Knights will try to start new streak

Published on November 29, 2005 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Abbotsford Heat News Release


Omaha, NE - The Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights put together the longest winning streak of their short tenure in the American Hockey League to move up in the West Division standings last week. Playing their busiest week of the season, four games in six days, the Knights earned points in each game, going 3-0-0-1 with wins over Hamilton, Iowa and Chicago and a shootout loss to Iowa in the weekend's finale. The Knights face another three-in-three weekend this week when they host Grand Rapids on Thursday and Iowa on Friday before visiting Chicago on Saturday. Omaha is in second place in the West Division of the American Hockey League with a record of 10-8-0-4, good for 24 points. Tickets for all home games are on sale all week at the Civic Auditorium box office from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 422-1212 and at Ticketmaster.com. The box office is open through the opening face-off on game nights.

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS:
Tuesday, November 22: Ak-Sar-Ben Knights 4, Hamilton Bulldogs 1
The Ak-Sar-Ben Knights got 35 saves from Brent Krahn to beat the Hamilton Bulldogs 4-1 at the Civic Auditorium. It was the Knights' second straight against the Bulldogs who were making a two-game stop in Omaha. The Knights scored the first goal of the game half-way through the first period when Brantt Myhres banked in a centering feed off a Hamilton defender for his third goal of the year. Cam Cunning and Justin Taylor picked up assists. Hamilton tied the game on a powerplay late in the second period. Corey Locke cut across the slot and hit Francis Lemieux with a pass. He one-timed it past Krahn for his third goal of the year. The Knights took the lead back on a powerplay in the last minute of the period. Carsen Germyn found Mark Giordano alone in the slot. Giordano beat goalie Cristobal Huet with a shot inside the far post to put Omaha up 2-1 after two periods. The Bulldogs had four more powerplays in the third period and twelve total in the game, but they could not dent Krahn again. The Knights got an insurance goal from Taylor at 12:25 of the period. He picked up a loose puck in the slot and wristed a shot past Huet for his second goal of the season. Germyn finished the scoring with his team-leading eleventh goal of the year and his fifth in the last four games.

Friday, November 25: Ak-Sar-Ben Knights 3, Iowa Stars 1
The Ak-Sar-Ben Knights won their fourth straight game, beating the Iowa Stars 3-1 at the Civic. Defenseman Mark Giordano had three assists, and left wing Cam Severson snapped a 1-1 tie midway through the third period. The Stars broke on top during an early powerplay. Yan Stasny banked a shot past Curtis McElhinney just 4:11 into the game for a 1-0 lead. The Knights responded with their own powerplay later in the period. Tomi Maki held the puck at the side of the Stars' net and fed Richie Regehr in the slot. He slipped a wrist shot under the crossbar for his third goal of the year. The game stayed tied 1-1 until the third period when Severson went to work. Brandon Rogers sprung him up the left wing with an outlet pass. Using a defenseman as a screen, Severson snapped a quick shot over the shoulder of goalie Mike Smith for his first point in twelve games. The Knights padded their lead just 2:17 later. Eric Nystrom carried through center ice and found Brandon Prust alone after having just come out of the penalty box. Prust broke in behind the defense and slipped a shot through the pads of Smith to put the Knights up 3-1. McElhinney was seldom tested but answered the call when needed, making 21 saves to improve his record to 3-3-1 on the year.

Saturday, November 26: Ak-Sar-Ben Knights 4, Chicago Wolves 2
The Ak-Sar-Ben Knights returned to the road and kept their winning streak going with a 4-2 win over the Chicago Wolves at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. Brandon Prust had a pair of goals, and Brent Krahn won his fourth straight game, making 29 saves. The Knights struck first in the game, something they hadn't been able to do in two previous meetings with the Wolves. Brantt Myhres and Warren Peters worked the cycle off the right wing wall, and Peters found Carsen Germyn alone in the slot. He blew a shot through the pads of Jani Hurme for his team-leading 12th goal of the year. The goal was also a career high. The Knights doubled the lead on a late powerplay. Mark Giordano's shot from the left point was tipped in by Justin Taylor for his third goal of the year. It also stretched Giordano's point streak to a team high six games. Outshot 7-4 in the first period, the Knights were making the most of their chances. They did so again early in the second period when Zenith Komarniski's shot from the left point bounced around in the slot. Brandon Prust pounced on it for his third goal of the season, his second in as many games. The Knights held the 3-0 lead until late in the period when Karl Stewart took a deflected pass and sprinted up ice, beating Krahn for a shorthanded goal at 16:10. The Knights held a 3-1 lead after two. Omaha pushed its lead to 4-1 during a powerplay late in the third period. Peters kept the puck in at the right wing wall and threw the puck on goal where Prust tipped it past Hurme. Chicago responded just 1:14 later when Ramzi Abid scored on a shot from the slot, but the Wolves could get no closer in spite of a 31-23 shot advantage.

Sunday, November 27: Iowa Stars 2, Ak-Sar-Ben Knights 1 SO
The Stars scored a late goal in regulation and then outscored the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights 2-0 in a shootout to win 2-1 at the Civic. It was the first time the Stars had beaten the Knights in four tries. The loss snapped the Knights five-game win streak. The game pitted two teams playing their third game of three-in-three, and good scoring opportunities were limited. The Knights even had four powerplays in each of the first two periods but could not score. Omaha finally forged ahead on powerplay number nine midway through the third period. Eric Nystrom's shot ricocheted off the leg of an Iowa defender and right to an uncovered Brandon Prust who slammed home his fifth goal of the season. Four of those goals have come in the last three games. The Stars would use the powerplay to tie the game in the final half minute of regulation. With goalie Dan Ellis pulled for an extra attacker, the Stars enjoyed a six-on-four attacker advantage. Defenseman Mario Scalzo weaved his way through traffic and slipped the puck in front to David Oliver who scored. The goal came with just 15 seconds remaining in regulation. After a scoreless overtime and two scoreless shootout rounds, Jamie Johnson and Marius Holtet tallied in rounds three and four. The Knights were unable to answer. Brent Krahn took the loss in goal in spite of stopping 24 of 25 shots. Ellis earned his first win against the Knights with 29 saves.

THE WEEK AHEAD:

DAY/DATE EVENT TIME BROADCAST
Mon., Nov. 28 Day Off
Tues., Nov. 29 Practice @ OCA 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 30 Practice @ QCO 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Thurs., Dec. 1 Morning Skate @ OCA 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Game vs. Grand Rapids 7:00 p.m. 1420 AM, Web, B2
Fri., Dec. 2 Morning Skate @ OCA 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Game vs. Iowa 7:00 p.m. 1420 AM, Web, B2
Sat., Dec. 3 Game at Chicago 7:00 p.m. 1420 AM, Web, B2
Sun., Dec. 4 Day Off

Legend
OCA--Omaha Civic Auditorium
QCO--Qwest Center Omaha
Web-Free live audio broadcast of game at omahaaksarbenknights.com (Choose "Listen Live" link from home page)
B2-B2 Networks live, pay-per-view webcast, available at omahaaksarbenknights.com for $6 per game by clicking on B2 Networks link.

OPPONENTS THIS WEEK:

Thursday, December 1: vs. Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit Red Wings), 7:00 p.m.
Second meeting of four; first of two in Omaha
The Griffins make their first of two appearances in Omaha this season. They come in as one of the hottest teams in the AHL. Grand Rapids begins the week tied with the Houston Aeros for first place in the Western Conference with 32 points. The Griffins are 15-3-0-2, the best start in franchise history. The team has two of the top ten scorers in the AHL led by Jiri Hudler who has 30 points including 14 goals. Eric Manlow is ninth in league scoring with 24 points. Drew McIntyre and Joey MacDonald currently share the work in goal. MacIntyre is 6-1-0 with a 1.99 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage. Grand Rapids beat the Ak-Sar-Ben Knights 3-1 on October 22nd in the only previous meeting between the two clubs. The Griffins visit Iowa on Tuesday before playing the Knights.

Friday, December 2: vs. Iowa Stars (Dallas Stars/Edmonton Oilers), 7:00 p.m.
Fifth meeting of ten; third of five meetings in Omaha
The Knights and the Stars play their third game in a week in the middle game of the three-in-three. The Stars ended the Knights' five-game winning streak to improve their own mark to 8-10-0-0, good for 16 points and fifth place in the West Division. The Knights are 3-0-0-1 against the Stars this season with two wins coming in Iowa via shutouts. Center Toby Petersen and defenseman Patrick Traverse are tied for the team lead in scoring with 13 points. Petersen has a team high five goals while Traverse has a Stars'-best 12 assists. Mike Smith has won five of the Stars' eight wins this season, posting a 2.63 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage along the way. Interestingly, his goalkeeping partner Dan Ellis was in goal when the Stars beat the Knights 2-1 in a shootout on Sunday. Iowa hosts Grand Rapids on Tuesday before visiting the Knights.

Saturday, December 3: @ Chicago Wolves (Atlanta Thrashers), 7:00 p.m.
Fourth of ten meetings; second of five in Chicago
The Knights return to Chicago to face the Wolves for the second Saturday in a row. The Knights won there 4-2 to take a 2-1-0-0 lead in the season series. Chicago begins the week in sixth place in the West with a record of 6-8-1-2, good for 15 points. The Wolves have lost two straight after posting a three-game winning streak. Ramzi Abid leads the Wolves in scoring with nine goals and nine assists for 18 points. He's tied with Scott Barney for the team lead in goals. Barney and rookie Jared Ross are tied for second in points with 13. On a roster that has featured six different goalies this season, Jani Hurme and Tuomas Tarkki are the netminding tandem of the week. Tarkki has played in four games, going 3-1-0 with a 2.71 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage. Hurme's lone game played was against the Knights last Saturday, his first game in three seasons because of injury. Chicago hosts Milwaukee on Friday before welcoming the Knights.

CCM VECTOR/AHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOMINEE:
The Ak-Sar-Ben Knights nominated defenseman Mark Giordano as the CCM Vector/AHL Player of the Week for the week ending November 27, 2005. In four games last week, Giordano had a goal and five assists to lead the Knights to three wins and a shootout loss. On Tuesday, Giordano had the game-winning powerplay goal to help the Knights beat the Hamilton Bulldogs 4-1. On Friday, he assisted on all three Knights' goals in a 3-1 win over the Iowa Stars. On Saturday, the native of Toronto, Ontario had another assist in the Knights' 4-2 win at Chicago. He finished the weekend with a helper on the Knights' only goal in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Stars. Giordano has now scored a point in seven straight games, a team season high.

KNIGHTS NOTES:
Rookie left wing Brandon Prust had four goals last week, all in the last three games. He scored the game-winning goal at Chicago on November 26th.

Right wing Carsen Germyn established a new team mark for consecutive games with a goal. He scored in four straight games from November 13 to November 22. After being held scoreless on November 25, he had another goal at Chicago on November 26. He did not play on November 27.

Goaltender Brent Krahn saw a personal four-game win streak snapped in Sunday's 2-1 shootout loss to Iowa. During the streak, Krahn allowed just one goal in three of the games. He finished with a goals against average of 1.25 and a save percentage of 96%.

Key to the Knights' five-game win streak were the special teams. At one point, the Knights had killed off 27 straight opponent powerplays. They've also scored at least one powerplay goal in seven straight games.

TRANSACTIONS:
11/28/05 DELETE Dustin Johner (C), returned on loan to Las Vegas (ECHL)

IN THE COMMUNITY:
Players visit Hooters w/89.7 FM, The River, Monday, November 28: Knights' players Warren Peters and Richie Regehr visited Hooters Restaurant at 126th and West Center Rd. as part of a remote broadcast with 89.7 FM, The River. The players met fans and signed autographs.

Knights Visit Tyson Foods, Tuesday, November 29: Knights' players Derek Couture and Cam Cunning will visit Tyson Foods to meet employees as part of an upcoming "Tyson Foods Night" with the Knights. The event begins at 3:30 p.m.

Radio Appearance, Tuesday, November 29: Knights' left wing Brandon Prust will visit Hot 107.7/97.3 at 4:30 p.m. as part of the station's "Hockey 101" segment designed to give its listeners a greater appreciation of the sport of hockey.

Knights and Runza team up for school fundraiser, Tuesday, November 29: Knights' players Dave Moss and Steve Marr will be at the Runza restaurant at the intersection of 90th and Fort Streets in Omaha from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. to help the restaurant in its school fundraising effort.

Radio Appearance, Tuesday, November 29: Knights' play-by-play voice Dave Ahlers will be appearing on Pinnacle Sports Network's "Sports Nightly" program (KFAB AM 1110 in Omaha) on Tuesday at 7:40 p.m. He will speak on the Knights' season to date and look forward to the two home games this week.

The Ak-Sar-Ben Knights' Speakers Bureau is available to provide speakers to local businesses, civic and church groups and other interested organizations holding weekly or monthly meetings and special events. There is no charge for this program. For more information on the Speakers Bureau or to schedule an appearance for your group's next meeting, call Dave Ahlers at (402) 344-GOAL or contact him by e-mail at dahlers@omahaaksarbenknights.com.

BROADCAST NOTE:
Due to a late start anticipated for Saturday's road game at Chicago, the Ak-Sar-Ben Knights pre-game show on 1420 AM and on omahaaksarbenknights.com will begin at 7:00 p.m., not 6:45 p.m. The Chicago Wolves are planning a lengthy pre-game ceremony prior to the contest.

OMAHAAKSARBENKNIGHTS.COM
The Ak-Sar-Ben Knights' official web site, omahaaksarbenknights.com, is the comprehensive source for all information about the Knights during the season. Log on for player bios and stats, game recaps, a list of community appearances, stats, photos, great downloads and live links to listen to and watch Ak-Sar-Ben Knights' hockey all season.

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American Hockey League Stories from November 29, 2005


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