Rivermen update
February 7, 2006 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release
Tuesday, February 7, Syracuse Crunch @ RIVERMEN: In the three games scheduled this week for the Peoria Rivermen, the club will first face two teams from the North Division of the Western Conference of the American Hockey League (AHL) before meeting a familiar West Division foe. The Rivermen will start off this week by hosting the Syracuse Crunch for the one and only time this season. The Peoria squad is slated to visit Syracuse only once this season as well, on Saturday, March 18. The main affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Crunch enter this week poised in third place in the North Division with a 28-17-2-1 overall mark and 59 points. Center Mark Hartigan leads the Crunch in scoring thus far with 50 points (21 goals, 29 assists) in 34 games played. Andrew Penner has logged the most time in goal for Syracuse so far this season (24 games played), and he now owns a 13-6-1 record, a 3.19 goals-against average, a .904 save percentage, and one shutout. With a 19.1 percent conversion rate, Syracuse is now tied with the Binghamton Senators for seventh place on the AHL's power-play ladder. The Crunch are not quite as good on the penalty kill, ranking 25th in the AHL in that category with an efficiency percentage of 79.8.
Saturday, February 11, RIVERMEN @ Grand Rapids Griffins: After hosting Syracuse on Tuesday evening, the Rivermen will travel to Michigan to take on the Grand Rapids Griffins this Saturday. This will be the third Rivermen-Griffins engagement of 2005-06, and the first meeting of the clubs in Grand Rapids. The Rivermen took the first match-up of these two teams by a score of 7-4 back in early December, but the Griffins skated out of Carver Arena on Saturday, January 28, with a 4-2 defeat of the Rivermen. The Griffins serve the NHL's Detroit Red Wings as a primary affiliate team. Grand Rapids presently leads both the North Division and the Western Conference with an overall record of 35-12-1-3 and 74 points. As of Monday, Griffins center Jiri Hudler stands third in the AHL's scoring race with 65 points on 25 goals and 40 assists in 47 appearances. Grand Rapids puckstopper Joey MacDonald currently shows a 12-6-1 record to go along with a 3.31 goals-against average and an .891 save percentage. While the Griffins are lethal on the power play (first in the AHL at 22.8 percent), they are not nearly as effective in penalty killing (21st in the AHL at 81.3 percent).
Sunday, February 12, Iowa Stars @ RIVERMEN: The Peoria squad will return home this Sunday to entertain the club from Iowa at Carver Arena. The Rivermen and the Stars have already tangled six times this season, and the Rivermen are 4-2-0-0 in those tilts. These two West Division rivals last met back on Boxing Day, when the Stars claimed a 3-2 decision in Des Moines. The Iowa club functions as the primary affiliate of the Dallas Stars of the NHL and now occupies fourth position in the West Division with a record of 23-21-1-2 and 49 points. Centerman Toby Petersen ranks first on the Iowa team in points with 38 (15 goals, 23 assists) in 47 games played. Stars goaltender Mike Smith's 2.53 goals-against average is presently the seventh-best in the AHL, and Smith also possesses a 12-12-1 record, a .917 save percentage, and two shutouts in 25 outings. The Stars struggle on special teams, as they begin this week tied with the San Antonio Rampage for 25th place in the League on the power play at 13.4 percent and tied for 18th position in the AHL in penalty killing, also with San Antonio, at 81.7 percent.
RIVERMEN ACTION LAST WEEK
Friday, February 3, RIVERMEN 6 @ Toronto Marlies 4: The Peoria Rivermen made their only trip into Toronto this season last Friday and came away with a 6-4 win over the Toronto Marlies. During the course of the first period, the Rivermen got two goals from center Blake Evans (7:03) and left wing Timofei Shishkanov (11:17) that were sandwiched in between two Marlies goals by center John Pohl (5:33) and left wing Bates Battaglia (13:08). The same sort of thing occurred in the second frame, but this time Peoria produced three goals in between two Toronto scores. The Marlies opened the middle frame scoring with a goal by left winger Kris Newbury at 2:47 and then closed the period's activity on a lamp-lighter by defenseman Ian White at 17:41. In between, Peoria reeled off three markers from forwards Trent Whitfield (3:17), Troy Riddle (13:15), and Shishkanov (15:41). Up 5-4 after two periods, the Rivermen got an insurance goal at the 16:51 mark of the third session from left wing D. J. King for a final score of 6-4 for Peoria. Reinhard Divis patrolled the Peoria crease during this game and turned aside 26 of 30 Toronto shots in earning the victory. The Rivermen out-shot the Marlies by the narrow margin of 31-30. On the power play, Peoria ended up at two for eight, and Toronto finished three for 10.
Saturday, February 4, RIVERMEN 3 @ Cleveland Barons 2: Last Saturday afternoon in Cleveland, the Peoria Rivermen claimed their second triumph in less than 24 hours by beating the Cleveland Barons 3-2. Left wing Timofei Shishkanov staked the Rivermen to a 1-0 lead at 12:42 of the first period. At the 9:00 mark of the second period, Peoria went up 2-0 on a tip-in goal by right wing Brendan Brooks. Then, just 16 seconds into the third session, the Barons finally got on the scoreboard thanks to left wing Ryane Clowe. At the 14:20 mark of the third, Cleveland drew even with Peoria at 2-2 when right wing Mike Iggulden dented the twine. The game appeared to be headed to a sudden-death overtime period as it entered the final minute of regulation, but Rivermen center Trent Whitfield fired a wrist shot past Barons netminder Dimitri Patzold with just 40 seconds remaining in the third period to give Peoria a 3-2 win against Cleveland. Rivermen goaltender Reinhard Divis made 15 saves on 17 shots to record his fourth consecutive winning start in net. Peoria out-shot Cleveland 23-17 on the afternoon. The two teams finished with the same power-play conversion ratio, as the Rivermen went one for three with the man-advantage, and the Barons went two for six.
TWICE IS NICE FOR RIVERMEN IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS
The Rivermen played just two games last week, all within a span of less than 24 hours, and came away with a victory in both contests. This period began at 7:37 p.m. (EST) last Friday evening when Peoria's game versus the Toronto Marlies started at Ricoh Coliseum. By 10:06 p.m. (EST) that night, the Rivermen had defeated the Marlies by a count of 6-4. Then at 1:06 p.m. (EST) on Saturday afternoon, the Peoria squad took to the ice against the Cleveland Barons at Quicken Loans Arena. At 3:11 p.m. (EST), the Rivermen finished a 3-2 triumph over the Barons to claim their second consecutive win in a stretch of just about 20 hours.
DIVO'S GETTING IT DONE IN NET
Rivermen goaltender Reinhard Divis has won each of his last four starts. His winning streak dates back to Tuesday, January 17, when he made 28 saves on 31 shots in backstopping the Rivermen to a 4-3 shootout win at San Antonio. His next start came on Sunday, January 29, in Omaha, and Divis on that day helped Peoria to the franchise's first-ever overtime win with 25 saves on 27 shots. Last Friday at Toronto, Divis turned aside 26 shots on goal from the Marlies to contribute to a 6-4 Peoria triumph, and last Saturday afternoon in Cleveland, Divis made 15 more stops in Peoria's 3-2 defeat of the Barons.
SPECIAL-TEAMS UPDATE
The Rivermen now rank in the top 10 in the AHL on both the power play and the penalty kill. With a power-play conversion rate of 20.3 percent, Peoria now stands fourth in the League in power-play efficiency. Peoria's 83.7 percent penalty-killing ratio places the squad in a tie with the Milwaukee Admirals for ninth place in the AHL's penalty-killing rankings.
RIVERMEN ARE STINGY WITH SHOTS
The Rivermen are quite stingy when it comes to allowing shots on goal to their opponents. So far this season, Peoria has allowed just 28.17 shots on goal per game to its opponents to rank third in the AHL in that category.
SHEESH! TIMOFEI'S MAKING QUITE AN IMPRESSION!
Newly acquired Rivermen left winger Timofei Shishkanov (TEE-moh-fay shihsh-KAHN-ohv) has made quite a splash since joining the Peoria squad on loan from the Rivermen parent club St. Louis Blues last Wednesday, February 1. In his first appearance with the Rivermen last Friday in Toronto, Shishkanov earned first-star honors for the game after scoring two goals, including the game-winner, registering a plus-one rating, and racking up seven shots on goal. The next afternoon in Cleveland, Shishkanov recorded one goal, one assist, a plus-two rating, one shot on goal, and two penalty minutes. The St. Louis Blues acquired the native of Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, January 29, in exchange for center Mike Sillinger.
MOTTAU WAS QUITE DESERVING OF ALL-STAR BERTH
When right wing Mike Glumac had to miss the recent 2006 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic due to his recall to the National Hockey League by the St. Louis Blues, and left wing Peter Sejna had to pull out of the event due to injury, defenseman Mike Mottau was chosen to represent the Rivermen at the event because he is one of the best defensemen in the AHL. With 35 points (3 goals, 32 assists) in 45 games played this season, Mottau now stands tied for seventh position among all AHL blueliners in total points. His total of 32 assists is also the third-best number in that category among League defensemen. On his own team, Mottau (35 points) now ranks as Peoria's third-leading active scorer behind only left wing Peter Sejna (42 points) and right winger Jon DiSalvatore (39 points).
RAGING RIVERMEN
D Mike Mottau is riding a four-game assist streak during which he has dished out six assists...D Brendan Buckley has picked up one assist in each of the last three tilts...RW Jon DiSalvatore has registered one goal and two assists in his last four outings...D Mike Stuart distributed two assists on 2-3 @ TOR...F Cam Keith has produced two goals and two assists over the past four contests...C Trent Whitfield has scored six points (3 goals, 3 assists) in the last three games...RW Brendan Brooks has put together a three-game point-scoring streak (2 goals, 1 assist)...LW Timofei Shishkanov has reeled off four points (3 goals, 1 assist) in his first two games with Peoria...D Jeff Woywitka picked up a helper on 2-4 @ CLE...G Reinhard Divis has won each of his last four starts in goal.
RECENT RIVERMEN TRANSACTIONS
February 7, 2006 D Patrick Wellar reassigned from the Peoria Rivermen (AHL) to the Alaska Aces (ECHL) by the St. Louis Blues (NHL).
February 6, 2006 RW Reed Low reassigned by NHL St. Louis from UHL Missouri to AHL Peoria.
February 6, 2006 C Mike Zigomanis loaned to the Peoria Rivermen (AHL) by the St. Louis Blues (NHL).
February 5, 2006 C Trent Whitfield recalled from his loan to the Peoria Rivermen (AHL) by the St. Louis Blues (NHL).
February 1, 2006 G Patrick Lalime recalled by the St. Louis Blues (NHL) from the Peoria Rivermen (AHL).
February 1, 2006 LW Timofei Shishkanov loaned to the Peoria Rivermen (AHL) by the St. Louis Blues (NHL).
January 31, 2006 C Trent Whitfield returned to AHL Peoria by NHL St. Louis.
January 31, 2006 G Chris Beckford-Tseu returned to the Peoria Rivermen (AHL) on loan from the St. Louis Blues (NHL).
January 30, 2006 C Trent Whitfield recalled from his loan to the Peoria Rivermen (AHL) by the St. Louis Blues (NHL).
January 30, 2006 C Jay McClement recalled from the Peoria Rivermen (AHL) by the St. Louis Blues (NHL).
January 28, 2006 RW Mike Glumac recalled by NHL St. Louis from AHL Peoria.
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