Rivermen Report: The Two Week Edition
I am very, very bad. Naughty blogger, shirking his duties in the face of real life things. Shouldn’t I know better? I should. So here is the two week long version of what happened in Peoria.
Since this is the two week version we’re going to skip the day-by-day recap and just hit what is important.
What happened over the last two weeks that has Peoria excited? Games. Six of them. The AHL revised its schedule down to 76 game from 80 in an effort to help relieve some of the stresses of the grind. They promised no more 4 games in 5 nights, and a limited amount of the taxing 3-in-3s. Well, the Rivermen just got doing two of the 3-in-3s back to back weekends, and have seven more of them on the schedule waiting for us.
10/21: RIVERMEN 5 – San Antonio 0 (box score)
+ Bishop gets the nod and shuts out SA. This is good because Bishop didn’t look so great in the opening weekend, and in the one game in Charlotte where we salvaged a point he looked slightly average. So for him to come in and shut out SA is a sign of things to come.
10/22: Rivermen 5 – TEXAS 6 (OT) (box score)
- Speaking of goaltenders, Jake Allen starts and is replaced by Bishop. I was on the road this weekend, and I only passingly got to hear this game, but it is starting to be obvious that there is something wrong with Allen’s game. He’ll bounce back, for sure, but right now he is struggling.
+ The offense puts up another five spot. This is going to be a trend too.
- There was some sort of scrum at the end of the game, with a match penalty given to Stefan Della Rovere (rumor has it there was a bite or spitting or somesuch) who promptly got suspended for One Game of Shame™
10/23: Chicago 2 – RIVERMEN 5 (box score)
+ See that? 5 MORE goals. That’s 15 for the weekend. We’re not done yet.
+ Bishop gets the start and looked really good in front of the home crowd. Chicago, bless their little hearts, were never really in this game.
- I’ve been saying it all year, and I might as well say it here. The Rivermen are decidedly stupid when it comes to taking penalties. We kill more of our own PP chances than the opposing team because we’ll take a penalty right in the middle of the PP. We’re giving up 6-8 powerplay chances a game against us. Our PK has done it right, so far, but I can tell it is starting to wear us down.
On 10/26 Chase Polacek was sent to Alaska (ECHL). No real surprise here, I think that he’s going to be happier with his time down there. He scored in his Aces’ debut, so he seems to be just fine.
10/27: Texas 3 – RIVERMEN 5 (box score)
+ There’s that number five again!
- Texas was down 3-0 at the end of the first. They were tied 3-3 at the end of the second.
+ The tie didn’t last. The Rivermen come back and win this game in solid fashion.
10/28: ROCKFORD 6 – Rivermen 4 (box score)
-This was a crapfest from beginning to end. There is very little about this game I liked.
- Jake Allen in net again, and once more he did not look good.
+ But I did get to chat with Keith Tkachuk. If you ever get a chance to talk to him do yourself a favor and do so. He is a very open and welcoming person, and so is his son by-the-by who was very kind and patient in having people come up to talk to his dad. You can read my very short conversation with Tkachuk at The Rivermen Blog.
10/29: RIVERMEN 5 – Rockford 2 (box score)
+ The revenge!
+ Look ma, more goals!
So over two weeks the Rivermen went 4-1-1 taking 9 out of 11 possible points. That is a great run. I will take that anytime.
What I really like right now is the play of Ben Bishop. Now I am on record as not being the biggest Bishop fan, but he is impressive at the moment. He’s really playing as if he wants to be in STL now and not wait until Halak and Elliott sort things out.
Another guy to keep on your radar right now is Adam Cracknell. The guy is playing at a point per game level, and has no off switch. Even in the first two weeks of the year, when the Rivermen were – frankly – not that good he was out there going 110%. He’s not flashy, he won’t make a top tier NHL line, but he’s the kind of guy you need to really keep the momentum on your side. When he is on the ice he knows what to do, and I personally think that he’s been the MVP through the first ten games.
The Rivermen are back in action this weekend with ANOTHER 3 in 3.
11/3 Chicago at Rivermen
11/4 Chicago at Rivermen (really? They are only 2hrs away…)
11/5 Milwaukee at Rivermen (here is a chance for some opening night payback)
As always you can keep up with the day to day stuff over at The Rivermen Blog. Keep up with me on Twitter @LetsGoRivs or on Facebook.
