CHL Central Hockey League

Shots from the Point

December 28, 2007 - Central Hockey League (CHL) News Release


RIVERKINGS TAKE STREAK INTO NE OHIO WITH TOP SPOT IN DIVISION ON LINE

One of the biggest series this season is scheduled for this weekend at the Chevrolet Centre when the Mississippi RiverKings (18-6-1) take on the slumping Youngstown SteelHounds (17-8-1) with first place in the Northeast Division on the line. The RiverKings have won six straight games and hence have taken over the top spot in the division which had been possessed by the SteelHounds for the better part of two months. The SteelHounds are just 4-7-0 in their last 11 games after a 13-1-1 start to the season. The Hounds have played just five home games this season (3-2-0). The RiverKings and SteelHounds have played four times this season, all in Mississippi, with each team winning two games.

The RiverKings have been paced lately by Louis Dumont who has nine points (5-4=9) in his last five games and has scored the game winning goal in each of the RiverKings last three victories. Rick Kozak has six goals in his last five games. Mississippi's offense has picked up aiding the defense which carried the team for the first 20 games this season. During the team's six-game win streak, the RiverKings have scored 31 goals.

Youngstown's struggles recently have come from between the pipes where the Hounds have allowed 37 goals in their last 10 games (all since Andy Franck was re-called to the AHL's Providence Bruins). Prior to Franck's departure, the Hounds had allowed 39 goals in those 16 games.

SHORTHANDED SUNDOGS HOST BUCKS IN BATTLE OF TOP TWO SOUTHERN CONFERENCE TEAMS

The Arizona Sundogs (19-6-1), winners of their last five games, host the Laredo Bucks (20-7-2) this weekend in a pair of games at the Tim's Toyota Center. The Sundogs will be somewhat shorthanded as defenseman Sean Sullivan (9-16=25) and center Tyler Redenbach (12-32=44) are both on re-call with the San Antonio Rampage and forward Dusty Collins (10-15=25) has been called-up by the Rockford IceHogs. The two teams met on Dec. 9th in Laredo with the Sundogs winning 3-0. Andrew Gallant made 35 saves earning the shutout.

BLAZERS TAKE MILE-HIGH TRIP

The Oklahoma City Blazers (12-12-3) have hovered around .500 for most of the season and now travel to the state of Colorado for a pair of games versus the Northwest Division's two top teams, the Rocky Mountain Rage (19-3-2) and the Colorado Eagles (13-8-4). The Blazers and Rage met on Dec. 14th in OKC with the Rage winning 3-2 in a shootout. The Eagles and the Blazers have met twice with each team winning on home ice.

VINCENT VAN GOGH

Odessa goaltender Alexandre Vincent is having quite a run this season losing just once in regulation in 13 games (8-1-4). He is the reigning Oakley CHL Goaltender of the Week on the heels of his back-to-back shutouts last week. On the season, Vincent is second in the league with a 1.90 GAA and is tops with a .940 save percentage. The Jacks meet the Texas Brahmas on Friday and host the Austin ice Bats on Saturday. Last night, Vincent came within 36 seconds of earning his third straight shuout but a late PP goal by Amarillo thwarted that effort (Odessa won the game 5-1). The 179:24 consecutive shutout streak was the fourth longest for a team in CHL history.

OTHER TIDBITS

The two teams that have played in the most one-goal games are the Corpus Christi Rayz (17, 7-7-3) and the Amarillo Gorillas (14, 4-6-4)...The Arizona Sundogs are 15-0 when leading after two periods...Arizona's Alex Leavitt has three or more points in each of the last five games (18 total points)...Bossier-Shreveport's Kevin Cooper has eight points (5-3=8) in his last five games...Laredo is 10 for their last 141 on the power play (7%)...Mississippi's Ryan Held is currently on a seven-game point streak (1-8=9)...The RiverKings Louis Dumont has scored the game winning goal in each of the last three games for Mississippi...The OKC Blazers are just four wins from 600 in their franchise history...Blazers goaltender Sean Connors has become the team's all-time minutes played leader passing Jean-Ian Filiatrault...Rage defenseman Tyler Butler's 16-game point streak came to an end on Dec. 26 in Colorado...Tulsa's Warren McCutcheon had his CHL season-high seven-game goal streak come to an end on Dec. 25 at OKC...Oiler's Jeff Christian is currently on an eight-game point streak with four goals and nine assists during his streak.



Central Hockey League Stories from December 28, 2007


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