Gorillas Weekly
February 3, 2009 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Amarillo Gorillas News Release
Amarillo @ Arizona
Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 8:05 PM - TIM'S TOYOTA CENTER
Amarillo @ Arizona
Friday, February 6, 2009 - 8:05 PM - TIM'S TOYOTA CENTER
Amarillo @ Arizona
Saturday, February 7, 2009 - 8:05 PM - TIM'S TOYOTA CENTER
LAST WEEK: Amarillo captured only their second two-game win streak of the season last week, winning their first shootout game of the season 6-5 against the Colorado Eagles in Loveland Wednesday. The Gorillas traveled back to Amarillo to win against the Tulsa Oilers 2-1 Friday before dropping their third straight game to Oklahoma City (8-3) on Saturday.
THIS WEEK: The Gorillas will play three consecutive games in Prescott Valley, taking on the Arizona Sundogs Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. The games are crucial for the Gorillas, with Arizona holding the fifth and final playoff spot in the South with seven weeks left to go in the season. Amarillo is 16 points behind the Sundogs in the standings, with 24 games to play and four games in hand on Arizona.
THIS SEASON: On the season, Amarillo is 12-27-1. They begin the week as the fourth-place team in the Southwest Division, seven points behind New Mexico for third.
AGAINST TONIGHT'S OPPONENT: Amarillo is 1-1-0 against Arizona during the 2008-09 season, splitting a pair of games against their division rival during the third week of the campaign. Ryan Scott stopped 18 shots in the Gorillas' 3-2 win against the Sundogs during the last game between the two teams on November 2.
ATTRITION: The Gorillas have lost 72 man-games to injury this year. Injuries have been spread throughout the team-only two Gorillas have played all 40 games with the team this year (Austin Sutter and Sam Ftorek). Stuart MacRae had played in 39 consecutive games in 2008-09 before sitting out Saturday night against the Oklahoma City Blazers.
KILLER GORILLAS: Amarillo has killed off 57 of the last 65 opposition power plays, dating back to January 10. Last week, the Gorillas allowed just two power play goals in 20 opportunities for their opponenets.
MOVIN' ON UP: The Gorillas have collected points in three of their last six games, and have won two of their last three. Five of their seven games under head coach Brian Pellerin have been decided by just one goal.
UNCLE SAM: Sam Ftorek has collected two assists four of the Gorillas' last five games. During this stretch, he has reclaimed the defense scoring lead in the CHL, tying Odessa's Russ Moyer with 40 points this season (12G, 28A).
CHANGES: Of the 19 players on the Amarillo roster when the Gorillas last played the Sundogs, only ten are still with the team. Pierre-Olivier Girouard, Ryan Scott, Matt Frick, Radovan Sloboda, Max Belanger, Emery Olauson, Domenic Maiani, Pat Lee, and Luke Lynes are all no longer with Amarillo.
SIGNING IN NET: With Mike Gorman on the 14-day IR, the Gorillas moved quickly to sign Tyler Gallant in net. Gallant played with the Arizona State University club team, and was signed by the Sundogs earlier in the year before inking with Amarillo.
GORILLAS âDEN': John Snowden is tied for the team lead in points over Amarillo's last ten games. Over this span, he has three goals and seven assists. Four of his ten points have come on the power play, as Snowden has moved to playing the point alongside Sam Ftorek with the man advantage.
CLEARING THE ZONE: Amarillo is the fourth-least penalized team in the league with just 19.3 penalty minutes taken per game...the Gorillas have won just twice in their last eleven home games...Sam Ftorek is second among all CHL defensemen in goals with 12, and is tied for second in assists with 28...
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