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Photo: Sean Flynn Photography/Quad City Mallards |
THIS WEEK
Tuesday, March 28, 7:05 p.m.
INTRUST Bank Arena
Quad City Mallards vs. Wichita Thunder
Friday, March 31, 7:05 p.m.
iWireless Center
Alaska Aces vs. Quad City Mallards
Saturday, April 1, 7:05 p.m.
iWireless Center
Alaska Aces vs. Quad City Mallards
Quad City
38-24-4, 80 points
3rd place, Central Division
Coach: Phil Axtell
Wichita
18-40-6, 42 points
7th place, Central Division
Coach: Malcolm Cameron
Alaska
31-25-10, 72 points
4th place, Mountain Division
Coach: Rob Murray
LAST WEEK
Wednesday, March 22
Quad City 5 Wichita 2
Michael Parks' first career hat trick and two goals from Chris Francis propelled the Mallards to a 5-2 victory over the host Wichita Thunder.
Friday, March 24
Quad City 4 Fort Wayne 3 (OT)
Mike Wilson scored with five seconds left in overtime to give the host Mallards a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over the Fort Wayne Komets.
Sunday, March 26
Quad City 2 Wichita 1 (OT)
Sam Warning's end-to-end rush gave the host Mallards a 2-1 overtime victory over the Wichita Thunder.
QUACK TRACKS
Streak
The Mallards are on a three-game winning streak.
Central
The third-place Mallards are four points ahead of the fourth-place Kalamazoo Wings in the Central Division standings. The Mallards have a game in hand on Kalamazoo. The Mallards are six points behind the second-place Komets, who have a game in hand on the Mallards.
Playoff Habit
The Mallards have clinched a playoff berth for the third time in as many seasons since entering the ECHL, for the fifth year in a row including their final two Central Hockey League campaigns and for the sixth time in the last seven years.
Upswing
The Mallards have won five of their last six games, have suffered just one regulation loss in their last seven (5-1-1) and have gone 8-2-2 in their last 12.
38
The Mallards yesterday set a franchise ECHL high with their thirty-eight win. The Mallards finished each of their prior two ECHL seasons with 37 victories. The Mallards have also already won more games this season than they have in any campaign since going 41-27-8 in the 76-game 2005-06 United Hockey League season. The Mallards have posted 38 wins in 66 games, the earliest they have reached that plateau since doing so in the fifty-eighth game of the 2003-04 UHL season. The Mallards have more wins after 66 games than they have secured in any season since they went 41-19-6 over their first 66 games in 2003-04. The Mallards would go on to finish that 76-game slate 50-20-6- the franchise’s seventh 50-win season in eight years.
80
With yesterday’s win, the Mallards reached 80 points. The Mallards have already matched last year’s full-season point total and are one point shy of the franchise ECHL high set in 2014-15. The Mallards have collected 80 points in 66 games, the fewest games they have required to do so since pocketing their eightieth point in the fifty-ninth game of the 2003-04 season. The Mallards have totaled more points in their first 66 games this season than they have since piling up 88 in their first 66 contests in 2003-04. The Mallards would go on to finish that season with 106 points in 76 games- the franchise’s seventh 100-point season in eight years.
High-Water Mark
Yesterday’s win lifted the Mallards to 14 games over .500 for the first time since they finished the 2005-06 regular season 41-27-8.
.600
Yesterday’s victory raised the Mallards’ winning percentage to .606. The Mallards last finished a season with a winning percentage of .600 or better in 2003-04 when they ended the campaign at .697.
Axtell
The Mallards have gone 19-8-2 in 29 games since Phil Axtell took over as head coach on January 20.
Tight
The Mallards have gone 22-9-4 in one-goal games this season. They lead the ECHL in one-goal victories and are tied with the Missouri Mavericks for the league-lead in one-goal games played (35).
Sudden Death
With yesterday’s win, the Mallards improved to 5-2 in games decided in overtime. Including their 6-2 record in the shootout, the Mallards are now 11-4 in games that are tied at the end of regulation. The Mallards are tied with Missouri for the league lead in combined overtime and shootout wins and are tied with the Idaho Steelheads for the lead in shootout victories.
Back-to-Back
The Mallards over the weekend won back-to-back games in overtime for the second time this season. The Mallards first did so when they won 4-3 in overtime in Cincinnati on December 9 and again on December 10. Brady Brassart and Guillaume Gelinas scored the sudden death game winners against the Cyclones.
Buzzer Beater
Wilson’s goal at 4:55 of sudden death Friday was the latest goal the Mallards have scored in a regular season overtime period since the franchise returned to the ice after a two-year hiatus in 2009.
Rally
The Mallards came from behind to tie Friday’s game three times. Friday marked the first time the Mallards have erased three deficits in one game since October 17, 2021 when they fell behind the Thunder in Wichita 1-0, 3-1 and 4-3 but battled back to tie the score on each occasion before eventually falling in a shootout 5-4. Before Friday, the Mallards had last won after trailing three times when they overcame 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 Denver advantages en route to a 5-3 CHL victory over the Cutthroats on January 4, 2022 at the iWireless Center.
Red Light District
The Mallards have scored 23 goals over their last five games. They were held to two goals yesterday after scoring at least four times in each of their prior four games. The Mallards are rank fifteenth in the ECHL in goal-scoring (3.3 per game) and seventh in goals against (3.0).
Home Sweet Home
The Mallards have established a team season best by going unbeaten in regulation (6-0-2) in their last eight home games. The Mallards have eclipsed the five-game home regulation unbeaten streak they put together by winning five straight games on home ice between January 20 and February 12. The Mallards last fell in regulation at the iWireless Center when they were beaten 4-2 by Kalamazoo on February 24. The Mallards’ current run of home ice success is their longest such streak since they went 10-0-1 over 11 home games between October 24 and November 29, 2015.
On the Road
The Mallards have three road games remaining. After visiting Wichita tomorrow night, the Mallards travel to Indianapolis to meet the Indy Fuel on April 4 and close out the regular season in Fort Wayne on April 8.
Lettermen
Alex Petan, who returned to the Mallards from the American Hockey League’s Cleveland Monsters last Monday, will wear an assistant captain’s “A” for the Mallards during home games for the remainder of the season while Brady Brassart will serve as assistant captain during away games.
Perfect 10
Justin Kovacs has recorded 19 points (five goals and 14 assists) in his last 11 games to move into the Mallard lead in points (55).
Warning Sign
Warning has scored five goals and totaled eight points in his last five games.
Jelly
Gelinas has scored four goals- and totaled six points- in just his last five games after scoring five times in his prior 50 games. He now leads Mallard defensemen in goals (9) and is tied with Kevin Gibson for the team lead among blue liners in points (28). Gelinas has also set a new ECHL career high for points by surpassing the 27 he recorded last year in his first season in the league.
First
Friday’s dramatic game winner was Wilson’s first Mallard goal (in his twenty-ninth game with the club) and his first goal in just over a year since he scored for the Belfast Giants in a 5-2 Elite Ice Hockey League victory over the Cardiff Devils on March 16, 2016. Friday’s goal was Wilson’s first in North America since April 8, 2022 when he scored for Wichita in a 4-2 loss to the Tulsa Oilers.
Parks and Wreck
Wednesday’s hat trick was the first of Parks’ career. Parks leads the Mallards in goals (26) and ranks fourth among ECHL rookies. Parks also ranks fifth among rookies in points (51).
100
Francis’ second goal Wednesday was his one hundredth in the ECHL. Francis has scored 24 goals for the Mallards this season after scoring 26 times for the Alaska Aces in 2014-15 and finding the net 50 times over three plus-seasons with the Las Vegas Wranglers between 2011 and 2014.
On the Plus Side
Gibson ranks third in the ECHL in plus/minus rating (plus-33). Wilson has posted a plus-14 over his last nine games.
Between the Pipes
Adam Vay made 41 saves in yesterday’s win. C.J. Motte is unbeaten in regulation- 4-0-2- in his last six decisions over seven games and has suffered just one regulation loss in his last 12 games, a run during which he has gone 8-1-2. Motte is tied for fifth in the ECHL in save percentage (.915), ranks ninth in goals against average (2.69) and is tied for ninth in wins (19). Vay is tied for sixth in shutouts (3) and tied for ninth in wins (19).
Milestones
Guillaume Gelinas has played 98 career ECHL games…Andrew Panzarella has played 95 career games and 93 ECHL games…Chris Francis has 291 career points.
Special Teams
The Mallards have killed off 16 of their foes’ last 17 power plays, though the Mallards’ streak of 14 straight successful penalty kills ended when Jeremy Beaudry scored a second period Wichita power play goal yesterday. The Mallards rank thirteenth in the ECHL in penalty killing (82.6 percent) and twenty-sixth on the power play (12.8 percent).
Head-to-Head
The Mallards and Thunder tomorrow night conclude their four-game season series. Tomorrow evening’s game is the third in seven days between the two clubs. The Mallards have gone 3-0-0 against Wichita this season. Wednesday’s win came in the Mallards’ first visit to INTRUST Bank Arena this season. The Mallards have gone 20-18-3 all-time against the Thunder and 10-10-1 in Wichita…This weekend’s games are not only the Mallards’ only two meetings with Alaska this season but also the Mallards’ final two regular season games ever against the Aces, who will cease operations after this season. The Mallards and Aces first met last season, when the Mallards claimed a pair of home wins over Alaska.
Ins and Outs
Forward Josh MacDonald missed yesterday’s game (lower body injury)…Forward Pavel Jenys has missed the Mallards’ last 21 games (upper body injury)…Forward Shane Sooth was placed on the Mallards’ suspended list Friday…Forward Alex Petan returned to the Mallards Monday after being released from a professional tryout agreement by Cleveland (AHL).
UPCOMING HOME GAMES
Friday, March 31, 7:05 p.m.- Mallards vs. Alaska Aces
VFW Jersey Auction
The special edition military-themed jerseys the Mallards debuted on Veterans' Day will be worn again by the Flock against the Aces before being auctioned off after the game to benefit VFW Post 1303 in Rock Island.
$2 Dogs/$2 Beers presented by 97X
Fans can enjoy $2 hot dogs and beers from iWireless Center concession stands during every Friday home game.
MetroLINK College Night
The Mallards have partnered with Metro to provide transit service between Augustana College and downtown Moline during all Friday home games. As part of Metro's unlimited ride program, Augustana Riders can use their Augustana ID as their fare.
Saturday, April 1, 4:05 p.m.- Mallards vs. Alaska Aces
Saturday Night
The Mallards play their final Saturday night home game of the regular season against the Aces.
ON THE AIR
Fox Sports Radio 1230 is the radio home of Mallards Hockey Presented by Genesis Power Sports Performance. Mallards games broadcast on AM 1230 also stream live online at www.wfxn.net. A limited number of Mallards games will not air on Fox Sports Radio 1230 due to conflicts with University of Illinois basketball and football and Green Bay Packer football. ECHL-TV pay-per-view video webcasts and free audio webcasts of all Mallards games are also available at myqcmallards.net.
MOBILE
The Mallards’ official mobile app is now available free for both Apple and Android. The app features a wide array of exclusive content, including behind the scenes video, breaking news and scoring alerts, interviews and video messages from Mallards players, instant access to live scores, stats and standings and special offers from the team and from Mallards partners.
TICKETS
Single Game Tickets
Single game tickets for all Mallards regular season contests are now available. Fans can contact the Mallards at (309) 277-1364 or info@myqcmallards.net for more information about tickets. Single game tickets are also available at the iWireless Center box office, at Ticketmaster outlets, through www.ticketmaster.com or through Ticketmaster charge-by-phone toll free. The box office is open weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on game days from 10:00 a.m. until the start of the second period.
Group Tickets
Groups of ten or more receive savings off the walk-up price and a host of group benefits. Mallards group tickets are a great fit for youth organizations, friends, co-workers, family groups, religious groups, school functions and business events. For more group ticket information, fans can contact the Mallards at (309) 277-1364 or info@myqcmallards.net.
