Rivermen Face Wolves Tonight at 7 pm
November 21, 2007 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release
The Peoria Rivermen head to Allstate Arena in Chicago tonight for the first road installment of the 2007-08 Season against the Wolves at 7 pm.
Peoria looks to halt a two-game losing skid after dropping decisions at home last weekend to Houston and San Antonio, returning to the road where they are 3-1-0-1 this season. Out of the first 14 games for the Rivermen this season, nine have come at home. Peoria's power play is 3.3 points higher on the road, and the penalty kill is still a perfect 28-for-28 away from home, the best in the AHL.
This week the goaltending ranks of the Rivermen saw yet another shakeup when Juuso Riksman was placed on team suspension and Chris Beckford-Tseu was recalled from the ECHL's Alaska Aces, where he was leading the league in wins with seven. A familiar name to Rivermen fans, Beckford-Tseu spent parts of the past three seasons between the AHL and ECHL in the St. Louis Blues farm system. He will join Marek Schwarz between the pipes, where Schwarz has appeared in the team's last eight games.
Chicago will be without penalty minute leader Andre Deveaux, who was suspended by the AHL for five games. Three of those contests are against the Rivermen over the next nine days. Averaging 22.07 minutes per game in penalties, the Wolves are the seventh-most penalized team in the AHL this season.
Fred Brathwaite has won his last five decisions in net for the Wolves and leads the AHL in wins at nine this season. A veteran netminder with over 250 NHL contests to his credit, the 34-year-old has posted a stingy 2.25 goals against average and .925 save percentage, near the top of the league in both categories.
Offensively the Wolves are led by Jesse Schultz and Steve Martins, who each have 17 points on the year. Schultz recorded a pair of goals in the last meeting between the two clubs, and in November has points in six of the Wolves' eight games (5-5-10). Martins' 12 assists ranks him first on the club in that category, six off the league lead of 18 by Manchester rookie Teddy Purcell.
Previously the two clubs met in Peoria on Sunday, October 21 in a matinee contest that went to the Wolves 4-2. Julian Talbot scored twice for the Rivermen in the contest, erasing a 2-0 deficit to deadlock the game early in the third period. But the Wolves would notch the game's last two markers, including an empty-net goal to seal the win late.
The two teams will meet a total of 10 times this season, with Chicago holding the edge in the all-time season series 15-2-1-3.
Fans who wish to watch tonight's game may do so via the internet through B2 Networks by surfing over to www.rivermen.net. The video webcast of the game is $6, while the audio-only feed is available for free. The game will be broadcast live on your Home for Rivermen Hockey, 96.5 ESPN Radio with Tom Callahan starting one-half hour before faceoff. The two clubs will lace up the skates again in a rematch at Carver Arena Friday night at 7 pm.
American Hockey League Stories from November 21, 2007
- Stars fall to Flames, 3-1 - Iowa Chops
- Griffins Fall 6-3 to Hamilton - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Wolves Beat Rivermen 2-1 - Peoria Rivermen
- Admirals Burst Out of Gates to Defeat Phantoms - Norfolk Admirals
- Falcons Beat Monarchs 4-1 - Remain In Second-Place In Atlantic Division - Springfield Falcons
- Penguins Snap Scoreless Streak, Sink Sharks 6-0 - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Phantoms Dropped By Admirals - Adirondack Phantoms
- Sound Tigers Lose Rubber Match With Bears 2-1 - Bridgeport Islanders
- 'Dogs double up Griffs - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Rookie Scores Three In Moose Win Over Rochester - Manitoba Moose
- Devils Blanked By Pirates, 3-0 - Albany Devils
- Three Goals In A Five Minute Span Level Monarchs - Manchester Monarchs
- Penguins Beat The Stuffing Out Of Sharks - Worcester Sharks
- P-Bruins Defeat Wolf Pack 3-2 - Providence Bruins
- Rivermen Face Wolves Tonight at 7 pm - Peoria Rivermen
- Wolves Ink Kowalski - Chicago Wolves
- Houston Aeros reassign right wing Moises Gutierrez to ECHL Texas - Houston Aeros
- IceHogs to announce big promotion at Friday's game - Rockford IceHogs
- AHL announces suspension - AHL
- Worcester Sharks Host Thomas Greiss Bobblehead Night - Worcester Sharks
- Wolf Pack recall Wiikman from Charlotte - Connecticut Whale
- AHL Quick Hits - AHL
- Falcons Host Monarchs Tonight - Springfield Falcons
- Lightning Recall Darche and Jancevski From Admirals - Norfolk Admirals
- Defending Calder Cup Champions Visit Tonight - Grand Rapids Griffins
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