
River Rats head down the home stretch
March 16, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Albany River Rats News Release
The Albany River Rats host the Manitoba Moose in a special Tuesday night 7:00pm match-up at Pepsi Arena. The River Rats visit the Binghamton Senators for the final time this season on Friday night at 7:05pm. Albany returns to Pepsi Arena to close out the weekend on Great Escape Visor Day this Sunday at 5:00pm against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
Rat Bites:
LW Ahren Nittel established an AHL-high with 13 shots in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime loss to Syracuse. The rookie winger has four (3-1-4) points in his last five games.
The Albany River Rats' nine overtime losses are the most in the American Hockey League this season.
LW Rob Skrlac became just the second player in River Rats history to earn 1,000 penalty minutes on Saturday. He made his National Hockey League debut earlier this season and stands 99 minutes from the team record.
Assistant Coach Gates Orlando skated in his first professional game since the 1998-99 season when he was forced into action for Friday night's game at Syracuse. Orlando was originally drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in 1981 and played in 98 career NHL games.
Over the Air:
** Hear all the action LIVE at www.albanyriverrats.com**
Community Calendar:
Thurs., March 18th @ 9:00am - "Rowdy" the Rat will sign autographs at Dunkin Donuts on the corner of Route 155 and Central Avenue.
Fri., & Sat., March 19th & 20th - "Rowdy" The Rat will visit with fans at the ECAC Fan Festival at Pepsi Arena.
Sat., March 20th @ 4:00pm - Select members of the Albany River Rats will sign autographs at the ECAC Fan Festival.
River Rats Rewind: Week 23 - March 8, 2004 (0-2-0-2, 2pts)
March 10th â SYR 4 @ ALB 3 F/OT â LW Ahren Nittel scored his fourth goal and took an AHL season-high 13 shots in the first of a home-and-home series between the New York State rivals. LW Maxim Balmochnykh posted a goal and an assist, while C Craig Darby added the other River Rats marker as the club matched a season-high with 47 shots on goal.
March 12th - ALB 2 @ SYR 5 â C Craig Darby scored for the third straight game and Assistant Coach Gates Orlando skated in his first pro contest since the 1998-99 season. The injured-riddled River Rats got to within a goal at 3-2 when LW Ryan Murphy scored early in the third period but the club would go on to drop its second and final match-up in Syracuse.
March 13th â PRO 4 @ ALB 0 â LW Rob Skrlac earned his 1,000th penalty minute in an Albany uniform in a game that featured a season-high 126 penalty minutes. The River Rats outshot the Bruins 35-24 but saw their record against Providence fall to 2-1-0-1 during the 2003-04 season series. Schenectady native Rich Brennan scored the game-winner during the first period.
March 14th - BNG 5 @ ALB 4 F/OT â C Craig Darby scored for the fourth time in the last five games and LW Joe Hulbig added a goal and an assist in the final meeting between the clubs in Albany this season. C Eric Johansson chipped in two assists, while Finnish wingers Tuomas Pihlman & Ilkka Pikkarainen each netted a goal and an assist.
Upcoming Promotions:
Sun., March 21st vs. Bridgeport Sound Tigers @ 5:00pm
GREAT ESCAPE VISOR DAY!
THE FIRST 2,000 FANS RECEIVE A GREAT ESCAPE "ROWDY" VISOR!
BRING AS MANY RUBBERBANDS AS YOU CAN STAND!
JOIN THE RIVER 99.5 MORNING CREW'S QUEST TO MAKE THE WORLD'S BIGGEST âBAND BALL! GUESS THE WEIGHT & YOU COULD WIN A RECLINER FROM FURNITURE THEATER!
Family Meal Deal is back FOR MARCH 21ST & 28TH:
Four Hot Dogs/Popcorn, Four Sodas & Four Game Tickets for just $44!
Wed., April 7th vs. Hershey Bears @ 7:00pm
LAST $10 WEDNESDAY OF THE SEASON!
Don't miss out on the best deal in town!
American Hockey League Stories from March 16, 2004
- Falcons drop 4-1 contest to Lowell - Springfield Falcons
- Penguins sign defenseman Ondrej Nemec to ATO - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Phantoms lose 1-0 to Wilkes-Barre - Adirondack Phantoms
- Coyotes reassign Bezina to Falcons - Springfield Falcons
- MacKenzie Rejoins Chicago - Chicago Wolves
- St. Croix Re-Assigned to Columbia - Manitoba Moose
- Girl Scout Night is March 28 - Houston Aeros
- IceCats take part in 2004 Calder Cup Tour - Worcester IceCats
- Badduke Returns to Syracuse March 20 - Syracuse Crunch
- Wolves Guarantee Hockey the Way it Was Meant to be ... Played - Chicago Wolves
- St. 'Cat-Tricks Day - Worcester IceCats
- St. John's Announces Roster Moves - Toronto Marlies
- Crunch Announce 10th Anniversary All-Time Team - Syracuse Crunch
- Phantoms Flier - Adirondack Phantoms
- The Rock Report - Toronto Marlies
- AHL again sending record number of players to NHL - AHL
- Online auctions begin for Jennifer Ferraro Foundation benefit - Springfield Falcons
- Travis Brigley recalled by Colorado Avalanche - Hershey Bears
- Grizzlies Partner with Comcast to Say Thanks to the Military - Utah Grizzlies
- Celebrity Waiter Dinner nets more than $85,000 for charity - Houston Aeros
- Final week of Providence Bruins, Dunkin' Donuts warm-up jersey auction - Providence Bruins
- River Rats head down the home stretch - Albany River Rats
- B-Sens weekly - Binghamton Senators
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.
Other Recent Albany River Rats Stories
- Rats Season Concludes in Overtime
- Rats Fall 6-5 in Overtime
- River Rats Weekly
- Bears Rally Past Albany, 6-3
- Bears bite Rats in OT

