CHL Mississippi RiverKings

Another Round of Mudbugs Tonight

March 14, 2009 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Mississippi RiverKings News Release


RiverKings Player Stat Leaders

Bobby Chaumont leads the goal scorers on the roster with 27 for the season. Martin Gascon has 50 assists for the year, 12 of which have come with the RiverKings. Derek Landmesser has earned 40 assists with Mississippi this season. Gascon has a total of 62 points for the season, with 16 points earned as a RiverKing. Louis Dumont has earned 61 points in a RiverKings' sweater. Matt Summers has the best plus-minus statistic at plus-22 (plus-20 as a RiverKing. Adam Smyth leads the team in penalty minutes at 244. Garrett Larson and Bobby Chaumont each have nine power play goals, while Dumont leads Mississippi in shorthanded goals scored with six. Jeff Nelson paces the team in game-winning goals with seven. In goal for the RiverKings, Kevin Beech continues to lead in all goaltending categories, including games played (47), minutes played (2841), wins (34), shutouts (3), goals-against-average (2.39), and save percentage (.908).

The Last Time Out...Friday, March 13th, 2009 - RiverKings 3, Bossier-Shreveport 2

Mississippi rebounded from its first loss in 12 games on Sunday at Odessa with a 3-2 comeback victory over Bossier-Shreveport on Friday night at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven. Dane Marshall, Jeff Nelson and Garrett Larson scored goals for the RiverKings, with Larson's second-period power play goal eventually deciding the outcome. Larson also added an assist to lead the offense, which out shot Bossier-Shreveport by a 44-20 margin. Meanwhile, Kevin Beech made 18 saves in posting his tenth straight victory (34-10-3). The Mudbugs actually led the game 1-0 after one period, but the RiverKings scored three times in the second period to wrest control of the contest. Mississippi took a six-point lead over idle Oklahoma City in the Northeast Division race and now leads Bossier-Shreveport by seven points.

Tonight's Match-Up: Saturday, March 14th - Mississippi vs. Bossier-Shreveport (DeSoto Civic Center, Southaven, MS - 7:05 PM)

Tonight is the second of three straight home games between Mississippi and Bossier-Shreveport at the DeSoto Civic Center, with the final game in the threesome coming on St. Patrick's Night, March 17th. Mississippi enters tonight's game with a 4-5-0 record against the Mudbugs and has won the last three games in the season series.

Garrett Larson leads the RiverKings in scoring against Bossier-Shreveport with ten points in nine games. Bobby Chaumont and Jeff Nelson have scored four times against the Mudbugs and Larson has eight assists. Matt Summers is plus-five against Bossier-Shreveport this season. David Simoes has 43 penalty minutes in games against the Mudbugs. Larson, Nelson and Andrew Lackner each have scored two power play goals and Louis Dumont has three shorthanded red-lighters. Nelson has scored the first goal of the game three times against Bossier-Shreveport and Chaumont has done that twice.

In the crease, Kevin Beech is 4-3-0 against Bossier-Shreveport with one shutout, a 2.44 goals-against-average and a save percentage of .887.

Mississippi is 16.9% on the power play (11-of-65) and the RiverKings have scored 12 of their 30 goals against the Mudbugs in the second period of games played this season.

Joe Blaznek leads Bossier-Shreveport in scoring against Mississippi with ten points in nine games. Brett Smith, Kevin Cooper and Neil Clark each have scored four goals against Mississippi and Blaznek has seven assists. Brett Angel and J.R. Bria are plus-three against the RiverKings and Angel has 77 penalty minutes in the season series. Cooper and Travis Clayton each have two power play goals and Smith has the only shorthanded goal.

In goal for the Mudbugs, Ken Carroll is 3-2-0 against the RiverKings. Jon Horrell has the better goals-against-average at 2.85 and the better save percentage against Mississippi at .924.

Bossier-Shreveport is 18.5% on the power play (10-of-54) against the RiverKings and 14 of the Mudbugs' 28 goals have come in the third period of play.

Special Teams Update

Against the Mudbugs last night, the RiverKings were 1-for-2 on the power play. It marked the ninth straight game for the RiverKings to have scored at least one power play goal and the two chances were the fewest given Mississippi since going 1-for-2 against Odessa at the DeSoto Civic Center on February 24th. At home this year, Mississippi is 21.6% with the man advantage (44-of-204) and for the entire season is fifth in the league with the man advantage at 19.4% (79-of-407).

On the penalty kill last night, the RiverKings kept the Mudbugs from scoring goals in two man advantage opportunities. It marked the second time in the last three games Mississippi had prevented an opponent from scoring a power play goal. In home games this season, Mississippi is 86.5% in penalty killing (23-of-171) and overall, the RiverKings are fourth in the CHL on the penalty kill at 84.7% (55-of-359).

Mississippi has scored nine shorthanded goals and has allowed nine shorthanded goals this season. Four shorthanded goals have been scored at home and the RiverKings have allowed seven shorthanded tallies on home ice.

RiverKings Get Back on the Win Bus

Last night's victory returned the RiverKings to the win side of the standings sheet after seeing a league-tying eleven-game winning streak come to a halt last Sunday afternoon in Odessa. The RiverKings enter tonight's game with a four-game home winning streak and nine straight games without losing in regulation time on DCC ice, dating back to January 31st. The eleven-game winning string ended Sunday in Odessa matched the Jackalopes' eleven-game streak between November 22nd and December 14th. Mississippi also has the longest road winning streak of the entire season at eight straight victories, a string that began on February 13th in Colorado with a two-game sweep of the Northern Conference-leading Eagles. The 17-game non-loss streak (not losing in regulation time) that ended on Sunday is the longest of the entire year in the CHL and the eleven-game non-loss streak on the road (from January 11th to Sunday) is also the longest of the regular season in the entire league.

The "Point a Game" Club Qualifies New Members

Mississippi has two players who are averaging a "point a game" for the RiverKings this season. Martin Gascon has a total of 62 points (12 goals, 50 assists) overall this season and has 16 points (4 goals, 12 assists) in 14 games since coming to Mississippi. Louis Dumont has scored 61 points (23 goals, 38 assists) in 59 appearances this year.

Landmesser Turns 40 Again

With an assist in last night's victory over Bossier-Shreveport, veteran defenseman Derek Landmesser reached the forty assist mark for the ninth consecutive season. Landmesser now has 40 assists to go with six goals for a total of 46 points this season. Derek collected a career-high 64 assists in 62 games of the Memphis RiverKings' 2005-06 CHL campaign. The nine straight seasons covers his entire Central Hockey League career and the 2001-02 season with Muskegon Fury of the IHL, when he aided on 44 goals scored.

Please To Note

Garrett Larson is one goal away from 100 career professional goals scored. Last night's power play goal in the second period against Bossier-Shreveport was Larson's 99th career professional marker.

2008-09 RiverKings Hat-Tricks: Darrell Stoddard (4 goals, February 3rd, 2009 vs. Wichita)

2008-09 RiverKings Penalty Shots: Jeff Nelson (miss, January 17th, 2009 at Tulsa), (goal, February 24th, 2009 at Odessa)

2008-09 RiverKings Goaltender Shutouts: Tyler Sims (November 29th, 2008 at Corpus Christi), Kevin Beech - December 31st, 2008 vs. Bossier-Shreveport; January 9th vs. Tulsa; January 31st vs. Rapid City)

Streaking RiverKings

Goals: (none)

Assists: Louis Dumont (3 games - 3 assists)

Points: Jeff Nelson (7 games - 14 points), Bobby Chaumont (4 games - 8 points), Louis Dumont (3 games - 5 points)

Penalty Minutes: Derek Landmesser (3 games - 6 PIMS)

Goaltender Wins: Kevin Beech (10)

Broadcasts

RiverKings hockey games are heard in the Mid-South and around the world on "The Voice of the Fan," Sports 56, WHBQ-AM and www.sports56whbq.com. Veteran hockey broadcaster and RiverKings media coordinator Bob Bakken provides the play-by-play coverage on Sports 56 and also on CHL-TV. "Never Miss another Away Game" with the CHL-TV link found on the team web site at www.riverkings.com. Games not broadcast on Sports 56 due to other programming commitments are heard on fellow Flinn Broadcasting station 96.1 "The Pig," WIVG-FM.

Tickets

RiverKings season and group tickets, fundraiser programs, and more are available by contacting the RiverKings' front office at 662-342-1755 or by e-mail at tickets@riverkings.com. New season ticket packages for the 2009-2010 season are now available for sale through the RiverKings offices or by calling the front office. Single game tickets for RiverKings hockey are available through the DeSoto Civic Center box office, or by contacting Ticketmaster.



Central Hockey League Stories from March 14, 2009


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central