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ECHL Toledo Walleye

Storm Tracks

March 24, 2003 - ECHL (ECHL)
Toledo Walleye News Release


The Storm's 45-14-10 record gives Toledo 100 points, which places the Storm in first place in the overall ECHL point standings.

Toledo's (.725) win percentage is the best in the league.

The Storm's 45 wins in 69 games is the third most in the league, trailing the Columbia Inferno (46 wins in 70 games) and the Peoria Rivermen (46 wins in 69 games).

Toledo has fewer losses in regulation than any team in the league (14).

By picking up seven of the available eight points in the standings in the past week, the Storm has now reached the 100 point plateau for the second time in franchise history. The 1995-96 Storm finished 48-14-4 for 104 (.7428) points in 70 total games. With three games remaining, the 2002-03 Storm has an opportunity to establish a franchise record for total points, as well as tie the franchise record for total wins, and to establish a franchise best for win percentage (.7430).

With the three wins this past week at the Toledo Sports Arena (Wednesday, 3-1 v. Reading Royals; Friday, 4-2 v. Dayton Bombers; and Sunday, 5-4 v. Johnstown Chiefs), the Storm has now won thirteen consecutive games at home, dating back to a 4-1 loss to the Lexington Men O'War on February 1. This streak breaks the franchise single season record established earlier this year when the 2002-03 Storm won their first eleven consecutive games at the Sports Arena this season.

The three home wins this week gives the Storm a total of 28 home wins on the season, which establishes a franchise single season record. The previous high was 27 home wins earned by the 1995-96 Storm.

The Storm has the best home record in the league: 28-2-4 = 60 pts, which is an (.871) win percentage. The best home record in Toledo's eleven-year franchise history was established in 1995-96 (27-4-4 = 58pts) (.829).

The best home record in ECHL history was established by the 2001-02 Louisiana IceGators (30-2-4=64pts). With two home games remaining, the 2002-03 Storm could tie this record by winning the remaining home games.

The Storm has one road game remaining on the schedule: Sunday in Wheeling, West Virginia, against the Nailers. Toledo has a record of 17-12-6 = 40 (.571) away from the Toledo Sports Arena this season. The best road record in franchise history preceding was accomplished in the inaugural season (1991-92), when the Storm went 21-10-1 = 43 (.671) in the opponents' buildings.

The Storm is currently riding a six game unbeaten streak (5-0-1). The longest unbeaten streak of the season for the Storm is ten games (6-0-4) from January 7 through January 24, 2003.

In Wednesday's 3-1 win over the Reading Royals, Andre Payette scored the game winning goal. That was Payette's second goal of the season, as well as his second game winner. Payette also scored a big goal in the 2-3 shootout loss in Dayton on Saturday night. In that game, Payette scored the game tying goal (at 2-2) with just 4:12 remaining in the game.

Doug Teskey was the goaltender of record in the 3-1 win over Reading on Wednesday night. Teskey also picked up the wins on Friday night against Dayton (4-2) and Sunday afternoon against the Johnstown Chiefs. Teskey now has 29 wins on the season, which is third amongst goaltenders in the league.

In Friday's 4-2 win over Dayton, Wes Mason scored the game's first goal. Toledo also scored the game's first goal. The Storm also scored the first goal of the game in Saturday's 3-2 shootout loss to Dayton and Sunday's 5-4 win over Johnstown. The Storm is now 36-2-6 when scoring first.

In addition to his goal on Friday night, Wes Mason picked up two assists, including one on the game winner by Tim Verbeek at 2:54 of the second period. That was Mason's first three point performance of the season and his sixth multi-point game. Mason also scored the game tying (at 4-4) power play goal with 5:08 remaining in the third period on Sunday afternoon against Johnstown.

Matt Ellis scored the Storm's second goal on Friday night, and he also added an empty netter to ice that game with 42 seconds remaining. Ellis also assisted on the first goal of the game. That was the fifth time that Ellis has racked up three or more points in a single game this season.

In addition to his three point performance on Friday, Matt Ellis also scored a goal in Toledo's 3-1 win over Reading on Wednesday, and he picked up two assists in the Storm's 5-4 win on Sunday against Johnstown. Ellis has racked up 28 points (17g-11a=28pts) in his last twenty games. In those games, Ellis has had ten multi-point games.

Tim Verbeek scored the game winning goal on Friday night. That was Verbeek's third game winning goal of the season. Verbeek also scored the Storm's second goal (to make the score 2-3) in Sunday's 5-4 win over Johnstown while the Storm was on the power play. That was Verbeek's fifth power play goal of the season.

In Saturday's 2-3 shootout loss in Dayton, Paul Ballantyne scored the game's first goal for the Storm. Ballantyne leads all Storm defensemen with ten goals on the season.

Goaltender, Mike Minard, made 61 stops on 63 shots through the 65 minutes of regulation and overtime on Saturday night. That established a franchise high for saves by a goaltender in a single game for the Storm. It also tied the ECHL record for the third-most saves in a game by a goaltender.

The shootout on Saturday night went 16 rounds (32 shooters) before the Bombers beat the Storm (5-4). That is the longest shootout of the season for the Storm.

The Storm has now failed to win in the last seven games that have ended regulation time in a tie. The Storm has lost three of those games in overtime; and four in the shootout. Overall, the Storm is 1-4 in overtime and 3-6 in the shootout.

In Sunday's 5-4 win over Johnstown, the Storm entered the third period trailing 2-4. This marked the first time this season that Toledo has entered the third period trailing by two goals and ended up winning the game. Overall this year, the Storm has won five games when the team has entered the third period trailing the opponent. (Toledo has a record of 5-11-2 in such circumstances.)

Jim Brown scored two of the three goals for Toledo, including the game winner with just 7 seconds remaining, in the third period comeback against Johnstown on Sunday. Brown has now scored ten goals since joining the Storm on February 9, 2003 and four of those goals have been game winners. In fact, three of his game winners have been scored in the third period; and two of them (including the one on Sunday) have been scored in the waning moments with the score tied. (Brown scored the fourth Toledo goal with 1:01 remaining in the 4-3 victory over the Peoria Rivermen with on March 15.)

All three goals scored by the Storm in the third period comeback against the Johnstown Chiefs on Sunday afternoon were scored while Toledo was on the power play. In fact, the Storm scored four power play goals in six chances on Sunday, marking the fourth time this season that Toledo has scored four or more goals with the man advantage in a single game.

Overall this season, the Storm has scored 78 power play goals in 402 chances with the man advantage this year, which translates into a 19.4% scoring ratio-which is tenth in the ECHL.

In the four games this past week, the Storm penalty killers allowed four power play goals against in twenty-five chances for the opponents with the man advantage. Overall this season, Toledo has allowed 65 power play goals against in 411 chances, which translates into a 84.2% kill ratio-third in the league.

TRANSACTIONS

03/17/03 DELETE Miroslav Durak, defenseman, placed on 7-Day Injured Reserve.
03/17/03 ADD Kris Waltze, forward, activated from 7-Day Injured Reserve.
03/18/03 DELETE Erik Anderson, forward, re-called by Milwaukee Admirals (AHL).
03/18/03 ADD Andre Payette, forward, activated from 7-Day Injured Reserve.
03/19/03 DELETE Brian Finley, goaltender, placed on 7-Day Injured Reserve.
03/19/03 ADD Rick Sissen, goaltender, signed and added to roster (emergency).
03/20/03 ADD Mike Minard, goaltender, re-assigned by Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL).
03/21/03 ADD Rod Taylor, forward, signed and added to roster.
03/22/03 DELETE Mike Minard, goaltender, re-called by Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL).
03/23/03 ADD L.J. Scarpace, goaltender, signed and added to roster (emergency).

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