RUNDOWN/LOWDOWN: The Evansville IceMen proud ECHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets and the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League and the Springfield Falcons and Peoria Rivermen of the American Hockey League, have launched the new month of November with a lustrous lift-off. In a complete reversal of form, “The Men of the Igloo” have turned the page on the month of October, embarking on a new, more favorable mission for the season’s second month and the 11th month of the 2012 calendar year. Under the tutorship of third year General Manager/Head Coach Rich Kromm, Evansville’s icers swept a pair of weekend encounters in as many nights to capture their initial two triumphs of the campaign after enduring an inauspicious ECHL debut through a season-opening 7-games’ winless streak; 7(0-6-1) which deprived them of any semblance of victory success for the past month. Commencing the second week of the 11th month of the current calendar year, the IceMen are presently occupying fifth place in the ECHL Eastern Conference North Division standings with a record of 9(2-6-1) 5-points. They are 4-points behind fourth place Toledo 9(4-4-1)9 with the Walleye wallowing in a 3-game winless spell; 3(0-2-1). It’s a 5-points differential for the IceMen against third place Kalamazoo 9(5-4-0)10; the Wings have dropped 3-in a row following a 4-game win skein. Evansville is 6-points back of second place Fort Wayne 8(5-2-1)11 with the Komets in the midst of a 3-game win streak with all 3-triumphs gathered abroad. Evansville’s finest on ice is 9-points in arrears of division, conference and league-leading undefeated Cincinnati 8(6-0-2)14. This week, the IceMen confront the daunting assignment of 4-games in 5-nights with 3 of those on home ice at the Ford Center. The IceMen will play host to their Second Annual Education Day game Tuesday morning at 9:45 am at the Ford Center as they open a two-game homestand series against Greenville. The Road Warriors will also be here for a Wednesday encore engagement before the IceMen travel to Fort Wayne Friday night then come home Saturday night for a clash with South Carolina.
EDUCATION DAY GAME THIS TUESDAY MORNING: The IceMen will host their second annual Education Day Game this Tuesday morning at 9:45 am at the Ford Center where they will initiate a two-game homestand series in as many nights against Greenville. The same two teams will tussle the following night, Wednesday night bat 7:15 pm before the South Carolina Stingrays come calling Saturday night on “Zooperstars Night.” In addition, the IceMen will present their first Post Game Skate of the season with all of the IceMen players.
“ICEMEN LIVE PRESENTED BY COORS LIGHT”: The IceMen ever-popular weekly Monday night radio show is on the air everywhere for a third consecutive year right in your listening ear. This week, show host, Terry Ficorelli’s special guests will be right wing 27-Cody Beach and defenseman 55- Anton Blomqvist. It’s “IceMen Live Presented by Coors Light,” Monday nights from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm live from Show-Me’s East and on the IceMen radio flagship of the new “Magic 98.5 FM,” and 1400 AM WEOA as well as world-wide on magic985fm.com and 1400amweoa,com.
WRAP THE RECAP: The revitalized and rejuvenated IceMen icers introduced the new month of November in grand style and in grand fashion as they registered their first two triumphs of the season after absorbing a season-opening 7-game winless streak; 7(0-6-1) for the month of October. Friday night, on home ice, the IceMen engineered a masterful 4-PPG in overriding three 1-goal deficits to ultimately prevail over the Wheeling Nailers, 4-3. Daniel Tetrault’s late, dramatic strike with 3:34 remaining in the third stanza created Evansville’s first lead on home ice thus far this season. Saturday night, the IceMen promptly proceeded to extract their first foreign ice success of the year on the strength of a sound and solid 4-1 decision over the Walleye in Toledo. Two more power play goals were featured in the victors’ win as the IceMen, again, were forced to overcome a shortfall.
NOVEMBER NOTICE NOTE US: “The Kromminator” kinetic contingent has launched the month of November with a lustrous lift-off and a perfect personified, exemplified 2(2-0-0) mark, outscoring the opposition, 8-4. In the process, the IceMen have improved their season record to 9(2-6-1) 5-points. Their current win streak stands at 2-in a row. The longest winless streak has been 7(0-6-1); longest losing streak has been 4-consecutively.
OVERDUE FOR HOME BREAKTHROUGH: With those adept and adroit 4-PPG to spur their comeback counterattack crescendo the past Friday night in the 4-3 victory verdict over Wheeling, the IceMen, at long last, scotched and scuttled the stigma, anomaly and ignominy of a season-opening 5-game losing curse at the Ford Center. For the season, the IceMen are 6(1-5-0) on home ice with 3-more home performances scheduled on the docket for this upcoming week. Coach Kromm’s club is playing 8 of its first 11-games at home.
JOURNEY TO JUGGERNAUT: On the strength of their impressive, hard-earned 4-1 victory Saturday night at Toledo, the IceMen also laid claim to their first foreign ice success of the season. Although they have been involved in ECHL alien territory warfare only 3-times, the IceMen have garnered 3-points over those 3-games for a .500 log of 3(1-1-1).
DOSSIER BY DIVISION: Within their own Eastern Conference standings, the IceMen results are accordingly; against their own North Division: 5(1-3-1); against the Atlantic Division: 2(1-1-0); against the South Division: 2(0-2-0).
ARTFUL ARTISANS: Five-time minor pro scoring champion Todd Robinson is on the upsurge with his upbeat, productive play. Robinson has skyrocketed meteorically into the top 20 in the league-wide scoring with 9(1-8-9) with his 8-assists all authored on the power play. “T. Rob” tops the entire ECHL in PPA with 8. Rookie right wing Cody Beach ranks 5th in the ECHL and #2 among rookies in PIM with 40.
ROBINSONIAN PUCK PLUTONIUM: Fourteen-year veteran All-Star center Todd Robinson is back on the beam as the star on the IceMen scene. “T. Rob” was extraordinary in spearheading his club’s two-game’ weekend sweep of Wheeling and Toledo, maestroing 5-points; 2(1-4-5) in two multiple-point masterpieces. His first goal of the season was the TBG/GWG Saturday night at Toledo while all 4- of his helpers were distributed on the IceMen’s formidable power play. Evansville’s team captain was named the game’s #1 Star Saturday night. Robinson is the IceMen nomination for ECHL Player of the Week.
“MAD DOG” DAZZLE: Second-year goaltender Rob Madore was divine and dynamic in achieving his initial triumph of the season Saturday night in Toledo. In the contest, the Pittsburgh, PA product rebuked 35 of 36-Walleye shots, actually extinguishing the home team after the 3:13 mark of the second period when the Walleye gained a short-lived 1-0 advantage. In the process, the 24-year-old goal gate guardian has lowered his GAA through 6-games and 5-starts thus far this season to a sparkling 2.85 while elevating his SPCT to .903. Madore is the IceMen nomination for ECHL Goaltender of the Week.
MOON GLOW: The IceMen latest acquisition, center/right wing Nathan Moon has made a major splash in his IceMen coming-out-party of this past weekend. Obtained earlier in the week from divisional foe Cincinnati, the second-year pro contributed considerably in his team’s two-game weekend sweep. The former fourth round draft pick of the NHL Pittsburgh Penguins fashioned 2-goals, 2-assists, 4-points in a pair of Evansville outings. Both of Moon’s strikes were stoked on second period GTG/PPG on consecutive nights as he essayed a sterling 3-points’ enormous performance in Saturday’s 4-1 road success spirited away at Toledo, earning him the game’s #2 Star.
M. GENS GEMS: Seven-year standout defenseman Matt Gens is finding his form as exhibited excellently and eminently the past weekend for the resurgent men of IceMen colors. The perennial All-Star collected 3-points in the 2-triunphs on 2(1-2-3) with his goal the product of the team’s terrific prolific power play Saturday night in Toledo. He was saluted Star #3 in that contest.
AUSTIN AWESOME: First-year defenseman Austin Madaisky is assertively staking his claim to one of the IceMen top defense positions on the club. The Columbus Jackets fifth round draft pick from the Kamloops Blazers of the major junior ‘A’ WHL delivered 3-PPA during his team’s two-game weekend sweep with a pair orchestrated in Friday night’s decision over Wheeling. For Madaisky, it represented his first-ever points in the pro ranks.
EXTRA MAN MASTERY: The IceMen power plant power play has been potent, prolific and proficient. In their two victories the past weekend, the extra man band blazed 6-PPG including 4-PPG strikes in Friday night’s 4-3 come-from-behind victory. They added 2-more in Saturday’s contest conquest at Toledo. Evansville is 7 for the last 13 for a conversion mark of a scintillating 53.9% with 7 of the club’s last 9-GF generated in such fashion. The IceMen have rocketed from 22nd to 5th, 11-52 / 21.2% in the ECHL power play department. Meanwhile, not to be overshadowed, has been the club’s penalty-killing prowess. The IceMen are 18 for the last 20 for an efficiency rating of a superlative 90%.
MULTIVARIOUS MILESTONES: With 4-assists in the IceMen 2-victories over the weekend, Todd Robinson has attained the 900-career assists’ plateau in his great, grand career. Robinson has accomplished the feat in 881-career games. Josh Beaulieu (91) is 9-points shy of career #100. Dale Mahovsky (98) is 2-points away from pro career #100. Goaltender Paul Karpowich posted his first-ever pro win in Friday night’s 4-3 victory over Wheeling. Right wing Cody Beach notched his first pro goal on a first period power play in the Friday night win over Wheeling.
FEW FUN FAST FACTS FROM “FIC”: The IceMen 4-PPG Friday night equaled the second most scored in a single game in the ECHL thus far this season and fell 1-PPG shy of matching the club record of 5-PPG set back on 11/25/11 in Rapid City in the CHL. Daniel Tetrault’s PPG with only 3:34 remaining in the third period Friday night produced the IceMen first lead on home ice this season and merely their second lead for the entire season until that juncture. Since the third period of Friday’s game, the IceMen have outscored the opposition, 6-1. Seven of the IceMen last 9-goals have been brewed by the power play. After the first 9-games this season, the IceMen still have not scored the game’s FG. Left wing Patrick Kennedy is the club’s best plus player at +2.
