The headline of the week is the shuffling that continues to take place in the Midwest Division. After checking in last week in a second place tie with the Indy Fuel, the Quad City Mallards used a trio of home games to jump ahead of the Cincinnati Cyclones and into first place. With a home record of 10-0-1, the Mallards prepare to hit the road this week to protect their division lead.
The Missouri Mavericks continue to roll in the Central Division, where they now hold an 11-point lead over the second place Allen Americans. In the West Division, the Utah Grizzlies maintain a four point lead over the Rapid City Rush after holding off Allen twice at home over the weekend.
QUAD CITY MALLARDS (11-7-1-2, 25 Points)
The Mallards climbed into the Midwest Division lead, as they closed out their weekend home stand with a perfect 3-0 record with wins over Kalamazoo, Cincinnati and Indy. Despite being outshot 35-21 by the Wings on Friday, the Mallards posted a 3-1 win behind Sam Warning’s two goals. Warning tied the game 39-seconds after Kalamazoo claimed the lead, and Quad City never looked back. Steve Michalek posted 34 saves in the game. Matt Neal netted his eighth goal of the season and Olivier Archambault added a second period power play goal on Saturday as the Mallards went on to defeat the Cincinnati Cyclones 2-1. Down 2-0 on Sunday, Quad City mounted a furious comeback to down Indy 3-2. Anthony Collins and Neal scored back-to-back goals in the final 30-seconds to send the game to overtime, where Austin Coldwell netted the winner at the 4:14 mark.
The week ahead: Tue. at Cincinnati (10-4-2-1), Sun. at Evansville (6-10-0-0).
CINCINNATI CYCLONES (10-4-2-1, 23 Points)
The Cyclones picked up three points in the standings, by way of a win, regulation loss and overtime loss in their three games last week. Cincinnati opened the week with heartbreaking overtime loss to Fort Wayne on home ice Wednesday. Jack Downing added his eighth of the season in the opening period, and then Joe Pendenza scored with under five minutes remaining in the third to send the game to an extra frame where the Cyclones fell 3-2. Cincinnati got revenge at Fort Wayne the following night, as they handed the Komets a 5-1 loss. Christiaan Minella, Zach Budish and Nick Huard all contributed a goal and assist in a contest that saw eight Cyclones on the score sheet. On Saturday the Cyclones fell 2-1 at Quad City to close out their week. Down 2-0, Budish netted his fifth of the season at 12:37 to put the Cyclones on the board, but they would not be able to find the equalizer.
The week ahead: Tue. home vs. Quad City (11-7-1-2), Thu. and Fri. at Greenville (9-10-1-0).
INDY FUEL (9-7-2-0, 20 Points)
It was a rough week for the Fuel as they dropped four road games last week, extending their losing streak to five games. Indy opened the week at Wichita on Wednesday where they suffered a 5-1 loss. Garett Bembridge provided the lone goal for the Fuel in the third period. Alex Lavoie netted two goals on Friday, but it would not be enough as the red hot Missouri Mavericks would go on to hand them a 4-2 loss. The Fuel attempted to avenge that loss the following night to give coach Scott Hillman his first win of the year against his former team. Cody Sharib scored twice in the opening period, giving Indy a 2-1 lead, but Missouri responded with three goals to give Indy their second-straight 4-2 loss. Things were looking good for the Fuel at Quad City on Sunday as they held a 2-0 lead on Lavoie’s two goals. However, the Mallards would score twice in the final 30-seconds to force overtime and eventually turn away the Fuel 3-2.
The week ahead: Thu. and Fri. home vs. Toledo (9-5-1-3), Sun. home vs. South Carolina (11-6-1-1).
FORT WAYNE KOMETS (9-8-0-0, 18 Points)
The Komets picked up four points out of a possible six, splitting a home-and-home with Cincinnati and topping Toledo in overtime. Garrett Thompson posted a goal and assist and Cody Corbett added the overtime winner at Cincinnati on Wednesday. Spencer Martin turned in a 27 save effort in the 3-2 overtime win. Returning home for a Thanksgiving rematch, Mike Embach scored his seventh of the year six minutes in to give the Komets an early lead. From there, though, it would be all Cyclones as they scored five unanswered, including three third period goals to hand Fort Wayne a 5-1 loss. The Komets got back into the win column on Saturday, as the welcomed the Toledo Walleye to Fort Wayne. The two sides rode a scoreless tie into overtime where Corbett scored his second overtime goal of the week. Martin made 16 saves for his second shutout of the year as the Komets won 1-0.
The week ahead: Fri. at Evansville (6-10-0-0).
EVANSVILLE ICEMEN (6-10-0-0, 12 Points)
The IceMen gained four points last week after claiming two wins during a three game set at Alaska last weekend. Friday night saw Evansville claim a 4-2 win as they netted four second period goals, despite being outshot 40-21 by the Aces. Cody Reichard posted 38 saves while ten different players found their way onto the score sheet for Evansville in the victory. Tyson Fawcett scored the only IceMen goal the following night in a 4-1 loss. Reichard was once again peppered by Alaska, as he stopped 42 of 46 shots faced. Alex Guptill was the hero on Sunday, as his hat trick carried Evansville to a 5-3 win. The IceMen gained momentum in the second period, scoring three goals, two on the power play. Keegan Asmundson posted 41 saves as the Aces enjoyed a 44-26 shot advantage.
The week ahead: Wed. home vs. Missouri (17-2-0-1), Fri. home vs. Fort Wayne (9-8-0-0), Sun. home vs. Quad City (11-7-1-2).
MISSOURI MAVERICKS (17-2-0-1, 35 Points)
Missouri extended their winning streak last week, as they added four wins to their ECHL best record. The Mavericks opened their week at home on Wednesday with a 4-1 win over the Quad City Mallards. Netminder Josh Robinson allowed a Mallards goal 57-seconds into the game, but from there the Mavs took over, scoring four unanswered goals, including two on the power play. Robinson finished the night with 25 saves. Josh Holmstrom scored two goals, while Carter Verhaeghe and Jesse Root added a goal and assist apiece on Friday as the Mavericks posted a 4-2 home win over the Indy Fuel. Down 2-1 to the Fuel entering the second period on Saturday, Jesse Root (1 G, 1 A) and Chris Owens (1 G, 1 A) scored second period goals 38-second apart to retake the lead. Verhaeghe added a third period strike to make the final 4-3. Missouri then escaped a Sunday road trip to Tulsa with a 2-1 win following a physical game. Root’s third period marker, his league-leading 13th of the season, would be the game winner in Missouri’s 12th win in a row.
The week ahead: Wed. at Evansville (6-10-0-0), Sat. home vs. Wichita (6-12-0-1).
ALLEN AMERICANS (12-8-0-0, 24 Points)
The Americans sit 11 points behind the Mavericks following a disappointing road trip to Utah. J.P LaFontaine netted two power play goals on Friday night, but it would not be enough in a contest that saw the Grizzlies score the first four goals and cruise to a 7-3 victory over Allen. Gary Steffes and Casey Pierro-Zabotel each scored on Saturday as the Americans and Grizzlies were tied 2-2 heading into the final period. Utah gained the edge in the final period, scoring the go ahead goal just 2:31 into the frame and holding on to hand Allen a 3-2 defeat. Allen, 5-5-0-0 in their last ten games, will now look to regroup with four-straight home games.
The week ahead: Fri. home vs. Rapid City (9-6-1-1), Sat. home vs. Utah (11-5-2-0).
TULSA OILERS (7-8-1-1, 16 Points)
The Oilers find themselves in sole possession of third place in the division, and Head Coach Jason Christie finds himself on the verge of history, following two wins in three games last week. Goalie Kevin Carr was perfect at home Friday night, making 24 saves on the night en route to his second shutout of the season. Justin Mansfield and Phil Brewer provided the goals for Tulsa’s sixth win of the year. The following night saw the Oilers trailing by one goal entering the second period. From there, Tulsa scored three unanswered goals, including Brady Ramsay’s shorthanded game winner in the third to pull off a 3-2 victory in a fight-filled contest. Emerson Clark netted his team-leading seventh goal of the season at home on Sunday, but it would not be enough as the Oilers fell 2-1 to the streaking Missouri Mavericks in a tight, hard-hitting defensive battle. The Oilers remain on home ice through December 19 as Christie needs just two wins to become the all-time winningest coach in ECHL history.
The week ahead: Wed. home vs. Rapid City (9-6-1-1), Thu. Home vs. Utah (11-5-2-0).
WICHITA THUNDER (6-12-0-1, 13 Points)
The woes continued for the Thunder last week, dropping two games to division rival Tulsa following a solid win over the Indy Fuel. Danick Gauthier scored twice and Andrew Huff added a goal and assist on Wednesday night as Wichita posted a 5-1 win over the Fuel to snap a four-game skid. From there, though, everything went downhill for Wichita. The Thunder matched Tulsa shot-for-shot on Friday, but failed to find the back of the net in a 2-0 shutout loss, their fourth of the season. Gauthier scored a pair of first period goals in Saturday’s home game against Tulsa, but it would not be enough as the Thunder then allowed three unanswered goals in a 3-2 loss. Wichita will likely use a light week to fine tune, in hopes of sparking a winning streak.
The week ahead: Sat. at Missouri (17-2-0-1).
UTAH GRIZZLIES (11-5-2-0, 24 Points)
Utah maintains a four point lead in the West Division following a pair of home wins over the Allen Americans last week. Bryan Moore scored two goals and added three assist as five Grizzlies players posted multiple points in Friday’s 7-3 win. Utah jumped out to an early lead, scoring the first four goals and never looked back. Tied 2-2 entering the third period on Saturday, Roberts Lipsbergs scored 2:31 into the final period and the Grizzlies added an empty net goal to pull away for a 4-2 win. Utah outshot Allen 20-5 in the third period.
The week ahead: Thu. at Tulsa (7-8-1-1), Sat. at Allen (12-8-0-0).
RAPID CITY RUSH (9-6-1-1, 20 Points)
The Rush find themselves just four points behind the Grizzlies after claiming wins in two out of three home games with the Idaho Steelheads last weekend. Idaho claimed the early lead on Wednesday before the Rush jumped into action, scoring four goals, including two on the power play and one shorthanded. Cody Ferriero scored twice and Marek Langhamer posted 45 saves in the 4-1 victory. Taylor Doherty’s goal 3:19 into Friday’s game would be the only bright spot for Rapid City as the fell 3-1 to the Steelheads. Danny Battochio made 31 saves in the game that saw Idaho outshoot Rapid City 33-14. Spencer Pommells and Ferriero provided the goals and Langhamer contributed 33 saves as the Rush closed out the week with a 2-1 win on Saturday.
The week ahead: Wed. at Tulsa (7-8-1-1), Fri. at Allen (12-8-0-0).
COLORADO EAGLES (7-10-2-0, 16 Points)
The Eagles closed out a weekend home stand with the Florida Everblades by claiming two points out of a possible six, suffering two shutouts. Goaltender Kris Lazaruk posted 28 saves on Wednesday, but could not get any offensive support and Colorado fell 3-0. Lazaruk added 32 saves on Friday, but again received no goal support as Florida pulled off a 2-0 win. Almost foreshadowing what would occur the following night, Colorado was handed 30 penalty minutes on the night. Darryl Bootland scored two goals and Trent Daavettila added a goal and assist on Saturday as the Eagles outshot the Everblades 33-22 and cruised to a 5-1 win in a penalty-filled affair. The two sides combined for 43 infractions and 190 penalty minutes as tempers flared.
The week ahead: Wed., Fri. and Sat. at Alaska (6-12-0-2).
IDAHO STEELHEADS (6-10-4-0, 16 Points)
The Steelheads came out of a weekend road trip to Rapid City with two points out of a possible six, placing them in a tie for third place with Colorado. Colton Beck struck first, putting Idaho on top at 8:50 of the first period Wednesday, only to see the Steelheads allow four goals and fall 4-1 to Rapid City. Idaho outshot Rapid City 34-14 the following night, as Carson McMillan and Emil Molin each contributed a goal and assist in a 3-1 win. Rob Linsmayer’s goal at 9:05 of the third period would be the only bright spot for the Steelheads on Saturday as they fell 2-1 to the Rush, despite outshooting the Rush 34-19.
The week ahead: Wed., Fri. and Sat. home vs. Florida (14-7-0-0).
ALASKA ACES (6-12-0-2, 14 Points)
The Aces managed to pull off one win out of a three game home set with Evansville to remain within two points of third place in the division race. Alaska certainly tried to bury the puck, as they outshot Evansville 130-48 in the series. Tyler Maxwell and Justin Breton both scored on Friday, but it would not be enough as the Aces allowed four second period goals to fall 4-2. Saturday saw Alaska pick up a 4-1 win over the IceMen, with Gleason Fournier scoring two goals and Garrett Haar adding a goal and assist. Fournier added two more goals the following day and Alaska outshot Evansville 44-26, but fell 5-3 to the IceMen.
The week ahead: Wed., Fri. and Sat. home vs. Colorado (7-10-2-0).
GOALS: Jesse Root (MO) 13; Jesse Mychan (COL), Tyler Barnes (MO) 10; Jack Downing (CIN), Colton Beck (ID), Matt Neal (QC) 9. Six players tied with 8.
ASSISTS: Chad Costello (ALN) 19; Colton Beck (ID), Rob Linsmayer (ID) 14; Kellen Jones (MO), Olivier Archambault (QC), Tyler Barnes (MO) 13. Four players tied with 12.
POINTS: Jesse Root (MO), Chad Costello (ALN) 25; Tyler Barnes (MO), Colton Beck (ID) 23; Olivier Archambault (QC), Rob Linsmayer (ID) 19.
WINS: Josh Robinson (MO), Joel Rumpel (ALN) 10; Ryan Faragher (UT) 9; Parker Milner (MO), Brad Thiessen (CIN) 7; two tied with 6.
GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE: Parker Milner (MO) 1.55; Josh Robinson (MO) 1.62; Brad Thiessen (CIN) 1.82; Kevin Carr (TUL) 1.82; Kris Lazaruk (COL) 1.97.
SAVE PERCENTAGE: Parker Milner (MO) 0.939; Brad Thiessen (CIN) 0.939; Josh Robinson (MO) .933; Ryan Faragher (UT) 0.928; Steve Michalek (QC) 0.927.
Check out our previous ECHL Western Conference Recaps:
Week 1 / Week 2 / Week 3 / Week 4 / Week 5 / Week 6
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Contact the writer: john.hall@prohockeynews.com
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