AHL Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen Special in 4-2 Win in Hamilton

Published on October 21, 2006 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


Hamilton, ON - Everything was special for the Peoria Rivermen on Saturday night against the Hamilton Bulldogs, as the Rivermen scored three power-play goals and one shorthanded tally en route to their first road victory of the season by a 4-2 score in front of 3,081 at Copps Coliseum.

Prior to Saturday night's game, Peoria (4-2-0-1, 9 pts) had only capitalized on 11.11 percent of their power play opportunities, good for 22nd overall in the American Hockey League (AHL). It was the second time in five contests the Rivermen registered three power-play goals in a game. Peoria's shorthanded tally was its first of the year and came a night after giving up its first shorthanded goal.

Peoria took an early 1-0 advantage on a power play goal at 11:11 of the first period. Defenseman Jeff Woywitka, who was at the top of the right face-off circle, blasted a one-timer that left wing Charles Linglet appeared to tip on net. The save was made by Bulldog goaltender Jaroslav Halak, playing in his first game of the season, but the puck landed near the left post, where David Backes slammed it home for his third tally of the year.

A little less than three minutes later, the Rivermen capitalized on another man-advantage opportunity. This time, Trent Whitfield wristed a shot from the right circle that was saved by Halak. The puck bounced off his chest, rolling into the slot, where right wing Mike Glumac skated up and flipped it over Halak's glove and just below the crossbar. The goal, which came at 14:06 of the first, was the second marker of the season for Glumac and his fifth straight game with at least point.

Hamilton (1-4-0-0, 2 pts) finally got on the board at 5:07 of the second stanza. Center Corey Locke took a shot from the left face-off dot that flew wide left but was gathered by Matt D'Agostini behind the net, where he attempted a wrap-around on the right side that was stopped by Peoria netminder Marek Schwarz, who stopped 31 of 33 Bulldogs shots. However, the puck was unable to be controlled, and left wing Michael Lambert, from the slot, chipped it over the right shoulder of Schwarz for his second goal of the year.

The Rivermen regained a two goal advantage at 12:01 of the second when Backes scored his second power play goal of the game and fourth tally of the season. Woywitka, from the right point, fed the puck to Whitfield in the right face-off circle, where he circled around a defender and tried to jam it past Halak along the right post. The puck bounced off of Halak's pad, and in front of the net, Backes took a couple of swings at the rebound and finally poked it past the sprawling goaltender.

The Bulldogs cut the Rivermen lead again just 1:19 later. Defenseman Patrick Traverse fed the puck ahead to center Mikhail Grabovski in the neutral zone to start a two-on-one opportunity with Maxim Lapierre. Grabovski dropped the puck off to Lapierre, who streaked down the right side of the zone and wristed a shot over the right shoulder of the Peoria goalie Schwarz from the right face-off circle for his third goal of the season.

Hamilton had a great opportunity to tie the game with a two-man advantage for 1:15 at 14:38 of the third frame, but the Rivermen and goaltender Schwarz were superb, holding on to the 3-2 lead.

Later, while Peoria were still down a man, it capped off the scoring with a shorthanded tally at 16:17 of the third. After a barrage of shots on Peoria netminder Schwarz, the puck trickled out to the blue line, where DiSalvatore grabbed it, skated down the middle and into the Bulldog zone. Once he reached the top of the right face-off circle, DiSalvatore spun around and made a nifty backhanded flip to a streaking Cam Keith, who was able to tap it between the pads of Halak for his first marker of the year.

The Rivermen continue their season-long, six-game road trip with their fourth game in five days Sunday afternoon against the Toronto Marlies at Ricoh Coliseum. Game time is 3:00 p.m. CDT.

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American Hockey League Stories from October 21, 2006


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