AHL Peoria Rivermen

Thirteen is Lucky for Rivermen with 3-2 Win in Omaha

February 17, 2007 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


Omaha, NE (February 17, 2007) - Two things continued to prove true for the Peoria Rivermen on Saturday afternoon on the road against the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights. They picked up a win over their West-Division foes and left wing Jon DiSalvatore figured in deciding the victory.

Dating back to last season, it was the 13th straight win for Peoria over Omaha, as the Rivermen won 3-2 in front of 4,421 at Omaha Civic Auditorium. DiSalvatore, who set up center Trent Whitfield for the game winner, has four assists on game-winning tallies in the season series and two game deciders himself to push Peoria to a 6-0-0-0 mark against the Ak-Sar-Ben Knights this year. The Rivermen remain without blemish in eight lifetime games (8-0-0-0) in Omaha.

After Omaha center Andrei Taratukhin was sent off for a roughing minor at 10:26 of the third, Peoria used the resulting four-on-four situation to regain the lead for good with 9:04 remaining in regulation. DiSalvatore maneuvered down the left side of the Omaha zone on a two-on-one with Whitfield, who took DiSalvatore's centering pass at the right side of the slot and snapped it past McElhinney for his 20th tally of the season.

The Rivermen (27-20-2-2, 58 pts) improved to 25-5-0-0 when scoring three or more goals in a game. Last night in Milwaukee, for just the fifth time this season, Peoria scored three or more goals in a game and lost with a 4-3 regulation road defeat at the hands of the Admirals.

It was scoreless after the first period, but Omaha had ample opportunity to take the lead heading into the first intermission. After Rivermen rookie defenseman Roman Polak was issued a five-minute major and a game misconduct (ejection) for plowing Omaha rookie right wing Kris Chucko from behind into the end boards in the Peoria zone, the Knights were awarded a five-minute, uninterrupted power play, which included a 1:41 of 5-on-3 power-play time after Peoria goaltender Chris Beckford-Tseu was called for delay of game after sending the puck into the crowd. The Rivermen killed off the advantage and were outshot 8-4 in the session.

The Rivermen broke the scoreless tie at 6:36 of the second session just seven seconds into a power play with Omaha defenseman Adam Pardy in the box for boarding. Left wing Charles Linglet fed Konstantin Zakharov at the right side of the goal crease, where Zakharov - a right-handed shot - faked on his forehand and then slipped a backhand past Omaha goaltender Curtis McElhinney. It was his second goal and fifth point in the last three games.

Peoria pushed its lead to 2-0 just 1:24 later on Mike Glumac's 13th tally of the season. Center Michal Birner dropped the puck off to Glumac in the left-wing corner. Glumac then traveled back up the boards, circling to the high slot even with the tops of the face-off circles and firing a wicked wrist shot into the upper left corner. It was just his second goal in the last seven games.

The Knights (31-19-3-1, 66 pts) would not be denied before the end of the second stanza, scoring with 1:43 remaining in the period. While on the power play, center Dustin Boyd, stationed just off the left post, tipped a shot from center Warren Peters that appeared to hit the crossbar and come out, but Boyd was credited with his 17th tally of the season.

Omaha knotted the game 2-2 early in the third period, as right wing Derek Couture barreled into the zone and dropped the puck off in the high slot, where right wing Carsen Germyn cannoned a shot past an overpowered Beckford-Tseu at 2:48. It was Germyn's 17th tally of the year.

At the 7:44 mark of the third, the Rivermen lost another player to a major penalty and a game misconduct, as Zakharov was whistled for cross checking Omaha left wing Brandon Prust into the side boards.

The Rivermen, who improved to 11-9-1-2 on the road, host the Grand Rapids Griffins tomorrow afternoon - Sunday, February 18 - at 4:00 p.m. It is an Insight Family Day with four tickets, four Cokes, four hot dogs and four bags of Kitchen Cooked chips for just $38 ($70 value). U.S. Cellular's 25 Greatest Rivermen of All-Time continues with Tony Curtale player cards to the first 2,500 fans. Curtale will also appear and sign autographs.

Check out the Peoria Rivermen Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from February 17, 2007


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