Lumberjacks continue splitting road games
Published on November 2, 2008 under International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release
LUMBERJACKS LINES: The past two-games in two nights weekend smack of much similarity from the previous week's activities for Muskegon's Lumberjacks. Under the dogma according to third year head coach Bruce Ramsay, the icers of Muskegon fortune and fame collected an impressive victory in their original offering before falling to the blue funk of foreign ice for a second consecutive Saturday night. With their 2(1-1-0) record for the second consecutive week, the newly-minted, maiden voyage Lumberjacks have now compiled a 5(3-2-0) record for 6-total points. Muskegon will introduce the season's latest new week residing in fourth place in the IHL's six teams alignment. However, the Jacks have played the fewest number of games in the league with a grand total of only 5. With the repeat of the week for a second straight week, Muskegon trails first place, reigning league champion Fort Wayne 6(5-1-0)10-points, by 4-points with one game in hand on the Komets. Meanwhile, the Lumberjacks are 2-points back of second place Bloomington 6(4-2-0)8-points, also with one game in hand on the Prairie Thunder. Flint begins the new week occupying third place position in the standings 8(3-4-1)7-points. The Jacks do have 3-games in hand on the Generals. Kalamazoo 6(2-4-0)4-points and Port Huron 7(2-5-0)4-points trail Muskegon by 2-points with the home town team having games in hand on both of those rivals as well. In this upcoming work week, for the first time in this inchoate campaign, the Lumberjacks confront 3-games in 3-nights against two separate opponents. This Thursday night, they finally conclude this extended 4-game road expedition with a journey to Flint to be hosted by the Generals. After a two-weeks' absence, Muskegon returns home to the amiable climes and environs of Walker Arena for a Friday night showdown date against league powerhouse Fort Wayne before Flint comes calling for a Saturday night encore engagement at the Lumberjacks "Hockey Barn of Bedlam" located at the downtown historical landmark corner of Fourth Street and W. Western Avenue.
REPEAT THE WEEK: This past week, the Lumberjacks seemed to repeat the week from the week before. For a second consecutive week of league-wide action, they divided a pair of encounters. As they did the previous week, the 'Jacks were especially impressive on Friday night when they strode into Bloomington and derailed the upstart Prairie Thunder express in a 5-2 command performance. However, 24-hours later, for a second successive Saturday night abroad, the team's first period was not exactly exemplary as for a second consecutive week, the Jacks capitulated to 5-opening period strikes stoked by the adversary and succumbed in Kalamazoo to their archrivals, the Wings, 9-5. For the season, Muskegon's record stands at 5(3-2-0) totaling 6-points. Their longest win skein of the campaign has been 2-in a row, paralleling the first two outings of the season; both on home ice. Presently, the Lakeshore sextet has yet to sustain back-to-back defeats. This latest "Ramsay Rendition" has played the least number of games in the IHL at only 5-games.
HOME HIATUS: Due to the extended foreign ice expedition, the Jacks have experienced a prolonged absence from home competition. Sporting a circuit supreme 2(2-0-0) home hall mark, Muskegon has not been seen at the hallowed confines on Muskegon Lake since October 24th and its second game of the embryonic season. That night, they delivered a dynamic 4-2 victory verdict at the expense of Kalamazoo. Only first place Fort Wayne has matched Muskegon's home ice flair for the victory with a faultless 2(2-0-0) home dome mark. Following a two weeks' hiatus, the Jacks will come back home to lock antlers with those meteoric, kinetic Komets this Friday night before Flint makes its initial appearance of the season downtown in our town for some "Saturday Nitro," "Hockey Night in Muskegon!
ROAD WARRIORS WEARY: Having played three consecutive games invading the territory of the enemy, the Lumberjacks will complete the road odyssey this Thursday evening when they trek to Flint to be the guests of the Generals. Through the first 3-games of this travelogue, and for that matter the road season, the Lumberjacks have compiled a record of 3(1-2-0). The lone triumph was extracted from Bloomington the past Friday night, 5-2 while the setbacks they have been saddled with have been incurred on consecutive Saturday nights; a 6-4 shortfall October 25th in Port Huron and a 9-5 undoing November 1st in Kalamazoo.
POTENCY NORMALCY: Through the initial five games of the incipient season, the Lumberjacks have shown-off some revered, feared firepower. In scoring a prolific 22-GF, they are averaging a prominent, proficient 4.40 GFA per game which ranks a lofty third place circuit status. Only first place Fort Wayne 5.83 and second place Bloomington 4.50 have been superior offensively to the Muskegonites. The Lumberjacks have scored a minimum of 4-GF per game in each of their first 5-games thus far. In the first three games, they collected 4-goals in each game. In the last two contests, they have produced prodigiously to the tune of 5-goals in each game.
TWO & THREE SPREE/FIRST WORST: With 5-games now in the early season bookkeeping, the Lumberjacks appear on the verge of establishing some revealing trends; especially at this hour of the year. They have been masterfully majestic in the second and third periods while in sharp, stark contrast, they have been inexplicably inferior in the opening frame. The Jacks are the worst first period team in the league, being outscored, 15-6 overall and 10-3 in three road games; 10-2, alone, in the last 2-Saturday night foreign ice affairs. However, the middle and last stanzas have been predominant for the team in black and gold. Muskegon is the premiere second period team in the IHL, having outscored the embattled and beleaguered opposition, 10-3 overall and 8-3 abroad. It's a Jacks. 6-4 advantage in the final frame of the game.
ELITE STREET STARS: All-Star center Todd Robinson 5(6-4-10) is #9 in the IHL scoring derby with Luke Stauffacher 5(4-3-7) and Darryl McArthur 5(1-6-7) tied for #16 in the circuit. Robinson's 6-goals rank #3 in the loop while his 2-SHG lead the league. Stauffacher shares the circuit's vanguard in GWG with 2 and Robinson's .400 goal-scoring shooting percentage 6/15 ranks runner-up IHL-wide. Maxime Lincourt 5(2-3-5) is 2nd in IHL rookie scoring prowess and his 3-assists rank #3 rookie-wide. McArthur is tied for #2 in IHL scoring among defensemen with his 6-assists also tying him for 2nd best. In the goaltending department, Isaac Reichmuth is 7th in the loop with a 4.50 GAA while his 3-wins equal the top spot in the league.
PIVOT POINTING: Veteran center Todd Robinson has launched his 10th pro season and 8th in Muskegon with his standard high-scoring scourge. The past weekend, "T. Rob" authored an artful 5-points in a pair of outings on 2(3-2-5) with a brilliant +5 rating and 4-SOG. In his team's 5-2 Halloween night triumph in Bloomington, he was hailed the game's #1 Star, engineering a pair of strikes including the key, clutch FG/SHG followed by a third period strike which cemented the success. He was a sterling +4 for the night. Saturday night in Kalamazoo, the Jacks famous #19 essayed 3-points (1-2-3) with 1-SOG and +1 rating. Through 5-games this season, the pre-eminent prince of points playmaking prominent, proficient, prolific pivot has already registered 3-multiple point games and 2-multi-goal performances. Robinson is the Lumberjacks nomination for Pepsi/IHL Player of the Week.
FOR THE DEFENSE: Lumberjacks defenseman Darryl McArthur has been a stout and stellar standout through his club's first 5-games and opening month of the young season. In his first season with Muskegon, the 9-year pro has distinguished himself with impeccable play amplified by a point-production persona. In Muskegon's 4-games for the month of October, he has been the model of consistency and congruity as he collected 6-points on 1-goal, 5-assists with 10-SOG and a team best +8 rating. Moreover, he was a premium plus player in every game played in October including two sterling +3 efforts, October 24th against Kalamazoo and October 31st in Bloomington. Incorporating the team's first outing for November, McArthur is on a season-opening 5-game point streak consisting of 5(1-6-7). McArthur is the Lumberjacks nomination for Pepsi/IHL Player of the Month.
HOLDING "COURT": Talented center Maxime Lincourt has really relished his first month of pro action in the IHL with the Lumberjacks. The QMJHL major junior 'A' prodigy been a pleasant find and discovery for Coach Bruce Ramsay. The past week, he fashioned 3-points in 2-games on 2(1-2-3) with 4-SOG. The savvy center had 1-goal, 1-assist and +2 rating in the Friday night triumph at Bloomington before adding 1-helper on the GTG Saturday night in Kalamazoo. For the month of October he authored scoring points in 3 of 4-games; 4(2-2-4) with 7-SOG and +2 rating. Lincourt has not differentiated either as he was 2(1-1-2) at home and 2(1-1-2) on the road for the month. Lincourt is the Lumberjacks nomination for both Aquafina/IHL Rookie of the Week and Rookie of the Month.
GOAL GUARDING: Goaltender Isaac Reichmuth has emerged this early season as Muskegon's consummate workhorse as the former U. Minnesota-Duluth star has played all but 5:26 of the 2008-09 season. Friday night, in Bloomington, he attained the game's #2 Star in a relief role of remarkable. Rushed in to fill the breech due to injury to Clayton Pool, the human puck detour was bedazzling, rebuffing 36 of 38-shots in spearheading his squadron to an impressive 5-2 decision over the Prairie Thunder. Reichmuth has appeared in all 5-games and has been the starting netminder in 4 of those. Reichmuth is the Lumberjacks nomination for Southern Sports Supply/IHL Goaltender of the Week and Goaltender of the Month.
A GEM FROM GENS: Four-year pro defenseman Matt Gens continues to be an absolutely extraordinary off-season acquisition for the Muskegon locals. The former star at St. Cloud State of the WCHA has never been better than he was Halloween night in Bloomington in his team's 5-2 victory verdict. On that night, the standout member of the 2007 UHL Colonial Cup Champions Rockford IceHogs, fashioned a brilliant +5 rating which equals the season-high for any individual player so far this season.
SPECIAL TEAMS TUNING: The Lumberjacks special teams remain a work in progress at this juncture of the season. The power play, which has produced 1-GF in 4 of the team's first 5-games is ranked 5th in the IHL with a proficiency rating of 15.4% on 4-26. Muskegon has not scored more than 1-PPG in any single game as of yet. The power play is 1 for the last 12 for a conversion rating of 9.2%. In the meantime, the penalty-killing cast has fallen from 1st to 4th in the loop, operating at 82.6% efficiency at 19-23. The Jacks are only 3 for the last 6 in this category for a rating of 50%.
THE MILESTONES MOMENT: Todd Robinson (244) is 6-goals henceforth from 250-pro career goals. Billy Collins (497) needs 3-more PIM or career 500-PIM. Matt Gens (191) is 9-games away from career 200. In his first pro game, debuting rookie center Bill Bagron recorded his first pro point with 1-assist Saturday night in Kalamazoo. Right Wing Chad Costello scored his first ever pro goal Saturday night in Kalamazoo.
FEW FUN FAST FACTS FROM "FIC": When they defeated the Prairie Thunder in Bloomington Friday night, 5-2, Muskegon enhanced its lifetime record there to a superb 14(9-2-3). In 4 of their 5-games this season, the Jacks have surrendered a rather inordinate 15-GA in the first period. In their 2-road games on Saturday night this year, the Jacks have been outscored in the first period, 10-2. Billy Collins has generated 5 of his 6-points this season in the Lumberjacks 3-road games. Luke Stauffacher has delivered the GWG in each of the Jacks last 2-victories. All 3 of the Jacks victories have come when they produce the game's FG; 3(3-0-0).
WEEK'S REWIND: Facing two games in two nights for a second straight week, the Lumberjacks responded with a repeat of the previous week with a 2(1-1-0) mark; winning impressively Friday night before digesting a disappointing defeat, again, on Saturday night. Friday night in Bloomington, the Jacks doused the Thunder, 5-2. Todd Robinson fired a pair of strikes (FG/SHG)IG while Maxime Lincourt (1-1-2), Henry Kuster (1-1-2)ENG/UG and Luke Stauffacher (GWG) also made connection. Darryl McArthur earned 2-more assists as did Kyle Kos. Isaac Reichmuth was splendid in goal in a relief role, rebuking 36 of 38-shots. For a second straight Saturday night, the Jacks imploded to the fuse of 5-first period strikes stoked by the opponent; this time in Kalamazoo. The Wings ultimately prevailed, 9-5. Robinson (1-2-3), Billy Collins (1-1-2)PPG, Adam Bartholomay (GTG), Chad Costello and Kuster connected for the vanquished Jacks. Muskegon was outshot, 36-32.
THE LUMBERJACKS GAME CALENDAR THIS WEEK:
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH THE LUMBERJACKS AT FLINT 7:00 PM
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH FLINT AT THE LUMBERJACKS 7:00 PM
The initial pair of collisions to be waged this season for the Jacks and the Generals. Last season, the two teams tangled 15-times with the series deemed even-steven at 15(7-7-1). At Flint, Muskegon posted a winning mark of 8(4-3-1) while in Muskegon, the Generals achieved the slight edge with the Walker Arena tenants going 7(4-3-0) against the Walker Arena primary tenants.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH FORT WAYNE AT THE LUMBERJACKS 7:00 PM
These long time, long ago foes fight on with the first clash of this campaign. This game will feature the revisit of the opening round of last spring's Turner Cup Playoffs when the first seed Komets ousted Muskegon in 6-games, 4-games to 2. It marked the first time in 11-years, since back in the 1996-97 season, that a Muskegon team had been eliminated from the playoffs in the first round of the post -season.
International Hockey League 2 Stories from November 2, 2008
- Lumberjacks continue splitting road games - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Lumberjacks Notes - Muskegon Lumberjacks
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