CHL Mississippi RiverKings

RiverKings Weekly Update

March 15, 2010 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Mississippi RiverKings News Release


SOUTHAVEN, MS --- Here is the weekly update for the Mississippi RiverKings of the Central Hockey League.

THE WEEK PAST

Mississippi was 2-0-0 for the past week, winning weekend games against Texas on Friday (7-4) and Bossier-Shreveport on Saturday (6-3). The wins pushed the RiverKings' record to 31-23-7 with three games remaining in the regular season. Mississippi has 69 points and is in fourth place in the Central Hockey League Northern Conference entering this week's play. Saturday's win against Bossier-Shreveport, coupled with a regulation time loss by Tulsa to Colorado clinched a Northern Conference playoff spot for the RiverKings.

Mississippi 7, Texas 4 (Friday, March 12, 2010)

The RiverKings won their third straight game and claimed a four-game regular season sweep of the CHL defending champions at the DeSoto Civic Center, equaling their season high for goals scored in a game. Mississippi broke open a 3-3 tie in the second period and tallied three more goals in the final period. The RiverKings outshot the Brahmas by a 36-31 margin and were 4-for-4 on the power play, while stopping both Texas power play chances. Darrell Stoddard scored a goal and added two assists for the RiverKings; Matt Summers netted a pair of goals, while Dane Marshall, Ryan Held, Andrew Lackner, and Kevin Truelson each scored a goal and added an assist. Derek Landmesser assisted on two goals for the RiverKings in the victory. Kyle McNulty won his third straight game in net with 28 saves.

Mississippi 6, Bossier-Shreveport 3 (Saturday, March 13, 2010)

The RiverKings scored two goals in each period of its fourth straight victory and third of the regular season series against the Mudbugs. Bossier-Shreveport outshot the RiverKings 38-30 for the game, but Mississippi scored four times on eleven power play chances and held the Mudbugs to one power play goal in seven opportunities. Six separate players scored solo goals in the game. Derek Landmesser added three assists for a four point night, Elias Godoy and Ryan Held each scored a goal and added two assists for a three-point evening, and Darrell Stoddard assisted on two Mississippi goals. Goaltender Kyle McNulty started the game in goal and made ten saves before leaving the contest with an injury. Tim Boron stepped in and earned his seventh victory of the year at the crease, stopping 24 shots and allowing three goals.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Tuesday, March 16, 2010 - Mississippi at Bossier-Shreveport (7:05 PM)

Tuesday marks the final game of the regular season series with the Mudbugs, a series led by Bossier-Shreveport 6-3-0 for 12 points. The RiverKings' record against the Mudbugs is 3-5-1 for seven points. Saturday's victory was the first for the RiverKings against the Mudbugs since a 3-1 win at Bossier-Shreveport on December 26th. Mississippi's record in Louisiana this season is 1-2-0. Derek Landmesser is the RiverKings' scoring leader against Bossier-Shreveport with two goals and nine points. Ryan Held has scored four goals against the 'Bugs this season. Tim Boron has a 1-0-0 record in net for the RiverKings against Bossier-Shreveport with a 4.09 GAA and a save percentage of.872. Kyle McNulty has played just 14 minutes against the Mudbugs as a RiverKings goaltender and 25 minutes as a goaltender in Arizona this season. A win Tuesday night would give the RiverKings five straight wins, equaling the team's longest win streak of the season.

Friday, March 19, 2010, and Saturday, March 20, 2010 - Tulsa at Mississippi (7:05 PM both nights)

The regular season ends with two games against a Tulsa team that has had its hold on the RiverKings this season. The Oilers hold a 7-2-0 edge on Mississippi through nine games of the season series, but the last six games of the series have been played at the BOK Center. This will be the first visit of the Oilers to the Mid-South since a 6-5 Tulsa win at the DeSoto Civic Center in early November. The last Mississippi victory against Tulsa came January 2nd with a 5-3 conquest. The Oilers have scored six or more goals against the RiverKings on four separate occasions during the season series. Ryan Held leads the RiverKings in scoring against Tulsa with four goals and 12 points. Tim Boron is 0-1-1 against the Oilers with a 4.70 GAA and a save percentage of.857. Kyle McNulty has not played against Tulsa in a RiverKings sweater this season, but is 1-0-0 as a member of the Arizona Sundogs, earned a 2.48 GAA and a save percentage of.923.

HELD SCORES AGAIN

He's becoming "Mr. Dependability" for the RiverKings on offense, as Ryan Held continues moving up the scoring charts heading into the most important time of the year. The London, Ontario native who won a championship with Vipiteno (Italy) last season now has 33 goals and 72 points, becoming the first RiverKings forward to reach the 70 point plateau this year. Ryan now has a six-game point streak of 12 points, after netting two goals and three assists in last weekend's play. Held has scored points in 12 of his last 13 games, only being kept off the score sheet on February 27th at home against Allen (a 5-3 RiverKings victory). The last RiverKing to reach the 70 point level was Held's teammate earlier this season and former teammate at Vipiteno (as well as earlier again in the Mid-South), Ryan Campbell, who scored 76 points with the RiverKings in the 2007-08 season. Held's 33 goals are the most since Travis Banga scored 34 in the 2005-06 Memphis RiverKings season.

ALSO STREAKING...

Dane Marshall: 2 goals in two games, three points in two games.

Derek Landmesser: nine assists in four games, 10 points in four games.

Darrell Stoddard: four assists in two games, 6 points in three games.

SPECIAL TEAMS VERY SPECIAL

Mississippi's power play has erupted for 11 goals in the team's last three games, while allowing just two to the opponents. The RiverKings' power play percentage in the past trio of contests is an amazing 42.3% (11-for-26), while the team's penalty kill percentage is at 87.5% (2-for-16). Mississippi is 16-1-0 when scoring two or more power play goals in a game and is 7-0-0 when scoring three or more man advantage red-lighters.

BORON'S BACK

Thrust into service when starting Kyle McNulty was hurt in Saturday's win against Bossier-Shreveport, goaltender Tim Boron came through, stopping 24 of 27 shots in the 6-4 victory. It was the Winnipeg, Manitoba native's first significant playing time against the Mudbugs this season and first appearance since last playing against Allen on March 5th. Tim got the win in goal against Bossier-Shreveport and now has a 7-8-2 record for the year, including time in Wichita before his acquisition by the RiverKings earlier this year. With the RiverKings, Boron has a record of 6-5-2.

SIMOES' BACK

Defenseman David Simoes returned to play Friday night against the Brahmas, his first action since taking a leave of absence following the February 23rd game to attend to a family matter. Simoes impact was felt on the Mudbugs and James DeLory the next night, assisting on one of the RiverKings' six goals and meeting the challenge of DeLory in a brief tussle during the contest.

THIRTY WINS (PLUS ONE)

Friday's win against Texas gave the RiverKings 30 wins for the season, followed Saturday night by number 31 in their victory against Bossier-Shreveport. In winning the CHL Northeast Division championship and finishing with 44 regular season victories, the RiverKings last season reached win number 31 on February 14th in finishing a two-game road sweep of the Colorado Eagles in Loveland, 5-3. It marks the fourth straight season that the RiverKings have won 30 or more games and ninth out of the last ten seasons for 30 wins or more (the 2005-06 team won 22 games). The all-time victory record for the RiverKings is 46, set in the first of back-to-back championship seasons for the franchise in 2001-02.

ALSO OF NOTE....

David Simoes is four away from 600 career professional penalty minutes.

Louis Dumont will play in RiverKings and CHL career game number 250 on Tuesday at Bossier-Shreveport.

Bobby Chaumont played in career professional game number 200 Saturday night against Bossier-Shreveport.

Tim Boron reaches a total of 3000 career minutes played in the CHL at the two minute mark of his next appearance in goal.

Kyle McNulty reaches a total of 3000 career minutes played in the CHL at the 18 minute mark of his next appearance in goal.

BROADCASTS

RiverKings hockey is covered on Flinn Broadcasting stations Sports 56, WHBQ-AM 560 and The Pig, WIVG 96.1 FM, along with CHL-TV on your computer. Start time with veteran broadcaster Bob Bakken, the Voice of the RiverKings, is 15 minutes prior to each night's first faceoff. The three games this week from Bossier-Shreveport and at home against Tulsa will be heard on The Pig, WIVG 96.1 FM, with the Yellowbook RiverKings Radio Pre-Game Report beginning the night's coverage at 6:50 PM each night. Visit the RiverKings' web site and click the "Watch Live" button on the home page for information on the CHL-TV broadcast.

TICKETS

For information on RiverKings tickets and to purchase season tickets for next season's excitement, call 662-342-1755 or go online to www.riverkings.com today!



Central Hockey League Stories from March 15, 2010


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