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Mallards Weekly Update

March 23, 2010 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Quad City Mallards News Release


QUACK TRACKS

Playoff Chase

The Mallards are tied with the Flint Generals, five points behind the Bloomington PrairieThunder in the race for fourth place and the final IHL playoff spot. The PrairieThunder has three games in hand on the Mallards while the Generals have played two fewer games than the Mallards. The Mallards meet the Thunder two more times during the regular season- both of those games will be played at the i wireless Center. The Mallards have four home games remaining and six road games left.

Ducks Dip

The Mallards have won just one of their last six games (1-4-0-1).

Soixante S'il-vous-Plait

With an assist Sunday against Muskegon, Patrick Levesque (29-31-60) reached 60 points for the season- nearly double his previous single season career high (31) for points.

First

Marc Rechlicz scored his first career goal- on the power play- with 1:12 left in Sunday's game at Muskegon.

Early Wakeup Call

Obi Aduba scored the first of his two goals on the night just 23 seconds into last Friday evening's game at Fort Wayne. The Mallards have scored in the first minute of three different games against the Komets this season. Mike Zbriger scored at the 47 second mark of the Mallards' 4-3 shootout loss to Fort Wayne on November 22 and on February 6 Chris Lipsett scored half a minute in to Quad City's 3-1 victory over the Komets. Friday night also marked the second time this season Aduba scored in the first minute of a game- he found the net 37 seconds into a 3-2 loss to Dayton on February 27. Aduba's goal last Friday evening was the second fastest from the start of a game scored by a Mallard this season. Chris Lipsett scored at the 12-second mark of a 7-4 loss to Dayton on January 24.

(Three) Man Advantage

The Mallards enjoyed a rare 6-on-3 advantage late in last Friday night's game against Fort Wayne. Quad City went up three skaters after a pair of Fort Wayne penalties created a two man advantage and the Mallards then pulled goaltender Kyle Jones in favor of a sixth attacker. Juris Stals scored while Mallards were up three men at 16:14 of the third period.

Back-to-Back

Jerad Kaufmann (11-13-2-2, 2.98,.917) made his second straight start in goal for the Mallards Sunday in Muskegon after Quad City had rotated Kaufmann and Kyle Jones in net for each of the team's previous 12 games. The Mallards had gone nearly a month since a netminder had last made back-to-back starts- Jones on February 26 and 27. Kaufmann, who had given up three goals or fewer in five straight starts before allowing five goals against Muskegon Sunday, ranks third in the league in save percentage.

Familiar Face

Sergei Zvyagin, who helped the Mallards to Colonial and United League Colonial Cup titles in 1997 and 1998, returned to the i wireless Center with the Flint Generals last Wednesday and stopped 29 Mallard shots in Flint's 2-1 win.

History

Muskegon's Robin Bouchard scored his minor league record-setting six hundred eighty-third career goal at 14:10 of the first period of the Lumberjacks' win over the Mallards Sunday. Jerad Kaufmann surrendered the record setting goal.

Shorties

In the second period of Sunday's game, Muskegon's Damien Surma scored the league high twelfth shorthanded goal allowed by the Mallards this season.

Ins and Outs

Forward Ryan Fultz (foot) and defenseman Matt Burke (ankle) and Mike Zbriger (finger) are on injured reserve...Shane Lovdahl suffered a concussion last Friday against Fort Wayne and missed the Mallards' games Saturday and Sunday...The Mallards signed left wing Nick DeCroo out of Division III Hobart College last week. DeCroo debuted for the Mallards last Wednesday against Flint and played in each of Quad City's four games in a five-day span that ended Sunday.

SCOUTING REPORT

Muskegon

The Lumberjacks have won four of their last five games...Muskegon boasts the league's best home record (27-7-0-0)...Robin Bouchard (56-38-94) reached the new career minor league goal scoring record at a sprint. Bouchard scored his record setting six hundred eighty-third goal against the Mallards Sunday. That goal was also his fourteenth in an 11 game stretch. Bouchard leads the IHL in goals and power play goals (17) and ranks second in points. Bouchard this season has topped 50 goals for the sixth time in his career...Player-assistant coach Todd Robinson (19-79-98) leads the league in points and assists. Robinson is in the midst of an 11 game point scoring streak (2-16-18)...Matt Krug (13-30-43) leads IHL defensemen in goals and points...As a team, the Lumberjacks average a league high 3.8 goals per game...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 3-5-2-2 against the Lumberjacks.

Dayton

The Gems have dropped five of their last six games, eight of their last ten and 12 of their last 15...Each of Dayton's last three wins have come against the Mallards...Dayton has gone 12-29-0-1 in 42 games since starting the season 11-9-3-0...Mike Vaskivuo (23-20-43) leads the Gems in goals and points...Dayton made a series of moves last week just before the IHL trading deadline. The Gems brought in forwards Matt Smyth and Greg McCauley and defenseman Todd Spencer and moved out forwards John Snowden- Dayton's top scorer at the time of his trade to Bloomington- Mike Olynyk and Justin McCutcheon and defenseman Preston Briggs...The Gems ranks last in the IHL on both the power play (14.6 percent) and the penalty kill (77.3 percent)...Dayton is the second least penalized team in the league (14.8 minutes per game), just behind the Mallards (14.6)...Goaltender Derek MacIntyre (12-27-1-2, 3.25, .904) has started 13 straight games since netminder Ryan Mior was called up to the American Hockey League's Albany River Rats last month ...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...The Mallards have gone 3-5-0-1 against Dayton this season.

NEXT HOME GAME

Sunday, March 23, 7:05 p.m.- Mallards vs. Dayton Gems

Edwards Creative Team Poster Giveaway; Family Skate Night

The first 1,000 fans through the doors for the game will receive free Mallards team posters courtesy of Edwards Creative. Fans can bring their skates and join the Mallards on the ice for the Mallards' final Family Skate of the season.

COMMUNITY

Tuesday, March 23, 2:30-3:30 p.m.

Hardee's: DeWitt, Iowa/Geneseo, Illinois

Mallards players will meet fans and lend a hand to staff at Hardee's restaurants at 2163 Oakwood Avenue in Geneseo and at 709 Sixth Avenue in DeWitt.

Wednesday, March 24, 2:30-3:30 p.m.

Hardee's: Abingdon, Galesburg, Illinois

Mallards players will once more spend time with fans at Hardee's locations- this time at restaurants at 712 N. Monroe in Abingdon and 913 East Main in Galesburg.

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 March 23, 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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