Sports stats

AHL Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen weekly

March 19, 2007 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


WEEK 24 - RIVERMEN ACTION (2-2-0-0)

Sunday, March 18, RIVERMEN 0 vs. Manitoba 4: The Peoria Rivermen were shutout for the second time by the Manitoba Moose, falling 4-0 in front of 4,029 at Carver Arena on Sunday. Tonight's win gave the Moose (39-17-7-4, 89 pts) its eighth win in a row, one shy of a season high, and 17 in its last 18 contests. Manitoba has dominated the Rivermen (33-25-2-5, 73 pts), outscoring Peoria 11-1 in three games; the Rivermen will try to avoid being swept in the season series at home on April 7. Peoria left wing Hans Benson brought some excitement early in the first frame as he landed a vicious right hook squarely on the jaw of the Moose right wing Mike S. Brown, who was instantly knocked to the ice and only skated for one more shift after the fight. The Rivermen offense was revved up following the fight, as they outshot the Moose 14-2 in the first, along with two hitting two posts, but none of Peoria's shots found the back of the net. Manitoba's first shot, which came on a power-play at 9:07 of the opening session, resulted in the first goal of the game. The initial shot attempt by defenseman Yannick Tremblay from the left point sailed wide of Rivermen netminder Marek Schwarz. Unfortunately, the puck caromed off the back wall and right to center Nathan Smith at the bottom of the right face-off circle, where he deposited it into the net before Schwarz could cover the left side. It was Smith's 17th tally of the season. The Moose registered its second marker on a rebound at 18:54 of the second stanza. Left wing Jannik Hansen skated with the puck down the left-wing boards and wristed a shot once he reached the left face-off circle that Schwarz was able to block with his left skate. The rebound lay in the crease, where center J.J. Hunter was able to poke it past the goal line just before he was slammed into the net. Manitoba made the game 3-0 at 7:33 of the last period on Hunter's second rebound tally of the contest and 11th overall. Right wing Lee Goren picked up the puck at the bottom of the right face-off circle and snapped a shot that Schwarz got a glove on. The puck kicked up into the air and landed in front of Schwarz, but before he was able to freeze it, Hunter hurried in to lift it over the right leg of the Peoria goalie. The Moose capped off the scoring with an empty net goal at 18:15 of the final frame. Hansen walked into the Peoria zone along the left-wing boards and flipped the puck to Brandon Reid, who streaked down the middle of the zone and deposited the puck into the open goal.

Saturday, March 17, RIVERMEN 5 @ Omaha 4: It appeared that the Peoria Rivermen were going to be down for the count after allowing two 5-on-3 power-play goals to the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights early in the third period; however, Peoria scored three unanswered tallies in 6:55 to win 5-4 in front of 3,598 at the Omaha Civic Auditorium. The victory capped off a season-long, seven-game road trip for the Rivermen in which they recorded a 2-4-0-1 record while Peoria remains undefeated in Omaha (9-0-0-0). The Knights (39-22-4-1, 83 pts) opened the scoring, as right wing David Van der Gulik tallied his 13th goal of the season at the 14-minute mark of the first frame. Van der Gulik quickly whipped a shot from the deep slot that was blocked by a Rivermen defenseman. Unfortunately, the puck kicked directly back to Van der Gulik's stick and deposited his second effort past Rivermen goaltender Chris Beckford-Tseu. Peoria (33-24-2-5, 73 pts) tied the game 1-1 at 18:42 of the opening session. Right wing Jon DiSalvatore sent a pass to the hash marks just to the right of the slot, where center Trent Whitfield launched a one-timer just between the right post and left arm of the Omaha netminder Curtis McElhinney. The goal was Whitfield's 27th of the year, but first tally in his last five contests. The Rivermen grabbed their first lead on their first power-play opportunity of the contest at 7:42 of the second stanza. Whitfield rushed into the Omaha zone with the puck and made a couple of nifty moves to try to get around a Knight defender in the slot, but it was poked away. Luckily, center Yan Stastny was in the right place at the right time, as the puck found his stick in the right face-off circle, where he flipped a shot over the left shoulder of McElhinney. It was Stastny's sixth goal with the Rivermen and 10th overall. Just under two minutes later, Omaha re-tied the game on left wing Brandon Prust's 14th tally of the 2006-07 campaign. Right wing Kris Chucko snapped a shot from near the right point. Prust, who was parked just to the right of Beckford-Tseu, redirected the shot between the legs of the Rivermen goalie. The Knights scored their first of two 5-on-3 power play goals at 3:05 of the third period. While there was a delayed cross-checking call on Peoria defenseman Tomas Mojzis, right wing Carsen Germyn held the puck at the top of the left face-off circle and once he saw a small lane, fired a shot that slipped just inside the left post and right arm of Beckford-Tseu. On the ensuing two-man advantage, Germyn potted his second power-play goal in just 24 seconds. Defenseman Chris Lee began the play in the right face-off circle, where he dished the puck to his defensive partner Brad Ference, who wound-up as if to shoot, but instead ripped a pass to Germyn stationed just to the left of Beckford-Tseu for the easy tap-in. The Rivermen never gave up, as they tallied their first of three unanswered goals on right wing Kevin Croxton's second goal of the season at 9:02 of the final frame. DiSalvatore flicked a shot from the right face-off dot that ricocheted off some traffic in front of McElhinney. The puck landed on the stick of Croxton in the slot, where he slammed it home. While shorthanded, Peoria was able to tie the game 4-4 at 13:27 of the last period. Left wing Cam Keith controlled the puck off a draw in the Rivermen zone and began a 3-on-2 the other way. Flying down the right wing boards, Keith abruptly stopped in the right face-off circle and slid a pass to defenseman Doug Lynch, who was streaking through the slot. Lynch hammered the puck over the outstretched leg of McElhinney for his first goal of the year. The Rivermen notched the winning tally just 2:30 later on left wing Michal Birner's ninth marker of the season. Whitfield won the face-off just to the left of McElhinney, and Birner, who had not recorded a point in his last seven contests, chipped the puck from the slot over the right shoulder of McElhinney.

Friday, March 16, RIVERMEN 1 @ Milwaukee 0 Shootout: Despite playing without four of their five regular defensemen, which included veteran Jamie Rivers as a late scratch prior to the game, the Peoria Rivermen outshot and outlasted the Milwaukee Admirals with a 1-0 sudden-death shootout win on Friday in front of 6,711 at the Bradley Center. The victory was just Peoria's second in seven shootout opportunities this season and it snapped a season-worst, five-game winless skid (0-4-0-1). Rivermen right wing Mike Glumac, who's been on an offensive tear of late with 19 points (12g, 7a) in his last 14 contests coming into the affair, netted the shootout winner in the first sudden-death round and sixth overall with his patented, pull-up hesitation snap shot into the upper right corner. Rookie left wing Michal Birner scored for Peoria in the second round, and Milwaukee center Chris Durno, who had a hat trick and an assist against the Rivermen in 4-3 win in Milwaukee on February 16, potted a shootout marker in the fifth round to send it to sudden death. The middle stanza was scoreless just as the first period was, but the Rivermen (32-24-2-5, 71 pts) had to endure a five-major penalty for high sticking to left wing Cam Keith with eight minutes left in the period. Peoria goaltender Marek Schwarz, who stopped all 21 shots he faced in regulation and overtime, turned aside all four shots he faced during the Milwaukee man advantage. Schwarz recorded just the second shutout by a Rivermen netminder this season. Early in the third period, the Rivermen got a five-minute, uninterrupted power play themselves, when Kelsey Wilson was called for a high-sticking major as well, but Peoria was unable to score either. The Rivermen outshot Milwaukee (32-22-4-8, 76 pts) 12-6 in the third and 28-18 for regulation. Admirals netminder Pekka Rinne turned away all 33 shots he faced in regulation and overtime.

Wednesday, March 14, RIVERMEN 3 @ Chicago 4: Peoria Rivermen goaltender Chris Beckford-Tseu stood on his head time and again for the second straight game against Chicago Wolves, but his and his team's fate was decided on an unfortunate bounce with less than a minute remaining in a 4-3 loss before a crowd of 3,918 on Wednesday night at Allstate Arena. The goal came as part of a third-period, 20-shot barrage from the Wolves, who had 38 for the game. Defenseman Brian Fahey's shot from the top of the left face-off circle was fanned by center Jason Krog on a tip-in attempt, but the errant shot caromed off the end boards and came out to the right of the goal past a diving Rivermen defenseman Tomas Mojzis and Beckford-Tseu, allowing rookie left wing Brett Sterling to lift his team-and American Hockey League-leading 49th tally of the season into the open net. The goal secured a Sterling hat trick, giving him three thus far in his first professional season. Peoria (31-24-2-5, 69 pts), who is winless in a season-worst, five-games (0-4-0-1), jumped out to a 1-0 lead at 7:29 of the opening period. Left wing Charles Linglet took a pass at the left face-off dot from right wing Mike Glumac and maneuvered to the left hash marks, where Linglet shoveled a backhand inside the right post on a shot Chicago netminder Fred Brathwaite should have had. It was Linglet's team-leading 29th tally of the season. Chicago (39-21-2-5, 85 pts) tied it 1-1 on a 5-on-3 power play just over a period later, as rookie left wing Brett Sterling potted his team-and league-leading 47th tally of the season; it was his first of two markers in the session. Right wing Darren Haydar found a streaking Sterling at the bottom of the right face-off circle for an easy one-time finish at 7:48. The Rivermen, who are 1-6-0-1 against the Wolves this season, took their second lead of the night with a little more than nine minutes left in the second on Glumac's 24th tally of the year. On a delayed penalty call, center Yan Stastny was deep in the left-wing corner and snapped a pass across the low slot for Glumac, who redirected the puck past Brathwaite at 10:53. Chicago tied it up with just 56 seconds remaining in the middle stanza on Sterling's second tally of the period and 48th of the season. Center Jason Krog broke in down the right-wing boards in the Peoria zone and skipped a cross-ice feed to Haydar at the left face-off dot. Haydar quickly found Sterling streaking toward the goal down the left side of the right face-off circle for a crushing one-time blast into the upper right corner. Early in the third period, the Wolves struck on the power play again at 2:50. Defenseman Andy Delmore found the net for the 16th time this season, converting on a Niko Dimitrakos rebound from the left side of the low slot. The Rivermen tied the game on Stastny's ninth of the season at 6:33 of the third. Mojzis pushed the puck into the Chicago zone and when he got to the left face-off circle, sent a pass to the right doorstep for Linglet. The pass, though, never made it to Linglet, as Stastny, who was skating down the slot, stabbed the puck past a Chicago defender and into the net.

THREE IS FOR ME... USUALLY

Peoria is 30-8-0-3 (76.8 percent point-making percentage) when scoring three or more goals in a game. Saturday night's 5-4 win was the first time in five games, in which Peoria scored three or more tallies, and won. In 14 of the last 17 games, the Rivermen have scored three or more goals. In games in which they score two goals or less, the Peoria is 3-17-2-2 for a 20.8 percent point-making percentage, posting just their third win in such instances Friday night with a 1-0 shootout win in Milwaukee.

BEST AND WORST AGAINST THE WEST

It is feast or famine for the Peoria Rivermen when it comes to taking on their fellow West Division opponents. Against the San Antonio Rampage (5-2-1-0), the Iowa Stars (6-2-0-0), the Houston Aeros (5-1-0-1) and the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights (7-0-0-1), the Rivermen are a combined 23-5-1-2. Against the Chicago Wolves (1-6-0-1) and the Milwaukee Admirals (2-4-1-0), Peoria is 3-10-1-1 this year, grabbing just its second win of the season over Milwaukee on Saturday night at the Bradley Center.

DEATH MARCH

Peoria plays a season-high, er season-worst, 18 games in the month of March, before finishing the month of April with eight games over 15 days. Thirteen (13) of Peoria's March games are on the road, including a season-long, seven-game road swing, which concluded last Saturday night in Omaha with a 5-4 win and a 2-4-0-1 mark.

COUNTING ON COLLEGE

Defenseman Steven Birnstill joined fellow teammate Bryan Esner from Northeastern University (NU) Friday night in his professional debut. Birnstill, a 6-foot-1, 191-pound native of Commack, New York, led the NU Huskies with 13 assists and was tied for fourth on the team in points. Esner, a speedy penalty killer at 5-foot-8, 170 pounds, made his pro debut on Wednesday in the team's 4-3 road loss to Chicago, drawing a Peoria power play.

RECENT RIVERMEN TRANSACTIONS

March 18, 2007 D Tomas Mojzis recalled from loan under emergency conditions by the St. Louis Blues (NHL).

March 17, 2007 RW Ryan MacMurchy recalled from loan to the Alaska Aces (ECHL).

March 16, 2007 D Steven Birnstill signed to amateur try-out contract.

March 14, 2007 RW Bryan Esner signed to amateur try-out contract.

March 10, 2007 D Roman Polak recalled from loan under emergency conditions by the St. Louis Blues (NHL).

March 1, 2007 RW Peter Ferraro loaned from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL) in exchange for the loan of D Stephen Wood.

March 1, 2007 D Stephen Wood recalled from loan to the Alaska Aces (ECHL).

RIVERMEN PROMOTIONS THIS WEEK

Friday, March 23

- Coca-Cola/Insight Date Night - two (2) tickets, two (2) Cokes and a tub of popcorn for JUST $25

- Circle K Team Photo Night - First 5,000 Fans

- U.S. Cellular 25 Greatest Rivermen of All-Time continues with Dave Thomlinson cards to the first 2,500 fans. Thomlinson and Jim Vesey will appear and sign autographs.

Saturday, March 24

- Jars of Clay headlines a Post-Game Christian Concert with NEEDTOBREATHE and Burlap to Cashmere

- Maui Jim Sunglasses Night - 25 Random Winners

- U.S. Cellular 25 Greatest Rivermen of All-Time continues with a special appearance and autograph signing by Rick Pion.

- Kaufman Wellness Center Night - Free spinal check and back massage with a donation to the Children's Hospital of Illinois

Radio: The Rivermen will be broadcast LIVE on this week on Classic Country 1290 AM (WIRL-AM), the flagship radio station of the Rivermen.

Internet Audio: LIVE streaming audio of all Rivermen games is available for no charge at www.rivermen.net.

Internet Video: LIVE streaming video with the accompanying audio feed is available at www.rivermen.net through the facilities of the b2 networks. The video Web cast of each game is available for a pay-per-view fee of $6.

SCOUTING THE STARS

National Hockey League Parent Club: Dallas Stars

Record Entering This Week: 34-29-3-1

Standings Points (Relative to Rivermen): 72 (-1)

Western Conference Standing: 9th Place

West Division Standing: 5th Place

Rivermen Record vs. Stars: 6-2-0-0

Leading Scorer: RW Vojtech Polak (55 GP, 17 G, 26 A, 43 PTS)

Number-1 Goaltender: Dan Ellis (44 GP, 23-18-1, 3.04 GAA, .887 SV PCT., 3 SO)

AHL Power-play Ranking Entering This Week: 23rd (14.6%)

AHL Penalty-kill Ranking Entering This Week: 11th (83.4%)

SCOUTING THE ADMIRALS

National Hockey League Parent Club: Nashville Predators

Record Entering This Week: 34-22-4-8

Standings Points (Relative to Rivermen): 80 (+7)

Western Conference Standing: 5th Place

West Division Standing: 3rd Place

Rivermen Record vs. Griffins: 2-4-0-1

Leading Scorer: C Cal O'Reilly (66 GP, 14 G, 38 A, 52 PTS)

Number-1 Goaltender: Karl Goehring (41 GP, 20-14-4, 2.76 GAA, .906 SV PCT., 1 SO)

AHL Power-play Ranking Entering This Week: T-15th (16.8%)

AHL Penalty-kill Ranking Entering This Week: 3rd (86.3%)

SCOUTING THE WOLVES

National Hockey League Parent Club: Atlanta Thrashers

Record Entering This Week: 40-22-2-5

Standings Points (Relative to Rivermen): 87 (+14)

Western Conference Standing: 2nd Place

West Division Standing: 1st Place

Rivermen Record vs. Wolves: 1-6-0-1

Leading Scorer: RW Darren Haydar (62 GP, 35 G, 69 A, 104 PTS)

Number-1 Goaltender: Fred Brathwaite (36 GP, 20-12-4, 2.80 GAA, .900 SV PCT., 1 SO)

AHL Power-play Ranking Entering This Week: 2nd (20.9%)

AHL Penalty-kill Ranking Entering This Week: 19th (81.6%)

Check out the Peoria Rivermen Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from March 19, 2007


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Peoria Rivermen Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central