AHL Peoria Rivermen

Team Looks to Build on Three-win Weekend

Published on February 22, 2006 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


Tuesday, February 21, San Antonio Rampage @ RIVERMEN: Just as they did last week, the Peoria Rivermen will begin their slate of games this week by entertaining the San Antonio Rampage at Carver Arena. This time, however, the two teams will meet on a Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. (CST). The Rivermen and the Rampage have faced off against one another six times so far this season, and the Peoria club has prevailed on each occasion (6-0-0-0). The most recent game between these two West Division foes took place just last Friday, when the Rivermen won 3-2 at Carver Arena on the strength of one goal and one assist by center Trent Whitfield. San Antonio serves the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL) as a primary affiliate team. With an overall mark of 15-33-1-4 and 35 points, the Rampage enter this week's action in seventh place in the West Division of the Western Conference of the American Hockey League (AHL). Center Layne Ulmer continues to pace all San Antonio scorers with 31 points (12 goals, 19 assists) in 51 outings. Rampage goaltender David LeNeveu, who started against the Rivermen last Friday, possesses a 5-12-2 record, a 3.33 goals-against average, and a .906 save percentage in his 19 appearances thus far this year. The Rampage struggle with the man-advantage, as is evidenced by the team's 25th-ranked power-play conversion rate of 13.8 percent. San Antonio, however, stands higher in the AHL's penalty-killing rankings, now tied with the Rochester Americans for 17th position in the League at 82.1 percent.

Wednesday, February 22, RIVERMEN @ Chicago Wolves; Sunday, February 26, Chicago Wolves @ RIVERMEN: The Rivermen will take on the Chicago Wolves twice this week, first on Wednesday in Chicago and then again on Sunday in Peoria. These two intra-state opponents have tangled six times already in 2005-06, and the Rivermen have compiled a record of 2-3-0-1 in those contests. The last Rivermen-Wolves match-up turned out badly for Peoria, as Chicago triumphed by the lopsided score of 11-5 on Friday, December 30, at Allstate Arena. The top developmental squad of the Atlanta Thrashers of the NHL, the Wolves presently occupy sixth place in the West Division due to their record of 20-25-2-6 and 48 points. Chicago left wing Ramzi Abid's 54 points (26 goals, 28 assists) in 49 games played lead his club in scoring by a wide margin, as no other Wolves player has more than 32 points this season. Tuomas Tarkki has seen the most action between the pipes for the Wolves in 2005-06, having appeared in 20 of Chicago's tilts and produced a record of 9-5-3, a goals-against average of 2.95, and a save percentage of .896. The Chicago special teams both rank at about the same position in the League standings. The Wolves' power-play unit currently holds down 23rd place in the AHL with a success rate of 14.2 percent, while the club's penalty-killing unit stands 20th in the League at 81.6 percent.

Friday, February 24, Cleveland Barons @ RIVERMEN: The Cleveland Barons make their first-ever appearance at Carver Arena on Friday evening. This will be the third meeting of the season between these two clubs, as they have already faced off twice on National City Rink at Quicken Loans Arena. Back on Saturday afternoon, January 7, the Barons dealt the Rivermen a 5-2 loss in Cleveland. Then on Saturday, February 4, the Rivermen beat the Barons 3-2. The Rivermen-Barons season finale will be Sunday, March 12, at Carver Arena. The Cleveland club functions as the primary affiliate of the San Jose Sharks of the NHL. At this point, the Barons rank seventh in the North Division of the AHL's Western Conference with a record of 21-35-2-2 and 46 standings points. The Barons are currently led in scoring by center Josh Hennessy, who has thus far this season accumulated 48 points on 18 goals and 30 assists. In both of their previous games against the Barons this season, the Rivermen have faced goaltender Dimitri Patzold, who now owns a 5-14-0 record, a 4.02 goals-against average, and an .866 save percentage. The Barons rank near the bottom of the AHL on both the power play and the penalty kill. Their power-play conversion rate of 15.3 percent is good for 20th in the League, and their penalty-killing success ratio of 77.6 percent ranks last in the AHL.

RIVERMEN ACTION LAST WEEK

Friday, February 17, RIVERMEN 3 vs. San Antonio Rampage 2: On Friday evening in Peoria, the Peoria Rivermen won their sixth consecutive game against the San Antonio Rampage this season, this time by a count of 3-2. Center Trent Whitfield put Peoria on the scoreboard first with his 16th goal of the season 6:39 into the contest. Just over two minutes later, at the 8:43 mark of the first period, left wing Charles Linglet lit the lamp to extend the Rivermen lead to 2-0. Rampage right wing Pavel Brendl then pared that advantage down to one goal midway through the opening session with his 15th tally of the season, and Peoria led San Antonio 2-1 at the first intermission. In the middle frame, the Rivermen once again struck first, as center Blake Evans pushed the score to 3-1 for Peoria with his 12th goal of the campaign at 3:06 of the second. The Rampage responded with a goal by center Mike Bishai approximately five minutes later, but that goal proved to be too little, too late for the San Antonio team, as the Rivermen held on the rest of the way for a 3-2 victory. Reinhard Divis made his seventh straight start in net for Peoria and picked up the win by turning aside 19 of the 21 shots that he faced. The Rivermen out-shot the Rampage in this contest by 16, 37-21. San Antonio potted the lone power-play goal of the game, as Peoria was zero for four with the man-advantage, and San Antonio went one for five.

Saturday, February 18, RIVERMEN 4 @ Milwaukee Admirals 3 (OT): On Saturday afternoon in Milwaukee, the Peoria Rivermen got only their second overtime victory in franchise history by beating the Milwaukee Admirals 4-3 in overtime. The Rivermen jumped out on top early in this game, as center Blake Evans crashed the net and pounded home his 13th goal of the season just 49 seconds into the contest. Midway through the second period, center Simon Gamache evened things up at 1-1 for the Admirals. The Rivermen then built a two-goal lead in the last half of the middle frame on goals by center Trent Whitfield, at 13:58, and right wing Jon DiSalvatore, at 16:33. In the third period, Milwaukee launched a comeback bid. At 6:33 of the third session, Admirals right winger Brandon Segal scored to cut the Peoria lead in half at 3-2. Center Rich Peverley then knotted the game at 3-3 for Milwaukee when he dented the twine at the 11:34 mark of the third. When neither team scored over the course of the final minutes of the third period, the game entered a five-minute sudden-death overtime period. As both teams traded scoring chances to no avail, it looked as though the game might ultimately be decided in a shootout. But as the final minute of overtime began, Whitfield found right wing Mike Glumac with a nice backhanded pass from left to right in the Admirals zone, and Glumac powered a shot past Milwaukee netminder Michel Robinson to garner for Peoria a 4-3 overtime win. Chris Beckford-Tseu started in goal for the Rivermen and made 31 saves in regulation and overtime. Although they lost the game, the Admirals out-shot the Rivermen 34-33. Peoria converted one of the six power-play chances it had on the afternoon, while Milwaukee went goalless in four man-advantage opportunities.

Sunday, February 19, RIVERMEN 4 vs. Milwaukee Admirals 3 (SO): The Peoria Rivermen finished off a three-win weekend by downing the Milwaukee Admirals 4-3 in a shootout last Sunday. Milwaukee took a 1-0 lead in the contest when center Simon Gamache dented the twine at 15:06 of the first period. That lead grew to 2-0 just 1:56 into the second period on a goal by Admirals right wing Jordin Tootoo. The Rivermen, however, fought their way back and tied the match at 2-2 on second-period goals by left wing Charles Linglet, at 7:05, and center Troy Riddle, at 13:16. At the 12:29 mark of the third session, Peoria went ahead 3-2 on Brendan Brooks' 11th tally of the season. That Rivermen advantage was short-lived, however, as the Admirals knotted the game at 3-3 when defenseman Greg Zanon pinched in and scored his eighth goal of the year at 16:07 of the third. Neither squad lit the lamp in the final minutes of regulation, so the game moved on to an overtime session. Although the two West Division foes traded scoring chances in overtime, both teams failed to break through for a goal, and the game moved on to a shootout to determine a winner. After four shootout rounds, the Admirals held a 2-1 advantage on shootout goals by center Rich Peverley and Gamache. (Right winger Mike Glumac tallied for Peoria in the third shootout round.) After right wing Darren Haydar missed Milwaukee's fifth shootout attempt, Peoria right wing Jon DiSalvatore stepped up and converted his shootout attempt to extend the shootout into an extra sudden-death phase. First up for the Admirals in the sudden-death rounds was Peverley, who missed. Linglet then took another shootout turn for the Rivermen after missing in the first round, and he buried his second attempt to clinch the 4-3 shootout victory. During regulation and overtime, goaltender Reinhard Divis made 34 saves for Peoria before stopping four of six Milwaukee attempts in the shootout. Firing a total of 37 shots at Divis, the Admirals ended up out-shooting the Rivermen by just one, 37-36. Each squad scored one power-play goal in the game, as Peoria had 12 man-advantage chances, and Milwaukee saw eight such opportunities.

VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF WINNING

In reeling off three straight victories this past weekend, the Rivermen won in a different fashion on each occasion. Last Friday versus San Antonio, Peoria claimed a conventional 3-2 win in regulation. Then on Saturday in Milwaukee, the Rivermen took a 4-3 overtime triumph. Peoria capped off its weekend of winning on Sunday with a 4-3 shootout victory over Milwaukee here at Carver Arena.

SO FAR, SO GOOD

The Rivermen are currently in the process of finishing out the month of February with seven games in ten days. Through the first three games of that stretch, the team is doing just fine, having won all three tilts (3-0-0-0).

GLUMAC TAKES HIS SHOW TO OVERTIME

Rivermen right wing Mike Glumac's game-winning goal last Saturday in Milwaukee was his first overtime game-winner of the season. He now ranks second in the AHL in game-winning goals with seven, six in regulation and one in overtime.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! The Rivermen are likely echoing that familiar refrain from St. Louis Blues television broadcaster John Kelly after recently receiving three players on loan from the Rivermen parent-club Blues. After the Blues defeated the Edmonton Oilers 5-4 in a shootout on Sunday, February 12, the Blues loaned right wing Mike Glumac, right wing Lee Stempniak, and center Trent Whitfield to the Rivermen as the National Hockey League's Olympic break began. In three games with Peoria last weekend, Whitfield produced six points on two goals and four assists, Glumac notched one goal and three assists, and Stempniak chipped in two assists.

RAGING RIVERMEN

D Mike Mottau has scored one goal and dished out nine assists in his last nine tilts...RW Jon DiSalvatore has registered three goals and four assists in his last 10 outings...C Blake Evans has registered four goals and three assists in the last 10 tilts...RW Brendan Brooks has notched seven points (4 goals, 3 assists) in the last nine outings...LW Timofei Shishkanov has reeled off five points (3 goals, 2 assists) in his first five games with Peoria...LW Charles Linglet has notched three goals and one assist in his last five appearances...C Mike Zigomanis recorded his first two points with the Rivermen with two assists on 2-12 vs. IOW...D Jeff Woywitka has picked up three assists in the last seven games...G Reinhard Divis has gone 8-1-0-0 in his last nine starts in goal.

RIVERMEN ACTION THIS WEEK

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21

San Antonio Rampage @ PEORIA RIVERMEN

7:00 p.m., Carver Arena

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22

PEORIA RIVERMEN @ Chicago Wolves

7:00 p.m., Allstate Arena

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24

Cleveland Barons @ PEORIA RIVERMEN

7:30 p.m., Carver Arena

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26

Chicago Wolves @ PEORIA RIVERMEN

5:00 p.m., Carver Arena

Radio: All Rivermen games are broadcast LIVE on HOPE 98.5 (WPIA-FM), the flagship radio station of the Peoria Rivermen.

Internet Audio: LIVE streaming audio of all Rivermen games is available for no charge at www.rivermen.net.

Internet Video: LIVE streaming video with the accompanying audio feed is available at www.rivermen.net through the facilities of the b2 networks. The video Webcast of each game is available for a pay-per-view fee of $6.

Check out the Peoria Rivermen Statistics

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American Hockey League Stories from February 22, 2006


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