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Icehawks Remain Stellar on Top of Standings
Monday, Mar. 9th, 2009
ROCHESTER, MI - The Port Huron Icehawks have been stellar as of late, earning points in 12 straight games. They saw their league-high 12-game unbeaten streak snapped last night in a 4-2 loss to the Kalamazoo Wings. The streak ran from February 13th-March 7th with Port Huron earning 20 out of 24 points during the stretch. Ironically, the Icehawks last loss occurred on February 6th, also in a 4-2 loss to Kalamazoo. Port Huron remains in first place (79 points) and keep a three-point lead over second place Muskegon with 16 games remaining on their schedule.
The IHL saw two of their own called up to the American Hockey League (AHL) this past week. Port Huron right wing Robert Snowball was called up to the Lake Erie Monsters, while Muskegon goaltender Clayton Pool was recalled to the Grand Rapid Griffins. Snowball played in two of the Monsters three games this weekend, earning one assist, with a plus-3 rating and dropped the gloves twice for 10 penalty minutes. Pool was called up to Grand Rapids Wednesday (3/4) and has been the back-up for Griffins goaltender Daniel Larsson. So far this season, there have been a total of 17 players called up from the IHL to the AHL.
The Flint Generals became the first IHL team officially eliminated from the Turner Cup playoff race this past week. They were mathematically eliminated from winning the Huber Trophy with their 2-1 loss to Fort Wayne on Wednesday. With their 5-4 loss to the Komets coupled with Kalamazoo’s 4-2 win over Port Huron on Sunday, the Generals saw their quest for the Turner Cup end for the 2008-09 season.
AROUND THE “I”
Bloomington PrairieThunder - (2-0-0-0) – The PrairieThunder won for the first time in seven games in Port Huron this season and snapped a 10-game losing streak against the Icehawks, dating back to last season with its shootout victory Friday. Defenseman Jason Lepine, playing in his first game since Oct. 25 after having surgery on his knee to repair a torn ACL (spanning 50 games), scored his first goal as a member of the PrairieThunder as the fourth shooter in a shootout to give the team a 4-3 win Port Huron. In both games last week, the PrairieThunder scored in the first minute of play. Bill Bagron scored 30 seconds into the game Friday at Port Huron and Brett Holmberg scored 36 seconds into Saturday’s game at Flint. Goaltender Jason Wolfe has seven victories in 11 decisions with three of them coming in shootouts. Jon Booras needs five points to set a record for most points scored in a season by a PrairieThunder player. The record is 81.
Flint Generals - (0-4-0-0) – Flint scored three shorthanded goals last week, two of them at Kalamazoo Friday in the 5-4 loss to the K-Wings. In the first three games of the week, Flint was 19 for 20 in penalty killing, which included 10 for 10 against Bloomington, before allowing four power play goals against Fort Wayne on Sunday. Flint scored two power play goals on the weekend against Fort Wayne on Sunday. Three of the four losses last week were by one goal, all in regulation time. In Flint’s 3-1 loss versus Bloomington, the PrairieThunder scored an empty net goal as time expired. Eighteen of the Generals 29 games (58%) in 2009 have been decided by one goal. Flint is 1-7-0-0 in their last eight home games.
Fort Wayne Komets - (3-1-0-0) – Week 21 began with the Komets extending their season-high road winning streak to four games with a 2-1 win at Flint Wednesday. That streak ended at Muskegon Friday when the Komets came up short 5-3 in their first regulation loss in five games and second in 12. The Komets returned to winning form Saturday at Kalamazoo 4-1 and posted their second straight win Sunday at Flint 5-4 to extend their winning streak over Flint to six games and complete a four-game road swing for the week. This Friday the Komets will begin a tear of 11 games in 17 nights for the remainder of March. Komet streaks: Konstantin Shafranov has a three-game assist streak (4a) and Mathieu Curadeau has a three-game goal and point scoring streak (5g, 1a). Netminder Sebastien Laplante extended his unbeaten streak to seven games Sunday at Flint. Milestones: Mathieu Curadeau scored his 100th career goal Friday at Muskegon. P.C. Drouin dished his 200th Fort Wayne career assist Sunday at Flint and Dominic Osman skated his 100th pro game Sunday.
Kalamazoo Wings - (2-2-0-0) – Glenn Detulleo recorded his 400th career point on an empty net goal during the K-Wings game on 03/08/09 versus Fort Wayne. Tyler Willis participated in his 700th professional game in the K-Wings 5-4 victory over the Flint Generals on 03/06/09. Defenseman Rod Aldoff is one goal shy of 100, one assist shy of 300 and two points shy of 400 in his career. Rookie forward Trent Daavettila recorded his first professional goal against the Flint Generals on 03/06/09. In his first week with the Kalamazoo Wings Daavettila was a +4 and posted three points in four games. Joel Martin is tied for the league lead with a .913 save percentage. Kalamazoo set a season high mark with 52 shots against the Flint Generals last Friday. The K-Wings scored four goals on 24 shots in the third period of that game to come back and defeat the Generals 5-4. Forward Rick Cleaver is tied for the league lead in rookie points with 46. He also leads the rookie pack with 22 goals. Martin Ondrej scored his first goal as a K-Wing on Sunday against the Icehawks. It was the defenseman's second goal and 17th point of the season. With a goal against Port Huron on Sunday, Lucas Drake now has 24 goals on the season, tied with Mark Nebus for team lead.
Muskegon Lumberjacks - (1-1-0-0) – The Lumberjacks 19 home wins eclipse last season’s home ice win total of 18 victories. In his Muskegon debut Friday night, former Bloomington defenseman Shaun Fisher engineered three points on one goal and two assists with his goal being the key tie-breaking goal. When the ‘Jacks defeated Fort Wayne Friday night 5-3, it marked Muskegon’s fourth consecutive victory over the Komets and their sixth in their last seven meetings between the two long-time rivals. With Clayton Pool on recall to the Grand Rapid Griffins (AHL) the past week, John Ceci received his first back-to-back starts in goal this past weekend. Defenseman Darryl McArthur is the lone Lumberjack player to have been at the starting gate for all 58 games this season as he has played in every game. With their three 10-minute misconducts Saturday night, the Lumberjacks are #2 in the IHL in 10-minute misconducts with 20. Although they lead the IHL in PIM’s with a per game average of 24.3, the ‘Jacks have incurred the fewest minor penalties in the IHL with 334.
Port Huron Icehawks - (2-1-0-1) – The Icehawks continue to come out strong in the first period this season. They lead the league in first period goals and have outscored their opponents 83-37 in the first 20 minutes. NHL veteran Bryan Smolinski scored his first points as an Icehawk on Wednesday and went on to put up points in all three games he played. The center is riding a three game assist streak and point streak (2g, 4a). He has six points (2g, 4a) in six games with Port Huron. Center Nick Lindberg is riding a two game goal streak and three game point streak (2g, 4a). Goalie Larry Sterling blanked the K-Wings 2-0 on Wednesday to earn his first shutout of the season. The Icehawks continue to lead the league in shutouts with six and have been shutout only once this season. After winning both games he played last week, Sterling now leads the league in goals against average (2.64). He also leads in wins (24) and minutes played (2386:41). With 41 games played this season, Sterling has already played one more game than he did in the 2007-08 campaign and has matched his number of wins from last season.
The IHL saw two of their own called up to the American Hockey League (AHL) this past week. Port Huron right wing Robert Snowball was called up to the Lake Erie Monsters, while Muskegon goaltender Clayton Pool was recalled to the Grand Rapid Griffins. Snowball played in two of the Monsters three games this weekend, earning one assist, with a plus-3 rating and dropped the gloves twice for 10 penalty minutes. Pool was called up to Grand Rapids Wednesday (3/4) and has been the back-up for Griffins goaltender Daniel Larsson. So far this season, there have been a total of 17 players called up from the IHL to the AHL.
The Flint Generals became the first IHL team officially eliminated from the Turner Cup playoff race this past week. They were mathematically eliminated from winning the Huber Trophy with their 2-1 loss to Fort Wayne on Wednesday. With their 5-4 loss to the Komets coupled with Kalamazoo’s 4-2 win over Port Huron on Sunday, the Generals saw their quest for the Turner Cup end for the 2008-09 season.
AROUND THE “I”
Bloomington PrairieThunder - (2-0-0-0) – The PrairieThunder won for the first time in seven games in Port Huron this season and snapped a 10-game losing streak against the Icehawks, dating back to last season with its shootout victory Friday. Defenseman Jason Lepine, playing in his first game since Oct. 25 after having surgery on his knee to repair a torn ACL (spanning 50 games), scored his first goal as a member of the PrairieThunder as the fourth shooter in a shootout to give the team a 4-3 win Port Huron. In both games last week, the PrairieThunder scored in the first minute of play. Bill Bagron scored 30 seconds into the game Friday at Port Huron and Brett Holmberg scored 36 seconds into Saturday’s game at Flint. Goaltender Jason Wolfe has seven victories in 11 decisions with three of them coming in shootouts. Jon Booras needs five points to set a record for most points scored in a season by a PrairieThunder player. The record is 81.
Flint Generals - (0-4-0-0) – Flint scored three shorthanded goals last week, two of them at Kalamazoo Friday in the 5-4 loss to the K-Wings. In the first three games of the week, Flint was 19 for 20 in penalty killing, which included 10 for 10 against Bloomington, before allowing four power play goals against Fort Wayne on Sunday. Flint scored two power play goals on the weekend against Fort Wayne on Sunday. Three of the four losses last week were by one goal, all in regulation time. In Flint’s 3-1 loss versus Bloomington, the PrairieThunder scored an empty net goal as time expired. Eighteen of the Generals 29 games (58%) in 2009 have been decided by one goal. Flint is 1-7-0-0 in their last eight home games.
Fort Wayne Komets - (3-1-0-0) – Week 21 began with the Komets extending their season-high road winning streak to four games with a 2-1 win at Flint Wednesday. That streak ended at Muskegon Friday when the Komets came up short 5-3 in their first regulation loss in five games and second in 12. The Komets returned to winning form Saturday at Kalamazoo 4-1 and posted their second straight win Sunday at Flint 5-4 to extend their winning streak over Flint to six games and complete a four-game road swing for the week. This Friday the Komets will begin a tear of 11 games in 17 nights for the remainder of March. Komet streaks: Konstantin Shafranov has a three-game assist streak (4a) and Mathieu Curadeau has a three-game goal and point scoring streak (5g, 1a). Netminder Sebastien Laplante extended his unbeaten streak to seven games Sunday at Flint. Milestones: Mathieu Curadeau scored his 100th career goal Friday at Muskegon. P.C. Drouin dished his 200th Fort Wayne career assist Sunday at Flint and Dominic Osman skated his 100th pro game Sunday.
Kalamazoo Wings - (2-2-0-0) – Glenn Detulleo recorded his 400th career point on an empty net goal during the K-Wings game on 03/08/09 versus Fort Wayne. Tyler Willis participated in his 700th professional game in the K-Wings 5-4 victory over the Flint Generals on 03/06/09. Defenseman Rod Aldoff is one goal shy of 100, one assist shy of 300 and two points shy of 400 in his career. Rookie forward Trent Daavettila recorded his first professional goal against the Flint Generals on 03/06/09. In his first week with the Kalamazoo Wings Daavettila was a +4 and posted three points in four games. Joel Martin is tied for the league lead with a .913 save percentage. Kalamazoo set a season high mark with 52 shots against the Flint Generals last Friday. The K-Wings scored four goals on 24 shots in the third period of that game to come back and defeat the Generals 5-4. Forward Rick Cleaver is tied for the league lead in rookie points with 46. He also leads the rookie pack with 22 goals. Martin Ondrej scored his first goal as a K-Wing on Sunday against the Icehawks. It was the defenseman's second goal and 17th point of the season. With a goal against Port Huron on Sunday, Lucas Drake now has 24 goals on the season, tied with Mark Nebus for team lead.
Muskegon Lumberjacks - (1-1-0-0) – The Lumberjacks 19 home wins eclipse last season’s home ice win total of 18 victories. In his Muskegon debut Friday night, former Bloomington defenseman Shaun Fisher engineered three points on one goal and two assists with his goal being the key tie-breaking goal. When the ‘Jacks defeated Fort Wayne Friday night 5-3, it marked Muskegon’s fourth consecutive victory over the Komets and their sixth in their last seven meetings between the two long-time rivals. With Clayton Pool on recall to the Grand Rapid Griffins (AHL) the past week, John Ceci received his first back-to-back starts in goal this past weekend. Defenseman Darryl McArthur is the lone Lumberjack player to have been at the starting gate for all 58 games this season as he has played in every game. With their three 10-minute misconducts Saturday night, the Lumberjacks are #2 in the IHL in 10-minute misconducts with 20. Although they lead the IHL in PIM’s with a per game average of 24.3, the ‘Jacks have incurred the fewest minor penalties in the IHL with 334.
Port Huron Icehawks - (2-1-0-1) – The Icehawks continue to come out strong in the first period this season. They lead the league in first period goals and have outscored their opponents 83-37 in the first 20 minutes. NHL veteran Bryan Smolinski scored his first points as an Icehawk on Wednesday and went on to put up points in all three games he played. The center is riding a three game assist streak and point streak (2g, 4a). He has six points (2g, 4a) in six games with Port Huron. Center Nick Lindberg is riding a two game goal streak and three game point streak (2g, 4a). Goalie Larry Sterling blanked the K-Wings 2-0 on Wednesday to earn his first shutout of the season. The Icehawks continue to lead the league in shutouts with six and have been shutout only once this season. After winning both games he played last week, Sterling now leads the league in goals against average (2.64). He also leads in wins (24) and minutes played (2386:41). With 41 games played this season, Sterling has already played one more game than he did in the 2007-08 campaign and has matched his number of wins from last season.
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site by SingerNet
