CHL Mississippi RiverKings

RiverKings Dodge Bullet to Retain Playoff Spot

Published on March 20, 2008 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Mississippi RiverKings News Release


The Mississippi RiverKings got on the bus yesterday in fifth place in the Northern Conference.

Amazingly, they still have that last playoff spot.

Alex Leavitt scored with 1:22 remaining in overtime to give the Arizona Sundogs a 7-6 win over the Rocky Mountain Rage last night in Prescott Valley.

The Rage led 5-0 after two periods before the Sundogs rattled off three straight goals to make it a 5-3 game with 7:33 remaining. However, Bill Newson scored on a power play for the Rage with 5:36 left to make it a three-goal game and seemingly end the Sundogs' comeback threat.

Nevertheless, the Sundogs scored three times in the final two minutes to force overtime. Cory Urquhart scored his second of the game with 1:23 remaining, Chris Bartolone made it 6-5 contest with 37 seconds to go, and Urquhart completed the hat trick with 18 seconds left to tie the game.

The RiverKings and the Rage both have 76 points, but the RiverKings have a game in hand, an extra win, and the season series between the teams. Therefore, the RiverKings still control their own postseason destiny. The Rage's regulation tie reduces the RiverKings' magic number to clinch a playoff spot to four.

In other action last night, the Youngstown SteelHounds defeated the Colorado Eagles 3-2 in the first of three games at Chevrolet Centre this week. Ed McGrane scored in the first period for the Eagles, but the SteelHounds tied the game in the second period thanks to Eric Main's goal. Joel Irving and Ryan Bennett both scored late in the third period to give the SteelHounds a 3-1 lead. McGrane scored again in the final minute, but the Eagles could not tie the game.

The Eagles still have 80 points and have a magic number of one to clinch the Northwest Division title. The fourth-place SteelHounds now have 79 points.

Meanwhile, the Texas Brahmas qualified for the playoffs with a 5-2 win in Valley Center over the Wichita Thunder. After Mark Carragher scored for the Brahmas and Peter Kennedy answered for the Thunder in the first period, the Brahmas rattled off goals from Grant Jacobsen, Scott Sheppard, and Tyler Skworchinski in the second period to take a 4-1 lead into the third period. Daniel Tetrault scored early in the third for the Thunder, but Greg McConnell punched the Brahmas' ticket into the postseason with an empty-netter in the closing seconds.

With 82 points, the Brahmas sit in third place and have a magic number of one to clinch it. The RiverKings trail them by six points and will have less wins than the Brahmas at the end of the season. Therefore, if the RiverKings do qualify for the playoffs, then they will have to participate in the Northern Conference's opening-round best-of-three series. The winner of that will go up against the Governor's Cup champion Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs in a best-of-seven conference semifinal series.

The RiverKings play the Oklahoma City Blazers today at 7:05 p.m. The pre-game show begins at 6:55 p.m. on Y96.1FM.



Central Hockey League Stories from March 20, 2008


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