to force overtime when Zach Pearson (4) scored with 7:12 left in regulation. But in OT, referee Bob Langdon called the only minor penalty of the extra session on Flint and the Generals paid for it.

With Flint defenseman Ryan Jorde in the penalty box for tripping, Rob Jarvis (8) scored with 50 seconds left in OT to help Kalamazoo snap a four-game losing streak and saddle the Generals with their third straight loss.

"I said we're the only team that gets penalties in overtime," Reynolds said. "The shot went post and in. When things aren't going well, those things seem to happen. You have to call it. But they were both cutting across the middle, the (Kalamazoo) guy tried to get out of the way and they locked skates.

"We actually played pretty well, Unfortunately we made three mistakes and they went in the net. We had our chances. Literally, we made three defensive mistakes and they all went in the net."

Defenseman A.J. Bozoian (5) opened the scoring for Flint at 6:03 of the first period before Tommy Lange (13) tied it for Kalamazoo eight minutes later. It stayed that way until midway through the second, when Casey Handrahan (2) gave the K-Wings a 2-1 lead heading to the third.

Chad Alban made 39 saves for the Generals, who fell to 12-24-2-2 and lead last-place Bloomington by three points. Kalamazoo (22-13) moved within three points of first-place Port Huron.

In General: The game marked the Flint debut of forward Jordan Boman, who had 14 goals and 15 assists in 14 games with the Detroit Dragons of the AAHA before the team folded. Reynolds said Boman fit right in on Flint's third forward line. ... Flint's Steve Rymsha, who was stopped on a penalty shot with 5:02 left in regulation, saw his 14-game point streak end. ... Greg Bullock's point streak ended at 10. ... Long-time Flint season-ticket holder Warren Hostetler died Tuesday after a short battle with cancer. ... Flint waived forward Mark Versteeg-Lytwyn, who was claimed by Fort Wayne. ... Kalamazoo is 9-1 vs. the Generals this season.

[PigOut]

Kalamazoo Newspaper -
http://www.mlive.com/kwings/index.ssf/2009/01/rookie_jarvis_pops_in_gamewinn.html#more

Rookie Jarvis Pops in Game-Winner For K-Wings

by Pam Shebest | Kalamazoo Gazette

January 15, 2009

KALAMAZOO -- Rob Jarvis wouldn't have been goalie Jason Tapp's first pick to score the overtime game-winner, but that's exactly what the rookie defenseman did to give the Kalamazoo Wings a 3-2 win against the Flint Generals Wednesday night.

"He made a great shot," Tapp said. "He hit the post. The goalie (Chad Alban) was screened, had a guy in front. That's the kind of goals you've got to score on the power play.

"Get some traffic, shoot some pucks and hope some get through. We've been struggling here the last couple of games and we need those ugly goals. It was a nice placed shot, I'll give him that."

The rookie wasn't surprised at all that he scored the game-winner, his team-high third, tying him with Lucas Drake.

"I felt I played well tonight, and I felt like I had a few chances out there and I was skating well. I did actually feel there was a chance that I might pop one in and it did come true. A little bit of luck, maybe, but any one of us could have scored it."

The game-winner was the K-Wings' (22-13-0-0) first power-play tally since Dec. 31.
"Rob Jarvis played a pretty good game," K-Wings coach Nick Bootland said. "I'm happy with the result and the win, but I'm certainly not happy with the way we played tonight (as a team).

"(Jarvis) had been playing well and had been moving the puck up ice really well, so I knew I was going to use him on the 4-on-3. I know he doesn't have a problem shooting the puck and he knows when to shoot the puck."

Jarvis' game-winner might not have been needed if Tapp hadn't come up with a huge save with 5:02 left in regulation and the score tied 2-2.

Flint's (12-24-2-2) Steve Rymsha, who leads the International Hockey League with 25 goals was awarded a penalty shot -- which Tapp turned away, bringing alive the Wings Stadium crowd of 2,168.

"I watched what he did against Marty (K-Wings goalie Joel Martin) in the shootout here a few weeks ago," Tapp said. "Not too many guys beat Marty with a deke. I wanted to take away that option with a poke check.

"I had that in the back of my mind, forcing him to do something different out of his comfort zone. He's a great hockey player, so it was a save at a great time."

Tommy Lange and Casey Handrahan also scored for the K-Wings, their two goals sandwiched between the game's first tally by AJ Bozoian and a third-period score by Zach Pearson.

Although the win snapped the team's three-game losing skid, Bootland wasn't happy with his team's play.

"I'm pretty disappointed that we were 0-3 last week, and that's the way we came out and the mistakes we were making," he said. "We need to be better than that, and I expect us to be better than that."

Tapp agrees.

"I think we were fortunate to get the win tonight," he said. "We know we didn't play particularly well. We certainly have to play a lot better going forward.

"It stops a slide. No team likes to lose one game, and we lost three in a row and we're not happy with that. Then we didn't put out a great effort tonight, so we have to make sure we come to work (this) morning and get better for Friday (at Fort Wayne).

Wednesday's game was the 35th for the K-Wings, more than most of the rookies, including Jarvis, have played in a season of college hockey.

"I'm still feeling good, so I guess my body's holding up pretty well," said Jarvis, who added that he can see improvement in his own game since the beginning of the season.

"I'm understanding the game, simplifying it more," he said. "I think at the beginning, I was trying to do too much out there, trying to keep the puck longer than I should.

"This is obviously a quicker game than in college. Making quicker plays and smarter plays is the biggest difference. I'm trying to do that every game. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't."

Jarvis said he misses the challenge of college.

"I actually miss going to class and having the mental aspect," he said. "I think maybe one day I'll go back. For now, hockey's good and time management is pretty easy. In the future I'll have to balance it once again.

Jarvis credited his veteran defensive partner Rod Aldoff for helping him.

"He's been around this league and many leagues for quite a while," Jarvis said. "His experience and wisdom has paid off, for sure."