AHL Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen Outscore Toronto 6-4 on the Road

Published on February 3, 2006 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


Toronto, ON - The last six days have been quite a whirlwind for Rivermen newcomer and left winger Timofei Shishkanov, who catapulted Peoria to 6-4 road win on Friday night over the Toronto Marlies in front of 3,517 at the Ricoh Coliseum with a game-tying marker, the game-winning tally and an assist.

This past Sunday, Shishkanov was acquired by the St. Louis Blues organization from the Nashville Predators in exchange for veteran Mike Sillinger. On Monday, Shishkanov saw his first NHL action in two years, marking his debut with the Blues in a 3-2 shootout win over the Calgary Flames; it was his first NHL playing time since the 2003-2004 season with Nashville. On Friday in his first game as a Rivermen, he collected his second three-point effort of the season; the first came against Peoria on December 27, when he was with the Milwaukee Admirals, for whom he scored the overtime game-winner.

Shishkanov's first goal of the night gave the Rivermen their first lead of the contest at 11:17 of the opening session, making it 2-1. Peoria defenseman Mike Stuart fired a slap shot from the right point that was stopped by Toronto netminder Jean-Sebastien Aubin but it trickled to the left of the goal, where Shishkanov slapped home his first tally as a Rivermen from down on one knee. It was Shishkanov's 15th tally overall on the season.

Shishkanov then set up Peoria's third goal, which came on the power play, to tie the game 3-3 at 3:17 of the second. Shishkanov, who took a pass from Stuart in the right-wing corner, quickly snapped it to center Trent Whitfield, who one-touched his 14th goal of the season past Aubin from the top of the goal crease.

Shishkanov would net his second tally of the contest and the game winner late in the middle frame. AHL All-Star defenseman Mike Mottau found Shishkanov down the left side of the zone along the end red line. Shishkanov turned on the jets, danced in underneath the Toronto defense and beat Aubin off the near left post for his 16th goal of the year.

Peoria (25-18-1-2), after halting a season-worst, nine-game (0-7-2) road winless streak on January 13 with a 3-1 win in Omaha, has won five of its last six on the road and two straight overall. The Rivermen improved to 11-10-1-1 away from Carver Arena, edging a game above the .500 mark on the road for the first time since December 16. Toronto (25-20-3-0) has lost two in a row overall, having just returned from a season-long 10-game road trip on which they went 5-3-2-0.

Peoria goaltender Reinhard Divis (5-6-1) turned away 26 of 30 Toronto shots in his second straight win; he was between the pipes for the Rivermen 3-2 overtime win on Sunday in Omaha. Aubin (13-14-0) stopped 25 of 31 chances in defeat.

The Rivermen nearly opened the scoring just 2:30 into the contest, as second-year winger Charles Linglet almost completed a wraparound but clanged the puck off the left post. Linglet, who earned a one-way American Hockey League contract in December after making the team out of training camp, entered the game with eight goals in 23 games.

The Marlies would tally the game's first goal some three minutes later on their first power play. Johnny Pohl, who was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the ninth round of the 1998 NHL Entry draft and had tallied a goal and an assist in a 4-2 Toronto win in Peoria on November 11, would collect his League-leading 16th power play goal of the season at 5:33 of the first. Divis stopped a shot from the left point by Brendan Bell, but the rebound popped free to the bottom of the right circle, where Pohl easily finished his 26th marker of the season for a 1-0 advantage.

Peoria knotted the game up at a goal apiece 1:30 later. Brendan Brooks streaked into the Toronto zone on right wing, circled in behind the net and sent it out to the high slot for Stuart, who settled the puck and slung it at the net. Center Blake Evans, log-jammed in the midst of goalmouth traffic, tipped in his 10th goal of the year.

After Shishkanov's first marker of the evening at 11:17 of the opening frame, Toronto evened a see-saw affair at two goals each just 1:51 later on their second power play of the game. Forward Brad Leeb snapped a pass down the left side of the zone to Pohl, who was stationed on the end redline and quickly found Bates Battaglia in the slot for a quick shot through the legs of Divis. It was Battaglia's 13th marker of the year.

The Marlies took their first lead of the contest on a fluke goal from the left wing at 2:47 of the second session. Brett Engelhardt found Kris Newbury, who carried the puck down the left side of the Peoria end and from the face-off circle tried to center the puck. The centering attempt, though, deflected off the right skate of Stuart as he was backing up to defend the play over the right shoulder of Divis and into the upper left corner. It was Newbury's 15th finish of the 2005-2006 campaign.

Following Shishkanov's game-tying goal, Peoria took its second advantage of the contest with 6:45 remaining in the second, giving itself a 4-3 lead. Captain and defenseman Brendan Buckley found winger Troy Riddle breaking into the Toronto zone on right wing. Riddle cut to the middle of the slot, then to the left circle, and finally maneuvered underneath the Marlies defense before backhanding a shot across Aubin's body into the upper right corner for Riddle's 10th marker of the year.

Just over 30 seconds later, Peoria ruffian D.J. King hammered Ben Ondrus in a duel near the Rivermen net after a scrum broke out following a stoppage in play.

Despite Shishkanov giving the Rivermen a two-goal advantage, the Marlies pushed to within one goal on the power play exactly two minutes after Peoria had taken a two-goal lead at 15:41. Bell found Ian White at the top of the left face-off circle for a one-time slap shot past Divis, who was screened in front by Stuart. It was his fifth marker of the year.

Peoria would add the insurance goal with the only tally of the final period, as King skated the puck into the Toronto end on left wing and, while attempting to center the puck to Riddle from the face-off circle, slipped the puck past Aubin on the near post for his fourth marker of the season.

The Rivermen will quickly return to action tomorrow afternoon at Gund Arena, where they face off against the San Jose Sharks-affiliated Cleveland Barons at 12:00 p.m. Peoria returns home on Tuesday, February 7, to take on the Syracuse Crunch at 7:00 p.m. at Carver Arena.

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American Hockey League Stories from February 3, 2006


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