Louisiana game notes vs. Mississippi, 11/29

Published on November 29, 2002 under ECHL (ECHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release


The IceGators and Sea Wolves meet at 7:05 p.m. today at the Cajundome, with first place in the Southwest Division on the line. Mississippi currently leads Louisiana by one point, although the IceGators have played one less game. Tonight's game will feature the music of Marc Broussard at both intermissions. It's also "Leftover Night," as we ask fans to bring in non-perishable food items. Those who do can pick something from years past out of the IceGators' storage closet to take home with them.

Sea Wolves at IceGators – A battle for first place ensues tonight when Mississippi invades the Cajundome. Louisiana is 3-1-0 against the Sea Wolves this season, handing Mississippi three of its six regulation losses. The IceGators earned a pair of two-goal wins in October, one at the Cajundome, before the Sea Wolves won on home ice 4-3 on November 3. Louisiana rebounded with a 2-1 win in Biloxi on November 19, with Louis Mass providing the game-winning goal with his first pro tally late in the third period. Louisiana is 5-1-0 in the last six meetings, while the team sports a 23-16-7 record all-time versus the Sea Wolves. The IceGators had gone 0-4-1 against Mississippi prior to their recent 5-1-0 stretch.

Last night – Tony Tuzzolino recorded his first career hat trick and Frederic Cloutier turned aside a season-best 37 shots, as the Louisiana IceGators drew away from the Pensacola Ice Pilots, 6-3, on Thanksgiving Night at the Cajundome. Bruce Richardson, Shawn Skiehar and Nathan Rempel also scored for Louisiana, which is unbeaten in regulation in its last five (4-0-1) and avenged a 6-1 loss at Pensacola earlier this month. J. P. Morin picked up a career-best three assists and Daniel Goneau added two helpers. Tuzzolino picked up his fourth career multi-goal game in 314 contests and tied a career-high with three points, the fifth time he has accomplished the feat.

Scouting the Sea Wolves – Mississippi, which at 13-6-2 is one point ahead of the IceGators for the Southwest Division title entering tonight's game, has won four of five after a 0-2-1 stretch that featured three straight one-goal losses. It's no coincidence that the recent hot streak has occurred with captain Steffon Walby back in the lineup after an injury. Walby, who leads the ECHL with four shorthanded goals, did miss last night's game while serving a one-game suspension from a checking from behind incident Tuesday in Jackson. Last night, fellow veterans Cody Bowtell and Dave Paradise each picked up the slack for Walby, registering three points (1g, 2a) apiece in a 5-3 home win over last-place Baton Rouge. Paradise's early third-period tally proved to be the game winner for Mississippi, which held a 5-1 lead early in the final stanza. The injury bug hit the Sea Wolves goaltending department again last night, as Sean Matile got credit for the win despite leaving after 14 minutes with an undisclosed injury. Matile had spent the first month of the season on injured reserve, which is where fellow goaltender Mike Buckley also is. Fortunately for the Sea Wolves, they have Greg Gardner to put in net each night. Gardner stopped 28-of-31 shots in relief last night for Mississippi and is 11-4-2 with a 2.59 goals against average and a .924 save percentage. Two of Gardner's four regulation losses have come against the IceGators. Paradise has flourished offensively this season for Mississippi, picking up 29 points (13g, 16a) in 20 games. He, Walby (10g, 17a), defenseman Jim Baxter (6g, 17a) and Bowtell (9g, 13a) are all averaging more than a point per game, but the production drops significantly after the quartet. Mike Scott (4g, 6a) has 10 points, but no other Mississippi player has reached double-digits in points.

Winner claims first – The IceGators, whose 27 points are one behind Mississippi for the Southwest Division lead, need a win in regulation tonight to put them in sole possession of first place for the first time since October 26, when they were 5-0-0 and two points up on Mississippi. An overtime or shootout win by the IceGators would put them into a tie for first with the Sea Wolves, but the IceGators would be percentage points ahead. Louisiana did hold a share of first place with Arkansas and Mississippi last weekend. The IceGators haven't been out of first this late in the season since December 20, 2000.

Offensively potent – The IceGators have scored at least six goals in three straight games for just the fourth time in franchise history and the first time since March 16-19, 1999, a span of more than three seasons.

No wonder ‘Gators are streaking – There isn't a hotter line in the ECHL than Louisiana's trio of Bruce Richardson, Daniel Goneau and Tony Tuzzolino. Those three accounted for seven points last night, and during the IceGators' 4-0-1 unbeaten streak, they have combined for 31 points (12g, 19a). Richardson and Tuzzolino have the IceGators' two hat tricks this season.

He's the guy who puts the power into play – IceGators defenseman Kevin Mitchell has 21 points (1g, 20a) this season, and 16 of those points (1g, 15a) have come on the power play. Five of Mitchell's eight career goals have come with the man advantage. Sunday night, Mitchell became the 19th player in team history to record 50 assists.

Taking care of business early – Tony Tuzzolino scored with 54 seconds left in the second period last night. Louisiana has scored in the final 2:30 of a period 11 times this season – including more than once in a game on two different occasions. The IceGators are 7-0-1 in those eight games when scoring late in a period.

Getting it done in the third – Bruce Richardson has 12 goals this season, including a team-best seven in the third period. Shawn McNeil and Nathan Rempel (four) are the only other IceGators with more than three goals in the third period.

One goal shy – Bruce Richardson's seven goals in the past three games were one short of the team record, set by Jay Murphy from March 12-18, 2000. Murphy had a run of four hat tricks in six games late that season.

Goneau "helping" out – Daniel Goneau is in the midst of a career-best five-game assist streak, with 11 assists in that span. Goneau has done the majority of the damage the last three games, notching nine assists, including a career-high tying four helpers Saturday. Goneau's 26 points are tied for second and his 19 assists rank him second on the IceGators. Five of Goneau's assists this season have come on goals by Bruce Richardson, the most times Goneau has set up an opposing player. Goneau has recorded an assist on goals by seven different players this season. Goneau has at least one point in nine of his last 10 games.

Corupe streaking – Kenny Corupe has a four-game point streak, with one goal and three assists in that span. Corupe has six points (1g, 5a) in his last six games. Corupe's longest career point streak is nine, set last season with CHL Odessa. His longest ECHL point streak is six, se in 2000-01 with Johnstown.

Morin getting it done – IceGators defenseman Morin had no multi-assist games in his rookie season with UHL Port Huron, but he has two in the last seven games. He picked up a pair of assists in a 4-1 win at Jackson on November 13.

McNeil leads all ECHL goal scorers, since 2000-01 – Shawn McNeil has more goals than any other ECHL player since the beginning of the 2000-01 season. McNeil has 81 goals, five more than former teammate Jay Murphy. Below are the players with the most ECHL goals since the 2000-01 season

Doing their best work while shorthanded – The IceGators yielded eight power play opportunities in Sunday's 7-6 overtime loss to Columbus. Amazingly, Louisiana is 6-0-2 when allowing eight or more power play opportunities.

Trying to figure out Louisiana's PK unit – Mississippi ranks 22nd in the ECHL on the power play at 14.9 percent, and a big reason for that is the team's four games against the IceGators. The Sea Wolves have capitalized on just one power play in 27 chances (3.7 percent) against Louisiana, that goal coming off the stick of Jim Baxter on October 20. Louisiana, meanwhile, is clicking on 34.5 percent (10-of-29) of its power play chances versus Mississippi. Shawn McNeil has four of his team's 10 power-play goals against the Sea Wolves.

Should be a physical game – Louisiana (40.0 PIM/gm) and Mississippi (37.5 PIM/gm) rank second and fourth, respectively, in the ECHL in penalty minutes. The IceGators have 40 fighting majors, while the Sea Wolves have picked up a league-high 46. Peoria (43) is the only other team with more than 40 fighting majors. Sea Wolves rookie Stu Pietersma has fought Louisiana's Jeff Worlton, Semir Ben-Amor and Shawn Skiehar this season.

Quick hits

Bruce Richardson is a plus-11 in his last seven games, with 15 points (8g, 7a) in that span.

J. P. Morin and Bruce Richardson are tied for fifth in the ECHL with a plus-14 rating.

Tony Tuzzolino has his first four-game point streak since December 8-20, 2000, with AHL Hartford. Tuzzolino has eight points (5g, 3a) in his last three games.

Shawn Skiehar (three goals) has more than two goals in a season for the first time since 2000-01, when he scored five goals for Lake Charles in the now defunct WPHL.

Last night marked the first time this season the IceGators have allowed 40 shots on goal.

Bruce Richardson has scored 11 of his 12 goals this season at the Cajundome.

The IceGators have five shorthanded goals this season, and Bruce Richardson has a part in four of them, including two scores.

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ECHL Stories from November 29, 2002


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