Mallards Game Day

Published on February 16, 2016 under ECHL (ECHL)
Quad City Mallards News Release


Mallards Notes

Last Game

Raphael Bussieres scored his second power play goal of the game at 2:41 of overtime to give the Mallards a wild come-from-behind 4-3 victory over the host Tulsa Oilers Saturday night.

Splitsville

The Mallards split a pair of games in Tulsa over the weekend. They rebounded from last Friday's 3-2 loss to the Oilers by rallying for a wild 4-3 overtime win one night later.

Race

The Mallards are among a group of teams battling for Western Conference playoff berths. The Mallards are in tenth place in the conference, one point behind the ninth place Indy Fuel and three points behind the Colorado Eagles, who currently occupy the eighth and final playoff spot.

Comeback Kids

The Mallards fought back from a 2-0 third period deficit to win last Saturday in Tulsa. The Mallards scored three straight third period goals to grab the lead late in regulation before Tulsa's Connor Kucera tied the score with just 54 seconds left after the Oilers pulled goaltender Kevin Carr and went on the power play to go up 6-on-4. The Mallards rebounded with Bussieres' game winner at 2:41 of overtime. Bussieres and Matt Carey produced two goals and one assist apiece.

Working Overtime

With last Saturday's win the Mallards improved to 4-3 in games decided in sudden death this season.

On the Road

The Mallards finish a four-game road trip (1-2-0) tonight. Last Saturday's win halted the Mallards' seven-game (0-5-2) away winless streak. That drought was one game short of matching the team record for longest road winless streak the Mallards tied by going 0-6-2 away from home between October 17 and November 25. Saturday's victory was the Mallards' first on the road since they defeated the IceMen 2-1 in Evansville January 16. Tomorrow night's game will be the Mallards' ninth road contest out of their last 11 overall.

Between the Pipes

Brody Hoffman has made four straight starts in goal for the Mallards and has appeared in ten of the Mallards' last 12 games.

Streaking

Carey had five points (three goals and two assists) in the Mallards' two games last weekend. By scoring twice last Saturday Carey took over sole possession of the team lead in goals (14). He notched a goal and an assist last Friday. Carey is on a five-game point-scoring streak (5-4-9) and has produced 13 points (six goals and seven assists) in his last eight games. Carey, who has recorded 26 points in 25 games since arriving from the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild in December, is the only Mallard averaging at least a point per game.

Stop Sign

Brady Brassart's seven-game point-scoring streak (2-6-8) ended last Saturday in Wichita. Brassart's run is tied for the longest point-scoring streak put together by a Mallard this season. Austin Coldwell had points in seven straight games (1-9-10) between December 31 and December 17.

Top Trio

A member of the Mallards' line of Brassart, Carey and Kevin Henderson scored in seven straight games before Henderson departed Saturday to sign with SaiPa in the Finnish Liiga.

O from D

Three of the Mallards' top six point producers- Mike Monfredo (27), Guillaume Gelinas (26) and Austin Coldwell (22)- are defensemen. Monfredo is tied for ninth among ECHL defensemen in points. Gelinas has recorded two points in three of his last five games, producing two goals and four assists in that stretch.

Head to Head

The Mallards have gone 2-0-1 against the Thunder this season. In the only prior meeting between the two teams in Wichita, the Thunder claimed a 5-4 shootout win on October 17. The clubs will clash a total of seven times. The Mallards have gone 15-17-2 all-time against Wichita and have gone 6-9-1 at INTRUST Bank Arena.

Special Teams

Six of the seven goals scored in the Mallards' victory over Tulsa last Saturday came on the power play. The Oilers converted all three of their man advantages while the Mallards went 3-for-6. Last Saturday marked the first time the Mallards have scored three power play goals in one game since a 4-3 shootout win over the Mavericks in Missouri on March 29, 2015 and the first time they allowed three since a 9-6 home loss to Bloomington on February 8, 2013. Carey, who also scored the only even strength goal of the night, ended a 0-for-11 Mallard power play drought and kicked off an onslaught that saw the Mallards cash in their final three advantages by scoring at 4:19 of the third period Saturday evening. The Mallards were unsuccessful on each of their penalty kills Saturday night after surviving their foes' prior nine power plays and 15 of their opponents' prior 16 opportunities. By breaking loose last Saturday, the Mallards improved their power play success rate by better than a full percentage point- from 16.2 percent to 17.3 percent- to climb from eighteenth to tenth in the ECHL on the advantage. In contrast, their penalty kill percentage fell by over a percentage point- from 86.8 percent to 85.4 percent- and their league ranking dropped from a tie for fourth to eighth.

Milestones

Darren McMillan has played 391 games for the Mallards, fourth most in club history. He is two games behind Mark McFarlane (393) and third place in team history...Mike Monfredo last Saturday played his two hundred fiftieth career game- all for the Mallards- and will move into a tie for tenth place in team history with Glen Stewart and Frederick Jobin- both of whom played 251 times for the Mallards- when he next takes the ice for the club.

Ins and Outs

Kevin Henderson signed with SaiPa in the Finnish Liiga and was placed on the Mallards' suspended list last Saturday...Tanner Eberle (upper body) has missed the Mallards' last three games... Olivier Archambault (upper body) has missed the Mallards' last 11 games...Zach Pochiro (upper body), who has missed the Mallards' last 19 games, is on 21-day injured reserve.

Tuesday, February 16, 7:05 p.m. CST

Quad City Mallards vs. Wichita Thunder

INTRUST Bank Arena, Wichita

Watch: ECHL.TV

Listen: ECHL.TV

Quad City Mallards

22-21-5, 49 points

4th place, Midwest Division

Coach: Terry Ruskowski

Wichita Thunder

10-31-9, 29 points

4th place, Central Division

Coach: Kevin McClelland

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ECHL Stories from February 16, 2016


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