#alexander kuqali

[fromthe-point]

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Solar Bears have agreed to terms with veteran defenseman Mike Monfredo, defenseman Alexander Kuqali and forward Trevor Olson for the 2019-20 season.

Monfredo returns for his third season with the Solar Bears after captaining the squad to its second-best regular-season performance in team history during the 2018-19 campaign. Monfredo led the team in games played (71) and penalty minutes (207), while contributing 27 points (8g-19a).

Kuqali returns for his second season with the Solar Bears after he was acquired from the Fort Wayne Komets on Jan. 29 to complete the future considerations portion of the Dec. 18 trade that sent Brady Shaw to the Komets. In 22 games with the Solar Bears, Kuqali registered eight points (2g-6a) and 11 penalty minutes. He led the Solar Bears with five assists in 10 games during the 2019 Kelly Cup Playoffs. Kuqali also led the Solar Bears in the postseason with a +7.

Olson posted 32 points (16g-16a) and 40 penalty minutes in 51 games with the Solar Bears during his first full season of professional hockey before suffering a season-ending injury in mid-March. At the time of his injury, he was second on the team in goals and finished the year tied for the team lead with four game-winners. Olson turned pro with the South Carolina Stingrays near the end of the 2017-18 campaign, where he added one assist and six penalty minutes in eight games.

[qcmallardshockey]

Saturday the 14th a Day of Better Luck For Mallards

MOLINE, IL – The Quad City Mallards took on the Tulsa Oilers on Saturday for a battle of the special teams. Both teams managed a short-handed tally, while one also added a power play goal. Ivan Kulbakov made his Mallards debut, facing 31 shots while Jake Hildebrand faced 26.

Once again the Mallards fell behind early, Conner Bleackley scoring unassisted while the Mallards had the man advantage. Bleackley was engaged in a board battle with Ales Sova and then streaked up the half-boards with the puck to send it in top-shelf.  During that goal Christophe Lalancette was in the sin bin for slashing. That penalty came at the most opportune time for the Mallards, as a goal was almost scored after Kulbakov came out of his crease to play the puck and a Tulsa player flew in. Kulbakov left a gaping net but the whistle blew the play dead for Lalancette’s penalty.

Five minutes after Tulsa’s opening goal Justin Kovacs had a great breakaway, streaking down the middle of the ice towards Hildebrand, but was unable to score. Two minutes later Keegan Kolesar scored his first career goal with help from Greg Amlong and Alexander Kuqali. Kuqali passed the puck along the blue-line from the half-boards to Amlong on the opposite side. Amlong then sent a slapper towards the net, which was redirected by Kolesar. With just under five minutes left in the period the Mallards scored a goal that was immediately waved off for goalie interference as Sam Warning was in the crease. Forty seconds later Hildebrand made a highlight reel save on Josh MacDonald, diving coast to coast to close the gaping net.

The Mallards still looked a bit rusty in the early parts of the first period, but as play progressed they began to look more like a well-oiled machine; the last two minutes especially the team clicked well together.

Another early goal put the Oilers up 2-1 just over two minutes into the second period. Dylan Hubbs got on the score sheet when he sent the puck in from the blue-line on Kulbakov’s left past the goalie’s right elbow. That tally was assisted by Lalancette and Dmitrii Sergeev. The Mallards answered back with a short-handed goal of their own a few minutes later when Brayden Low chipped the puck out of the Mallards’ defensive zone to Warning. Warning skated along the half-boards and sent the puck flying from the left dot in the Oilers’ zone; Tristan King had been tagged for slashing 36 seconds prior. The Mallards earned their first lead of the night two mites later off a Kovacs goal assisted by Kolesar. Hildebrand left his crease to play the puck behind the net, and while he was repositioning himself in the crease again Kolesar batted the puck from Gretzky’s office to Kovacs as the latter streaked towards the net. The lead didn’t last long, however.

Tulsa scored a power-play goal at 17:12 as MacDonald sat in the box for cross-checking. Adam Pleskach redirected the puck on the right side, Evan Richardson making the original shot after receiving the pass from Tommy Vannelli. The Mallards and their fans believed that Jamie Tardif had scored at four minutes and 11 seconds of the third period, but an early whistle had blown the play dead. A Mallard shot the puck at Hildebrand’s chest before the referee lost sight of the puck for a second as it bounced off the goalie. Tardif fired the puck into a wide open net as the whistle sounded, the lights flashing off as the goal light lit red. The officials had no conference on the call, drawing ire from many. The game remained tied until just over halfway through the final frame when Alexandre Ranger took a wild shot that managed to find its way past Kulbakov. Chris Joyaux and Bleackley were credited with the apples on that goal.

The Mallards felt a renewed sense of drive after giving up the 4-3 lead, Matt Pohlkamp tying the game two minutes later. Pohlkamp sent in a backhanded shot as he skated across the mouth of the crease from Hildebrand’s left to the right, Low and Kolesar returning to the score sheet with the assists. Twenty-three seconds later MacDonald scored the game-winning goal with help from King. MacDonald was in the low slot when he took the pass from King, King being at the left dot’s farthest and top-most edge when he passed.

Kyle Follmer had the honor of the Mallards’ first five-minute major of the season, dropping the gloves with Pleskach 30 seconds after the winning goal was scored. Pleskach leveled Alex Globke in the Mallards’ defensive zone just past the left dot; Follmer took exception to the hit as you do, and after the whistle for Pleskach’s clipping penalty began jawing at the Oiler. After shaking his gloves a few times, the two engaged in fisticuffs. While it appeared that Pleskach might have landed more blows, it was Follmer who landed on top when the fight was over.

Pohlkamp ended the game in the penalty box after sending the puck over the glass in his own zone. The Oilers’ net was empty during this time, bringing their advantage to 6-on-4 for the last 42 seconds of the game.

The Mallards will finish their three game home stand on Wednesday against the Oilers. As it is a Wednesday game, the puck will drop at 6:35 CST; after Wednesday's game the Mallards will travel to the Toledo Walleye for a 6:15 CST game on Saturday.

[goalhofer]

2020-21 Orlando Solar Bears Roster

Wingers

#7 Tyler Bird (Andover, Massachusetts)

#8 Ryan Lohin (Chadds Ford Township, Pennsylvania)

#11 Jerry D’Amigo (Binghamton, New York)

#13 Nikita Pavlychev (Yaroslavl, Russia)

#14 J.J. Piccinich (Paramus, New Jersey)

#16 Chris LeBlanc (Winthrop, Massachusetts)

#23 Tristin Langan (Swan River, Manitoba)

#27 John May (Mahtomedi, Minnesota)

#29 Tad Kozun (Nipawin, Saskatchewan)

#43 Ben Thomson (Orangeville, Ontario)

#91 Aaron Luchuk (Kingston, Ontario)

Centers

#10 Peter Abbandonato (Laval, Quebec)

#26 Jimmy Huntington (Laval, Quebec)

#85 Taylor Cammarata (Plymouth, Minnesota)

#86 Jake Coughler (St. Catherines, Ontario)

Defensemen

#2 Tommy Panico (Wall Township, New Jersey)

#3 Luke McInnis (Hingham, Massachusetts)

#4 Pat McNally (Oyster Bay, New York)

#5 Alexander Kuqali (Alpena, Michigan)

#6 Alex Green (Chicago, Illinois)

#20 Matt Spencer (Guelph, Ontario)

#21 Devante Stephens (White Rock, British Columbia)

#22 Kevin Lohan (Huntington, New York) C

#24 Rich Boyd (Ft. Myers, Florida) A

#25 Paul Meyer (Edina, Minnesota) A

#55 Dmitri Semykin (Moscow, Russia)

Goalies

#31 Michael Lackey (Washington, D.C.)

#38 Clint Windsor (Hamilton, Ontario)

#40 Garret Sparks (Elmhurst, Illinois)

[fromthe-point]

Fort Wayne, Ind. – The Fort Wayne Komets announced that forwards Marco Roy and Justin Hodgman have agreed to terms and will return to the lineup for 2018-19 while defenseman Alexander Kuqali has also been added to the preseason roster.

[qcmallardshockey]

Mallards’ Special Teams Shine Against Wings

MOLINE, IL – Even though it’s February, the Quad City Mallards are going streaking. The Mallards have now won four straight games against the Kalamazoo Wings, as well as three games in a row. The Mallards’ special teams were in full force on Friday night, even when the team wasn’t in full strength.

The first Mallards goal came after a debate just over three minutes after the opening faceoff. Gergo Nagy was in the low slot when he fired a wrister towards Michael Garteig which bounced off the cross-bar and back in to play, the goal light flashing for a brief second before the referee waved off a goal. A few moments later a whistle blew play dead, and the officials conferred at the box. The goal judge was then drawn from his box to speak to the officials by the visitors’ entrance, and after a short conference the referee pointed at center ice. Garteig did not seem to agree with the call, going behind the net to spray the glass with his water bottle to clean it off. Keegan Kolesar and Jake Bolton were credited with the assists on Nagy’s power-play goal as Kyle Bushee sat in the box for hooking.

Three minutes after the first goal, Tristan King added to the lead with a deke and a dangle. Alex Globke took the puck from the blue line on the right side down to the far edge of the circle before passing it across to the waiting King at the left dot. King then psyched Garteig out to make him sprawl on his stomach, and slid the puck past the goaltender’s left skate. Globke gave the Mallards a dangerous 3-0 lead with less than four minutes left in the first period with help from Matt Pohlkamp. Pohlkamp and Globke went on a two-on-one rush, Pohlkamp on the left and Globke on the right, passing it back and forth between themselves a couple times before Globke slid the puck five-hole on a slow back-hand shot. Garteig once again cleaned off the glass before retiring to the locker room for the first bathroom break, and it proved beneficial to the Wings that he had.

The 3-0 Mallards lead did indeed prove dangerous, but not for the visiting team, as just under 30 seconds into the middle frame Eric Kattelus went on the board with an unassisted goal. The goal looked similar to the goal which Nagy had scored, the puck seemingly barely crossing the line before bouncing back out. This time, however, the goal light continued to flash and the referee pointed to the net emphatically. Sixteen minutes later the Mallards’ special team struck again, another short-handed goal giving the home team back the three goal lead. Alexander Kuqali scored his fourth goal of the season by coming in on the left and firing from the dot. Pohlkamp went back onto the scoresheet with another assist.

The Mallards’ lead was cut in half after a goal that C.J. Motte found disagreeable early in the third period. He came out of the net on the right side to try to cover it, and a Kalamazoo player got tangled with Motte’s pads. Bushee was then able to tap the puck into the gaping net from the crease mouth, and once Motte stood up he went over to discuss the call with the referee. The referee was adamant, however, and it was a short discussion. Brendan Bradley and Danny Moynihan picked up the apples on the tally that came just a smidge before the one minute mark of the final frame. Three minutes later Tyler Biggs found the puck-sized hole underneath Motte’s right skate as the goaltender was flat on his stomach, the right skate pressed up against the post. Tyler Heinonen and Bushee made their way onto the scoresheet with the assists, and it would be the last time the Wings would appear there on Friday.

Kuqali was at the blue line on the left when he passed the puck up and over to Kyle Novak, who was halfway between the blue line and the right dot in the Wings’ defensive zone. Novak skated up to the dot before passing to Jamie Tardif in the low slot. Tardif sent the puck over Garteig’s shoulder, the first insurance goal of the night. King scored again a few minutes later to seal the deal on the Mallards’ victory, this time a power-play goal with help from Globke and Brayden Low. Globke tripped over the red paint at the right dot, but managed to pass the puck to King at the point while lying on his stomach. King then rocketed the puck over Garteig’s glove to make it kiss twine, the last action of the game.

Greg Amlong then attempted to fight Bradley a minute later infront of Motte, but Bradley wasn’t interested in a fight. Amlong had already dropped his gloves and thrown a few punches, however, and then continued the roughing after the officials attempted to break it up. For that, he earned a ten minute misconduct on top of his two for roughing call.

The Mallards will continue their three-in-three weekend stretch with a game in Fort Wayne on Saturday. The puck will drop to start the game at 6:30 CST, as the Mallards will attempt to make it two straight victories against the Indiana-based team. On Sunday the Mallards will return home to face the Toledo Walleye, with a start time of 4:05 CST and a post-game skate the extra perks.

[qcmallardshockey]

Mallards Stage Comeback Against Wings

KALAMAZOO, MI – Another Pink in the Rink night, another home team loss. On Saturday the Quad City Mallards had lost 5-1 to the Fort Wayne Komets on their last night of Pink in the Rink, but when the Illinois-based team traveled to another team’s Pink in the Rink, their luck was different. Both the Kalamazoo Wings and the Mallards were in a three games in three days stretch last weekend, and both won two games and lost one game. The Mallards, however, were coming off a dramatic Sunday win in which they defeated the Komets in a lopsided shot-affair, while the Wings had lost Sunday’s game against the Indy Fuel.

Before the Wings and Mallards began their contest, several breast cancer survivors were recognized on the ice before the national anthem. The ice was painted a bright pink, a stark contrast to the white ice but pink names that the Mallards had played on during Friday and Saturday’s contests. As the period progressed the pink got lighter, but during intermission the Zamboni apparently sprayed more pink water upon the surface to restore the bright glaring color to the ice. Whether the color of the ice affected play is uncertain, but eight goals being scored possibly excludes the notion that the pink was truly detrimental to tracking the puck.

The Wings dominated play at first, helped of course by the fact that the Mallards went on back-to-back penalty kills. The first penalty still had eight seconds remaining when Kyle Bigos joined Kyle Novak in the sin bin for the same charge – delay of game. Novak was not the guilty party for the charge he served, however, as it was C.J. Motte who had shot the puck cleanly over the glass to earn the penalty. After the two penalties, the Mallards appeared to be having trouble finding their teammates’ sticks, as there were many errant passes to begin the game. It was not until the closing minutes of the opening period that the scoring began.

Josh Pitt broke the deadlock at 17:25, sending the puck in over Motte’s left shoulder. Danny Moynihan passed from the right boards over to the left dot, where Pitt fired it in just ten seconds after Jake Bolton entered the box for cross-checking. Aaron Irving also picked up an apple on the marker. Only 21 seconds later, Pitt assisted on Kyle Bushee’s tally. Pitt came streaking into the Mallards’ defensive zone down the center of the ice, veering left almost to the goal line. He then backhanded it over to Bushee, who was waiting at the right corner of the crease. Eric Kattelus also assisted on the goal.

Gergo Nagy began the Mallards’ comeback six minutes into the middle frame, when he faked out Joel Martin while on the breakaway to end the shut-out. Alexander Kuqali earned his first point since February 3rd with the assist. Seven minutes later, Nagy tied the game with an unassisted goal following a turn-over by Pitt. Nagy grabbed the puck in the right corner from the turn-over, skating across the front of the crease before back-handing it in to the top left corner of the goal from the left corner of the crease.

The Mallards continued their scoring rampage a few minutes later, when Tristan King took the puck from the right corner and headed towards Gretzky’s office. Just before entering the office, King chipped the puck up to Kuqali at the goal mouth. Kuqali tapped in the pass to give the Mallards their first lead of the night.

Kyle Follmer then cleaned up the garbage infront of the crease after Martin failed to cover. The puck trickled across from right to left, sliding under Martin’s glove directly to Follmer. Follmer was able to make the puck kiss the twine with minimal effort, Nagy and Keegan Kolesar assisting. The Mallards’ four unanswered goals were not unanswered for long, however, as J.T. Stenglein drew the Wings within one goal just eight seconds after Follmer’s tally. Willie Raskob had taken the puck after the face off and was skating backwards with it. Raskob then tripped over the blue line, and Stenglein continued into the Mallards’ defensive zone with the puck. Bigos attempted to poke check, but the shot from Stenglein instead deflected off the blade of Bigos’ stick and into the net.

The scoring ended at 13:24 of the final frame when Kolesar traveled in on a breakaway down the center of the ice. Martin sprawled down on the ice in an attempt to make the save, but Kolesar still had the puck and fired it in from the left side over Martin. Brayden Low made his way onto the scoresheet with the assist.

The two teams will see each other again on Friday in Moline for another $2 Hot Dog/ $2 Beer Night presented by 97X. There will also be a wedding on the ice during the first intermission, and puck drop is set for 7:05 CST. This game will be one of the ECHL.TV showcase games, and will be streamed on Facebook Live.

[qcmallardshockey]

Who said hockey players can't play baseball?? ⚾ . . . For more information about the Post-Game Genesis Health System Jersey Auction on Friday, March 17

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[qcmallardshockey]

Flash Goals Doom Thunder

MOLINE, IL – The Quad City Mallards have been body-snatched, but none of the fans will complain. The other teams in the ECHL might, however, as the Mallards are now playing like a first place team rather than the basement-dwellers of recent weeks. The night after a 6-2 victory against the Kalamazoo Wings, the Mallards defeated the Wichita Thunder 5-3 with some rapid fire goals.

Things started out a bit rough for the Mallards, Tristan King having to sit for a four minute high-sticking call just under 90 seconds into the game. The penalty-kill unit was strong, however, and kept the visitors off the board the entire duration. Twenty-five seconds after the penalty was over, Brayden Low opened the scoring, Jamie Tardif passing from behind the net on Joel Rumpel’s right to Low between the dots. Travis Armstrong also picked up an assist on the marker, and it would not be the last time those three would appear on the score sheet. Before the goal could even be announced, Alexander Kuqali psyched Rumpel out to send him sprawling on his stomach to leave a gaping net. Kuqali found twine from the left dot, Tardif passing from the blue-line to him, Low picking an apple. King then capitalized on a scramble infront of the net 27 seconds later, Ryan McGrath and Keegan Kolesar also having touched the puck to earn them assists.

The Mallards dominated possession in the first period, playing like they wanted to affect the play-offs even if they couldn’t play in them. The team was finishing checks and passing crisply, something apparently having sparked in them before Wednesday’s game that has carried over through the weekend.

The Mallards went onto the power-play just 37 seconds into the middle frame, and with one second remaining in the man advantage potted a goal. King passed from the left boards to Willie Raskob at the right boards to Matt Pohlkamp at the right dot, Pohlkamp sending it in. Wichita then answered back shortly after, Kevin Dufour reaching around Ivan Kulbakov’s right pad from the left to end the shut-out. Kevin Patterson and Nick Latta were credited with the assists on Dufour’s marker. Pohlkamp scored again to put himself on hat-trick watch, and also chased Rumpel from between the pipes. Pohlkamp was on the goal line to Rumpel’s right when he shot it in, Raskob and Chris Izmirlian helping. Rumpel made 19 saves on 24 shots before being replaced by Shane Starrett. Starrett was freshly returned from the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL, where he had started in his first AHL game on Friday. On Friday against the Iowa Wild he made 10 saves on 14 shots, but he would prove to be a perfect seven-for-seven on Saturday.

In the latter half of the second period the Mallards began to look gassed, but they continued in their winning ways. Armstrong decided he didn’t like someone’s face and earned an interference call when the opposing player went into the boards without Armstrong there to dampen the impact. The Wichita skaters on the ice all wanted a piece of the 6’4” defenseman, but Armstrong squared up with Guillaume Lepine. Lepine dropped his gloves, and after only a few punches exchanged Armstrong dropped Lepine with a body slam. Armstrong had earned two minutes for interference before the fight, making King keep him company in the sin bin.

A few minutes after the fight Wichita struck again, Dufour beating Kulbakov coast to coast. Ralph Cuddemi passed from the right dot to Dufour at the left corner of the crease, Kulbakov unable to slide over fast enough to track the rocket shot. Two minutes later Jeremy Beaudry added to Wichita’s total with help from Shaquille Merasty and Cuddemi. Cuddemi passed from just inside the blue-line on the right to Merasty at the left corner of the crease. Merasty sent a slap shot Kulbakov’s way, but the goalie blocked the shot. The rebound went directly to Beaudry at the right crease corner, and Beaudry scored on the gaping net.

The Mallards return to the ice on Tuesday to finish the game against the Tulsa Oilers that was began on November 17. The game was postponed midway through the second period after health issues with Tulsa’s head coach Rob Murray. Opening face-off is set for 6:35, and admission is free.

[qcmallardshockey]

The Mallards today announced forward Justin Kovacs has departed to pursue a playing opportunity in Europe and has been placed on the Mallards' suspended list and defenseman Jacob Graves has been reassigned to the Mallards from the American Hockey League's Cleveland Monsters by the National Hockey League's Columbus Blue Jackets. In addition, defenseman Alexander Kuqali has been placed on 21-day injured reserve.

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[qcmallardshockey]

TRANSACTIONS: F Justin Kovacs has been placed on the Mallards' suspended list, will pursue playing opportunity in Europe; D Jacob Graves has been reassigned to Mallards from Cleveland @monstershockey; D Alexander Kuqali has been placed on 21-day IR.

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[qcmallardshockey]

Mallards Fall to Thunder in Overtime

MOLINE, IL – The Quad City Mallards took on the Western Conference leading Wichita Thunder on Black Friday, and some extra hockey was in the books for the teams. C.J. Motte returned to the line-up after being released by the Chicago Wolves on November 21, Branden Komm being placed on reserve to accommodate the addition of Motte. Black Friday was also the Mallards’ annual Teddy Bear Toss Night, the stuffed animals being donated to local children’s charities.

The two teams played evenly for most of the game, though the Mallards did appear to have the early jump on the visitors as they out-shot the Thunder 9-3 in the first ten minutes. The Mallards finally seemed to find their groove after several games in which their play was less than satisfactory, the passing being crisper and the puck tracking on-point. While the physical play was better, there were a few times a check might have knocked a Thunder player off the puck and allowed the Mallards to gain possession. The team seemed to play better infront of Motte, who had three AHL games under his belt for this season with Chicago. It’s good that the team was able to improve their performance due to his return, but they don’t seem to give Ivan Kulbakov enough credit for being a high-caliber goalie at only 21. With a bit more experience of pro-hockey, Kulbakov could very well be playing just as good as Motte.

Josh MacDonald made the teddy bears fly at 13:43 of the opening frame, sending it in back-hand behind Joel Rumpel. Willie Raskob and Ryan McGrath assisted on the goal that came from the top of the crease. The Thunder had a great opportunity to tie the game at 16:02 when Motte came out of the net to play the puck behind him. The puck bounced off the boards in a way that the goalie wasn’t expecting, heading straight to a Thunder player. Motte dove to make the save, but the puck bounced off the right post anyways.

Mark MacMillan evened the score up with just 34.4 seconds remaining before the first bathroom break, a scramble infront of Motte leading to an incomplete cover. The puck worked its way right along Motte’s pad, MacMillan burying it. Samuel Thibault and Istvan Sofron earned the assists on that tally.

Just one second before the three-minute mark of the middle frame Dmitry Osipov caught a puck to the mouth in the low slot of the Mallards’ defensive zone, blood pouring from his mouth. He returned for the final frame all stitched up, continuing the trend of minutes he’d acquired in the first period.

Alexander Kuqali scored his first goal of the season – and first professional goal-- with help from MacDonald and Jamie Tardif just a few minutes after Osipov’s injury. Kuqali was scoreless since his professional debut with the Florida EverBlades in March 2016. He played for Florida after finishing his collegiate career, then roughly half of the 2016-17 season before being acquired for the ECHL rights of Jake Baker. The power-play marker came after MacDonald passed from behind the net on the right side up to Kuqali who waited at the doorstep. This was Tardif’s first game back since November 4.

Sofron continued his bid for a Gordie How hat-trick by adding to the Thunder’s score at 13:33. Dyson Stevenson was screening Motte, Raskob trying to shove him out of the way. A delayed penalty was called against the Mallards, Motte went down to make the save, but the puck rebounded instead right to Sofron. Sofron managed to score while falling, Stevenson and Thibault assisting.

With two and a half minutes remaining in the final period Matt DeBlouw gave McGrath an elbow in the face while the two battled for the puck in the right corner of the Mallards’ defensive zone. McGrath went down hard, and Greg Amlong came in to stick up for his teammate. Amlong was then put in a choke-hold by a Thunder player to keep him from fighting DeBlouw, and both Amlong and DeBlouw served two minutes for roughing.

The Thunder defeated the Mallards just 37 seconds into over-time when MacMillan managed to beat Motte on the left side corner. Guillaume Lepine and Greg Chase earned the assists on the game-winning goal.

The Mallards travel to Wichita overnight to finish the home-and-home series before heading to Kansas City for the last of the three-in-three weekend games. The Mallards will return to the TaxSlayer Center on December 20 when they take on the Fort Wayne Komets at 6:35.

[qcmallardshockey]

Quad City Mallards Continue Road Winless Streak

CINCINNATI, OH – The Quad City Mallards’ quest for a road win still continues after a strong showing by the Cincinnati Cyclones on a school day game. Eric Knodel completed a hat-trick in the game which started at 10:30 local time, his three goals being the difference in the 5-2 match-up between the teams. Cincinnati went one for two in power-plays, while Quad City went two for five.

The score remained at zero until 17:56 of the first period when Knodel ended Ivan Kulbakov’s shut-out bid. Winston Day Chief got the puck in the Cincinnati corner, passing it up to Brandon McNally. McNally then dropped the pass to the left of Kulbakov to Andrew Radjenovic, who then passed to Knodel at the right dot. The puck sailed over Kulbakov’s right elbow. The score then was brought to 2-0 after a Shawn O’Donnell break-away towards the middle of the second frame. O’Donnell sent in a backhand shot from the right side, Jesse Schultz earning an assist on the tally.

Two minutes later Knodel netted his second of the morning with help from Justin Danforth. Sam Warning had attempted a short-handed wrap-around goal as Dmitry Osipov was in the sin bin for interference. The puck couldn’t quite wrap-around, sailing wide to the crease. Knodel grabbed the puck, streaking along the half-boards and saucing the puck back and forth with Danforth. Knodel tried to split the defense in the low slot, taking a hit from Alexander Kuqali. Though Knodel was knocked down, he managed to stand back up and recapture the puck that had continued on without him only a few feet. Knodel sent the puck towards the net from the far edge of the right circle, the puck kissing twine over Kulbakov’s left shoulder.

Tyler Wong scored his first goal as a Mallard just a few minutes later to end Anthony Peters’ shut-out, this time Danforth being in the box for roughing as well as Dominic Zombo for slashing. Warning passed the puck from the near edge of the left circle to Wong at the right dot. Tristan King also earned an apple on that goal.

Arvin Atwal returned the Cyclones to a three goal lead just one second before the eight minute mark of the final frame after taking a pass from Radjenovic. Radjenovic carried the puck up the boards, centering the pass at the level of the dots to Atwal. McNally made his way onto the scoresheet with his second assist of the night on that mark, which was Atwal’s first of the season. Kyle Follmer also scored his first goal of the season just five seconds into another Mallards power-play. Brayden Low won the face-off to Peters’ right, sending it back to King. King then took a shot, which was tapped in by Follmer as he was screening the Cincinnati goalie.

Knodel finished out his hat-trick with just six seconds remaining on the clock, sending the puck from the high slot of the Cincinnati defensive zone into the empty net. This goal was unassisted.

The Mallards return home for a three games in three days series, taking on the Tulsa Oilers on Friday before seeing the Kansas City Mavericks on Saturday and Sunday for the first time since the re-branding of the team. Friday and Saturday’s match-ups will start at 7:05 CST, while Sunday’s will start at 4:05. Friday features $2 Hot Dog/ $2 Beer Night sponsored by 97X, while Sunday will see the second instance of the brand new promotion of $1 pops on Sundays.

[qcmallardshockey]

Mallards Thunderstruck by Adirondack

MOLINE, IL – The special teams were out in less than full force when the Adirondack Thunder faced the Quad City Mallards on Wednesday for the first and only time this season. There were two short-handed goals scored, while there was a combined 11 penalties through the night. Ivan Kulbakov faced off against Nick Riopel, the Mallard goalie facing 34 shots for Riopel’s 23.

The Mallards managed to not give up a goal in the first four minutes of play, instead giving up a goal at just a smidge under seven minutes into the first period. Conor Riley shot the puck from the far edge of the right circle, Paul Rodrigues attempting to deflect it in from the top of the blue paint. Kulbakov made the first save, but the rebound bounced to Terrence Wallin to net the first goal of the game.

The Mallards had only amassed four shots on goal before Wallin scored, not getting another shot on goal until roughly 16:30 of the opening frame. Something wasn’t right with the team, their passes either soft or straight to an opposing player. The Thunder had sustained pressure in the offensive zone, at one point looking like they were on a power-play.

Josh MacDonald had a couple good breakaway chances, but wasn’t able to tie the game. On his second breakaway he was tripped from behind, earning him a penalty shot. He was unable to pull the trigger, the puck skiddering off of Riopel’s left pillow. With just under two minutes left until the first bathroom break Eric Neiley added to the Thunder’s lead with help from James Henry and Pierre-Luc Mercier. Kulbakov did the splits as he slid coast to coast, but the puck sailed over his blocker to meet twine in the center of where Momma keeps the cookie jar.

The Mallards then began a parade to the penalty box, five penalties being called on them in the second period. Alexander Kuqali started things off by earning a hooking call 28 seconds into the frame. There would be two different bench penalties during the following twenty minutes, both for too many men on the ice. Just under a minute after Kuqali left the box Justin Kovacs entered it to serve the first bench minor. While Kovacs was in there, Brayden Low scored an unassisted short-handed goal for the only Mallards tally of the night. Low raced up the half-boards, slipping it five-hole from the top of the crease. Low then had another goo d scoring chance about two minutes later, almost deflecting the puck in after Michael Pontarelli passed it to him from the left boards. The deflection didn’t quite pan out, however.

At 11 minutes and 45 seconds Ty Loney scored the insurance goal from the mid-slot. Kevin Lough and Shane Conacher earned the apples on Loney’s tally, which was not the last of the night to be scored. With 8.7 seconds left Henry scored an unassisted short-handed empty net goal to end the game on a low note for Mallards fans.

The Mallards continue their three-game home-stand on Friday when they take on the Indy Fuel at 7:05 CST.

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Quad City Mallards Sweep Series against Idaho Steelheads

MOLINE, IL – What’s the most important position on a hockey team? After the weekend series against the Idaho Steelheads, the Quad City Mallards would probably say the goaltender. In two games, Ivan Kulbakov made 103 saves – 57 on Friday and 46 on Saturday, making him my vote for goalie of the week. Saturday’s contest was much closer than Friday’s, even the shot count reflecting that as Branden Komm made 40 saves on the night. Once again the two teams required extra hockey to decide the score, but no shoot-out was necessary.

The Steelheads appeared to out-play the Mallards for most of the first five minutes of the game, but that isn’t terribly surprising as the Mallards went onto a penalty kill just 36 seconds into the match. The Mallards broke their streak of surrendering a goal within the early minutes of the game, however, as neither goal let a shot slip in during the first period. Kulbakov made several amazing saves during the first period, and throughout the rest of the night as well. Komm faced only 8 shots in the first for Kulbakov’s 17. The Mallards might have been using the first period as a time to wear the visitors out early on, as after the horn sounded to start the second period the teams played more evenly.

The Mallards scored the first goal of the night for the first time this season, the goal light flashing at two minutes and 46 seconds of the sandwich stanza. Brayden Low carried the puck in along the right side, backhanding the pass to Matt Pohlkamp, who sent the puck to kiss the twine in the top left corner. Jamie Tardif also assisted on this power-play goal whole Jefferson Dahl was in the penalty box thinking about his holding call 40 seconds earlier. Four minutes later the Mallards added to their lead when Josh MacDonald took the cross-ice pass offered by Justin Kovacs from right to left. Kovacs had received the puck between the circle and the blue-line to Komm’s right after a back-hand pass by Kevin Kirisits.

Idaho struck back shortly after, Mitch Moroz slipping the puck just above Kulbakov’s glove to meet the twine on the left side. Moroz’s goal was assisted by Justin Parizek and Corbin Baldwin. Just six seconds after the Mallards went on a penalty-kill due to Garrett Klotz earning a roughing call during a stoppage, Steven McParland tied the game with help from Shane Hanna and Brady Brassart. Kulbakov appeared to be screened during the play, the puck sailing just under the crossbar in the exact center.

The third period was uneventful save for a penalty called on Kulbakov with just under five minutes remaining in the game. Kulbakov took a shot off his mask, and then removed said mask before the whistle blew. The Mallards were able to kill that penalty, and succeeded in wearing Idaho out more.

With just under a minute left in the over-time period Aaron Harstad crashed the net and ran Kulbakov, earning a goalie interference call. Kulbakov took a few moments to stand up after being knocked down, the athletic trainer even coming out to check on him, but he completed the game. Sam Warning netted the over-time winner with just 4.8 seconds left on the clock. He took the shot from the far edge of the left dot after receiving the pass from Alexander Kuqali; MacDonald assisted on the goal as well.

C.J. Motte, who had been signed to a PTO by the Chicago Wolves on October 19, made his Wolves debut on Saturday. He turned away 27 of 28 shots against the Milwaukee Admirals to help the team get the 2-1 win, also earning the third star. Komm earned third star for the Steelheads, while Kulbakov earned first star honors for the second night in a row. The Mallards will take on the Indy Fuel in Moline next Friday November 3 at 7:05 CST.

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Revenge of the Tulsa Oilers on Wednesday

MOLINE, IL – The Tulsa Oilers returned to the TaxSlayer Center on Wednesday, taking on the Quad City Mallards in a rematch with a different result from Saturday’s contest between the two teams. While it is still early in the season, the Mallards’ play looked rough throughout most of the game. Whatever the team did on Wednesday before the game, they need to not do it on Saturday in Toledo. Maybe buy some new socks?

For the third straight game the Mallards’ opponent scored a goal within the early minutes of play, this time the tally coming from Justin Selman. Former Mallard Vladimir Nikiforov passed the puck from the left trapezoid back to Selman at the edge of the left dot. Selman rocketed the puck into the net, Dmitrii Sergeev also earning an assist on that tally. Five and a half minutes into the game the Oilers were dominating in shots on goal, sending eight shots towards C.J. Motte for the Mallards’ zero against Devin Williams. Just over ten minutes after Tulsa’s first goal Adam Pleskach added to the lead by redirecting a shot by Chris Joyaux. Sergeev made his way onto the score sheet again with his second assist of the night on Pleskach’s goal. By the end of the period Motte faced 22 shots for Williams’ nine.

The Mallards were able to get on the board just over two minutes into the second frame, though many believed that a Mallards goal had been scored at 86 seconds of the period. That non-goal, which most likely would have been Garret Klotz’s, was waved off for being played with a high stick. The goal that counted, however, was scored by Sam Warning. Brayden Low passed the puck in the left trapezoid along the wall up to Justin Kovacs, who passed to Alexander Kuqali. Kuqali was standing at the center of the blue-line when he sent a slapper towards the net to be redirected by Warning at the top of the crease. Tulsa, of course, didn’t like having their lead cut to a single goal, and shortly fixed that problem.

Kevin Kirisits made his ECHL debut on Wednesday after being a healthy scratch the past two games, and made his way onto the game sheet. At just over three and a half minutes into the sandwich stanza Kirisits got a seat in the penalty box for an interference call behind Motte’s net. While the Oilers were on the power-play, there was a rebound that went like a magnet to Tommy Vannelli’s stick as he stood infront of the net. Motte was out of position after making a save, resulting in a gaping net above him as he sat on the ice. Though the Mallards defense tried to cover the net while Motte stood up, the ice was just a bit too slippery and play just a little too fast. Christophe Lalancette and Selman earned the apples on Vannelli’s tally, bringing the score up to 3-1.

Kovacs scored the Mallards’ last goal of the game a few minutes later with help from Warning and Chris Leibinger. Warning passed from the left dot near the crease back to Kovacs as the latter skated across the ice to the right dot level with Warning. The puck slid just under the crossbar before bouncing back out; Leibinger earned his first professional point with the assist.

The Mallards’s power-play unit came out early in the final frame after Charlie Sampair was charged with tripping 13 seconds into the period just before Dylan Hubbs was penalized for slashing at 46 seconds of the period. Unfortunately the Mallards were feeling chivalrous and continuously passed the puck through the diamond formation, never taking a shot on goal.

After the wasted power-play, the Mallards did begin to pepper Williams with shots, and there were a lot of good scoring chances, but the bounces weren’t right. A gaping net, a shot from the left, and somehow the puck skittered along the goal line on the wrong side to leave the lamp unlit. Another shot went just wide to bang against the boards, a collective yell from the crowd amplifying the noise. Conner Bleackley extended Tulsa’s lead with just over five minutes remaining in the game, the puck sailing in from the left corner of the crease. Joey Sides and Alexandre Ranger were credited with the assists on Bleackley’s goal. With one minute and four seconds left Evan Richardson sent the puck into an empty net to seal the Oilers victory. Eric Drapluk appeared on the score sheet with the lone assist on that tally.

According to Bobby Metcalf, Motte and Keegan Kolesar were called up to the Chicago Wolves following the loss on Wednesday. That means that Ivan Kulbakov will be in net on Saturday when the Mallards take on the Toledo Walleye in Ohio at 6:15 CST.

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The Mallards have re-signed defenseman Alexander Kuqali for the 2017-18 season. 

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