Mallards Game Day

January 15, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Quad City Mallards News Release


Mallards Notes

Last Game

Steve Michalek made 42 saves on the way to his first career shutout and Matt Carey- who also had an assist- and Olivier Archambault provided the goals as the host Mallards blanked the Fort Wayne Komets 2-0 Sunday.

Splitsville

The Mallards split a pair of games with the Midwest Division-leading Komets last the weekend at the iWireless Center. The Komets, who have three games in hand on the Mallards, opened their lead over the Mallards in the race for first place to three points by defeating the Cincinnati Cyclones 4-1 Wednesday night.

Tight

The top four clubs in the Midwest Division are separated by just five points. While the Mallards trail first place Fort Wayne (40 points) by three points, the third place Indy Fuel (36) is just a single point behind the Mallards and Cincinnati (35) is a further point behind Indy in fourth place.

Rebound

The Mallards won Sunday after suffering back-to-back losses and dropping six of their prior seven games.

Blanked

Sunday's whitewashing of Fort Wayne was the first shutout of rookie Michalek's career. Michalek set career highs and team season highs by making 42 saves and by stopping 23 shots in the third period. The shutout was Michalek's first since he made 27 saves to stonewall Princeton while playing for Harvard in a 5-0 Crimson win on February 27, 2015. Sunday's muzzling of the Komets was the Mallards' first shutout since a 4-0 silencing of the Wichita Thunder on March 27, 2015.

Home Sweet Home?

Sunday's win halted the Mallards' team record-tying four-game home regulation losing streak. The Mallards have gone just 2-5-0 in seven home games since starting the season 10-1-1 on home ice.

Shooting Gallery

The Mallards have been outshot in each of their last five games and eight of their last nine. They have allowed at least 34 shots in each of their last five games and nine of their last ten.

Four Score

Carey has scored four goals and added one assist in his last four games and has scored seven times and notched five assists for 12 points in 12 games since first joining the Mallards last month.

Streaking

Austin Coldwell is on a four-game point-scoring streak (1-6-7).

Arch Madness

By scoring Sunday, Archambault moved into a tie with Matt Neal for the team lead in goals (10).

Iron Mike

Mike Monfredo is tied for third among ECHL defensemen in assists (20) and tied for fourth among defensemen in points (23).

Special Teams

The Mallards held the Komets' league-leading power play to one goal on eight chances over the weekend. The Mallards rank third in the ECHL in penalty killing (86.9 percent). The Mallards have scored just once in their last 13 power plays and now rank twelfth on the power play (17.7 percent).

Head to Head

The Mallards opened their four-game season series with Kalamazoo by defeating the Wings 3-1 on home ice November 27. That game was the first clash between the Mallards and Wings since the Mallards defeated Kalamazoo 3-2 on March 30, 2007. The Mallards and Wings competed against each other in the United Hockey League between 2000 and 2007. The Mallards have now gone 25-19-7 in 51 all-time meetings with the Wings. They are 15-9-5 against Kalamazoo on home ice.

Ins and Outs

Zach Pochiro (upper body), who has missed the Mallards' last six games, last Friday was placed on 21-day injured reserve retroactive to December 28.

Friday, January 15, 7:05 p.m. CST

Quad City Mallards vs. Kalamazoo Wings

iWireless Center, Moline

Watch: ECHL.TV

Listen: Fox Sports Radio 1230

Quad City Mallards

17-15-3, 37 points

2nd place, Midwest Division

Coach: Terry Ruskowski

Kalamazoo Wings

14-19-3, 31 points

3rd place, North Division

Coach: Nick Bootland



ECHL Stories from January 15, 2016


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