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MIGHTY DUCKS-CRUNCH PREVIEW

March 15, 2002 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Cincinnati RailRaiders News Release


GAME: Cincinnati Mighty Ducks (29-26-9-3) at Syracuse Crunch (31-19-13-5)

TIME: Friday, 7:30 p.m. EST

TV/RADIO: ESPN 1160-AM (WBOB)

The Cincinnati Mighty Ducks look to snap a three-game losing streak and five-game winless skid (0-4-1-0) when they travel to the Onondaga County War Memorial to face the Syracuse Crunch.

The Ducks, 1-4-1-0 through the first six games of a 10-game, 18-day road trip, are in eighth place in the Western Conference standings, two points behind the seventh-place Norfolk Admirals.

Cincinnati has scored just three goals in its last five games and 13 goals in its last eight. The Ducks have been held scoreless on the power-play in their last six games (0-for-16), matching the club record for the most consecutive games without a man-advantage goal, and have tallied just one power-play goal in their last nine contests (1-for-22). The club's penalty killing unit on the other hand has been an island in a sea of disaster in recent action. The Ducks have allowed opposition power-play goals in just two of their last nine games, killing 31-of-34 shorthanded situations in that stretch.

The Crunch lead the Central Division by 10 points over second-place Cincinnati. Their lead is the biggest among the AHL's six division races. Syracuse has earned points in 11 of its last 12 (6-1-4-1), but is winless in its last three (0-1-1-1).

STANDINGS: Ducks - 70 points, 2nd place, 10 PB Central Division. Crunch - 80 points, 1st place, Central Division.

TEAM LEADERS: Ducks - Steve Brule, 18 goals and 52 points; Yuri Butsayev 20 goals; Ryan Barnes 152 PIM. Crunch - David Ling 16 goals, 50 points 169 PIM; Derrick Walser 18 goals and 47 points; Brad Moran 23 goals.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Ducks - Power play: 17.2 percent (47-for-273), 12th in AHL. Penalty killing: 85.6 percent (256-for-299), 5th. Crunch - Power play: 16.8 percent (58-for-345), 16th. Penalty Killing: 85.5 percent (283-for-331), 6th.

GOALTENDERS: Ducks - Ilja Bryzgalov (17-12-4, 4 SO, 2.45 GAA); Jason Elliott (10-13-5, 1 SO, 2.68 GAA). Crunch - Karl Goehring (5-5-3, 1 SO, 2.53 GAA); Greg Gardner (6-5-3, 2 SO, 2.58 GAA).

SEASON SERIES: Ducks lead 5-2-0-0 (1-2-0-0 at Syracuse).

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American Hockey League Stories from March 15, 2002


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