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AHL Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen Look to Build on Two Close Losses This Weekend

December 29, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


RIVERMEN ACTION THIS WEEK

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30

PEORIA RIVERMEN @ Chicago Wolves

7:30 p.m., Allstate Arena

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31

Hamilton Bulldogs @ PEORIA RIVERMEN

7:00 p.m., Carver Arena

Radio: All Rivermen games are broadcast LIVE on HOPE 98.5 (WPIA-FM), the flagship radio station of the Peoria Rivermen.

Internet Audio: LIVE streaming audio of all Rivermen games is available for no charge at www.rivermen.net.

Internet Video: LIVE streaming video with the accompanying audio feed is available at www.rivermen.net through the facilities of the b2 networks. The video Webcast of each game is available for a pay-per-view fee of $6.

Friday, December 30, RIVERMEN @ Chicago: The Rivermen will start off their activities for this weekend with a short jaunt to the "Windy City" to play the Chicago Wolves for the sixth time this season and for the third time at Allstate Arena. In their five previous encounters with the Wolves this season, the Rivermen have posted a record of 2-2-0-1. These two intra-state rivals last met on Sunday, December 18, when the Rivermen earned a hard-fought 5-4 shootout win at Carver Arena. The primary development team of the Atlanta Thrashers of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Wolves now hold down sixth place in the West Division of the American Hockey League (AHL) with a record of 10-12-2-5 and 27 points. Left wing Ramzi Abid continues to pace Chicago in scoring, currently owning 25 points (14 goals, 11 assists) in 29 outings. Tuomas Tarkki has seen the most action thus far this season in goal for the Wolves. In 12 games played, Tarkki has posted a 5-3-3 record, a 2.91 goals-against average, and an .896 save percentage. Chicago currently ranks 25th in the AHL on the power play with a conversion percentage of 12.6. On the penalty kill, the Wolves stand 11th in the League with a kill percentage of 84.1.

Saturday, December 31, Hamilton @ RIVERMEN: The Rivermen will return to Carver Arena to entertain the Hamilton Bulldogs on New Year's Eve. This game will be the first of just two meetings between the Rivermen and the Bulldogs this season, with the final match-up scheduled for Friday, January 6, 2006, at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton. The Bulldogs serve as the primary affiliate of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens. As of this week, Hamilton stands seventh in the North Division of the Western Conference with 26 points on a record of 12-21-0-2. Center Corey Locke now ranks as the top Bulldogs scorer with 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) in 35 games. Hamilton goaltender Yann Danis' goals-against average of 2.68 places him 17th in the AHL, and he also owns a record of 6-6-1 and a save percentage of .903. The Bulldogs have had more success on the power play than on the penalty kill so far this season. Their power-play conversion rate of 17.6 percent places the club 12th in the AHL, while the squad ranks 27th in the League on the penalty kill with a success rate of 77.2 percent.

RECENT RIVERMEN ACTION

Monday, December 26, Iowa 3 vs. RIVERMEN 2: In their first game after a week off for the Christmas holiday, the Rivermen just got their offense going too late to catch the Iowa Stars, and Iowa defeated Peoria by a count of 3-2. The Stars took a 2-0 lead in the opening frame on goals by left wing Mathias Tjarnqvist and right wing Vojtech Polak. Iowa then extended its lead to 3-0 in the second period when Tjarnqvist scored his second goal of the game at the 15:52 mark. In the third period, the Peoria offense finally came to life. At 8:45 of the third, left wing Peter Sejna set up center Trent Whitfield for a power-play goal. Rivermen center Blake Evans followed that up at 9:54 with a marker that pared the Stars' lead down to one goal at 3-2. Despite the Peoria squad's best efforts from that point on, however, the team failed to complete a comeback before regulation time expired. Rivermen goaltender Patrick Lalime made 18 saves in the loss, and the Rivermen out-shot the Stars by the wide margin of 48-21. Peoria scored the lone power-play goal of the contest in six man-advantage situations and held Iowa scoreless on the Stars' three power plays.

Tuesday, December 27, Milwaukee 4 vs. RIVERMEN 3 (OT): Although the Rivermen erased a two-goal deficit in the third period of this tilt to force overtime, the Admirals stymied the Rivermen comeback attempt with a goal early on in the extra session. These two clubs each scored one goal in the first five minutes of the game, as right wing Brandon Segal struck first for Milwaukee before a lamp-lighter for Peoria by center Blake Evans. Winger Timofei Shishkanov then scored at 10:02 of the first period to give the Admirals a 2-1 lead at the first intermission. At the second intermission, the Rivermen found themselves down 3-1 following a second-period goal by Milwaukee's Greg Classen. Peoria winger Brendan Brooks pulled his team to within one goal of Milwaukee at 3-2 when he dented the twine at the 7:52 mark of the third period. Right wing Mike Glumac then knotted the game at 3-3 for Peoria with over seven minutes left in regulation. When neither team scored again before the third period concluded, the game moved to overtime. Then, right off the opening face-off in overtime, Milwaukee forwards Shishkanov and Rich Peverley got behind the Peoria defense, and Shishkanov tallied the game-winner just nine seconds into the extra session. Patrick Lalime guarded the Rivermen goal in this contest, turning aside 31 of the 35 shots that he faced. The Admirals out-shot the Rivermen by a count of 35-33. Peoria ended up one for five on the power play on this evening, compared to the two-for-five power-play performance by Milwaukee.

THEY'LL BREAK THROUGH EVENTUALLY

In both of Peoria's last two games on Monday and Tuesday, the Rivermen tallied two goals and held their opponents scoreless in the third period after facing a deficit entering the final frame. On Monday evening at Iowa, Peoria's two goals in the third period were not quite enough to overcome the 3-0 lead that the Stars had built over the course of the first two periods of the game, and the Rivermen lost 3-2. On Tuesday evening in Milwaukee, the Rivermen erased a 3-1 third-period deficit and forced overtime, only to lose 4-3 in the extra session. So far this season, the Rivermen have trailed their opponent after two periods of play on nine occasions, and Peoria has yet to come back and win a game in such a situation (0-8-1-0).

WATCH OUT FOR WHITFIELD

Rivermen center Trent Whitfield extended his current point-scoring streak to 12 games on Tuesday night with an assist against the Milwaukee Admirals. During this scoring binge, Whitfield has registered a total of 16 points (7 goals, 9 assists). Whitfield now ranks fifth on the Rivermen in total points with 20 (7 goals, 13 assists) in only 21 games played.

RAGING RIVERMEN

C Trent Whitfield is riding a 12-game point-scoring streak during which he has put up 16 points (7 goals, 9 assists)...RW Jon DiSalvatore has collected 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) over the previous 10 games...RW Mike Glumac has notched 17 points (7 goals, 10 assists) in the last 12 tilts...C Troy Riddle has produced 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) in his previous seven contests...D Mike Mottau has dished out at least one assist in seven of his last 10 outings (1 goal, 9 assists)...C Blake Evans has scored one goal in not only each of the previous three matches, but also in four of the last five games...RW Brendan Brooks has picked up one point in each of the last two games (1 goal, 1 assist).

MOTTAU LEADS THE DEFENSE

Peoria defenseman Mike Mottau currently stands fourth on the team in scoring and also ranks as the leading scorer among Rivermen blueliners. In 29 games played so far this season, Mottau has scored two goals and dished out 19 assists to record 21 total points.

IT'S A "PLUS" HAVING GLUMAC AROUND!

Right wing Mike Glumac presently leads the Rivermen with a plus-minus rating of plus-10. In addition to posting that stellar plus-minus number, Glumac has notched 16 goals and 20 assists so far this season to rank second on the team in total points with 36.

FAMILY AFFAIR

Hockey is a family affair for Rivermen forward/defenseman Mike Stuart. Stuart and his two younger brothers and his younger sister are all involved in the game. Stuart's brother Colin, in fact, plays left wing for the Chicago Wolves, the team the Rivermen will face on Friday in Chicago. His other brother Mark is a defenseman for the Providence Bruins of the AHL, and his sister Cristin is now a member of the women's ice hockey team at Boston College.

RECENT RIVERMEN TRANSACTIONS

December 28, 2005 C Ryan Ramsay reassigned by NHL St. Louis from AHL Peoria to ECHL Alaska.

December 28, 2005 LW Charles Linglet recalled by the Peoria Rivermen (AHL) from the Las Vegas Wranglers (ECHL).

December 28, 2005 LW Peter Sejna recalled by the St. Louis Blues (NHL).

December 28, 2005 RW Lee Stempniak returned on loan to AHL Peoria by NHL St. Louis.

December 21, 2005 D Doug Lynch reassigned by the St. Louis Blues (NHL) from the Peoria Rivermen (AHL) to Team Canada (IIHF).

December 20, 2005 D Zack Fitzgerald reassigned by NHL St. Louis from ECHL Alaska to AHL Peoria.

December 20, 2005 D Andy Roach reassigned by the St. Louis Blues (NHL) from the Peoria Rivermen (AHL) to the ZSC Lions (Swiss Hockey League).

December 20, 2005 LW Erkki Rajamaki reassigned by the St. Louis Blues (NHL) from the Peoria Rivermen (AHL) to the Espoo Blues (Finnish Hockey League).

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