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Mallards Weekly Update

January 24, 2018 - ECHL (ECHL)
Quad City Mallards News Release


LAST WEEK - Kalamazoo 8 Quad City 2: MacKenzie Stewart piled up two goals and two assists and both Justin Taylor- who added one assist- and Jimmy Mullin also scored twice as the Kalamazoo Wings rolled past the host Mallards 8-2 . Keegan Kolesar scored the Mallard goals.

Saturday, January 20 - Quad City 5 Kalamazoo 4 (SO): The Mallards rallied from a 4-1 deficit to the tie score with just one minute, three seconds left in regulation by ripping off three goals in one minute, 46 seconds and then went on to complete a stunning comeback when Chris Izmirlian gave them a 5-4 shootout victory over the host Kalamazoo Wings by burying the only goal of a seven round shootout.

Sunday, January 21 - Cincinnati 6 Quad City 5 (OT): Justin Vaive completed a hat trick by scoring at 1:25 of overtime to give the Cincinnati Cyclones a 6-5 victory over the host Mallards, who fell despite a hat trick of their own from Jamie Tardif.

QUACK TRACKS: The Mallards went 1-1-1 while playing three times in 48 hours over the weekend. By winning Saturday and earning one point for yesterday's overtime loss, the Mallards collected points in back-to-back games for the first time since winning consecutive contests November 11 and 12. The Mallards this week complete a stretch of six games in nine days. The Mallards have gone 2-2-1 in five games since ending a team record setting 13 game (0-11-2) winless streak. Yesterday's game- their thirty-seventh- marked the beginning of the second half of the Mallards' 72-game regular season.

After falling yesterday the Mallards are now 2-3 in games decided in overtime. Saturday's victory lifted them to 3-1 in the shootout.

The Mallards earned a split of their home-and-home series with the Wings by rebounding from Friday's lopsided loss with Saturday's dramatic victory. That two game set marked the eighth time this season the Mallards faced the same opponent in back-to-back games. The Mallards have swept two of those two-game series, split three and have been swept three times.

The Mallards Saturday snapped a team record-setting nine game road regulation losing streak. Saturday's win was the Mallards' first on the road since they defeated the Kansas City Mavericks 5-3 on December 2 in Independence and their third away victory of the season. The Mallards have gone 0-2-1 in their last three home games.

The Mallards have played 20 of their last 21 games against Central Division opponents.

Vaive tied yesterday's game at five with 1:51 left in regulation- just 48 seconds after Tardif's third goal had given the Mallards the lead. Saturday in Kalamazoo it was the Mallards who dramatically erased a late deficit. The Mallards' fastest three goals of the season culminated in Kyle Follmer's game tier with 63 seconds remaining in the third period.

The Mallards matched a single game season high by scoring five (non-shootout) goals yesterday.

The Mallards Saturday set single period season highs by scoring four goals and taking 20 shots in the third period one night after they matched a season high by allowing four third period goals.

The Mallards Friday gave up eight goals for the first time since they fell 8-7 to the Fuel in Indianapolis on March 19, 2017.

The Mallards have allowed four or more goals in 14 of their last 15 games.

The Mallards rank twenty-seventh in the ECHL in goals per game (2.5) and goals allowed per contest (4.3).

The Mallards are the least penalized club in the ECHL. They average just 9.3 minutes in the box per game.

Keegan Kolesar piled up four goals and three assist for seven points in three games over the weekend after being reassigned to the Mallards by the National Hockey League's Vegas Golden Knights from the American Hockey League's Chicago Wolves Friday. Kolesar scored two goals Friday and again Saturday before collecting a Mallard single game season high three assists yesterday. The rookie has now produced five goals, five assists and ten points in just six games with the Mallards on the season. Kolesar, who has played 19 games with the Wolves this year, got his first taste of ECHL action when he played three games for the Mallards in October.

Tardif retroactively bagged a hat trick yesterday when it was ruled after the game that he had tipped in a first period goal originally credited to Jared Nightingale in addition to the two Tardif scored later in the contest. Tardif scored three times yesterday after producing a total of two goals in his first 21 games. He is the first Mallard to score a hat trick since Michael Parks did so on March 22, 2017 in a 5-2 win over the Thunder in Wichita.

Sam Warning is on a five-game point-scoring streak (3-5-8). By picking up an assist yesterday, Warning reached 30 points for the season.

David Izmirilian made his ECHL debut a memorable one by scoring the shootout winner Saturday in Kalamazoo. The rookie then scored his first regulation Mallard goal just 1:09 into yesterday's game. Izmirlian signed with the Mallards Wednesday after starting the season in the Southern Professional Hockey League. Izmirlian was leading SPHL rookies in assists (22) and points (30) when he arrived in the Quad Cities. He began the campaign with the Knoxville Ice Bears before being traded to the Macon Mayhem in December.

Jake Bolton picked up four assists in the Mallards' three games over the weekend and has five assists in his last five games.

Willie Raskob is tied for third among ECHL rookies in assists (21) and is tied for seventh among defensemen.

Jake Paterson yesterday capped off an eventful nine-day stretch by making his third start in 48 hours. Paterson turned away 28 Indy Fuel shots while making his Mallard debut in a 4-3 loss on Saturday, January 13; was recalled from the Mallards by the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals on Monday before being loaned back to the Mallards by Milwaukee Friday; turned in back-to-back 39-save efforts against the Wings Friday and Saturday; and went 7-for-7 in the shootout on the way to his first Mallard win Saturday in Kalamazoo before making his fourth straight start yesterday.

Defensemen Nightingale signed with the Mallards just before yesterday's game and picked up an assist in that contest before being released today to return to his role as an assistant coach with the United States Hockey League's Omaha Lancers. The 35-year old 12-year veteran of 472 AHL games and 202 ECHL games split last season between the AHL's Wolves and the ECHL's Toledo Walleye.

Debut

Defenseman Travis Armstrong made his Mallard debut yesterday after being acquired in a trade with the Adirondack Thunder Friday.

Tristan King has 95 career goals.

The Mallards yesterday matched a team season high by scoring two power play goals (on just three opportunities) and also gave up two Cyclone power play goals on five disadvantages. The Mallards have gone 3-for-5 on the power play over their last two games. They scored at least one man advantage goal in each of their three games over the weekend, going 4-for-10 in the process. The Mallards rank twentieth in the ECHL on the power play (15.8 percent) and twenty-sixth in penalty killing (77.8 percent).

This Wednesday's game is the only meeting of the season between the Mallards and Beast. The Mallards split a pair of games in Brampton last year. All-time, the Mallards have gone 15-9-6 overall against the Beast and 9-3-4 at the Powerade Center...The Railers, who are in the midst of their inaugural season, this weekend meet the Mallards for the first time.

Ins and Outs: The Mallards today released defenseman Jared Nightingale...Defenseman Jared Nightingale signed a standard player contract with the Mallards yesterday...Defenseman Alexander Kuqali (upper body injury) returned to the Mallard lineup Friday night against Kalamazoo after missing 15 games while on injured reserve retroactive to December 3...The Mallards acquired defenseman Travis Armstrong from the Adirondack Thunder in exchange for financial considerations Friday...Goaltender Jake Paterson was loaned to the Mallards by Milwaukee (AHL) Friday...Goaltender Matt O'Connor was reassigned from the Mallards by Nashville (NHL) to Milwaukee (AHL) Friday...Goaltender C.J. Motte signed a professional tryout agreement with Chicago (AHL) Friday...Forward Keegan Kolesar was reassigned to the Mallards by Vegas (NHL) from Chicago (AHL) Friday...Forward Chris Izmirlian signed a standard player contract with the Mallards Wednesday...Goaltender Jake Paterson was recalled from loan by Milwaukee (AHL) last Monday...Goaltender Matt O'Connor was reassigned to the Mallards by Nashville (NHL) from Milwaukee (AHL) last Monday...Defenseman Jacob Graves was reassigned from the Mallards by Columbus (NHL) to Cleveland (AHL) Sunday, January 14.

UPCOMING HOME GAMES: Wednesday, January 31, 6:35 p.m.- Mallards vs. Cincinnati Cyclones. Friday, February 2, 7:05 p.m.- Mallards vs. Kalamazoo Wings Saturday, February 3, 7:05 p.m.- Mallards vs. Wichita Thunder

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