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Mallards Game Day

April 20, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Quad City Mallards News Release


Game Two

April 17: Missouri 2 Quad City 1

Josh Holmstrom scored what proved to be the game winning goal and also picked up an assist and Parker Milner made 28 saves as the host Mavericks held on to defeat the Mallards 2-1.

Mallards Notes

Double Dip

The Mallards dropped the first two games of the series in Missouri; a defeat tonight would push them to the brink of elimination.

Tight

Each of the first two games of the series has been tightly contested. The series opener was a one-goal game until the Mavericks scored two late empty netters. Missouri then edged the Mallards by a single goal in game two.

Shooting Gallery

The Mallards dropped the first two games of the series despite outshooting the Mavericks in each of those contests. The Mallards enjoyed a 41-29 shots on goal advantage in game one and outshot Missouri 29-23 in game two.

Three Strikes

Including a regular season-ending 4-3 loss to Cincinnati on April 9, the Mallards have now lost three straight games.

Deficit

This is the sixth time in team history the Mallards have lost the first two games of a playoff series (and the fifth time they have dropped the first two games of a best-of-seven series). The Mallards have won one of those series. The Mallards battled back to defeat the Madison Monsters four games to three in the opening round of the 1998 United Hockey League playoffs after losing the first two games of that series. The Mallards have lost the series each of the last five times they have been defeated in the first two games.

Stampeded

Regular season and playoffs combined, the Mallards have gone winless (0-6-1) in their last seven games against the Mavericks. The Mallards dropped the first two games of the series after going winless in their five regular season games against Missouri. The Mallards last defeated the Mavericks on March 29, 2015 in Missouri when the Mallards claimed a 4-3 shootout win in their final match-up of the 2014-15 campaign with the Mavs.

Rough Road

The Mallards have lost their last five road playoff games. They dropped the first two games of this series in Independence after falling on the road in games two, six and seven of their first round loss to Rapid City last spring. The Mallards have also now gone just 1-8 in their last nine away playoff games, including defeats in games two, six and seven of their Central Hockey League semi-final loss to Allen in 2014.

Home Sweet Home

By going 22-12-2 at home during the regular season, the Mallards won more home games than they have in any campaign since they went 22-11-5 in 38 International Hockey League home games (compared to 36 this season) in 2009-10. The Mallards last won more than 22 home games in 2005-06 when they went 23-13-2 in 38 UHL home games.

Six

The Mallards in game one gave up six goals in a playoff game for the first time since they lost 6-1 to Allen in the sixth game of the 2014 CHL semi-finals. The Mallards allowed no more than three goals in each of their eight intervening playoff contests, including all seven games of their opening round loss to Rapid City last year.

Playoff Habit

The Mallards have qualified for the playoffs in each of their first two ECHL seasons and in each of their four seasons under coach Terry Ruskowski. The Mallards reached the CHL postseason in Ruskowski's first two years with the club.

Second Time Around

The Mallards are in pursuit of their first ECHL playoff series victory. Last spring's opening round loss to Rapid City was the Mallards' first ever ECHL playoff appearance.

Victory

The Mallards last won a playoff series when they defeated Rapid City in the opening round of the 2014 CHL postseason.

History

The Mallards have lost ten of their last 11 playoff series. Their opening round conquest of the Rush in 2014 is the Mallards' only postseason series win since defeating Muskegon in six games in the 2003 UHL semi-finals.

On the Road Again

Their match-up with the Mavericks is the ninth straight playoff series in which the Mallards' foes have enjoyed home-ice advantage. The Mallards last had home ice advantage in the best-of-five opening round of the 2003-04 UHL postseason- a series in which they were swept by the Muskegon Fury.

Between the Pipes

Brody Hoffman has started the first two games of the series in goal. He made 21 saves in the Mallards' 2-1 game two loss. Hoffman finished the regular season on a three-game winning streak (2.23, .938) and went 5-1-0 (1.68 .953) in his final seven regular season games.

Warning Sign

Rookie Sam Warning scored his first career playoff goal in game two. Olivier Archambault and Matt Neal, the Mallards top two regular season point scorers, picked up their first playoff points by assisting on Warning's goal.

Leader of the Pack

While Matt Carey went without a point in game two, he remains the Mallards' top point playoff point producer after scoring twice and adding an assist in game one. Carey (regular season and playoffs combined) has recorded six points (three goals and three assists) in his last four games and scored five goals in his last seven games. Carey led the Mallards with 25 regular season goals.

Rook

Neal finished the regular season tied for fifth among ECHL rookies in assists (33) and tied for seventh among rookies in points (51).

Iron Mike

Mike Monfredo finished the regular season tied for fourth among ECHL defensemen in assists (31) and tied for tenth among blue liners in points (37). Monfredo set career highs in both categories.

Perfect Attendance

Alex Gudbranson was the only Mallard to play in each of the team's 72 regular season games.

Milestones

Retiring Mallard captain Darren McMillan played his four hundred fifteenth and final regular season game for the club April 9 against Cincinnati...Mike Monfredo played his two hundred seventy-second regular season game for the Mallards April 6 at Fort Wayne to move past Obi Aduba (271) into seventh place in team history. Monfredo finished the regular season having played 274 games for the club.

Special Teams

After combining for five special teams goals in game one, the Mallards (0-for-2) and Mavericks (0-for-3) both failed to convert on the power play in game two. The Mallards have scored on five of their last 13 advantages (regular season and playoffs combined). The Mallards finished the regular season eighteenth in the ECHL on the power play (16.5 percent) and sixth in the league in penalty killing (85.3 percent).

Head to Head

After going 0-4-1 against the Mavericks overall during the regular season and 0-4-0 in Independence, the Mallards have gone 23-27-5 against Missouri all-time in the regular season and 13-16-2 on the road against the Mavs all-time.

Ins and Outs

Guillaume Gelinas was reassigned to the Mallards by Iowa (AHL) Monday...Tanner Eberle missed the first two games of the series after also missing the Mallards' April 9 regular season finale.

Wednesday, April 20, 6:35 p.m. CDT

Quad City Mallards vs. Missouri Mavericks

iWireless Center

Western Conference Quarterfinals: Game Three

Missouri leads series 2-0

Watch: ECHL.TV

Listen: Fox Sports Radio 1230

ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs, Western Conference Quarterfinals

Quad City Mallards vs. Missouri Mavericks

Game One: Missouri 6 Quad City 3

Game Two: Missouri 2 Quad City 1

Game Three: Wednesday, April 20 @ Quad City, 6:35 p.m.

Game Four: Friday, April 22 @ Quad City, 7:05 p.m.

Game Five: Saturday, April 23 @ Quad City, 7:05 p.m.*

Game Six: Tuesday, April 26 @ Missouri, 7:05 p.m.*

Game Seven: Wednesday, April 27 @ Missouri, 7:05 p.m.*

*- if necessary

Quad City Mallards

37-29-6, 80 points

3rd place, Midwest Division

Coach: Terry Ruskowski

Missouri Mavericks

52-15-5, 109 points

1st place, Central Division

Coach: Richard Matvichuk



ECHL Stories from April 20, 2016


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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