RiverKings Update

Martin Gascon assisted on three goals and Matt Summers scored a goal and added an assist, as a balanced offense beat the Oklahoma City Blazers 5-3 in game two of the Northern Conference semi-final series Thursday, March 26th at the DeSoto Civic Center. Five separate players scored goals, with Darrell Stoddard and Jeff Alcombrack (power play) opening the scoring in the first period. Summers also scored before Eric Przepiorka broke the run with a goal at 6:18 of the second period. Adam Smyth scored the eventual game-winning goal and Garrett Larson provided insurance nearly ten minutes into the final period of play for the RiverKings, while Bill Vandermeer and Josh Patterson also scored for Oklahoma City. Goaltender Kevin Beech won his first playoff game as a RiverKings netminder with a 25-save, three-goal effort.

RiverKings in the Post-Season

This is the eleventh time in the Central Hockey League post-season for the Mississippi/Memphis RiverKings since the franchise joined the league in the 1992-93 season. In two of the seasons, the Memphis RiverKings won the CHL Ray Miron President's Cup title, claiming back-to-back championships in 2002 and again in 2003. Memphis lost to the Fort Worth Fire in the 1997 CHL finals and lost to the Colorado Eagles in the 2007 Northern Conference finals. Memphis lost in the second round during the 2001 playoff schedule and in the remaining five times the RiverKings were eliminated in the first round.

The overall Mississippi/Memphis playoff record is 53-45, including a 30-20 record on home ice (Mid-South Coliseum and DeSoto Civic Center), and a 23-25 record at enemy venues.

In overtime playoff games, the RiverKings are 10-6, including a 5-3 home mark and a 5-3 record on the road. Mississippi is 0-3 in overtime games against Oklahoma City. Of the 19 playoff series the RiverKings have been a part of, they have won ten and lost nine.

Against Oklahoma City, the RiverKings have been stymied by the Blazers in three of the four previous playoff series. This will be the first time the Mississippi RiverKings have played against their long-standing rivals from the Sooner State, however, as the four previous series were played in Memphis RiverKings sweaters.

The RiverKings' record against the Blazers in the playoffs is 9-14. The lone series victory over Oklahoma City came in the 2003 Ray Miron President's Cup championship year, when the RiverKings took a 3-2 series victory in the Northern Conference First Round.

Gascon Assists on Three

Mississippi RiverKings forward Martin Gascon's three-assists in Thursday's game marked the first three-point performance in a playoff game since Ryan Campbell assisted on three goals in the RiverKings' game one victory over Texas on March 24th, 2008. In 16 playoff games, Gascon has scored nine goals and assisted on 11 others for 20 points. Martin has played in 10 playoff games as a member of the Fort Wayne Komets (IHL) and also played four playoff games with HC Neurilly-sur-Marne in France.

Stodds Back on the Board

When RiverKings forward Darrell Stoddard scored a first period goal in last Thursday's 5-3 victory over the Blazers, it marked the first playoff goal for him since netting an empty-netter in the RiverKings game-one victory over Texas in last season's playoffs. Stoddard has scored three goals and has five points in 22 playoff games with the RiverKings. In 46 games during the 2008-09 regular season, he scored eight goals and added eleven assists for 19 points. Four of the eight goals came in the third period of a 9-2 RiverKings win over Wichita on February 3rd. Stoddard earned the team's only hat-trick of the season with the four-goal outburst.

Kaminski Leads RiverKings to Lofty Record

Mississippi RiverKings coach Kevin Kaminski led this year's team to 44 wins in his initial season as head coach. The 44 victories is two short of the team record for single season victories, claimed by Doug Shedden's championship team in the 2001-02 season. Mississippi fell only 17 times during the regular season, three more than the team mark for fewest losses of 14, also claimed by the 2001-02 Ray Miron President's Cup team. The 91 points earned in the standings this season is one short of the team mark for points, set in 2000-01 and again in 2001-02. Teams played 70 regular season games in 2000-01. This year's .711 winning percentage is second to the 2001-02 championship campaign of .750.

Broadcasts

RiverKings hockey is covered in the Mid-South and around the world, primarily on Flinn Broadcasting station Sports 56, WHBQ-AM, with RiverKings Media Coordinator and veteran broadcaster Bob Bakken providing the play-by-play. Broadcast coverage begins 15 minutes before the game's first faceoff. An audio stream of the broadcast is available from the station's web site, www.sports56whbq.com. Fans with a high-speed internet connection can view RiverKings hockey from CHL-TV through a link from the team's official web site, www.riverkings.com. Games not aired on Sports 56, WHBQ-AM due to other programming commitments are heard on fellow Flinn Broadcasting station 96.1 FM "The Pig," WIVG-FM.

Tickets

For information on RiverKings playoff tickets, contact the team's offices at 662-342-1755. New season ticket orders for next season are now being taken and a $75.00 deposit assures you have the edge of your seat at the DeSoto Civic Center for the excitement of RiverKings hockey next season.

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Central Hockey League Stories from March 31, 2009

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