Rivermen Outlast Wolves to Win Wild One
Published on December 3, 2008 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release
Rosemont, Ill. (December 3, 2008) - The Peoria Rivermen picked up two points on the road from the first-place Chicago Wolves with a 7-6 win on Wednesday night at Allstate Arena. Nicholas Drazenovic notched the game-winner on a penalty shot goal with only 4:50 remaining in regulation to break a 6-6 tie.
The seven goals was the highest offensive output this season by Peoria and their two goals in the final 20 minutes period completed their first third-period comeback win. The Rivermen (12-9-1) now trail Chicago (13-8-2) for first place by just three points in the standings. The two teams have split the first two games of the season series and will meet for the first time this year in Peoria on Friday.
All four goalies appeared in the game as both Marek Schwarz and Robert Gherson were pulled after allowing their fifth goal each. Ben Bishop stopped 15 of 16 to earn the win in relief for the Rivermen.
Peoria battled back from down two goals with 10:52 left in the second period for their fourth road win of the season. Nikolay Lemtyugov and Josh Soares scored 1:17 apart to quickly tie the game at five at 11:04 of the period and end the night for Gherson. The Wolves responded on a goal from Spencer Machacek at 16:36 to take a 6-5 lead into the second intermission.
Dan Turple played the final 27:45 of the game and made eight saves on 10 shots.
With less than 12 minutes remaining in the third, Turple stopped a rising slap shot from Trent Whitfield but left a rebound out in front of the net. Julian Talbot fought off a defender and pushed the rebound in to tie the game at six on his second of the night. Both Talbot (2g, 1a) and Whitfield (1g, 2a) finished with three points.
Ryan Reaves was called for tripping, on a controversial call, with 5:59 left in the third period to give the Wolves their fourth power play of the game. It was while the Rivermen were killing off the penalty that a blocked pass sent Drazenovic in on a breakaway. He fought off a hook from behind and made a move on Turple but was denied. He was awarded the penalty shot and scored his sixth goal of the season.
The goal was just the sixth penalty shot goal scored in the AHL this season on 21 opportunities. It was the first penalty shot awarded to a Rivermen player this year.
The two teams traded six goals in the first period to draw even at three at the intermission. Grant Stevenson scored just 2:09 into the game only seconds after a Whitfield minor penalty expired to give the Wolves the early lead. Whitfield exacted his revenge with a power-play goal at 4:19 on a setup from Talbot and Steve Wagner to tie the game. The roles reversed but the players stayed the same as Whitfield assisted on a Talbot power-play goal at 9:33 to give the Rivermen their first lead of the game at 2-1. Only 56 seconds later the Wolves had tied the game on a Riley Holzapfel wrist shot as he beat Schwarz on the glove side. Alex Imbeault put the Rivermen back on top at 14:37, with his second of the season, after taking a feed from Jeff Cowan and ripping it past Gherson. Matt Anderson capped the scoring for the first period at 17:34.
The second opened with 7:19 of scoreless hockey before the Wolves took the 4-3 lead on a Colin Stuart marker. It was his fifth of the year on a rebound generated by a Chad Denny slapper. Denny finished with three assists on the night. Stevenson's second of the game gave the Wolves their largest lead of the game at 5-3.
That was the end of the night for Schwarz who made 17 saves on 22 shots in 29:05. Peoria finished the game 2-for-3 on the power play while the Wolves went 0-for-5.
American Hockey League Stories from December 3, 2008
- Wolves Fall 7-6 In Offensive Showdown with Peoria - Chicago Wolves
- Rivermen Outlast Wolves to Win Wild One - Peoria Rivermen
- Rodney Lifts Albany To 3-2 Shootout Victory - Albany River Rats
- Hartford Hands Sound Tigers First Overtime Defeat of the Season - Bridgeport Islanders
- Devils Beat Falcons For Fourth Straight Win at Home - Albany Devils
- 4-1 Loss Puts Sharks Streak on Ice - Worcester Sharks
- Falcons Fall To Devils 6-4 - Springfield Falcons
- San Jose Sharks Recall RW Tom Cavanagh and Reassign RW Riley Armstrong - Worcester Sharks
- Rats Scuttle Past Admirals in Shootout - Norfolk Admirals
- Wolf Pack Defeat Tigers in Overtime, 4-3 - Connecticut Whale
- Perrault and Zimmerman Join Rampage - San Antonio Rampage
- Houston Aeros sign Deitsch, Hamilton to PTO contracts - Houston Aeros
- Two Games for One on Saturday - Cleveland Monsters
- IceHogs to Appear on Comcast's "Absolute Zero" - Rockford IceHogs
- Stuffed Toy Toss This Sunday Night - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Pirates Help Unveil Room at Gary's House - Portland Pirates
- Family Fun Packs and Student Rush Nights Highlight Special Ticket Offers for Upcoming Admirals Homes - Norfolk Admirals
- Coyotes Acquire Joakim Lindstrom From Anaheim - San Antonio Rampage
- Watch the Admirals and River Rats Square Off at Lendy's Cafe on Friday - Norfolk Admirals
- Ortmeyer Reassigned to Milwaukee - Milwaukee Admirals
- Take the Rivermen Bus Trip to Milwaukee - Peoria Rivermen
- AHL Quick Hits - AHL
- Darling Recalled By Penguins - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
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