Barons Weekly Report

Published on February 14, 2005 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Cleveland Barons News Release


Hottest Team In The AHL

The Barons entered the All-Star Break with a four-game winning streak intact. It is tied for the longest active winning streak in the league with Hershey. The Barons have out-scored their opponents 14-8 during the win streak and have out-shot them 133-110. The Barons are 5-for-26 on the power play (19.2%) and 19-for-22 on the penalty kill (86.4%) during the four games.

Skills Competition

Rochester Americans goaltender Ryan Miller stopped 15 of 19 shots and Providence Bruins forward Andy Hilbert recorded the AHL's first-ever perfect accuracy shooting performance to lead PlanetUSA to a 17-13 victory over the Canadian team in the 2005 AHL All-Star Skills Competition, held in front of 9,916 fans at a sold-out Verizon Wireless Arena here on Sunday night. Christian Ehrhoff, the lone Barons All-Star, was a member of the winning InGlassCo Puck Relay team and he converted on his opportunity in the Repeat Seat Breakaway Relay.

Coming Up

2/14/05 PlanetUSA vs. Canada – 2005 Dodge AHL All-Star Game

Christian Ehrhoff will represent the Barons as a member of the PlanetUSA All-Stars. The Dodge AHL All-Star Game will be televised live on ESPN2 to a national audience and internationally on Rogers Sportsnet in Canada.

2/17/05 vs. Rochester – National City Rink located in Gund Arena - 7:00pm www.sportstalkcleveland.com

The Barons will look for their fifth consecutive win as they play their first game after the All-Star Break against North Division leader Rochester. The Barons are winless against the Americans in three games this season. Chris Taylor has been instrumental to the Amerks success against Cleveland this season. In three games against the Barons, Taylor has posted three goals and three assists. His six points lead the season series. Daniel Paille leads the Amerks with four goals against the Barons this season, including two short-handed tallies. The Amerks have only allowed three goals against the Barons this season. Tom Askey has appeared in net for two of the three games. He owns a .966 save percentage and a 1.00 goals against average in the series. Ryan Miller, who sees the lion's share of time in net has only appeared in one of the three games against the Barons this season. Miller holds or is tied for the league lead in wins (29), minutes (2607:46), shutouts (7), and saves (1250).

2/18/05 @ Rochester – Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester War Memorial – 7:35pm

SportsTalk 850-AM WKNR or www.sportstalkcleveland.com

The Barons will finish their home-and-home series with Rochester on Friday night. The Americans have won 13 consecutive games on home ice. Not only is that mark the longest active streak in the AHL, it is the lengthiest home-winning stretch in the league this season. Rochester also owns the longest road winning streak that spanned 7 games from 10/30/04 – 12/6/04. The Barons have won their last two contests on the road, with their last victory coming against the Chicago Wolves, who owned the league's best home record at the time. The two-game road winning streak is tied for the second-longest streak in the AHL surprisingly.

2/19/05 @ Syracuse – Onondaga County War Memorial at Oncenter – 7:30pm

SportsTalk 850-AM WKNR or www.sportstalkcleveland.com

The Barons will play their fourth and final road game against Syracuse this season on Saturday night. The season series is even currently, with both teams reeling in two victories. Both of the Crunch's victories against the Barons have been of the shutout variety. Josh Prudden has posted four points, two goals and two assists, in four games against the Crunch. The four points are tied with the Crunch's Jeff Panzer (1-3-4) for the series lead. The two goals are tied for the series lead with teammate Jason Jaffray (2-0-2). Dimitri Patzold has been the tough-luck loser in two of his three starts against Syracuse this season. With a 1-2-0 record against Syracuse, Patzold owns a 1.68 goals against average and a .953 save percentage. In the last game against Syracuse, the Barons had two goals disallowed, one due to the referee's whistle and the other to a faulty goal pad.

Flashback

2/9/05 Cleveland 5 – Edmonton 4 Shootout... Building a 4-1 third period lead, the Barons allowed the advantage slip away before winning the game in a shootout. The Barons connected on three power play goals in the contest, the first time they have done so since their 4-3 win against Hamilton on November 6th. Christian Ehrhoff led the Barons, assisting on three goals in the win. Patrick Rissmiller returned from his 11-game absence (facial injury) and scored two goals earning the game's first star. Ryane Clowe added a goal and an assist.

2/10/05 Cleveland 4 – Edmonton 1... Ryane Clowe, Marcel Goc, and Jason Jaffray combined for 10 points on the night to give the Barons back-to-back wins against the Road Runners. Ryane Clowe matched a career-high with four points (1-3-4) and set a career-high with his +4 plus-minus rating. The Barons were back-stopped by Nolan Schaefer, who turned away 24 shots on the night.

Cleveland Barons Hockey Insider Show The Cleveland Barons Hockey Insider Show will air every Monday night from 8-9pm on SportsTalk 850-AM WKNR. The weekly show will be hosted by The Voice of the Barons Jamie Smock and Jason Gibbs, Promotions Director for WKNR. The show can also be heard on www.sportstalkcleveland.com.

Doug Dieken/Cleveland Barons Charity Auction

The Doug Dieken Foundation and Cleveland Barons Charities will host "A Night With The Barons" on Wednesday, March 2nd at Windows on the River from 6-9pm. Proceeds from the event benefit the Doug Dieken Foundation. Attendees will take part in a live, silent, and Chinese auction. The Doug Dieken Foundation was started by Dieken in 1997 after witnessing the impact the Special Olympics program had on his brother, who is developmentally disabled. In response to a lack of city funding for the program, the Doug Dieken Foundation began co-sponsoring a variety of events. The Annual Doug Dieken/Cleveland Barons Charity Auction has become the cornerstone of a foundation that serves as the primary support for the Cleveland Public Schools Special Olympics Program. The entire Barons roster and front office will be on hand to enjoy the evening. Barons captain and defenseman, Matt Carkner, is on the Board of Directors, along with his wife Kary, for the event. Each table will have at least one member of the Cleveland Barons sitting with them. For details, call the Barons front office at 216-420-2518.

Clip Carkner's Curls For Cancer

The Barons are launched the Clip Carkner's Curls For Cancer campaign on Saturday. Fans can purchase raffle tickets in the concourse for a chance to win 4 glass seats to the game on March 26th and a chance to shave Matt Carkner's head following that game on center ice. All the proceeds raised will be donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The Barons will draw the winner during the third period of the March 19th game.

Happy Hour with the Barons

Labatt Blue presents Happy Hour with the Barons on Tuesday, February 15th from 5-7pm at Becky's Tavern. Barons players will be behind the bar serving drinks to the patrons. The event will be complete with great giveaways and free prizes. Becky's Tavern is located on 1762 E. 18th Street in Cleveland.

National City Breakaway with the Barons

The Cleveland Barons will host the final National City Breakaway with the Barons presented by SoftRock 102.1 WDOK and Marc's on Wednesday, February 23rd at Arctic Freeze in Chagrin Falls at 6:30pm. The Barons will hold a one-hour practice that is open to the public. Following the practice, the Barons will take the ice with the fans. It is the perfect opportunity to get autographs from and photographs with the team. Arctic Freeze Ice Rink is located on 9999 Washington Street in Chagrin Falls.

Following The Breakaway

Ryane Clowe, Josh Gorges, Christian Ehrhoff, and Marcel Goc will visit Quaker Steak & Lube on Wednesday, February 23rd following the National City Breakaway with the Barons. The event will be complete with great giveaways and free prizes. Quaker Steak & Lube is located on 5935 Canal Road in Valley View.

Barons, Birdies, And Bunkers

Join Christian Ehrhoff, Marcel Goc, Matt Carkner, and Shane Joseph at Bunkers Bar and Grill on Thursday, February 24th from 6-9pm for golfing fun. Bunkers Bar and Grill features six indoor golf simulators that feature the world's best courses. Fans will have the opportunity to participate in several golf games with the Barons players. Bunkers Bar and Grill is located above the Bunker Hill Golf Course on 3060 Pearl Road in Medina.

Back To School

The Barons are going to school next week. Craig Valette will visit students from AG Bell Elementary in Cleveland on Wednesday, February 23rd. On Thursday, February 24th, Garrett Stafford will visit Coventry Middle School in Cleveland Heights and Nick Bootland will visit Erieview Elementary School in Avon Lake.

Shooting Gallery

In the last 14 periods of play, the Barons have out-shot their opponents, 155-117. Over those 14 periods, they have out-scored their opponent 14-8. The Barons have out-shot their opponent in six of the last seven games (246-164) and seven of the last nine games (323-253). Cleveland has the seventh-most shots in the league with 1,670.

Bring On The Road Kill

Despite allowing three power play goals to Edmonton on Wednesday night, the Barons have been steady on the penalty kill in the last 12 games. The Barons have held their road opponents to seven power play goals in the last 53 power play opportunities. That is good for an 86.8% penalty kill rate on home ice over the last 12 home games.

One Goal Getters

The Barons have gained at least one point in 78.6% of their home games that are decided by one goal. They are 8-3-1-2 in one-goal games on home ice this season.

First Look

The Barons have been successful when scoring the game's first goal this season. They have accomplished the feat 26 times posting a 17-6-1-2 record. In the 27 games they have not scored the game's first goal, they are 6-19-0-2.

Passing Proficiency

The Barons streak of 27 consecutive power play goals with two assists was snapped on Wednesday. It occurred on Patrick Rissmiller's goal in the first period. Only Christian Ehrhoff assisted on the tally. The Barons currently have 41 power play goals this season. With 80 assists, all but two of those goals have been accompanied by two assists. The other goal that did not have two assists came on November 6th in the Barons win over Hamilton in overtime. The Barons first goal of the game, scored by Christian Ehrhoff on the power play, was assisted by Marcel Goc.

Power Play Success

Wednesday night's three-power play goal performance tied the Barons best power play performance of the season. By going three-for-four on the power play, the Barons were a bit more efficient than their three-for-six performance against Hamilton on November 6th. The Barons have scored at least one power play goal in three of the last four games. In that stretch, the Barons have posted a 19.2% conversion rate on the power play (5-26).

Rubbermaid Player of the Game

At the end of each game the Barons select a Rubbermaid Player of the Game, given to the player who displays toughness and durability throughout the game. At the end of the season, the player with the most selections will receive a prize package courtesy of Rubbermaid. Currently, Josh Gorges leads the race for the Rubbermaid with six selections. Nick Bootland, Matt Carkner, and Ryane Clowe are tied for second, each with four Rubbermaid Player of the Game selections.

Barons Player of the Week

The Cleveland Barons Player of the Week for the second consecutive week, is left wing Ryane Clowe. Boasting a +5 plus/minus rating, Clowe helped lead the Barons to a perfect 2-0-0-0 record on the week with both games coming against Edmonton, the team Cleveland is chasing in the Playoff race. Clowe led the Barons by factoring in on six of their eight goals (75%) in regulation. He finished the week with 2 goals and 4 assists. On Wednesday's game against Edmonton, Clowe scored the game's first goal and assisted on the Barons fourth goal. His conversion decided the game, as he connected on the Barons fourth and final attempt to give Cleveland the 2-1 edge in the shootout. The Barons were a 5-4 winner in the game. On Thursday, Clowe figured in every goal helping lead the Barons to a 4-1 victory over the Road Runners. Clowe matched a career-high with his four-point performance (1-3-4). Posting a career-best +4, Clowe scored a goal for the third time in the Barons last four games.

The Clowe-ser

Ryane Clowe has posted five multi-point performances in the last eight games. In those eight games, he has contributed on 65% of the Barons 20 goals (13/20) and has posted a +8 plus/minus rating. With an assist in four consecutive games, Clowe is tied with the second-longest active streak in the league. Clowe leads the Barons with 12 multi-point games on the season. His 44 points, 30 assists, and +14 plus/minus rating all lead the Barons. Clowe has been productive on the power play as he leads the team with seven goals and is second on the team with 14 points.

Ryane's Song

Ryane Clowe has 13 points (5-8-13) in his team's last 10 games. Only Manchester's Mike Cammalleri, with 14 points, has been more productive in his team's last 10 games. St. John's Kyle Wellwood also has 13 points in his last 10 games.

Clowe's Line

The line of Ryane Clowe, Marcel Goc, and Jason Jaffray combined to register 10 of a possible 12 points on Thursday's game against Edmonton. Clowe led the way with four points, while Goc and Jaffray each posted matching one goal, two assists performances. Over the last nine games, at least one of the three players have contributed on 18 of the Barons 21 regulation goals (note: the Barons were credited with one shootout goal during that span).

United Marcel Service

The United Marcel Service has been delivering lately. Marcel Goc has delivered 11 assists to teammates in the last 14 games. Overall, he has 15 points (4-11-15) during that span. On the season, Goc is second on the Barons with 33 points (12-21-33). His 21 assists on the season are second on the team and his 12 goals are third. He is tied for third in the league with three short-handed goals, which are all unassisted.

Choosy Moms Choose Jaff

Jason Jaffray has scored at least one goal in five of the last nine games. His six goals in those nine games lead the Barons. In 27 games with the Barons, Jaffray has 9 goals and 6 assists for 15 points. Among rookies on the team, his nine goals are second and his 15 points are third. His 23.7% shooting percentage (9 goals – 38 shots) is tied for second in the league and first among rookies.

Air Ehrhoff

Christian Ehrhoff recorded three assists on Wednesday night against Edmonton. It set a career-high in both assists and points in a game for the second-year German. The Barons lone All-Star is tied for 11th among all AHL defensemen with 26 points (9-17-26). Among defensive scorers, he is tied for sixth in goals (9), tied for third in power play goals (6), and tied for second in game-winning goals (3). Ehrhoff's 179 shots lead all defensemen and are seventh among all skaters. Ehrhoff leads all Barons defensemen in points, goals and assists. His 15 points on the power play (6-9-15) team lead.

Pack Up The Conboy

Tim Conboy posted a career-high six shots on goal on 1/28/05 against St. John's. In the last 24 games since December 14th, Conboy has posted eight (3-5-8) of his season-total 12 points (3-9-12). In that span, Conboy has a +7 plus/minus rating.

No Joshing

On the season, Josh Prudden leads Barons rookies in goals with 11, which ranks tied for third overall on the team. Prudden's four game-winning goals and three first goals lead the team, and his three unassisted goals are tied for the team lead. He is tied for eighth overall in goals among rookie scorers. Prudden's 16 points are second on the Barons in rookie scoring.

Practice Makes Perfect

Below is the Barons schedule for the week. Practice times are subject to change. All practices at Barons Arena are open to the public. For information, contact the Barons at 216-420-0000...

Date Event Location Time

2-16 Practice Barons Arena 10:30am

2-17 Pre-Game Skate National City Rink located in Gund Arena 10:00am

2-17 vs. Rochester National City Rink located in Gund Arena 7:00pm

2-18 @ Rochester Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester War Memorial 7:35pm

2-19 @ Syracuse Onondaga County War Memorial at Oncenter 7:30pm

2-20 OFF OFF OFF

2-21 Practice Barons Arena 10:30am

Barons Broadcasts

Each Barons road game will be heard live on SportsTalk AM-850 WKNR. All games this season can be heard live by Crashing The Net at www.clevelandbarons.net or www.sportstalkcleveland.com.

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American Hockey League Stories from February 14, 2005


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