Mallards Game Day

October 22, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Quad City Mallards News Release


QUAD CITY MALLARDS VS. RAPID CITY RUSH

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 8:05 CT

RUSHMORE PLAZA CIVIC CENTER

QUAD CITY

1-2-0, 2 points

tied 6th place, Central Division

Coach: Terry Ruskowski

RAPID CITY

0-3-0, 0 points

tied 5th place, Mountain Division

Coach: Mark DeSantis

WATCH: ECHL.TV

LISTEN: Fox Sports Radio 1230

Last Night

Pavel Jenys broke at 2-2 tie with 8:19 left in the third period and the Mallards went on to defeat the host Rush 3-2.

Back-to-Back

The Mallards tonight go for a second win over the Rush in as many evenings.

Rebound

The Mallards secured their first win of the campaign last night after dropping both ends of a season-opening home-and-home series with the Fort Wayne Komets last weekend.

Double Dip

The Mallards won last night after starting the season with consecutive losses for the first time since they dropped the first three games of the 2010-11 Central Hockey League campaign.

Looking Up

In the wake of last night's victory, the Mallards remain tied with the Wichita Thunder- which last night improved to 1-1-0 by defeating the Missouri Mavericks 4-1- in sixth place in the ECHL's Central Division. The Mallards and Thunder are two points behind a trio of teams- the Tulsa Oilers, Indy Fuel and Kalmazoo Wings- locked in an early-season tie for third place, while the Komets and Toledo Walleye share the top spot in the division with six points apiece.

Front Runners

The Mallards last night took the lead three times. The Mallards forged in front 1-0 with a Jace Coyle goal in the first period only for the Rush to bounce back and tie game at one in the second period on a goal by Lindsay Sparks. The Mallards then moved on top 2-1 when Sam Warning scored in the second but Rapid City would knot the score again with Hunter Fejes' reply early in the third period. The Mallards would hold on to the lead after Jenys scored in the third.

Even Steven

The Mallards went exactly 161 minutes- the equivalent of just over eight full periods- without an even strength goal before Jenys scored at 5-on-5 in the third period last night. Jenys' tie-breaker was just the Mallards' second even strength goal in three games this season and their first since Justin Kovacs scored the Mallards' first goal of the campaign at even strength at 10:41 of the first period of last Friday's 6-2 opening night loss to Fort Wayne.

Road Warriors

With last night's win the Mallards improved to 1-1-0 on the road.

Shooting Gallery, Part I

The Mallards last night took 47 shots on goal, the most they have produced in one game since generating 49 on November 14, 2014 in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Beast in Brampton. The Mallards last night also matched the ECHL single game season high for shots first set by the Missouri Mavericks, who drove the puck at the Americans' net 47 times on October 15 in a 6-3 loss in Allen.

Shooting Gallery, Part II

The Mallards last night fired 20 shots in the second period alone, the most they have piled up in one period since they ripped off 20 in the second period of a 5-4 sudden death home loss to Brampton in the Central Hockey League on January 8, 2014. The Mallards last had more than 20 shots in a period when they rang up 22 in the second period of 7-5 CHL home win over the St. Charles Chill on October 26, 2013. The Mallards last night also equaled the league single period season high for shots on goal first established by the host Utah Grizzlies when they hurled 20 shots at the Idaho cage in the opening period of a 3-0 victory over the Steelheads on October 15.

Late Show

Jenys last night scored the Mallards' first third period goal of the season.

Trifecta

The Mallards last night set a team season high by scoring three times and also matched their goal total for their first two games combined.

Stingy

The Mallards have given up fewer goals (5) in their last two games combined than they did in last Friday's season-opening loss to the Komets.

Point-Per-Game

Warning (2-1-3) and Kovacs (1-2-3) are the only Mallards to have recorded points each of the team's first three games. Warning leads the Mallards in goals after scoring in each of the last two games. Kovacs assisted on both of those goals after Warning set up his opening night goal. Warning and Kovacs are tied with Mike Monfredo (1-2-3) for the team lead in points.

Double Down

Coyle (one goal and one assist) and Monfredo (two assists) last night became the first Mallards to notch two points in one game this season.

Debuts

Mike Wilson- who signed with the Mallards last Saturday- and Chris Francis- who last weekend missed the first two games of the Mallards' season while on bereavement leave- both made their Mallard debuts last night.

Firsts

Last night's game winner was the first goal of Jenys' career. Francis marked his Mallard debut with his first point for the club- an assist on Jenys' goal. Coyle last night produced his first goal and his first assist as a Mallard. Brady Brassart last night registered his first point of the season by assisting on Coyle's goal.

Shooting Gallery, Part III

While Alex Petan last night went pointless after last weekend pocketing one assist in each of his first two games with the Mallards, he did set a team season high yesterday evening by taking six shots on goal.

Between the Pipes

Adam Vay last night made 26 saves to earn his first win in North American professional hockey. Vay rebounded after giving up five Fort Wayne goals over two periods on 23 Komet shots while taking the loss in his Mallard debut in last Friday's opener.

Old Friend

Former Mallard forward Anthony Collins last night played against his old team for the first time since joining the Rush in the offseason after a season and a half with the Mallards following a February, 2015, trade with the South Carolina Stingrays. Collins scored three goals and added four assists while picking up 94 penalty minutes in 52 games with the Mallards last season.

On the Road

The Mallards tonight play a third straight road game and the third in a run that will see them play five of seven away from home.

Power Play

After going 2-for-4 on the power play last night with goals from Coyle and Warning, the Mallards are now an ECHL-best 4-for-11 (36.4 percent) with the man advantage this season. The Mallards have scored at least once while up a man in each of their first three games. The Mallards have scored half as many even strength goals (2) as power play goals. Warning's second period strike last night was the fourth consecutive Mallard goal (over parts of three games) to come on the advantage. The Mallards have converted half of their six road power plays, delivering last night's brace after Warning scored the Flock's first away power play goal on the first of two Mallard opportunities in last Saturday's 3-1 loss in Fort Wayne. Each of the first three goals- two for the Mallards and one for the Rush- scored in last night's game came on the power play.

Penalty Kill

The Mallards last night allowed one goal- the Rush's first, from Sparks- on five Rapid City power plays and have now surrendered one goal while shorthanded in each of their first three games. The Mallards are 7-for-10 on the penalty kill (70.0 percent) this season and rank twenty-second in the ECHL. The Mallards last night did come through at a key time on the shorthand by surviving each of the three power plays the Rush enjoyed in the decisive third period.

Head to Head

With last night's win, the Mallards kicked off their three-game season series with the Rush in style. The Mallards can clinch the season series tonight if they complete a sweep in Rapid City in regulation. This is the Mallards' last visit this year to Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. The season series will conclude February 4 in Moline. All-time, the Mallards are now 25-13-3 against the Rush and 11-8-2 in Rapid City. Including their final five head-to-head meetings with Rapid City last season, the Mallards have won five of their last six against the Rush. Dating back to the final two games they played against Rapid City during the 2014-15 campaign, the Mallards are 7-2-0 in their last nine outings against the Rush. The Mallards last year went 4-2-0 against the Rush and 1-1-0 in Rapid City.

Double Your Fun

This weekend's double dip is the ninth regular season two-night series in Rapid City between the Mallards and Rush since the Flock begin playing the Rush in the Central Hockey League in 2010-11. Only once in the first eight series have the Mallards won on back-to-back evenings in South Dakota. The Mallards' lone Rapid City sweep came when the edged they Rush 2-1 in a shootout on April 3, 2015 and claimed a 3-2 victory in regulation one night later. Entering this evening, the Mallards have never before won in regulation on successive nights in Rapid City. The Mallards have twice won two straight games in regulation in Rapid City on non-consecutive days, in fact, the Mallards accomplished that feat for the second time with last night's victory, which followed a 2-1 win on December 12, 2015 in the Flock's final Rushmore Plaza Civic Center appearance of last season. The Mallards have posted back-to-back wins of any stripe (regulation, overtime or shootout) on non-consecutive days in Rapid City a total of four times.

Ins and Outs

Defenseman Mike Wilson debuted for the Mallards last night after signing last Saturday...Forward Chris Francis debuted for the Mallards last night after missing the season's first two games while on bereavement leave...Forwards Michael Parks (lower body injury) and Jack Nevins (lower body injury) and forward/defenseman Kyle Follmer (lower body injury) missed last night's game.

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