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Mallards Game Day

October 28, 2017 - ECHL (ECHL)
Quad City Mallards News Release


MALLARDS NOTES

Last Night

Ivan Kulbakov made 57 saves in regulation and overtime and then turned aside all three Steelhead shootout bids as the host Mallards outlasted Idaho 3-2 in the shootout. Tristan King scored the only goal of the shootout after assisting on the Mallard regulation goals scored by Josh MacDonald and Sam Warning.

Rematch

The Mallards tonight go for a sweep of their two-game weekend set with Idaho. If the Steelheads- who did earn one point for last night's shootout setback- win in regulation tonight, they will take the series.

Rebound

The Mallards rebounded from back-to-back losses with last night's win.

Break Even

If they win tonight, the Mallards will climb to .500 on the season. The Mallards last moved to .500 when they defeated the Tulsa Oilers 5-4 on October 14 to improve to 1-1-0.

Shootout

The Mallards last night went to the shootout for the first time this season. The Mallards went 6-2 in the shootout last season and finished tied for first in the ECHL with the Steelheads in shootout wins. The Mallards last season went 11-4 in games that ended in overtime or the shootout. Only the Greenville Road Warriors won more games (12) decided after the end of regulation.

Home Sweet Home

The Mallards last night kicked off a three-game homestand. After dueling with the Steelheads again tonight, the Mallards will close out the homestand and play their sixth home game out of seven overall next Friday against the Indy Fuel. Last night's victory lifted the Mallards to .500 (2-2-0) on home ice for the season.

Early Action

All four regulation goals were scored in the first period last night. The Mallards battled back to take the lead with the MacDonald and Warning goals after the Steelheads had broken on top less than three minutes into the game. Idaho struck again to tie the score at two in the final minute of the first.

Record Breaker

Kulbakov set a Mallard club record for saves in an ECHL game last night. He broke the previous team record of 45 saves in a single ECHL contest originally set by Evan Mosher on November 9, 2014 in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Beast in Brampton and matched by C.J. Motte on November 19, 2016 in a 3-2 home loss to the Wheeling Nailers. By coming up with an even 50 saves in regulation last night, Kulbakov topped the old club ECHL high of 45 saves in regulation set by Motte in that meeting with Wheeling last year. The Mallards entered the ECHL in 2014.

Shooting Gallery

The Mallards last night also allowed more shots- 59- than they have in any game since joining the ECHL. The old team record of 49 shots against in an ECHL game was set in the November 9, 2014 battle with Brampton. The 52 shots the Mallards surrendered in the first 60 minutes last night surpassed the old club mark of 48 regulation shots by an ECHL foe that was posted by the Nailers in the November 19, 2016 game.

Keeping Up with the Jones

Kulbakov last night produced more saves in one game than any Mallard netminder has made since the team returned to the ice in 2009. He surpassed the previous high set on February 27, 2010 when Kyle Jones had 52 saves in the Mallards' 3-2 International Hockey League loss to the Gems in Dayton. The 55 shots the Mallards conceded in that game against Dayton represented another post-2009 high that was surpassed last night. The Mallards last night did not match the club high for shots allowed in regulation in one game since 2009. The 52 shots the Mallards gave up over the three regulation periods last night were three shy of the Gems' total in the February, 2010 tilt.

Highs

Kulbakov last night also established a new league season high for saves in one game, eclipsing the old mark of 45 stops set by the Norfolk Admirals' Jake Paterson in a season-opening 4-2 loss to the Steelheads in Boise on October 13. The Steelheads set another ECHL season high by piling up 59 shots last night. Idaho outstripped the 53-shot effort the Nailers unleashed on October 14 in a 7-6 overtime victory in Greenville.

Shut Down

After Idaho's Justin Parizek knotted the contest at two with 24 seconds left in the first period last night, Kulbakov made 44 straight saves over the remainder of regulation and overtime.

Shooting Gallery

The Mallards, who took 26 shots last night, have been outshot in each of their first five games. They have allowed 41.2 shots per game and taken 26.2 per contest. The Mallards have given up at least 40 shots in each of their last three games.

Breakthrough

By scoring at 9:01 of the first period last night, MacDonald ended a drought that had seen the Mallards go 98 minutes and 54 seconds without scoring. MacDonald's goal was the Mallards' first since Justin Kovacs found the net at 10:07 of the second period of the Mallards' 5-2 loss to the Tulsa Oilers on October 18. After going goalless for the remainder of that game, the Mallards were shut out 3-0 by the Walleye last Saturday in Toledo.

Slow Starts

The Mallards went down 1-0 when Idaho's Henrik Samuelsson scored at 2:54 of the first period last night and have now given up the first goal no later than three minutes and 49 seconds into each of their first five games.

Warning Sign

Last night's goal was Warning's fourth in the first five games of the season. He is tied for eighth in the ECHL in goal scoring and leads the Mallards in both goals and points (5).

King Me

By picking up a pair last night, King took over the Mallard team lead in assists (3).

First

Alex Globke last night recorded his first Mallard point when he assisted on MacDonald's goal.

Debuts

Kyle Bigos and Michael Pontarelli both made their Mallard debuts last night after missing the first four games of the season.

Between the Pipes

Rookie Kulbakov has made 94 saves over his last two starts- the first of which was a 37-save performance last Saturday in Toledo- and has stopped 121 of the 130 shots he has faced over a total of three games on the season. He ranks fourth in the ECHL in total saves and eighth in save percentage (.931). Last night's win was Kulbakov's first career shootout victory.

Milestones

Kovacs has 98 career points...King has 93 career goals...Garrett Klotz has 976 career regular season penalty minutes

Special Teams

The goal MacDonald scored last night was the Mallards' first on the power play this season. He ended a season-opening 0-for-15 dry spell by converting the Mallards' first power play opportunity of last night's game. The Mallards and Steelheads both finished the evening 1-for-4 on the advantage. The Mallards have now gone 13-for-17 on the penalty kill this season.

Head to Head

After meeting for the first time ever last night, the Mallards and Steelheads this evening complete their season series.



ECHL Stories from October 28, 2017


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