Rocky Mountain Rage

Published on March 17, 2008 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Rocky Mountain Rage News Release


LAST WEEK'S RECORD: 1-3-0

OVERALL RECORD: 35-21-5, 75 pts.

2nd Place Northwest Division

March 11 vs. Colorado Eagles, 4-3 Shootout Win - With his team down 2-0 just 7:12 into the game, Rob Chappell scored his first goal of the year at 12:01 of the opening period to help turn the momentum in favor of the Rage. Nick Harloff scored late in the first to square the game at two, and Tyler Butler hammered home a slapshot from the blue line to give Rocky Mountain a 3-2 edge through 40 minutes. The Eagles managed to tie the game on a five-on-three power play with 5:30 remaining in the third to force overtime. After a scoreless extra session, goaltender Scott Reid stopped all four Colorado shooters he faced, and Brent Cullaton and Ladislav Kouba both scored in the tie-breaker to deliver the win.

March 12 @ Colorado Eagles, 4-2 Loss - In the season series finale with the Eagles, Rocky Mountain again took a one-goal lead to the third, 2-1. But Colorado tied the game at 7:22 and scored the game-winner at 14:39 before adding an empty-netter for the final margin. Despite the loss, the Rage still won the season series with a record of 7-4-1 after going 2-9-1 against the Eagles a year ago.

March 15 vs. New Mexico Scorpions, 8-5 Loss - New Mexico jumped out to a 4-1 lead through the first before the teams combined for six goals in a wide-open second period that found Rocky Mountain trailing, 7-4, heading to the final period. The Rage pulled within two just 3:20 into the third and were looking for more with the Scorpions on the run until the visitors' Konrad Reeder notched his third goal of the game at 11:49 to snuff out any potential comeback bid.

March 16 vs. Tulsa Oilers, 3-2 Loss - In the final home game of the regular season, Rocky Mountain generated a season-high 52 shots on goal but were stymied throughout by Tulsa netminder Guy St. Vincent, who spent six weeks in a Rage uniform earlier this season. Pat Sutton and Bill Newson did give the club a 2-0 lead early in the second period, but the advantage was quickly erased by the Oilers' David Beauregard who scored both a short-handed goal and a power play goal to re-tie the game at two with 11:39 gone in the period. Tulsa's Kai Magnussen then moved his team in front at 3:59 of the third, and Rocky Mountain never found the equalizer.

THIS WEEK'S UPCOMING GAMES

Wednesday, March 19, @ Arizona Sundogs, Tim's Toyota Center, 8:05 p.m. MDT

Radio: The New ESPN Radio 1600, LIVE at 7:55 p.m.

Live Audio & Video Webcast: www.rockymountainrage.com

Friday, March 21 @ Tulsa Oilers, Tulsa Convention Center, 6:35 p.m. MDT

Radio: The New ESPN Radio 1600, LIVE at 6:25 p.m.

Live Audio Webcast: www.rockymountainrage.com.

Saturday, March 22, @ Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, CenturyTel Center, 6:05 p.m. MDT

Radio: The New ESPN Radio 1600, LIVE at 5:55 p.m.

Live Audio & Video Webcast: www.rockymountainrage.com

RAGE FIGHTING FOR PLAYOFF LIVES

The Rage's three-game losing skid has robbed the club of controlling its own destiny in the race to qualify for the President's Cup Playoffs out of the Northern Conference. If the playoffs began today, Rocky Mountain would be on the outside looking in, one point behind the Mississippi RiverKings for the fifth and final playoff berth. Even if they sweep all three games this week, the Rage will still need one of the four teams ahead of them in the standings - Colorado (80 pts.), Texas (80 pts.), Youngstown (77 pts.), and Mississippi (76 pts.) - to lose at least one game in regulation this week in order to reach the post-season. Despite the gloomy outlook today, it is still possible for Rocky Mountain to overtake the Eagles for the Northwest Division title and secure the conference's #2 playoff seed along with it.

REVERSAL OF FORTUNES ON THE ROAD

The Rage's playoff fate ultimately hinges upon their ability to improve their play on the road where they have not won a game since Feb. 2. The club is 3-10-2 away from Broomfield Event Center since the All-Star Break and carries the burden of an eight-game road winless skid (0-7-1) into Arizona on Wednesday.

MORE HOCKEY AT BROOMFIELD EVENT CENTER THIS SEASON??

It is too tough to enumerate all the different playoff scenarios that this week may bring, but if Rocky Mountain does rebound to finish in the top five in the conference, there could be playoff hockey at the BEC as soon as Monday, March 24. Seeds #4 and #5 will play a best-of-three series next week that will begin on the 24th at the fifth seed's home arena. The winner of the first round will advance to the best-of-seven Conference Semi-Finals to face the Mudbugs, who clinched their second consecutive Governors' Cup over the weekend to guarantee themselves home-ice advantage throughout the post-season. Seeds #2 and #3 would also receive a first-round bye before clashing in the other Conference Semi-Final. For the most up-to-date playoff outlook for the Rage, visit http://www.rockymountainrage.com/outlook/.

RAGE SNAPSHOTS

Daymen Rycroft still leads the CHL goal-scoring race with 47 tallies this year, three more than the Laredo Bucks' Jeff Bes. Rycroft is trying to become the league's first 50-goal scorer since the 2005-06 campaign when Tulsa's Jeff Christian scored 55 goals while playing for the Youngstown SteelHounds...Brent Cullaton reached the 90-point plateau over the weekend. The CHL's fourth-leading scorer has 92 points (21g-71a) this season...Rob Chappell went the season's first 57 games without scoring a goal before rattling off markers in three straight games from March 11 - 15...Rocky Mountain concluded its home portion of the schedule with a record of 22-8-2...Sunday's 52 shots on goal against Tulsa were one shy of the team record 53 that Rocky Mountain reached twice last season. The Rage did set a new team mark with 25 shots during Sunday's second period, though.

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Central Hockey League Stories from March 17, 2008


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