Rocky Mountain Rage Weekly Update
March 9, 2009 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Rocky Mountain Rage News Release
March 5 vs. Colorado Eagles, 4-3 Win - Looking for their first win at home against the Eagles this year, Simon Watson and David Morelli staked the Rage to a 2-0 second period lead. The advantage was cut in half in the final three seconds of the frame, though, when Riley Nelson struck short-handed for the visitors. Rocky Mountain responded in the third, building a 4-1 edge off tallies from Ryan McLeod and Daymen Rycroft. Colorado wouldn't go away, scoring a pair of power play goals to pull within one, the second of the markers occurring 6-on-4 with an extra attacker at 19:28. But the visitors never seriously threatened to find the equalizer in the waning moments as Scott Reid made a team season-high 43 stops in the victory.
March 6 @ Colorado Eagles, 5-1 Win - The Rage completed the home-and-home sweep over the Northwest Division champs behind a new team season-high 45 saves from goaltender Marty Magers. Colorado drew first blood early with a short-handed goal just 2:46 into the game. Down 1-0 entering the second, Rocky Mountain forged ahead off tallies from Nathan O'Nabigon and McLeod to take a 2-1 lead to the third for the second consecutive evening. Again the club extended its lead to 4-1 and eventually 5-1, but this time there was no comeback in the offing from the Eagles. After dropping their first five decisions against Colorado this year, the Rage have now won three of four in the season series.
March 7 @ Amarillo Gorillas, 5-2 Loss - Rocky Mountain was forced to play catch-up all night long as special teams staked Amarillo to a 3-1 lead through 20 minutes off a short-handed goal and two power play tallies. Aaron Davis pulled the Rage within one early in the second with his second shorty of the year, but the club never scored again as the Gorillas netted two in the third to even the season series at two games apiece.
THIS WEEK'S UPCOMING GAMES
Friday, March 13, vs. Colorado Eagles, Broomfield Event Center, 7:05 p.m.
Live Audio & Video Webcast: CHL Network on www.rockymountainrage.com
Saturday, March 14, vs. Tulsa Oilers, Broomfield Event Center, 7:05 p.m.
Giveaway: Rage License Plate Holders to the first 2,500 fans courtesy of InSight LASIK
Live Audio & Video Webcast: CHL Network on www.rockymountainrage.com
RAGE LOCKED INTO FIFTH SEED
Saturday's loss ended any chance the Rage had of catching either the Oklahoma City Blazers or the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs in the Northern Conference standings, meaning Rocky Mountain will enter the President's Cup Playoffs as the conference's fifth seed. The team will face-off against any one of the three playoff bound Northeast Division teams in a best-of-three series beginning sometime during the week of March 23. For the latest on the league-wide playoff picture, including the playoff format, log-on to the CHL's Playoff HQ at http://www.centralhockeyleague.com/pagebank/index.html?id=4316.
FOUR-GAME HOMESTAND
After a stretch of 14 of 16 away from home finally concluded on Saturday in Amarillo, the Rage now begin a four-game homestand at Broomfield Event Center on Friday and Saturday against the Eagles and Tulsa Oilers. Next week Rocky Mountain hosts Colorado on Thursday, March 19, before finishing the regular season with a home-and-home versus the Gorillas on the 20th and 21st.
SHORT-HANDED GOOD NEWS BAD NEWS
We'll start with the bad news. Rocky Mountain has given up short-handed goals in three straight hockey games for a total of 10 on the year. The good news - Aaron Davis' shorty on Saturday keeps building on a new team record 14 this season, ranking the Rage third in the league behind Texas (19) and Colorado (16).
MORE DAVIS
Davis was the team's leading goal scorer before he missed 27 games from Dec. 27 - Feb. 21 with an injury. He finally returned on Feb. 25 at Rapid City and has seven points (2g-5a) in his six games back, during which time the Rage are 4-2-0. The sixth-year pro has a total of 26 points (13g-13a) in 24 games since he was acquired from Texas on Nov. 7, joining Colt King (64 Pts - 57 GP) and Daymen Rycroft (58 Pts - 50 GP) as the only players on the team averaging more than a point per game.
PLUS PERFORMER
Defenseman Preston Briggs returned for his second season with the Rage on Jan. 2. He hasn't scored a goal since donning a Rocky Mountain sweater again, but the native of Colorado Springs has still had a significant impact on the team's blue line by leading the club with a +15 rating. He also notched helpers on both goals in Amarillo on Saturday, giving him five assists in 30 games with the club this year.
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