Fury break through with big win on home ice

Published on December 3, 2007 under International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release


Furious Ones Run: Despite the fact that it was a weekend of brevity and not longevity for the Muskegon Fury, the International Hockey League club made the most of it in the form of a major breakthrough. Under the auspices of second year head coach Bruce Ramsay, the "Furious Ones" equally divided a pair of home contests. In the process, they scotched and scuttled the stigma of a simply uncharacteristic four-game losing skein on home ice and climbed back into a contending role in the tight, taut fraught IHL standings. Having played at least two games fewer than any other team in the league, the men of Muskegon hockey pro prowess have inched to within one game, again, of the .500 plateau through the first 14-games of the 76-games' schedule. Having attained a record of 14(6-7-1) for a total of 13-points, the Fury have crept within 3-points of fourth place which is presently shared by Bloomington 17(8-9-0)16-points and archrival Kalamazoo 16(7-7-2)16-points. The Prairie Thunder have won 3-in succession, all on the road, while the Wings are 5(2-1-2) in their last 5-starts. Muskegon has 3-games in hand on the Illinois entry and 2-games in hand on their West Michigan foes. In this first full week of the calendar year 2007's final month, the Fury face the daunting assignment of three games in three days, including the conclusion of their current 3-game home stand. Friday night, the always formidable Fort Wayne Komets come to town before the men in the Fury hats sojourn to Bloomington Saturday night and onto Kalamazoo Sunday for a matinee affair.

The Record Not Checkered: The past weekend, the Fury opened a three game home stand with a pair of Walker Arena encounters, posting a 2(1-1-0) record. Currently the Muskegon season log reads 14(6-7-1) for 13-points. The Fury have played the least number of games in the IHL (14). At this hour of the campaign, the Fury are 3(2-1-0) in their last 3-efforts. They are 7(3-4-0) in their last 7-verdicts; last 9(5-4-0). The Fury's longest win streak of the season has been 2-in a row; 2(2-0-0). The longest losing spell of the year has also been 2-consecutively; 2(0-2-0). There are actually 2-teams with more losses than Muskegon; Bloomington (9); Port Huron (8); and one team with the identical number of setbacks; Kalamazoo (7).

In the Past at Long Last!: When they conquered archrival Kalamazoo Saturday night, 6-4, the Fury achieved a major breakthrough, though they were long overdue. With the win over the Wings, the Fury dissolved the ignominy, if not anomaly of a 4-game losing streak on home ice. It was their second home success of the season in 8-such dates; their first in over 3-weeks, since a November 9th 3-2 OTSO triumph over Fort Wayne and their actual first outright home win in regulation time thus far this season. For the season, the home record reads 8(2-6-0), having been outscored, 33-22. Six of the Fury's total of 7-setbacks thus far this season have been incurred in the home halls.

The Road Show Shimmers: The Fury's show on the road has played to rave reviews. Through their first 6-road games of the season, the Fury have sustained a scant single setback at 6(4-1-1), accruing points in 5 of their first 6-road tests and 9 of their 13-total points in the IHL standings. The latest win streak abroad has sprouted to 3-in a row; 3(3-0-0) which equals the second longest attained by any team in the league this season. The Fury's last and lone undoing away from home bay was one month ago, back on November 3rd in Fort Wayne where they were decisioned by the Komets, 5-2. To expound on and extol the Fury's virtues on the road, since the inception of the 2005-06 season, they have compiled a brilliant record of 82(52-22-8) for a winning percentage of an extraordinary .700.

Firepower Punch: In generating a 2(1-1-0) mark for the past weekend, the Fury may have found their scoring touch as they produced 8-GF in 2-games for a healthy 4.00 GFA. Muskegon's offensive arsenal of artillery ammo was particularly potent in Saturday night's 6-4 dismissal of Kalamazoo as its 6-goal output matched the club's top single game performance of the season which came back on November 17th in a 6-4 triumph at Port Huron. For the season, the Fury rank 5th in the league with 43-GF in 14-games for a GFA of 3.07. Defensively, the Fury also are rated 5th in the loop with 50-GA in 14-games for a GAA of 3.57.

The Front Line: Robin Bouchard 14(9-7-16) and Mike Watt 14(4-12-16) are tied for 10th in IHL league-wide scoring with Billy Collins 14(7-8-15) 14th and Philippe Plante 14(4-12-16) 17th. Bouchard leads the IHL in PPG with 6 while Philippe Plante is 3rd with 4-PPG. Watt's 8-PPA pace the circuit and his overall 12-assists rank as 3rd most in the league. In IHL Defense scoring, Plante 14(4-12-16) is 2nd with his 4-PPG leading the blue line brigade. In Rookie scoring, Justin Rohr 14(2-4-6) is 10th with his +8 rating tied for circuit second best. In the goaltending department, Isaac Reichmuth is ranked 8th with a 3.45 GAA. He leads the league in GPI: 13; MIN: 764:28 and SAVES: 362.

Juice Bottled By "Bouch": The "Gun-Sling King," right wing Rockin' Robin Bouchard started to send some sounds and signals that there is still much to his incomparable scoring touch. For the month of November, he was back assuming the position of his team's top scoring kingpin with 10(8-4-12), delivering scoring points in 8 of the 10-games on the schedule's card. He not only topped the Fury in goals, but also in PPG (5) and GWG (2). With 5-goals in his last 5-games, Bouchard is the Fury's nomination for National City Bank / IHL Forward of the Month.

#8 Shooting Straight: The Fury's veteran center 8-Billy Collins is coming off a superb weekend of goal and point production. In 2-games, he engineered 4-points on 2-goals, 2-assists with a +1 rating and 7-SOG. Stoking strikes on both nights, he was hailed the #2 Star Saturday night in the Fury's 6-4 trumping of Kalamazoo. In that contest, he was at the Fury focal point during his team's second period 3-goal blitz in 4:06 that erased a short lived 2-1 deficit. In that rather eruptive resurgence, "Billy C." engineered 3-points on 1-PPG and 2-assists. Collins is the Fury's nomination for First National Bank / IHL Forward of the Week.

Larcenous-Like Leather: Second year goaltender Isaac Reichmuth has truly emerged as the IHL's consummate workhorse. The former standout at the U. of Minnesota-Duluth has now started 13 of the Fury's first 14-games and 14 of 15 in this category when incorporating the Fury's final pre-season outing back on October 13th. For the month of November, he started 9 of 10-games, posting a 9(3-5-1) mark with a 3.53 GAA and .893 SPCT. He was named the game's #1 Star on 2-consecutive nights; 11/9/07 in a 3-2 OTSO triumph over Fort Wayne and 11/10/07 in a 3-1 road win at Flint. For the past week, he was 2(1-1-0) with a 3.53 GAA and .885 SPCT. Reichmuth is the Fury's nomination for both Southern Sports Supply / IHL Goaltender of the Week and of the Month.

Fill-Up on Philippe: First Team All-Star defenseman Philippe Plante enjoyed a solid and sound month of November as he achieved status as the Fury's second top scorer with 10(3-6-9) with 25-SOG. Included in his monthly returns were the following numbers: tied for 2nd on the club in goals (3); tied for 2nd in assists (6) and 2nd in PPG, as all 3 of his strikes were stoked on the power play. For the past weekend, he was 2(0-3-3) with +1 rating and 5-SOG. A previous winner of the weekly honors, Plante is the Fury's nomination for both Pepsi / IHL Defenseman of the Month and of the Week.

Jammin' with Justin: Rookie discovery Justin Rohr seems to be growing and glowing with each new pro game and experience. Manhattanville College's second leading scorer last year recently completed an outstanding month of November in which he recorded offensive numbers to the tune of 10(2-4-6) with 15-PIM and 23-SOG. He capped the month by composing a 3-games' point streak of 3(2-2-4) with 13-SOG. Superseding all of the aforementioned accomplishments was the fact that he did not have a single minus game the entire month and compiled the team's best plus rating for the month and thus far this season at an impressive +8. Rohr is the Fury's nomination for Aquafina / IHL Rookie of the Month.

The Riedel Spell: One of the newer members of this season's squadron for Muskegon is right wing Dan Riedel. The former Ferris State standout and former USHL Jr. 'A' scoring titlist has made a major mark on Muskegon's on-ice offensive fortunes. In the Fury's 6-4 Saturday night decision over Kalamazoo, the Michigan native ripped 2-lightning bolt shots. The first one came swiftly and suddenly at the :14 mark of the game to set the tone and tenor for the clash while the second shot in the second stanza seemed to split the night's air, recapturing his team's momentarily lost lead and fueled a 3-goal blitz in 4:06 that erased a brief 2-1 deficit. His electrifying 2-goal masterpiece warranted #1 Star accolades. Riedel is the Fury's nomination for Aquafina / IHL Rookie of the Week.

Power Plant Slant: After a somewhat disconcerting 0-16 drought on their power play, the Fury power plant resusci-tated itself in a most expedient and prolific fashion. In their Saturday night defeat of the K-Wings, the Muskegon extra man band struck on 3 of its last 5-advantages including a pair of strikes stoked 1:24 apart as part of a 3-goal barrage in 4:06 of the second period. For the season, the Fury power play ranks a lofty third in the circuit at 17-88 for an overall proficiency rating of 19.3%. As far as the penalty-killing cast is concerned, it is still where it has been since season's inauguration, in the #1 perch operating at 85.7% efficiency; 66-77.

Stories in Milestones: Number 2 on the Fury's all-time list for career assists with 426, Robin Bouchard is 10-assists away from tying Todd Robinson (436) for most assists in Fury history. Also #2 in Fury all-time games played, Bouchard (657) is just 7-games from equaling Scott Feasby's mark of 664-games for #1 all-time for the Fury. Bouchard is #1 all-time in PPG with 187, only 3-away from 190-PPG. Mike Watt (146) is 4-goals away from pro career 150.

Few Fun Fury Fast Facts From "Fic": When the Fury defeated Kalamazoo Saturday night, 6-4, it marked the first time in 4-collisions between the 2-teams this season that the home team had actually prevailed. When Bloomington nipped the Fury Friday night, 3-2, it marked the first time ever in regulation time that the Fury had fallen to the Illinois-based club. Muskegon had been 7(5-0-2). In the 2-games the past weekend, the Fury displayed strong third period play, outscoring the opposition, 4-1. Muskegon has not lost a game this season entering the third period with the lead; 6(5-0-1). Right wing Dan Riedel did not allow the Fury fans to wait too long to toss their Teddy Bears on the ice Saturday night in the annual Toys for Tots Teddy Bear Toss Night as he connected at the :14 mark of the first period to trigger the cascade of stuffed, furry creatures.

Recap the Wrap: Launching an extended 3-game home stand while concluding their November schedule and broaching the December one on the same weekend, the Fury divided a pair of affairs. Friday night, they bowed to Bloomington, 3-2, faltering during a Prairie Thunder 3-goal, unanswered second period surge. Muskegon did rally for 2-goals 3:29 apart in the final frame as Justin Rohr and Billy Collins connected. Saturday night, the Fury finally prevailed on home ice as they vanquished Kalamazoo, 6-4. It was a 3-goal second period blitz in 4:06, culminated by 2-PPG in 1:24, that eradicated a brief 2-1 deficit of all of :20 that won it for the home team. Dan Riedel fired a pair of roman candles (FG/TBG/PPG), Collins (1-2-3)PPG, Mike Watt (1-1-2)PPG/GWG, Jay Hardwick (GTG) and Rafal Martynowski also delivered the mail with Mark Cadotte assisting thrice and Philippe Plante and Chris Mills each assisting twice. Isaac Reichmuth turned aside 28-shots.

The Fury Game Calendar This Week:

Friday, December 7th Fort Wayne at THE FURY 7:30 pm

There have been two previous meetings of these two long-time rivals with the Fury 2(1-1-0) against the K's. In Fort Wayne, November 3rd, the Fury sustained their lone road loss of the season when they bowed, 5-2. However, the following week, November 9th in Muskegon, the Fury laid claim to their first home win of the year with a 3-2 OTSO success.

Saturday, December 8th THE FURY at Bloomington 8:00 pm

For these two teams, it is the third clash of the campaign and the second in the Illinois hamlet where the Fury own a lifetime record of 4(3-0-1), gaining 7 of a possible 8-points in that span. The Fury are 2(0-1-1) against the Prairie Thunder, having garnered a single point in a 3-2 OT Bloomington comeback victory November 2nd before Muskegon was trimmed the past Friday night on home ice, 3-2.

Sunday, December 9th THE FURY at Kalamazoo 4:00 pm

The fifth session staged for the two West Michigan rivals and the second at Wings Stadium where the Fury have traditionally excelled as their 32(23-5-4) record would attest and suggest. Through 4-meetings this season, the series is balanced at 4(2-2-0) with Muskegon extracting a 4-1 triumph from Kalamazoo on its home opening night in its lone prior appearance there this year, back on October 27th.

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



International Hockey League 2 Stories from December 3, 2007


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