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Mallards Weekly Update

January 15, 2010 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Quad City Mallards News Release


QUACK TRACKS

Flying High

The Mallards have established season highs by winning five straight games and going unbeaten in regulation in their last seven games (6-0-0-1). That hot streak has taken Quad City within four points of fourth place and a potential playoff spot.

Shoot 'Em Up

Last weekend's back-to-back shootout wins over Port Huron kept up a trend for the Mallards. Four of the Mallards' last six games have gone to the shootout. The Flock has won its last three shootouts. Each of the last four meetings between the Mallards and Icehawks have gone to the shootout. Quad City has won three of those four contests.

Firsts

Defensemen Jason Goulet (Friday), Shane Lovdahl (Friday) and Kyryll Katrych (Sunday) all scored their first goal of the season last weekend. Lovdahl's goal was also the first of the rookie's career.

Mighty Mike

Mike Zbriger (10-15-25), the Mallards' third leading scorer, has gone pointless in his last three games but still played a major role in the Mallards' two wins last weekend. Zbriger scored the winning shootout goal last Friday against Port Huron. Sunday Zbriger kept the Mallards alive by scoring the tying shootout goal on Quad City's third and final regulation penalty shot. Zbriger has converted four of six penalty shots in shootouts this season.

Double Trouble Goaltender Kyle Jones is unbeaten in regulation (3-0-0-1) in four starts since Christmas. Fellow netminder Jerad Kaufmann has won three straight starts while giving up a total of just four goals.

Streaks Stopped Patrick Levesque's five-game point scoring streak ended when he went pointless against Port Huron last Friday. On the season Levesque (17-16-33) is tied for third in the league in goals and tied for sixth in points. Chris Lipsett's six game point scoring streak was halted when he was held off the score sheet Sunday against the Icehawks.

Good Behavior

The Mallards were not shorthanded a single time in Sunday's game against Port Huron- a first for Quad City this season. The Mallards themselves enjoyed just one power play in that game.

Isn't That Special (Teams)?

The Mallards have killed off 16 of their opponents' 18 power plays in eight games since Christmas. The Mallards have kept their opponents to three power play opportunities or fewer in eight of their last nine games.

Ins and Outs

The Mallards earlier this week signed center Matt Cook...Winger Terry Harrison (groin) was placed on injured reserve earlier this week...Defenseman Shaun Fisher (back) has missed the Mallards' last ten games... Defenseman Matt Burke has been on injured reserve since suffering a broken ankle November 8 in Flint.

SCOUTING REPORT

Muskegon The Lumberjacks sandwiched a pair of home shutout wins over Flint around a loss at Fort Wayne last weekend...Muskegon has gone 4-4-0-0 in eight games since Christmas after starting the season 19-5-0-3...Prior to whitewashing Flint on home ice 8-0 Sunday, the Lumberjacks had played nine of their prior 11 games on the road...Muskegon ranks second in the league in goal scoring (3.4 per game)...Robin Bouchard scored a league single game season high four goals and picked up one assist Sunday. Bouchard (31-27-58) leads the IHL in goals and points and is just 25 goals away from breaking the all-time minor league career record of 682 set by Don Parsons. Parsons skated for the United Hockey League Mallards in 2006-07. Bouchard was named IHL Player of the Week after totaling five goals and seven points in three games last week...The first of Todd Robinson's four assists Sunday was the seven hundredth of his career. Robinson (14-38-52) leads the league in assists and ranks second in points. The Muskegon player-assistant coach is in the midst of a five-game point scoring streak (3-7-10)...Rookie Matt Lundin (9-2-0-1, 2.70, .910) made 30 saves while posting his first career shutout Sunday...Sebastien Centomo (14-7-0-2, 2.50, .910) stopped 23 shots while turning in his second shutout of the season Friday against Flint. Centomo leads the league in wins, ranks fourth in goals against average and is tied with Lundin for fifth in save percentage...This is the first year of Rich Kromm's second stint as Muskegon coach. Kromm first piloted the Muskegon Fury from 1998-2001. That successful tenure was highlighted by the Fury's 1999 Colonial Cup title. As a player Kromm skated in 372 NHL games with the Calgary Flames and New York Islanders...The Mallards have gone 1-2-2-0 against the Lumberjacks.

Flint The Generals were shut out three times in as many nights last weekend. Flint fell 1-0 in Muskegon last Friday, was blanked 3-0 by Dayton on home ice last Saturday and was thrashed 8-0 at Muskegon Sunday...The Generals are now winless in their last four games (0-3-0-1) and have won just one of their last six games (1-3-0-2)...Flint has played .500 hockey (8-8-1-2) since winning just three of its first 17 games (3-12-0-2)...Rookie Rob Nolan (8-11-1-1, 2.45, .924) ranks second in the league in save percentage and ranks third in goals against average...John Ronan (14-7-21) is tied for sixth in the league in goals and Jamie Schaafsma (13-14-27), who is the Generals' top point producer, is tied for ninth in the league in goals...John Mori (11-12-23) is tied for second among IHL rookies in goals and ranks third in points...The Generals rank last in the league in goal scoring (2.5 per game), power play efficiency (14.9 percent) and penalty killing (78.2 percent)...Forward Bryan Smolinski- a veteran of 1,056 National Hockey League games- was placed on injured reserve last week...Jason Muzzatti took over the head coaching reins in Flint this season after serving as an assistant with the Generals last year. Muzzatti, a goaltender, spent 2007-08- his sixteenth and final season as a professional player- in the Generals' net. The former Michigan State star played in the NHL for the Calgary Flames, Hartford Whalers and New York Rangers. Muzzatti also played for Italy at the 2006 Winter Olympics...The Mallards have gone 3-2-1-0 against the Generals this season.

Fort Wayne

The Komets have won three straight games and are unbeaten in regulation in their last six outings (5-0-0-1)...The Lumberjacks won three games in three nights last weekend, following up home wins over Bloomington (in a shootout Friday) and Muskegon (last Saturday) by blanking the Gems in Dayton Sunday...The Komets allow a league low average of 2.6 goals per game...Tim Haun (13-7-0-2, 2.18, .920) has gone unbeaten in regulation (4-0-0-1) while making five straight starts for Fort Wayne. Haun leads the league in goals against average, is tied for second in wins and ranks third in save percentage. He was named IHL Goaltender of the Week after stopping 87 of the 90 shots he faced while posting three wins last week...P.C. Drouin (8-25-33) ranks fourth in the league in assists and is tied for sixth in points...Colin Chaulk (9-23-32) ranks fifth in assists and is tied for eighth in points...Leo Thomas (14-10-24) is tied for sixth in the league in goals...Bobby Phillips (1-6-7) was named IHL Rookie of the Week after scoring once and picking up two assists while turning in a plus/minus rating of +5 in three games...Veteran Komets Coach Al Sims has piloted Fort Wayne to both the Turner Cup and regular season titles each of the last two years and has now steered the club to the Turner Cup a total of three times. Sims is in the third season of his second stint behind the Komets' bench. He capped off his initial four-year run in Fort Wayne by piloting the Komets to the 1993 Turner Cup. Sims spent one season- 1996-97- as head coach of the NHL's San Jose Sharks. As a player, Sims, a defenseman, skated in 476 NHL games with Boston, Hartford and Los Angeles...The Mallards have gone 1-3-1-1 against Fort Wayne this season.

UPCOMING HOME GAMES

Saturday, January 16, 7:05 p.m.- Mallards vs. Flint Generals

Kids Replica Jerseys Courtesy of Genesis Power Sports Performance and Pepsi, the first 1,000 fans ages 12-and-under through the gates for the Mallards' game this Saturday against Flint will receive free Mallards kids replica jerseys.

Wednesday, January 27, 7:05 p.m.- Mallards vs. Flint Generals $2 12-ounce Drafts

Fans can take advantage of $2 12-ounce drafts available at i wireless Center concession stands throughout the January 27 game against Flint.

TICKETS

Single Game Tickets

Mallards tickets are available at the i wireless Center box office, Ticketmaster outlets and www.ticketmaster.com or through Ticketmaster charge-by-phone toll free at 1-800-745-3000. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on game days from 10:00 a.m. through the end of the second period.

Group ICExperiences

Mallards group packages are fun, easy to plan and memorable and are a perfect fit for business outings, teams, and school groups, family gatherings and just about any other kind of outing. Groups of ten or more receive a discount off the regular walk-up ticket price and are seated together for all the action. The Mallards offer a wide variety of "Group ICExperiences," including packages that provide the chance to sit on the bench or in the penalty box before a game or ride the Zamboni and much more! The Mallards can also help you use a group outing as a fundraiser for your organization. For group ticket and fundraising information contact the Mallards at 309-277-1364.

ON THE AIR

Fans can listen to all the action of Mallards Hockey Presented by Genesis Power Sports Performance this week and throughout the season on 93.9 WYEC-FM and on www.myqcmallards.com. Coverage starts with the Mallards Pre-Game Show Presented by Genesis Sports Medicine 30 minutes before opening faceoff. Live pay-per-view video webcasts of Mallards action are also available at www.myqcmallards.com courtesy of B2 Networks.



International Hockey League 2 Stories from January 15, 2010


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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