Mallards Game Day

Published on March 9, 2016 under ECHL (ECHL)
Quad City Mallards News Release


Mallards Notes

Last Game

Miles Koules scored 25 seconds into overtime to give the Wichita Thunder a 3-2 win over the host Mallards Saturday. The Mallards fell after jumping out to an early 2-0 lead on goals by Vladimir Nikiforov and Matt Neal.

On the Road Again

The Mallards tonight begin a stretch of six straight road games. After beginning the road swing with two games against each of Evansville (tonight and Sunday) and Cincinnati (Friday and Saturday), the Mallards will meet Fort Wayne twice next week.

Home Sweet Home?

The Mallards last weekend completed a seven-game homestand- their longest homestand of the season- with a record of 3-3-1.

Race

The Mallards are in ninth place in the Western Conference, three points behind the Tulsa Oilers, who occupy the eighth and final playoff spot in the conference. The Mallards have a game in hand on the Oilers.

Busy

The Mallards play four games in five nights beginning tonight and play three games in three nights this weekend.

Workin' Overtime

After falling to Wichita in sudden death last Saturday, the Mallards are now 4-4 this season in games decided in overtime.

Shooting Gallery

The Mallards were outshot 34-31 by Wichita last Saturday after outshooting the opposition in each of their prior eight games.

Shorthanded

The Mallards have scored three shorthanded goals in their last three games. Neal scored the Mallards' seventh shorthanded goal of the season last Saturday against Wichita.

Between the Pipes

P.J. Musico started two of the Mallards' three games last week after Brody Hoffman had started each of the prior nine games. Musico made 31 saves while suffering the sudden death loss Saturday.

Arch Madness

Olivier Archambault has recorded six points (four goals and two assists) in five games since returning from a 14-game injury absence.

Leader of the Pack

Matt Carey has 20 points (ten goals and ten assists) in his last 16 games and leads the Mallards with 18 goals on the season. Carey is the only Mallard averaging a point per game: he has 33 points in as many contests.

Rook

Neal is on a five-game point scoring streak (3-2-5) and has recorded nine points in his last nine games (three goals and six assists). Neal leads the Mallards in points (39) and is tied for ninth among rookies in points (39).

Little Big Man

Nikiforov notched four points (one goal and three assists) in the Mallards' three games last week and has six points (two goals and four assists) in his last six games.

First

Jordan Knackstedt picked up his first Mallard point- an assist- last Saturday against Wichita after being acquired in a trade with Greenville last week.

Special Teams

The Mallards have given up nine goals on their opponents' last 22 power plays and have converted just one of their last 19 man advantages. They now rank fifteenth in the ECHL in penalty killing (83.8 percent) and rank sixteenth on the power play (16.4 percent).

Milestones

Darren McMillan last Saturday night joined Patrick Nadeau (456) and Hugo Proulx (437) as the third player in Mallards history to play 400 games for the team. McMillan last Saturday also played his two hundredth career ECHL game...Nikiforov has 292 career points.

Head to Head

The Mallards have gone 3-1-0 against the IceMen this season and won each of the first three games between the two teams in Evansville. All-time the Mallards have gone 12-9-0 against the IceMen overall and 8-6-0 in Evansville. The two teams met 16 times in the CHL in 2010-11 and 2011-12.

Ins and Outs

Forward Tanner Eberle (upper body) was activated from injured reserve today. He has missed 11 games...Forward Jared Knight was recalled by Iowa (AHL) Sunday after being assigned to the Mallards last Tuesday...Jake Baker missed last Saturday's game against Wichita (upper body).

Wednesday, March 8, 6:15 p.m. CST

Quad City Mallards vs. Evansville IceMen

Ford Center, Evansville

Watch: ECHL.TV

Listen: Fox Sports Radio 1230

Quad City Mallards

26-24-6, 58 points

3rd place, Midwest Division

Coach: Terry Ruskowski

Evansville IceMen

22-26-8, 52 points

5th place, West Division

Coach: Al Sims

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ECHL Stories from March 9, 2016


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