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Post by International Hockey Club on Jul 16, 2012 22:59:49 GMT -5
Mariners Announce Alliances Will Team Up with Huskies, MavericksBy: Logan FitzPatrick Kings Beat Writer CLEVELAND - The NLHS Summer League, official development league of the NLHS, had their roster draft today. The Kings' parent club in Moncton announced that they will split the club with the Nashville Huskies and Missouri Mavericks, former parent clubs of the Carbondale (Ill.) Pups and Saskatoon Indians, who were to relocate to Toronto and revive the Toros moniker. "The Kings are proud to announce this alliance with two great teams," said Justin Fox, GM of the Kings and Mariners. "The young players will see most of the ice time. M's prized prospect Leland Irving will be starting the bulk of the games, with Josh Harding of the Mavs backing up." Christian La Rue will coach the team, with Bubba Johnson and Todd Warriner the assistants.
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Post by International Hockey Club on Jul 16, 2012 23:03:53 GMT -5
Kings Announce Leadership, Bouma Captain Cizikas, Schenn AlternatesBy: Logan FitzPatrick Kings Beat Writer The Cleveland Kings, Summer League affiliate of the Moncton Mariners, Nashville Huskies, and Missouri Mavericks, announced their leadership core shortly after getting their roster. Lance Bouma, a Mariners prospect, will be the captain, as the Mariners drafted him partially due to his leadership and in-your-face mentality. Luke Schenn of the Huskies and Casey Cizikas of the Mariners were named alternates.
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Post by International Hockey Club on Jul 18, 2012 14:52:19 GMT -5
Kings Reveal Schedule Open on Friday at CambridgeBy: Logan FitzPatrick Kings Beat Writer CLEVELAND - The NSHL's Cleveland Kings, proud affiliates of the Moncton Mariners, Nashville Huskies, and Missouri Mavericks, have announced their schedule for the summer campaign. They will open at Hespeler Arena on Friday against the Cambridge (Ont.) Winter Hawks, with the home opener on Sunday against the Odessa Prairie Dogs. Abbreviation key: ODE - Odessa Prairie Dogs (DAL/MIN/SA) TB - Thunder Bay Lightning (NS/PHL/LV) CMB - Cambridge Winter Hawks (CMB/OTT/KC) SEA - Seattle Thunderbirds (SEA/MTL/CHI) KIT - Kitchener Dutchmen (KIT/BAR/NY) HUN - Huntsville Highlanders (KY/QUE/REG) LDN - London Citadels (LDN/WPG/NJ) FULL SCHEDULE7/20 - Kings @ CMB - Hespeler Arena - 7 PM EDT 7/22 - ODE @ Kings - Quicken Loans Arena - 7 PM EDT - HOME OPENER!! 7/24 - Kings @ ODE - Ector County Coliseum - 8 PM EDT 7/26 - Kings vs. TB - Gutterson Fieldhouse (Burlington, Vt.) - 7 PM EDT 7/28 - SEA @ Kings - Quicken Loans Arena - 7 PM EDT 7/30 - LDN vs. Kings - Independence Events Center (Independence, Mo.) - 8 PM EDT 8/3 - CMB vs. Kings - Nashville Ice Den - 8 PM EDT 8/5 - Kings @ LDN - John Labatt Center - 7 PM EDT 8/7 - KIT @ Kings - Quicken Loans Arena - 7 PM EDT 8/9 - Kings @ HUN - Von Braun Center - 7 PM EDT 8/13 - HUN vs. Kings - XBOX 360 Arena (Moncton, N.B.) - 2 PM EDT 8/15 - Kings @ SEA - ShoWare Center - 10 PM EDT 8/21 - TB @ Kings - Quicken Loans Arena - 7 PM EDT - Home Finale 8/25 - Kings @ KIT - Cheech and Chong Pavilion - 7 PM EDT - Season Finale One home game apiece will be played at XBOX 360 Arena, Nashville Ice Den, and Independence Events Center, showcasing the future of the M's, Mavs, and Huskies to their fans.
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Post by International Hockey Club on Jul 20, 2012 19:14:21 GMT -5
Kings Ground Winter Hawks Burmistrov, Galiardi Stand Out In Road WinBy: Logan FitzPatrick Kings Beat Writer CAMBRIDGE, Ont. - The Cleveland Kings made their on-ice debut tonight, and if this is a sign of things to come, this will be a very impressive Summer League team. Mariners prospect Leland Irving stopped 34, Huskies prospect TJ Galiardi added two goals, and Mariners hopeful Alexander Burmistrov put up four points as the Kings crushed the Cambridge Winter Hawks 5-1 at Hespeler Arena on Friday. Irving and Winter Hawks goalie and Scouts prospect Ben Bishop were solid in the first, stopping a combined 25 shots en route to a silent first on the scoresheet. Right off the draw in the second, the historic first goal was scored. Burmistrov won the faceoff to Galiardi. He ripped one off of Bishop from the neutral zone, but Bishop was shoddy on the rebound control. Fourth overall pick Dmitry Orlov got the loose puck, shot it, and Galiardi tipped it in. 1-0 Kings.Just 46 seconds later, Burmistrov took a shot, and Bishop's shoddy rebound control struck again, leaving Mavericks prospect Andrew Murray with a wide-open net, and he roofed it. 2-0 Kings.Just over a minute into the third period, captain Lance Bouma swung and knocked the puck in off of a Zack Kassian shot that went wide. Unfortunately, it was a baseball swing, not a golf swing, so the goal was disallowed. Nevertheless, almost three minutes later, Shawn Matthias fed Zach Hamill, who knocked home the one-timer, so it was 3-0 Kings anyway. Almost exactly a minute later, Bishop's terrible rebound control struck again, as Orlov's bomb from the point was stopped, but Burmistrov was there and pounded it home. 4-0 Kings.The Winter Hawks did get on the board just over two minutes later, as Frederic St-Denis fed a loose puck to Daymond Langkow, who snuck in the backdoor on a play that happened so fast I don't think that Irving saw it. 4-1 Kings.Galiardi wasn't done, as just over two minutes later he finished the scoring by deflecting a Burmistrov shot through Bishop's five-hole. Five hole, Five goals for the Kings, two for Galiardi. 5-1 Kings.That was it, as Hespeler Arena was a ghost town by the end of the game. Kings win their first ever Summer League game, and based on goal differential, top the Summer League Standings by just one goal on Thunder Bay, who won 7-4 over London. The home opener at Quicken Loans Arena is on Tuesday against the Odessa Prairie Dogs. GET LOUD!!! The Winter Hawks get grounded by the Kings, and proceed on the road on Tuesday against the Huntsville Highlanders. NOTES: -Fourth overall pick Dmitry Orlov had a sick stat line: 2 assists, +3, two takeaways, a blocked shot, and three hits. -Only two Winter Hawks - St-Denis and Scott Hannan - managed to even salvage an even rating. -Irving looked dominant, allowing the fewest goals of Day 1 (the nearest, Thunder Bay's Thomas Greiss, Huntsville's Johan Hedberg, and Seattle's Allen York, allowed four), as well as having by far the highest save percentage (.971). OTHER SCORES: SEATTLE (1-0-0) 6 Odessa (0-1-0) 4 THUNDERBIRDS: Talbot, Kennedy 2 G (2); Gardiner Goal (1), 2 A; Bailey 3 A PRAIRIE DOGS: Smith 2 G (2), A; Caron Goal (1), 2 A London (0-1-0) 4 THUNDER BAY (1-0-0) 7 CITADELS: Winnik 2 A; Moore Goal (1), A LIGHTNING: Hansen Hat Trick (3), A; Handzus Goal (1), 2 A HUNTSVILLE (1-0-0) 5 Kitchener (0-1-0) 4 HIGHLANDERS: Peverley Hat Trick (3), A; Regin 3 A; Hedberg 44 SV DUTCHMEN: Dupuis Goal (1), A; Sobotka 2 A
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Post by KC Scouts on Jul 24, 2012 12:21:25 GMT -5
Bishop. What's rebound control? Bishop getting 3rd degree sunburn from red lamp. Pass the maalox. In fact, all my goalies suffer from this affliction. I'd better buy it by the case...
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Post by International Hockey Club on Jul 29, 2012 21:05:06 GMT -5
Seventh Heaven Burmistrov, Kings Blast LightningBy: Logan FitzPatrick Kings Beat Writer BURLINGTON, Vt. - While one-third of the Thunder Bay Lightning - that is to say, the Vermont Beasts of last season, stood watching their Calder Cup banner rise to the rafters of Gutterson Fieldhouse, the Cleveland Kings stayed united and focused in the visitors' locker room. And boy did it show - Alexander Burmistrov registered 5 points, vaulting him into the league lead, and TJ Galiardi added 4 while Leland Irving stopped 30 in a nice rebound game as the Kings whomped the Thunder Bay Lightning 7-2 in a neutral site game at Burlington, home of last year's Calder Cup Champions (and one-third of the Lightning's roster), the Vermont Beasts. The first period was uneventful, as the Lightning managed just three shots on Irving while Thomas Greiss stopped all 12 he saw. Sadly for Greiss, he would be nothing short of abysmal the rest of the way. The assault began 3:33 into the second. Michal Handzus turned it over to Dmitry Kulikov, who found fellow Russian Burmistrov down low. He found Galiardi in front, and TJ buried it with his 4th of the summer league. Guess you can call him Mr. Goal-A-Game now. 1-0 Kings.From there, the Burmistrov show was off and running. Just over a minute later, Burmistrov won the faceoff. Galiardi blasted it wide, but Burmistrov had a wide open net as Greiss was caught out of position for Burmi's first of the game and second of the preseason. 2-0 Kings.Two minutes later, it was Galiardi again. Right off the faceoff win by Burmistrov, Galiardi caught Greiss off guard with a wicked snap shot that beat him before he even knew who won the draw. 3-0 Kings.Alas, with just over 5 minutes to go, the Lightning got on the board. How fitting that it be a former Beast in Adam Hall, who pounced on a loose puck after Hal Gill's shot was blocked by Kulikov just after Chris Porter had left the box following a successful Kings PK. Hall ripped it through Irving's five-hole. 3-1 Kings.The Burmistrov Show resumed early in the third, as Dmitry Orlov - easily the Kings' best defenseman thus far - found him wide open. Burmistrov toe-dragged his way past the defense and snapped the puck blocker-side on Greiss. 4-1 Kings.That lead lasted about five minutes, but Matt Niskanen found oft-injured sniper Marc Savard wide open along the boards. Savard ripped it bar down on Irving and brought joy to the Lightning fans at Gutterson. 4-2 Kings.That euphoria lasted all of ten seconds, when Burmistrov completed the hat trick with a filthy deke between the legs on Greiss. Many saw shades of Marek Malik's famous dangle in Burmistrov's hat trick goal. 5-2 Kings.Then, just over a minute later, it was the power play's turn. Kris Russell's point bomb was stopped by Greiss, but then Luke Schenn - playing down low similar to the Dallas Stars' use of Derian Hatcher - scooped up the rebound and found Andrew Murray wide-open in front. Result: a power play goal, Murray's second of the Summer League, and a huge lead. 6-2 Kings, power play goal.Thirty seconds later, on the next foray into the offensive zone, the Kings capped this blowout, as Joe Vitale fired a bomb from the top of the circle. Porter deflected it for HIS second of the summer league (noticing a trend here?). 7-2 Kings.That was it as Irving was spectacular to say the least. Cleveland improves to 2-1-1, third in the summer league thus far, behind just London and Seattle (3-1)! In fact, they will take on the Thunderbirds on Wednesday at the Q, followed by a Friday date with the Citadels at the Independence Events Center, home of the NLHS's Mavericks, a parent club. Could the Kings be in first by next weekend? The Lightning fall to 2-2 and into a tie with the Odessa Prairie Dogs and Huntsville Highlanders for fourth in the summer league. They host the Cambridge Winter Hawks on Wednesday at Fort William Gardens. NOTES: -The Kings' MVP thus far is either Irving, the goaltender, or on D, one of the Russian D-men in Dmitry Kulikov and Dmitry Orlov. -Josh Harding will start on Wednesday, according to head coach Christian La Rue. Harding is property of the Mavericks and has bounced around NLHS, playing with the Montreal Vikings, Nova Scotia Titans, Philadelphia Legion, and now the Mavericks. -Burmistrov takes over the league lead with 10 points, leapfrogging London center Dominic Moore and Seattle defenseman Jake Gardiner. OTHER SCORES: SEATTLE (3-1-0) 3 Huntsville (2-2-0) 1 THUNDERBIRDS: Kennedy 2 G (6); Wellwood 2 A; York 29 saves HIGHLANDERS: Josefson PPG (2); Hedberg 36 saves LONDON (3-1-0) 5 Odessa (2-2-0) 3 CITADELS: Moore Goal (4), 2 A; Winnik 2 A; Pavelec 31 saves PRAIRIE DOGS: Smith 2 G (4); Hackett 36 saves CAMBRIDGE (1-3-0) 5 Kitchener (1-3-0) 3 WINTER HAWKS: Spaling 2 G (2), A; Langkow 3 A; Bishop 37 saves DUTCHMEN: Bergenheim 2 G (3); Eaton 2 A
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Post by International Hockey Club on Aug 1, 2012 13:26:29 GMT -5
Guns Blazing Kings Cap Miracle Comeback with Shootout WinBy: Logan FitzPatrick Kings Beat Writer CLEVELAND - In a battle of two cities who have a known tradition of losing, having powerhouse teams in the NLHS Summer League is a welcome change. And for the Cleveland Kings, being one of the best means you have to beat the best. They did just that in a dramatic comeback. Scoring three goals from three different players in a span of 3:38, the Kings erased a 4-1 Seattle Thunderbirds lead in the third period. They still had to win the game and break the tie, though, and they did just that: TJ Galiardi had the lone goal of the shootout as the Kings edged the T-Birds 5-4 in a wild one at Quicken Loans Arena. The first period was quiet, as the two 2012 NLHS draft picks did work and stopped all 21 shots they saw. The Thunderbirds got on the board first late in the second period. Kyle Wellwood had his shot blocked by Luke Schenn, but Tyler Kennedy got the rebound and wristed it over the glove of Leland Irving, who started because Josh Harding pulled a groin muscle in warmups. 1-0 Thunderbirds.However, on the ensuing faceoff, the T-Birds panicked, giving TJ Galiardi a wide-open shot in the slot. He wristed it five-hole on Allen York for his 6th of the Summer League, which is good for first on the team. 1-1.From there, the T-Birds would dominate for about....let's say.....10 minutes? Right off the bat in the third, Gilbert Brule blocked a bomb by Jake Gardiner. However, he was vulnerable, and Linus Omark got the rebound on a surprise snap shot that caught Irving off guard. 2nd of the summer league for the 19th overall pick in the 2011 NLHS Draft. 2-1 Thunderbirds.Just under 5 minutes later, it was the T-Birds striking again. Wellwood missed the net, but Jerred Smithson got the rebound and had a hunch that a snap shot like Omark's could beat Irving. He was right. 3-1 Thunderbirds.Just over a minute later, Irving stopped a snap shot from Josh Bailey. However, the rebound found a wide-open Andrew Gordon, who tapped it into a wide-open part of the net for his first of the summer league. 4-1 Thunderbirds.Kings fans stuck around, hoping to see a miracle comeback, which by Cleveland standards means "We're going to see them lose anyway, even though we know they will." Thing is though, that was FALSE in this instance. The comeback started 6:40 after the Gordon goal. Kris Russell CLOCKED Shane O'Brien, freeing the puck for Chris Porter. A three-on-one ensued. Porter to Casey Cizikas to Joe Vitale to the back of the net, showing that the Kings at least had a pulse. 4-2 Thunderbirds.Exactly two minutes later, the Kings would strike again, with the same line. York slammed the door on Vitale but was way out of position as Porter merely had to tip it in for his third of the summer league and the Kings' second in just two minutes. 4-3 Thunderbirds.At this point, the crowd was going absolutely berserk, chanting "Go Kings Go," and believing that maybe for once, the Cleveland team wouldn't choke. They would be rewarded. And maybe the noise got to Gardiner, who took a dumb interference call, activating the Kings' power play. We'll just let the Voice of the Kings call it instead of us describing it. "Faceoff to the left of York. Murray wins it clean....Cizikas LASER sizzled just wide blocker-side on York. He goes to retrieve his rebound. Looks to the front of the net, Murray's not open, so he'll slide it to the point. Kulikov fakes, fires, deflected SCORE!!! MURRAY WITH THE TIP!!! AND THE COMEBACK IS COMPLETE! GAME EVEN!" 4-4, power play goal Kings.The rest of regulation and overtime did nothing, which meant the tie would be broken in the.... SHOOTOUT. ShootoutKings ShootersAlexander Burmistrov - Seriously, this isn't one of those online games where the net keeps moving. Hit the net next time, k? No GoalTJ Galiardi - TEE. JAY. GALIARDI. Sick hands and a goal that some could compare to Marek Malik. GoalThunderbirds ShootersKyle Wellwood - His stick doesn't match his name....it broke and gave Irving an easy save. No GoalTyler Kennedy - OH MY ARCEUS IT'S THE LEAGUE'S LEADING GOAL SCORER...heh. Gold Glove award goes to Irving. No GoalMax Talbot - Not the ideal shootout player, and he shows us why, trying a snap shot from the top of the circle after a weak toe drag. Irving stops it easily. No GoalKINGS WIN SHOOTOUT 1-0As for the league leaderboard....the Kings and T-Birds are tied with a 3-1-1 record AND a +6 goal differential! It couldn't get more even than this. On Wednesday, this will likely change: the T-Birds host Odessa back in Washington, while the Kings host a neutral site game in Independence, Missouri, against the London Citadels, who had been in first prior to today's loss to the Huntsville Highlanders. NOTES: -Luke Schenn had to hit the ice bath after this one after blocking SEVEN shots. That's three more than he had all summer league to date. -Harding WILL start on Wednesday, due to the fact that the game is in front of Mavericks fans. -Casey Cizikas was solid under the radar, assisting on all three goals in the miracle comeback. OTHER SCORES: London (3-2-0) 3 HUNTSVILLE (3-2-0) 4 CITADELS: Moore PPG (5), A; Frolik PPG (3), A HIGHLANDERS: Regin 2 G (3), A; Hedberg 45 saves Cambridge (1-4-0) 1 THUNDER BAY (3-2-0) 6 WINTER HAWKS: Bishop 36 saves LIGHTNING: Bourque Goal (1), 3 A; Hansen 2 G (6), A; Tyutin 3 A
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Post by International Hockey Club on Aug 7, 2012 21:11:48 GMT -5
Show Me A Victory Kings Win At Mavs' HomeBy: Logan FitzPatrick Kings Beat Writer INDEPENDENCE, Mo. - It may not have been a regular season game, but the Missouri Mavericks fans sure did have a heck of a time hosting their first NLHS game, a summer league tilt between the Cleveland Kings and London Citadels. A sold-out, knowledgeable, and fairly loud crowd greeted the Kings, who own the Summer League rights to the Mavericks' prospects. And they fed off each other - the Kings trounced the Citadels 7-4, backed by a nine-point game by the top line. The Kings opened the scoring less than three minutes in. After the Cits failed to set up in their offensive zone, Andrew Murray, TJ Galiardi, and Alex Burmistrov went on a 3-on-1. Murray to Galiardi to Burmistrov to the back of the net in a passing clinic. And they made it look easy. 1-0 Kings.It would take another 13 minutes for the Kings to double that lead. Burmistrov won a faceoff, and Galiardi's shot was stopped by Ondrej Pavelec. Luke Schenn's rebound missed the net, but then Murray, positioned in front of the net, banged it home for his fourth of the summer league. 2-0 Kings.However, off of the ensuing faceoff, the Kings collapsed defensively. This allowed Daniel Winnik, Philip Larsen, and Dominic Moore to get shots on Josh Harding (making his first summer league start), one deflected by Michael Frolik. However, Winnik's third shot snuck past Harding, who was unable to hold the fort. 2-1 Kings.The Kings would pour it on in the second though, with an avalanche of goals that buried the Cits. Less than five minutes in, Burmistrov won another faceoff. Galiardi got the puck and put it on net as a surprise tactic. Needless to say, Pavelec was caught off guard and Galiardi got his team-leading 7th summer league goal. 3-1 Kings.It took nearly ten minutes for the avalanche to really kick off. Shawn Matthias won a faceoff, and Stephane Da Costa's surprise shot went wide. However, Matthias got the rebound and took it to the net, snapping home his second of summer league for the Mariners' highly-touted power forward prospect. 4-1 Kings.Less than a minute later, a counterattack by the Citadels resulted in nothing. This had Dmitry Kulikov find his partner Luke Schenn, who fed Joe Vitale. A three-on-two ensued. Vitale and Schenn missed the net before "Broadway Joe" put home his 3rd of the summer league. 5-1 Kings.About a minute later, the Cits would answer. Off a brutal line change, Derek Morris found Cal O'Reilly, who had nobody within 20 feet of him. He was all alone, and Harding was hopeless. 5-2 Kings.However, the Kings would stay persistent, and they were rewarded with a fourth-line goal with less than 30 seconds to go. Gilbert Brule, off a line change, got the puck from Galiardi. Brule's shot was stopped, and captain Lance Bouma missed the net. However, the strong net presence by Bouma gave Brule an easy slot shot and he put it five-hole on Pavelec. 6-2 Kings.In the third, the Cits would claw back. Under two minutes in, a barrage of shots had taken down both King defenders, leaving Jochen Hecht with a wide-open shot and easy goal on Harding. 6-3 Kings.Eight minutes later, Dominic Moore won a faceoff, and had a quick give-and-go with Michael Frolik. Instead of going, Moore went the one-timer route instead, beating Harding blocker-side. Meanwhile, on the bench, coach Christian La Rue facepalmed. 6-4 Kings.Two minutes later, with Andrew Alberts in the box, the Kings put the nail in the Citadels' coffin. The two Dmitry's - Kulikov and Orlov - had their shots blocked by Derek Morris. Orlov quickly found Murray in front of the net, and he banged home his second of the game, and third power play goal of the summer league. 7-4 Kings.That was it, as Harding slammed the door and locked it, too. The Kings improve to 4-1-1, but still are tied with Seattle, even on goal differential, after the T-Birds' 5-2 win against Odessa at the ShoWare Center. They will take Thursday off and host the Cambridge Winter Hawks on Saturday at the Nashville Ice Den, home of another Cleveland affiliate, the Huskies. The Citadels fall to 3-3, fifth in the summer league, ahead of only game-in-hand Thunder Bay and cellar-dwellers Cambridge and Kitchener. Speaking of the Lightning, that's the Cits' next opponent, at the John Labatt Centre on Thursday. NOTES: -Leland Irving will be back in goal on Saturday, according to La Rue. Five games of Irving followed by a game by Harding was the plan for goaltending, he said, citing Irving's upside and younger age. -Galiardi is vaulted to the top of the league's scoring leaderboard, in a tie with Kyle Wellwood and Dominic Moore. Galiardi wins on basis of more goals. -Following Bouma's assist on the Brule goal, only their linemate, Zack Kassian, along with defenseman John Moore have yet to record a point thus far. OTHER SCORES: Odessa (2-3-0) 2 SEATTLE (4-1-1) 5 PRAIRIE DOGS: Zubrus Goal (1), A; Pahlsson PPG (1) THUNDERBIRDS: Kennedy Hat Trick (10); Wellwood 2 G (2), 2 A Kitchener (1-4-0) 3 CAMBRIDGE (2-4-0) 4 DUTCHMEN: Sobotka 2 G (3); Howard 38 saves WINTER HAWKS: St-Denis GW PPG (1), A; Spaling G (3), A; Bishop 35 saves
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Post by International Hockey Club on Aug 12, 2012 16:41:31 GMT -5
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6f/Plain_Dealer_masthead.pngRally Puts Kings In First Four Goal Third Caps Comeback Over HawksBy: Logan FitzPatrick Kings Beat Writer NASHVILLE, Tenn. - PREVIOUSLY ON CLEVELAND KINGS HOCKEY, the Kings erased a three-goal deficit in the third period against the Seattle Thunderbirds last week. Is it some sort of problem with aviation for the Kings? Because again today, they had to erase a three-goal, third period deficit to take down the Cambridge Winter Hawks 5-4, earning a season sweep of the Hawks in a neutral site game at the Nashville Ice Den. The Kings started pathetically slow, as the Winter Hawks had as many first period goals as the Kings had shots in that period: one. Adam Burish came off the bench, and Stephane Robidas found him, and Burish went in alone and beat Leland Irving, who had his plate full in this one and kept the Kings in the game. 1-0 Winter Hawks.Early in the second, the Kings evened it up. Right off the faceoff win by Shawn Matthias, Stephane Da Costa, the Mariners' coveted playmaking prospect out of Merrimack College, went on an end-to-end rush that could only be described as "magic." He beat Ben Bishop high glove-side. 1-1.About five minutes later, the Hawks took the lead. Casey Cizikas's bomb went wide, and end-to-end it was a jailbreak for Jay Pandolfo. Pandolfo sniped it blocker-side on Irving for his first of the summer league. 2-1 Winter Hawks.About 8 minutes later, Mark Fistric took a stupid hooking call, putting the Winter Hawks on the power play. A barrage of shots by Nick Spaling, Daymond Langkow, Luca Sbisa, and Scott Hannan were stopped by Irving, but then Spaling had Irving vulnerable and pounced on his opportunity to double the Hawk lead. 3-1 Winter Hawks, power play goal.Right off of the ensuing faceoff, the defense had a breakdown, and Nate Thompson had an easy first goal of summer league. 4-1 Winter Hawks.On the bench, head coach Christian La Rue was facepalming, and during the intermission, chewed out the team with a plethora of unprintable words. This seemed to spark a fire under the Kings' inactive legs, and they seemed a lot stronger coming out of the intermission and gave us a heck of a comeback. It started at 4:21. Instead of taking garbage shots as they had before in the game, TJ Galiardi and Alexander Burmistrov kept with give-and-go procedures to find an open shot. Burmistrov found it and blasted it home from the top of the circle, his 6th of summer league. 4-2 Winter Hawks.Five minutes later, the lead was slashed to one. Burmistrov's blast was stopped by Ben Bishop, as was Dmitry Orlov's. Burmistrov was again walled by Bishop, but finding an open shot on a vulnerable Bishop was Kris Russell, who fired home his first of the summer league. 4-3 Winter Hawks.Three minutes later, Mark Fistric sent Zach Hamill and Shawn Matthias on a two-on-one. With defenseman Frederic St-Denis out of position, Harry Zolnierczyk (Surprisingly spelled right on the first try) was the "one," and blocked Hamill's first shot. Hamill then fired it off the blocker of Bishop, and Matthias tapped it home for his third of the summer league for the Mariners' most coveted forward prospect. 4-4.The game winning goal was just thirty seconds away. Benn Ferriero found himself in the penalty box for hooking. Burmistrov won a faceoff, and had a give-and-go with Galiardi. He found Galiardi again, and he blasted it wide. Dmitry Kulikov, however, saw the juicy rebound and hunted it down, sniping it five-hole on Bishop and sending the Nashville crowd into a frenzy. Kulikov had capped the comeback with his second goal of summer league. 5-4 Kings, power play goal.That deflated the Winter Hawks, who had nothing left to show. The Kings improve to 5-1-1 and SOLE POSSESSION of first place in the summer league!! They look to keep in on Thursday, when they hit the road to face the London Citadels at the John LaBatt Centre. The Winter Hawks fall to the cellar at 2-5-0 in heartbreaking fashion. Deflated, they visit the Seattle Thunderbirds on Tuesday at ShoWare Center, a game the Kings will be watching. Will the battle of the birds give the Kings breathing room? NOTES: -Despite 48 saves, Leland Irving doesn't get a star. Some men just like to watch the world burn. -In fact, Irving saw more shots (52) than there were in the Huntsville-Thunder Bay game combined (41 - 22 for the Lightning and 19 for the victorious Highlanders) -Great game for Kris Russell with three points. -Burmistrov and Galiardi now tie Kyle Wellwood of the Thunderbirds for the league's scoring crown. OTHER SCORES: ODESSA (4-3-0) 4 Kitchener (2-4-1) 3 - SO PRAIRIE DOGS: Caron G (4), A; Smith 2 A, SO Goal; Hackett 40 Saves DUTCHMEN: Sobotka Goal (5), A; Howard 28 Saves HUNTSVILLE (4-2-1) 3 Thunder Bay (3-4-0) 1 HIGHLANDERS: Peverley Goal (7), A; Regin GWG (5) LIGHTNING: Hansen Goal (8)
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Post by International Hockey Club on Aug 14, 2012 16:55:30 GMT -5
Five for Five Kings win Fifth Straight; Conquer CitadelsBy: Logan FitzPatrick Kings Beat Writer LONDON, Ont. - This time, it didn't take a third-period comeback. This time, it didn't take a one-man army. This time, it took teamwork, and everything was working for the Kings on Tuesday. TJ Galiardi scored another pair of goals, and Alexander Burmistrov and captain Lance Bouma chipped in two helpers apiece, and Leland Irving made 39 saves as the Kings trounced the London Citadels 5-2 at the John LaBatt Centre, extending the Kings' win streak to five and completing their second season sweep. The scoring started late in the first. Dmitry Orlov caught Burmistrov on the line change, and fired a saucer pass to his countryman. Burmistrov then found Galiardi, who potted his 8th of the summer league. Like a broken record, Burmistrov to Galiardi, goal. 1-0 Kings.It took only a minute of play in the second for Cleveland to double the lead. Gilbert Brule shot a puck wide, and a scramble ensued. Ondrej Pavelec made two saves before Kris Russell, pinching from the point, fired home a bomb for his second goal in two games. 2-0 Kings.The broken record continued thirteen minutes later, as Burmistrov found Galiardi off the draw. Burmistrov won a faceoff and.....insert generic "Burmistrov to Galiardi" line here. 2nd of the game and 9th of the summer league. 3-0 Kings.A minute later, Irving lost his shutout. Burmistrov took a boneheaded holding penalty, and right off of a draw 14 seconds later, Dominic Moore put it back to Daniel Winnik. Winnik snapped it through traffic for his fourth of summer league. 3-1 Kings, power play goal Citadels.Almost two minutes later, the three-goal lead was restored. Irving played the puck behind his net and scouted the ice for Bouma. Bouma went on a two-on-one with Brule, who would wrist home his second summer league goal. 4-1 Kings.Try as they might, the Kings couldn't get a four-goal lead, and midway through the third, the Cits were back on the board. Zack Kassian - one of two pointless Kings thus far - was lambasted at center ice by Derek Morris. The loose puck went to Philip Larsen, and the Dane found Daniel Paille cutting to the net. Irving was hung out to dry as Paille snuck it past him for his fourth summer league goal. 4-2 Kings.Just over a minute later, the night would be capped off. The Citadels were trying to trap the Kings to create a turnover. However, the patient offense showed again. Dmitry Kulikov banked a pass off the boards, finding an open Casey Cizikas. And did Cizikas ever snipe it! Great way to score your first goal of summer league. 5-2 Kings.That was it, as Irving dominated. The Kings win their fifth game in a row and rise to 6-1-1! They hold a one-point edge on Seattle (who won yet again) for first in the summer league. They'll be back at Quicken Loans Arena on Thursday to host the Kitchener Dutchmen. Game is sold out!! The Citadels fall to 4-4 and continue their fall from first. They do visit the weakling Cambridge Winter Hawks on Thursday, however. NOTES: -Every member of the Kings was either a +1 or +2. No minuses or evens. Incredible. -Christian La Rue: "The Dutchmen may be the second-worst team in the standings, but that kind of attitude - that is, taking them lightly - is the way we'll get our [expletive] handed to us. They've topped the Thunderbirds, taken the Prairie Dogs to a shootout, and kept the Lightning close." OTHER SCORES: Cambridge (2-6-0) 2 SEATTLE (5-1-2) 4 WINTER HAWKS: Ferriero Goal (3); Tootoo Goal (3); Bishop 38 saves THUNDERBIRDS: Wellwood 2 G (5); Talbot, Gragniani 2 A Huntsville (4-3-1) 2 ODESSA (5-3-0) 5 HIGHLANDERS: Peverley 2 G (9); Regin 2 A PRAIRIE DOGS: Wisniewski 4 A; Zubrus 2 G (3); Hackett 20 saves Kitchener (2-5-1) 4 THUNDER BAY (4-4-0) 6 DUTCHMEN: Sobotka Hat Trick (8); Dupuis 4 A LIGHTNING: Dwyer 2 G (5), A; Tyutin Goal (2), A; Greiss 36 saves
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Post by International Hockey Club on Aug 25, 2012 19:39:13 GMT -5
Leland-ing Irving Shut Down For SeasonBy: Logan FitzPatrick Kings Beat Writer With the Kings having essentially clinched a spot in the NSHL's Calder Cup Final against one of London, Seattle, Odessa, or Thunder Bay, the coaching staff had a meeting after the gargantuan 3-1 win over the Thunderbirds on Friday. Early this morning, Justin Fox held a press conference. "As a coaching staff and management core, it is in our best interests to shut down Leland Irving for the season, as to avoid the risk of injury or fatigue biting us for the Calder Cup Final," said Fox. Irving, 24, started 11 games for the Kings, with league highs in wins (8), goals against average (3.14...PI), and save percentage (.912). He likely won't win the Triple Crown of goaltending, with Matt Hackett just a win behind with two games remaining, which he'll likely start. Backup Josh Harding, one of only two backups to start in the Summer League, will start in Thursday's home finale against Thunder Bay and Tuesday's season finale in Kitchener. The other backup to start? The Lightning's Jason LaBarbera. Finals schedule will be released when we find out who the opposition is and who gets home ice (likely the Kings, but you never know....)
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Post by International Hockey Club on Aug 28, 2012 18:10:01 GMT -5
The Waiting Game Kings Await Calder Cup ChallengerBy: Logan FitzPatrick Kings Beat Writer With only eight days left in the NLHS Summer League regular season, the Kings are assured of making the best of seven Calder Cup Final, as they try to land Cleveland's first sports title by an active team since the 1948 Indians. But who will they face? Huntsville and Kitchener, both with 11 points and 2 games remaining, are mathematically eliminated from contention, as are the pitiful Cambridge Winter Hawks, with just 6 points. The most intimidating challenger for the Kings was the Odessa Prairie Dogs, who had defeated them twice early in the campaign. However, Odessa collapsed, losing back-to-back games to cellar-dwelling Cambridge and not-much-better Kitchener, putting them two behind the team to catch, the second place London Citadels, with the Cits owning a game in hand. Therefore, it would take a miracle for the Dogs to make the final. Speaking of the Citadels, they're the league's hottest team other than the Kings, winners of four straight. They had a GARGANTUAN 4-2 win over the pathetic Hawks, and have two remaining: Huntsville on Saturday and a HUGE matchup against Seattle on Labor Day, a matchup that will likely decide the Kings' challenger. The Cits hold the magic #2 spot, with 16 points, but one less game played than the T-Birds. As for Seattle, they had a huge opportunity to throw a wrench into the Kings' plans, but failed with a 3-1 home loss that likely sealed home ice for the Kings in addition to the Finals appearance. They hold a game in hand on the Cits and sit just two back. Thursday is a road game in Thunder Bay, while Monday is the huge matchup against the Cits. If London is victorious, Game 14 will be a must-win for the T-Birds, against the pitiful Winter Hawks. Although unlikely, and nearly impossible, the Thunder Bay Lightning can still pull it off. They'll need to be flawless and have Seattle go 1-2, beating only London, while the Cits lose to Huntsville. The odds are against them, but the Lightning do have a shot. Unfortunately, their schedule isn't exactly giving: they face both the Thunderbirds and Kings in addition to Odessa. However, the odds were against their parent club, Nova Scotia, in the NLHS last season, and they were still just a penalty shot away from the playoffs, so maybe something runs in the family. The season ends on Wednesday and the final will likely start on Friday in Cleveland. Full schedule to be released when the challenger is finalized. For what it's worth, the Kings are a combined 5-0 against the remaining challengers, outscoring them 26-13 in the process (excluding TJ Galiardi's shootout goal against the Thunderbirds).
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Post by drydenshabs on Aug 28, 2012 21:11:44 GMT -5
Not doing too bad for a team that has some very suspect goaltending and sits second last in that statistic lol. I feel like the Oilers of the 80s ya we get scored on a lot we just have the guns to put more behind the oppositions tender thankfully lol.
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Post by International Hockey Club on Sept 15, 2012 16:12:38 GMT -5
OT Heroics Lead to Kings Win; Tied Series Galiardi Nets GWG 14 seconds in
Plain Dealer's Calder Cup Final Coverage[/size] By: Logan FitzPatrick Kings Beat Writer CLEVELAND - Off the heels of a 5-1 loss that put them down 2-1 in the Calder Cup Finals, the Cleveland Kings cancelled yesterday's practice, citing potential fatigue. And boy, did that make a difference in the end. TJ Galiardi's second goal of the night came 14 seconds into sudden death overtime, giving the Kings a 4-3 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds and tying up the series at Quicken Loans Arena. For the second game in a row, the first period was uneventful with no goals. In the mid-second period, the Thunderbirds zapped the crowd's energy. Mark Fistric blocked a Jake Gardiner point shot, and Andrew Gordon kicked the rebound to his stick and snapped it blocker-side on Leland Irving. The goal was reviewed, and ultimately stood, Gordon's third of the finals. 1-0 Thunderbirds.Three minutes later, the Birds found themselves down a man, as Tyler Kennedy roosted in the penalty box. He had just gotten out when the Kings made them pay, as captain Lance Bouma snapped home a rebound of Alexander Burmistrov's blocked shot, which was rejected by Gardiner. Bouma's first of the final. 1-1.A minute and a half later, a barrage of shots was forced on Seattle netminder Allen York. He could only stop so many until the puck became a hot potato, and the eventual hero Galiardi snuck it around York into the lower part of the net. This was Galiardi's third of the Finals. 2-1 Kings.Early in the third, the crashing and banging of the Brule-Bouma-Kassian line would pay off. Bouma covered his man well, giving Brule a huge amount of room and he wristed home his second of the finals. 3-1 Kings.The Thunderbirds weren't going away, however. Three minutes later, with Dmitry Kulikov serving a stupid roughing minor, Kyle Wellwood got his own rebound and beat Leland Irving to the back of the net. Irving was trying to get across the crease, but couldn't, and Wellwood had his fifth of the final (alliteration fascination). 3-2 Kings, power play goal Thunderbirds.10 minutes later, the Kings' D broke down. This gave Josh Bailey way more room than he should have had, and he made them pay for their miscue, going high glove on Irving for his third of the finals. 3-3.The rest of regulation solved nothing, so we required an absolutely CRUCIAL overtime. For the Kings, a goal would tie the series and potentially demoralize the Thunderbirds; a goal against and they would have to win three in a row for the Calder Cup. They would get that goal incredibly quickly. Here was the call. "These fans are fired up as Wellwood wins the draw. He attempts to come up ice - nice poke check there by Kulikov. Long bomb pass, Burmistrov's onside - blocked by McNabb, here's the reb- THEY SCORE! THEY SCORE! THEY SCORE! IT WAS TIPPED! T! J! GALIARDI! SECOND OF THE NIGHT! FIFTH OF THE FINAL! WE'RE ALL TIED UP! KINGS WIN! KINGS WIN! WE ARE GOING BACK TO SEATTLE DEAD EVEN! THE KINGS WIN IN OVERTIME!" 4-3 Kings, end of game.The series is tied 2-2. The next game is on Monday in Seattle in a game that will mean one team will be able to win the Cup on Cleveland ice in Game 6 on Wednesday. To quote the prophecy from Harry Potter: neither can live while the other survives. NOTES: -In his postgame interview, Christian La Rue said that the Kings need to work on their penalty killing, as well as their defense when leading. -The defense was blocking shots as if their lives depended on it - Andrew Murray (a forward), John Moore, Kris Russell, and Mark Fistric blocked three shots each, while the two Dmitries - Kulikov and Orlov - had two each. SERIES AT A GLANCE: Game 1: Kings 6 @ Thunderbirds 7 (SO) Game 2: Kings 9 @ Thunderbirds 3 Game 3: Thunderbirds 5 @ Kings 1 Game 4: Thunderbirds 3 @ Kings 4 (OT) Game 5: Kings @ Thunderbirds - Monday, 8 EDT Game 6: Thunderbirds @ Kings - Wednesday, 8 EDT Game 7*: Kings @ Thunderbirds - Friday, 8 EDT * - if necessary
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