AHL Western Conference Notebook

West Division

CHICAGO WOLVES (Thrashers) -- The Wolves have lost six of their last seven games and have fallen into third in the division with 31 standings points through December 23. ... Chicago's lone victory since December 5 was a 3-1 triumph over the Syracuse Crunch December 13. G Kari Lehtonen stopped 36 shots, including all 20 he faced in the second period, and C Tommi Santala scored twice. Santala and LW Zdenek Blatny each were leading the team with three goals during the month of December. ... The Wolves have converted on only three of their first 45 power-play attempts (6.7 percent) in December but have scored twice in 58 shorthanded situations over the same nine games. ... D Kurtis Foster, who was a league all-star in 2002-03, has not recorded a point while being saddled with a minus-11 rating through the first nine games of December. Foster, who posted 15 goals and 42 points last year, has managed only three goals and eight points through 30 games this season.

CINCINNATI MIGHTY DUCKS (Mighty Ducks) -- Following a season-long, five-game losing streak November 28-December 7, the Mighty Ducks have gone 3-1-1 over their last five. After managing a total of four goals during the losing skid, Cincinnati has scored 19 times over its last five contests. ... RW Cory Pecker had managed only one goal in his first 23 games before striking twice in a 4-3 win over the San Antonio Rampage December 12. Pecker recorded the game-winning goal and an assist in a 6-4 triumph over the Milwaukee Admirals two nights later and tallied again in a 4-2 victory over the Houston Aeros December 19. ... D Mark Popovic was invited to play for his native Canada in the Spengler Cup tournament December 26-31 in Switzerland. Popovic has produced a goal and two assists in 28 games with the Mighty Ducks this season.

GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS (Red Wings) -- The Griffins have won three of their last four games and were atop the West Division with 40 standings points (18-9-4-0) through December 23. ... C Nathan Robinson recorded a natural hat trick within a 9:19 span during a 4-1 victory over the San Antonio Rampage December 17. It was the first professional hat trick for Robinson, who was named Sher-wood AHL Player of the Week for his efforts. Through December 23, Robinson was leading the team with 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists). ... LW Michel Picard supplied a pair of assists in the win over the Rampage to reach the 600-point plateau in his AHL career. Picard was leading the club with 14 assists through December 23. ... D Travis Richards was named the captain for the Western Conference in the AHL All-Star Game to be played in Grand Rapids February 9. ... D Danny Groulx was leading all league defensemen with a plus-13 rating through December 23.

HOUSTON AEROS (Wild) -- Since going 5-13-2-2 over their first 22 games, the Aeros have won eight of their last nine games and have climbed into fourth place in the division with 30 standings points through December 23. ... G Johan Holmqvist posted back-to-back shutouts December 13-16 against the San Antonio Rampage and Norfolk Admirals, respectively. Holmqvist, who enjoyed a scoreless string of 188:07 December 12-17, was in net for each of Houston's six straight victories December 5-17. ... RW Kyle Wanvig has recorded the game-winning goal in each of the last three games he's played, extending his goal-scoring streak to four games December 13-23. Prior to his recent scoring binge, Wanvig had been held without a marker in 11 consecutive games dating back to November 19, when he tallied twice, including the game-winner, in a 3-1 victory over the Grand Rapids Griffins. Wanvig's five game-winning goals were tops in the league through December 23.

MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS (Predators) -- After sustaining their first three-game spell without a standings point December 11-14, the Admirals took their frustrations out on the Chicago Wolves in a home-and-home series December 19-20. LW Simon Gamache, who began the season as a member of the Wolves, recorded a hat trick against his former team as the Admirals prevailed, 7-2, December 19. The next evening, G Wade Flaherty made 31 saves to earn a 3-1 win and help Milwaukee improve to 4-0-0 against Chicago this season and 51-34-1-10 all-time against the Wolves. Flaherty, who has gone 8-2-1 with a 1.81 goals-against average with the Admirals this season, will represent his native Canada in the Spengler Cup tournament in Switzerland December 26-31. ... LW Mathieu Darche put together a four-game points streak (three goals, three assists) December 11-19. Darche was leading the team with nine goals in 27 games through December 23.

SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE (Panthers) -- C Mike Green saw an eight-game point streak (four goals, 10 assists) snapped in a 4-0 loss to the Houston Aeros December 13. During the run, the Calgary native racked up a plus-nine rating and was in a tie for fourth in the AHL with a plus-14 mark through December 23. Green scored twice to lead the Rampage past the Norfolk Admirals, 4-1, December 19, ending San Antonio's three-game slide. ... The Rampage have scored just five goals over their last four games (1-3-0-0) while failing to convert on any of their 15 power-play chances. The squad was 21st in the AHL with a 13.6 success rate on power plays and had 15 goals with a man advantage, tied with two other teams for lowest in the league through December 23. ... G Travis Scott has recorded at least 30 saves in five straight outings and was leading the league in wins (13) and saves (713) through December 23. ... In his 23rd game as a pro, C Petr Taticek netted his first career goal, an unassisted marker early in the third period of the 4-1 win over the Admirals.

UTAH GRIZZLIES (Stars) -- The Grizzlies have gained a standing point in seven of 10 games (5-3-1-1) in December to help tighten the race in the West Division. Through December 23, Utah was in last place with 27 points - only six points behind the second-place Milwaukee Admirals. ... After enduring a 5-0 loss to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers December 14, Utah put together its finest effort of the season in a 6-0 thrashing of the Manchester Monarchs December 19. In the affair, which extended the team's home winning streak to four games, G Dan Ellis made 47 saves in his AHL debut and C Jarrod Skalde registered the Grizzlies' first hat trick in over a year. ... Before allowing an early goal in a 3-2 loss to the Monarchs the next night, Ellis and G Mike Smith helped Utah hold opponents scoreless for a 179:21 span over the four straight wins at home. The Grizzlies outscored their opponents, 18-2, over the course of the streak. ... Since beginning the season 2-5-0 and getting burned for six goals on two occasions, Smith has gone 5-1-0 with a goals-against average of 1.67. ... Skalde added two assists in the loss to Manchester and another as in a 2-1 setback against the Houston Aeros December 23, stretching his points streak at home to seven games (six goals, five assists), the longest current run in the league.

North Division

CLEVELAND BARONS (Sharks) -- RW Miroslav Zalesak registered a hat trick and two assists to spark a 7-2 victory over the Manitoba Moose December 13. The 23-year-old Slovakian, who was second in the league with 35 points, has put together an eight-game points streak (six goals, seven assists) through December 23. In a 2-1 loss to the Hershey Bears December 19, Zalesak scored 18 seconds into the game. ... In the big win vs. the Moose, which matched the club's highest scoring output of the year, LW Lynn Loyns became the sixth player in the AHL this season to record four assists in one game ... The Barons have lost three straight at home, dropping their mark to 6-8-1-2 in Gund Arena. Away from Cleveland, the team has gone 7-2-2-2, posting the fewest road losses of any team except the league-leading Bridgeport Sound Tigers. ... The Barons have not won in seven overtime games this year (0-0-4-3). ... Cleveland has won the last seven games in which C Brad Boyes has recorded a point and has gone 10-2-2-2 overall when the 21-year-old gets on the scoresheet. ... With a 32-save shutout of the rival Rochester Americans December 23, G Seamus Kotyk has produced a 1.34 goals-against average and a .963 save percentage over his last three games.

HAMILTON BULLDOGS (Canadiens) -- Despite a two-game slide, the Bulldogs have posted 19 wins and 41 points, both second in the AHL, and were leading the North Division by six standing points through December 23. The club has won a league-high 12 games at home. ... G Jean-Francois Damphousse made 25 saves and five different players scored as Hamilton blanked the Rochester Americans, 5-0, December 19. The win extended Damphousse's winning streak to six straight games, during which 24-year-old has posted a 1.82 goals-against average. ... Since a late goal by LW Gordie Dwyer in the triumph over the Americans, the Bulldogs have been held scoreless in two straight games, failing on 57 shots on goal. ... After a 4-4 tie with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks December 17, Hamilton had a circuit-best 5-1-2 overtime record and has not lost in seven straight contests that reached the extra period. ... Before the back-to-back shutouts, RW Josef Balej had seven goals, six assists and a plus-8 rating over eight games, vaulting the 21-year-old Slovakian into fifth place in the AHL with 30 points.

MANITOBA MOOSE (Canucks) -- G Tyler Moss had a franchise-record, 177:32 scoreless streak snapped in a 4-3 loss to the Grand Rapids Griffins December 21. The run began after the Ottawa native surrendered a second-period goal during a 6-1 win over the Cleveland Barons December 16. Moss proceeded to post consecutive shutouts over his next two starts before allowing the goal vs. the Griffins. ... The loss to Grand Rapids ended the Moose's second three-game winning streak of the year, a surge that pushed the team into fifth place in the North Division with 30 standing points. ... C Brandon Nolan registered his first AHL goal in the win over the Barons. ... On a recent six-game road trip, Manitoba finished 4-2-0-0, evening its road mark at 7-7-1-1. ... In a 5-4, overtime victory over the Syracuse Crunch December 12, C Fedor Fedorov had two goals and one assist and D Nolan Baumgartner notched his third goal of the year 1:54 into overtime to end the affair. ... F Ryan Kesler will join Team USA for the World Junior Championships this week in Finland.

ROCHESTER AMERICANS (Sabres) -- The Americans' games remain the lowest scoring in the league as the team has managed just 2.03 goals per game while allowing only 2.13 to its opponents. Three of Rochester's last four contests have seen a shutout. G Tom Askey earned a 32-save shutout vs. the Hamilton Bulldogs December 21. ... LW Jason Botterill netted a pair of goals, including the game-winner with just over 12 minutes to play, to key a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Roadrunners December 13, improving the squad's mark to 4-0-1-0 vs. the last-place squad. In the five meetings between the two teams, Toronto has been held to four total goals. ... RW Jason Pominville notched two power-play goals, including the game-winner, and added an assist as Rochester topped the Cleveland Barons, 5-2, December 20. Pominville was leading the Americans with 25 points and has excelled on the power play with nine goals, second most in the AHL. ... Rochester remains one of six teams without a win in overtime (0-3-4) as opponents have outshot the Americans, 27-14, in the extra period.

ST. JOHN'S MAPLE LEAFS (Maple Leafs) -- The Maple Leafs followed a stretch of three wins in 11 games with a 5-2-0-0 run and moved into second place in the division with 35 points. ... C Harold Druken received Sher-wood AHL Player of the Week honors for the period ending December 15 after finishing the previous week with three goals and six assists. The 24-year-old saw his 11-game points streak (11 goals, 10 assists) - the longest in the league this year - come to an end in a 2-1 loss to the Syracuse Crunch December 20. ... Through December 23, St. John's has scored a league-high 96 goals and has been scored upon 103 times, also tops in the circuit. ... LW Robb Palahnuk netted a shorthanded tally in a 2-1 defeat of the Hershey Bears December 21. Three of the 23-year-old's four goals this year have been of of the shorthanded variety. Palahnuk was leading the league with five shorthanded points through December 23. ... After registering just one assist in his previous 11 games, D Carlo Colaiacovo has produced a four-game assist streak (one goal, five assists). ... D Brendan Bell will join Canada as it defends its title in the 77th Spengler Cup tournament in Switzerland, beginning December 26.

SYRACUSE CRUNCH (Blue Jackets) -- One of five teams in the division to own a winning record, the Crunch were in sixth place with 29 standing points through December 23. ... RW Kent McDonell scored early in the third period to snap a tie and lead Syracuse to a 2-1 victory over the St. John's Maple Leafs, ending the team's four-game winless streak (0-1-1-2). In just five games with the Crunch, McDonell has four goals and four assists while providing a pair of game-winners. ... RW Tim Jackman, who was leading Syracuse with eight goals, made his NHL debut with Columbus December 20, skating for 10:39 and putting one shot on net in a 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild. Jackman was returned to the Crunch four days later. ... RW Ben Knopp recorded his first AHL multiple-point game with a goal and an assist, helping Syracuse earn a 4-4 tie vs. the Philadelphia Phantoms December 19. ... After allowing just the one goal and making 22 saves over the final two periods in the win over the Maple Leafs, G Karl Goehring improved to 3-3-0 with a goals-against average of 1.68 over his last six outings. ... C Brad Moran supplied five helpers in a four-game assist streak and was leading the club in that category with 16 through December 23.

TORONTO ROADRUNNERS (Oilers) -- Struggling to reach 10 wins, the Roadrunners have dropped four in a row and were in last place, six points behind the Syracuse Crunch through December 23. ... A 3-2 loss to the Rochester Americans to begin the slide broke a season-high, four-game points streak (3-0-0-1). ... After 31 games, rookie D Jeff Woywitka notched his first AHL goal in a 5-3 loss to the St. John's Maple Leafs December 19. Woywitka was acquired December 16 in a trade that sent hold-out C Mike Comrie to the Philadelphia Flyers. ... D Igor Ulanov, a veteran of 660 NHL games, signed a professional tryout contract with Toronto December 15 and provided three assists in his first three games with the team. ... D Doug Lynch recently registered his first two career multiple-point games. The 20-year-old assisted on three scores in a 5-1 victory over the Chicago Wolves, helping the Roadrunners record their largest margin of victory of the season. Lynch was the bright spot in the loss to the Maple Leafs, leading Toronto with a goal and an assist. ... The triumph vs. the Wolves was the Roadrunners' first against the West Division this year (1-6-1-0). ... LW Jani Rita has recorded a five-game points streak on the road (one goal, four assists).

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