AHL Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen Shut Out in Grand Rapids 3-0

Published on January 10, 2007 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


Grand Rapids, Mich. (January 10, 2007) - The Peoria Rivermen had been mostly feasting on the power play over the last l2 games heading into Wednesday night's road tilt with the Grand Rapids Griffins, but famine hit for the third time in the last four, as the Rivermen suffered their second-worst, single-game power-play performance of the year, going 0-for-10, in a 3-0 shutout loss before 4,212 at Van Andel Arena.

The Rivermen (21-14-1-2, 45 pts), who were converting 24.7 percent of time (18-for-73) over the last 12 contests, went 0-for-7 in 4-3 road shootout win in Houston on January 4 and 0-for-8 in a 3-1 road loss in San Antonio on January 6. Peoria's worst power-play outing of the year, 0-for-12, came on October 7 in a 5-0 home loss to the Chicago Wolves. Despite all of that, Peoria, who fell to 3-2-0-0 against the Griffins this season, currently ranks eighth in the AHL with the man advantage at 19.0 percent.

It was the third shutout loss Peoria suffered this season in 38 games, equaling the team's 2005-06 regular-season total. Griffins netminder Stefan Liv (7-7-1) stopped all 28 shots, picking up his second and the team's fourth clean sheet of the season.

Grand Rapids (19-15-4-2, 44 pts) grabbed a 1-0 lead just 3:57 into the game. Captain and center Matt Ellis broke into the Rivermen zone down the left side on a two-on-one break with left wing Brock Radunske. Ellis looked off Radunske for the pass and lifted his 13th tally of the season over the right shoulder of Rivermen goaltender Curtis Sanford (0-1-0), who was assigned to the team from the St. Louis Blues earlier in the day for a conditioning stint and stopped 21 shots in defeat.

The Griffins pushed their lead to 2-0 with a shorthanded goal just 28 seconds into Peoria's second power play of the first stanza. Ellis chanced down a loose puck in the neutral zone, edging past a back-checking Rivermen left wing Michal Birner as they headed toward the top of the left face-off circle. With a step on Birner, Ellis whipped a low wrist shot inside the right goal post. It was Ellis' second tally of the period and 14th on the year, one shy of the team lead held by center Kip Miller.

It was just Peoria's fourth shorthanded tally surrendered this season.

After a scoreless second, the Griffins extended their advantage to three goals at 4:17 of the third during a 4-on-4 situation. Right wing Darryl Bootland, who was at the bottom of the right face-off circle, banked a shot in off Sanford's left shoulder.

Midway through the final session, the Rivermen, who were 8-for-21 (38.1 percent) on the power play against the Griffins coming into the contest, squandered 1:24 of 5-on-3 power-play time.

The Rivermen return home for four in a row, beginning Friday, January 12 at 7:30 p.m. against the Toronto Marlies. It is Par-A-Dice Hotel-Casino Night, as the first 1,500 fans (21 & over) receive a deck of playing cards.

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American Hockey League Stories from January 10, 2007


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