Mallards Weekly Update

Published on February 9, 2010 under International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Quad City Mallards News Release


QUACK TRACKS

Taking Flight

The Mallards are unbeaten in regulation in their last four games overall (3-0-0-1) and have suffered just one regulation loss in their last ten home games (8-1-0-1).

Showdowns

The sixth place Mallards this week meet the two teams immediately above them in the race for the final IHL playoff spot.

The fifth place Gems are two points ahead of Quad City heading into tomorrow night's match-up at the i wireless Center.

The two clubs will get reacquainted Sunday afternoon in Dayton.

The Mallards enter the week seven points behind Bloomington, which currently occupies the fourth and final playoff position.

The Mallards have one game in hand on the PrairieThunder and have played two fewer games than the Gems.

Between the Pipes

Jerad Kaufmann (7-7-2-2, 2.65,.924) set a team season high by making 46 saves in the Mallards' 3-2 shootout loss to Port Huron last Wednesday night.

Kaufmann leads the league in save percentage.

In last Saturday night's win over Fort Wayne, Kyle Jones (7-7-2-2, 2.65,.924) established a personal season high by stopping 38 shots.

Komets Krash

Last Saturday's win over the Komets was the Mallards' first regulation victory in nine games against the Fort Wayne this season and just Quad City's second win of any sort over the Komets this year.

Chris Chranks Up

Chris Lipsett (17-21-38) is in the midst of a four game point scoring streak (2-4-6) and has scored six goals and totaled 10 points in the Mallards' last seven games.

Lipsett is tied with Patrick Levesque (21-21-42) for the team lead in assists.

Four More

Mike Zbriger (14-19-33) is also riding a four game point scoring streak (3-2-5) and has scored one goal in each of his last three games.

Isn't That Special (Teams)?

The Mallards have killed off their opponents' last 15 power plays and 22 of their foes' last 23 man advantages.

Quad City now ranks sixth in the league on the penalty kill (78.7 percent).

The Flock has converted just one of its last 13 power plays.

Shoot 'Em Up

Last Wednesday marked the fifth time in their last six meetings that the Mallards and Port Huron Icehawks have gone to the shootout.

The Mallards have won three of those five shootouts.

On the season the Mallards' have gone to the shootout a league-high 10 times and have played a league-high total of 14 overtime games.

Business Picks Up

The Mallards will play four games in five nights beginning tomorrow evening and face three games in three nights this weekend.

The Mallards will visit Dayton Sunday afternoon having lost in regulation just once this season while playing for third time in 48 hours (3-1-1-1).

Ins and Outs

Goaltender Jerad Kaufmann (illness) remained on the bench to serve as Jones's backup last Saturday night...Defenseman A.J. Bozoian (hip flexor) has missed Mallards' last six games... Defenseman Shaun Fisher (back), forward Terry Harrison (groin) and defenseman Matt Burke (ankle) are on injured reserve.

SCOUTING REPORT

Dayton

The Gems won two of their three games last week.

Wins over the third place Komets last Wednesday night in Fort Wayne and the second place Port Huron Icehawks last Saturday night bracketed a loss to seventh place Flint last Friday.

Dayton gave up a total of just five goals over those three games...The Gems are two points ahead of the sixth place Mallards; Quad City has two games in hand on Dayton...Dayton has gone 8-14-0-1 in 23 games since starting the season 11-9-3-0...The Gems are the only IHL team with a losing home record (10-11-1-1)...Mike Vaskivuo (16-15-31) ranks second among IHL rookies in goals and is tied for second among first year players in points...John Snowden (16-14-30) is tied with Vaskivuo for the team goal scoring lead...Only the Mallards (15.0 minutes per game) have spent less time (by a hair) in the penalty box than the Gems

(15.04)...Derek MacIntyre (8-15-1-0, 2.92,.910) has given up three goals or fewer in each of his last nine appearances in the Dayton net...MacIntyre has shared goaltending duties with Ryan Mior (11-8-2-1, 3.16,.900)...

In 20 years as a head coach Dayton's John Marks has won two ECHL titles and one Southern Professional Hockey League championship.

As a player Marks skated in 657 National Hockey League games with the Chicago Black Hawks from 1972 through 1982...Dayton has won two of its first three meetings with the Mallards.

Fort Wayne

The Komets, who host Bloomington tomorrow night, last week lost two of three games and have gone 3-4-0-0 in their last seven outings.

An emphatic 9-1 win over Port Huron last Friday was sandwiched by losses to Dayton last Wednesday and the Mallards last Saturday...The Komets matched a league season high for goals in a single game last Friday...The Komets have lost three of their last four road games and are 5-8-0-1 in their last 14 away from home...The Komets allow a league low average of 2.4 goals per game...Tim Haun (16-9-0-2, 2.21,.921) leads the league in goals against average and is tied for second in wins and save percentage...Nick Boucher (10-6-0-0, 2.52,.921), the other half of the Komets' goaltending tandem, is tied for second in save percentage and ranks third in goals against average...Colin Chaulk (12-33-45) is tied for third in the IHL in assists and ranks seventh in

points.

Chaulk has produced 13 points (three goals, ten assists) in his last ten games and 29 points (11 goals, 18 assists) in his last 20 contests...

P.C. Drouin (15-29-44) is tied for sixth in assists and eighth in points...Leo Thomas (19-16-35) ranks sixth in the league in goals...

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 2-5-1-1 against Fort Wayne this season.

Bloomington

The PrairieThunder has won one of its last five games (1-3-0-1).

After defeating Flint 7-5 last Wednesday, the Thunder dropped a pair of games in Muskegon last weekend, though Bloomington did earn one point last Saturday for a 4-3 shootout setback suffered at the hands of the Lumberjacks...Craig MacDonald (26-29-55) ranks third in the league in goals, is tied for third in points with teammate Jon Booras and is tied for sixth in points.

MacDonald has produced 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in his last 12 games...Booras (17-38-55) also ranks second in the league in assists.

Booras and teammate Jason Lepine both equaled league single game season highs for points and assists by collecting five assists apiece in last Wednesday's win over Flint.

In just his last 11 games Booras has rung up 22 points (three goals, 19 assists).

Booras was named IHL Player of the Month after notching 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists) in 14 games in January.

Against the Mallards Booras has registered 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 11 games...Bill Bagron (18-16-34) ranks seventh in goals...Sebastian Dahm (4-4-0-1, 3.75.884) has made four straight starts in the PrairieThunder net and gotten the call in eight of Bloomington's last nine games...The Thunder allows a league high average of 3.4 goals per game...Bloomington ranks second in the league on the power play (20.3 percent)...The PrairieThunder leads the league in penalty minutes (29.3 per game).

Individually, Bloomington's Justin Sawyer (219) and Robin Gomez (158) rank second and fourth, respectively, in penalty minutes...Jarrod Skalde is in his second season behind the Bloomington bench. The former centerman wrapped up a 17-year professional playing career that saw him skate in 115 NHL games with the New Jersey Devils, Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks, Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, Atlanta Thrashers and Philadelphia Flyers by suiting up for ten games with the PrairieThunder in 2007-08...The Mallards have gone 5-6-0-0 against Bloomington this season.

The home team had won each of the first ten meetings between the two teams before the Mallards won 3-0 at U.S. Cellular Coliseum on January 31.

UPCOMING HOME GAMES

Wednesday, February 10, 7:05 p.m.- Mallards vs. Dayton Gems

$2 12-ounce Drafts

Fans can take advantage of $2 12-ounce drafts available at i wireless Center concession stands throughout tomorrow night's game against Dayton.

Saturday, February 13, 7:05 p.m.- Mallards vs. Fort Wayne Komets

$1,000 Hot Dog Giveaway

Cash prizes totaling $1,000 will be given away with random hot dogs from i wireless Center concession stands during the Mallards' game against Fort Wayne.

COMMUNITY

Tueday, February 9: Miss Maria's Day Care Center

Mallards players will speak to children at Miss Maria's Child Care Center in Davenport.

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.

MALLARDS WEEKLY UPDATE: FEBRUARY 9, 2010

THIS WEEK Wednesday, February 10, 7:05 p.m. i wireless Center, Moline Dayton Gems vs. Quad City Mallards

Friday, February 12, 7:05 p.m. U.S. Cellular Coliseum, Bloomington Quad City Mallards vs. Bloomington PrairieThunder

Saturday, February 13, 7:05 p.m. i wireless Center, Moline Fort Wayne Komets vs. Quad City Mallards

Sunday, February 14, 4:00 p.m. Hara Arena, Dayton, Ohio Quad City Mallards vs. Dayton Gems

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International Hockey League 2 Stories from February 9, 2010


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