CHL Central Hockey League

Shots from the Point

Published on February 27, 2009 under Central Hockey League (CHL) News Release


1- The Odessa Jackalopes (32-15-6) are just 2-5-3 over their last 10 games but their outstanding first half of the season was enough to allow the Jacks to clinch the SW Division title before the end of February. The happy day for Odessa came on Tuesday night, despite losing to Mississippi, when Arizona lost making it impossible for the Sundogs to catch the Jackalopes. The division title is the first for Odessa since the 2005-06 season and the third in the team's history in the CHL. The Jacks have 11 games remaining in the regular season with seven of those at home giving them a chance to potentially catch Texas for the conference crown.

2- The Colorado Eagles (37-12-3) continue their season-long five-game road trip on Friday night with a showdown versus the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs at the CenturyTel Center. The Eagles magic number for winning the NW Division is down to three meaning any combination of the Eagles earning points and/or the Rocky Mountain Rage (28-22-4) failing to earn points. Colorado is coming off an overtime loss in Tulsa on Tuesday night. Colorado is 3-6-1 in their last 10 games. This season versus the Mudbugs, the Eagles are 2-0 and in the all-time series Colorado is 11-6-1. On Saturday, the Eagles face the Mississippi RiverKings (35-14-3) in what could be a deciding game for the Northern Conference #1 seed. Colorado leads the 'Kings by four points.

3- The New Mexico Scorpions (22-29-2) have been on fire lately winning seven of their last 10 games and getting to within two points of a playoff spot and the Corpus Christi IceRays and Arizona Sundogs. New Mexico's hot spell has seen them score 41 goals and reach five or more goals in six of those games. Craig Macdonald has scored seven goals in his last 10 games and defenseman Tom Maldonado has totaled three goals with seven assists and is a +7 over the last 10 games. On the season, Macdonald is one off the league lead with 30 goals. The Scorps look to stay hot with a big test on Friday night at Odessa.

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INSIDE THE NUMBERS

2 The number of points that divide the three Southern Conference teams battling for one playoff spot...The IceRays and Sundogs are tied with 48 points and the Scorpions are two points behind...The Sundogs and the IceRays meet on Friday night in Corpus Christi in a head-to-head battle for the #5 seed

351 The number of career wins for Bossier-Shreveport coach Scott Muscutt who last weekend in Arizona became just the third coach in CHL history to win 350 games...Doug Sauter is the league's all-time leader in wins with 536 followed by former Eagles Head Coach Chris Stewart who won 375 games in his CHL career

4 The number of consecutive games that Arizona forward Dwayne Hay had scored a goal in prior to last night's 5-4 SO loss in Laredo...Hay has 13 points (4-9=13) in 12 games with the Sundogs

6 The number of games Rocky Mountain's David Morelli had gone without a point, the longest drought of the season, before Wednesday's career night that saw him total a goal, four assists and a +5 plus/minus rating...Morelli has 20 goals and 24 assists on the season in 54 games

9-1-1 OKC's Doug Groenestege's record in his last 11 decisions allowing just 21 goals over those 11 games...He leads the league with a 2.03 GAA and is tied for fourth with 18 wins

27 The jersey number of former Bossier-Shreveport player and current assistant coach Trevor Buchanan which will be retired prior to the Mudbugs game on Friday versus the Eagles...Buchanan will be just the second player (Dale Henry's #19) in Mudbugs history to have his jersey number retired

TIDBITS

-Despite having forwards Dallas Costanzo, Darrell Stoddard and Bobby Chaumont out of the line-up on injured reserve, the Mississippi RiverKings have won six straight games and have a three point lead in the NE Division...Mississippi plays at OKC on Friday

-Six teams have clinched playoff berths with Texas and Odessa earning spots in the South and Colorado, Mississippi, Bossier-Shreveport and Oklahoma City clinching spots in the North

-Colorado's Greg Pankewicz has 199 career CHL goals and is just one shy of becoming the 16th player in league history to score 200 goals...The Eagles play at Bossier-Shreveport on Friday night

-Rocky Mountain's magic number to clinch their first ever playoff berth is six points...Any combination of the Rage earning points or the Rapid City Rush failing to earn points would lead to the Rage becoming the fifth and final team in the Northern Conference to qualify for the post-season

-Bossier-Shreveport's Chris Brassard needs just four points to become the 20th player in CHL history to hit the 500-point plateau...In his career, Brassard has scored 190 goals with 306 assists in 508 games played

-After scoring two goals in a 12 game stretch (Dec. 20-Jan. 30), Laredo rookie Darryl Smith has scored 10 goals in his last 11 games...Smith is tied for the league lead with 31 goals and is first among rookies with 59 points (31-28=59)

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Central Hockey League Stories from February 27, 2009


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