AHL Western Conference Notebook

West Division

CHICAGO WOLVES (Atlanta Thrashers) -- After being held to one goal or less in six of their previous nine December games, the Wolves have averaged 3.57 goals over their last seven en route to a 4-1-2-0 record and regaining second place in the division. ... G Kari Lehtonen has gone 3-1-1 over his last five starts with a 1.70 goals-against average and a .947 save percentage. The 20-year-old earned his first career shutout with 24 stops in a 4-0 triumph over the Utah Grizzlies December 27. Lehtonen also stopped 38-of-39 shots in a 4-1 win over the Grand Rapids Griffins January 2 to earn his 12th win, tied for third in the AHL through January 6. ... Rookie C Karl Stewart has produced eight points in his last seven games, including a career-best three points in a 5-4 loss to the Toronto Roadrunners January 4. Through January 6, the Ontario native was tied for sixth among AHL rookies with 21 points (five goals, 16 assists) and was leading the league in plus/minus rating (plus-19). ... D Kurtis Foster has posted four goals and two assists over his last seven games and was leading AHL defensemen with five power-play goals through January 6.

CINCINNATI MIGHTY DUCKS (Anaheim Mighty Ducks) -- The Mighty Ducks have just one win in their last five games (1-2-1-1) and were tied for fifth in the division with 32 standings points. ... Rookie C Joffrey Lupul produced five points over a pair of games against the San Antonio Rampage. The 20-year-old assisted on a goal in a 5-4 loss San Antonio on January 3, but finished with four points in the rematch, a 5-2 win on January 4. The 2002 first-rounder netted the game-winning goal with 5:03 to play and score twice over the next 4:01 to produce his first career hat trick. Before being reassigned to Cincinnati January 2, the Alberta native had 14 points in 34 games with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks ... LW Chris Kunitz finished December with four goals and four assists to earn the Mighty Ducks' Player of the Month award. In the weekend series with the Rampage, the rookie out of Ferris State University produced six points (one goal, five assists), including a career-best five points in the victory on January 4. Through January 6, Kunitz was leading Cincinnati with 27 points and was second among AHL rookies with 11 goals.

GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS (Detroit Red Wings) -- After posting back-to-back wins December 26-27, the Griffins lost a season-high three consecutive games December 31-January 3 and were outscored, 12-1, over that span. ... C Nathan Robinson continued the strong play that earned him a spot on the Canadian AHL All-Star roster, scoring in a 3-0 victory over the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks December 26 and tallying twice, including the game-winner, in the 4-1 rematch win December 27. Through January 6, the second-year pro has scored nine of his team-leading 13 goals over the last 10 games, including his team's lone tally during the three-game losing streak. ... G Marc Lamothe stopped 29 shots in the 3-0 win over Cincinnati December 26 to earn his third shutout. The veteran netminder was tied for sixth in the circuit with a 1.94 goals-against average through January 6. ... The Griffins were 5-5-0-0 in their last 10 games and their division-leading 44 points were just three ahead of the second-place Chicago Wolves through January 6.

HOUSTON AEROS (Minnesota Wild) -- The Aeros have earned at least one standings point in 14 of their last 16 games and have recorded a 1-1-5-0 record since Christmas. ... G Johan Holmqvist and G Kyle Kettles posted a combined 2.16 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage in seven starts December 26-January 4. Despite earning just two ties, Kettles posted a 1.39 GAA and stopped 52-of-55 shots, including an AHL career-best 33 saves in a 2-2 tie vs. the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks January 2. ... RW Kyle Wanvig, who was named to the Canadian AHL All-Star Team January 7, has scored five of his team-leading 15 goals in the last seven games through January 6. The 22-year-old scored the decisive goal for the fourth consecutive game in a 2-1 win over the San Antonio Rampage December 26. Two nights later he buried the final two goals in a 3-3 tie vs. Chicago Wolves and scored twice more over the next two contests to record his ninth goal in 10 games December 13-January 3. Wanvig was second in the AHL with six game-winning goals through January 6. ... Coach Todd McLellan was selected to coach the Canadian All-Star squad at the 2004 AHL All-Star game in Grand Rapids, Michigan February 9.

MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS (Nashville Predators) -- After dropping a 4-1 decision to the Chicago Wolves December 26, the Admirals produced a four-game unbeaten streak (3-0-1-0) December 27-January 3 while averaging 5.25 goals per game. ... RW Darren Haydar, who scored a rookie-best 75 points in 2002-03, has collected five goals and three assists over the last five games. The 5-9 Ontario native produced a goal and an assist in a 6-2 win over the Cleveland Barons January 2 and added a pair of goals the next night in a 7-0 thumping of the Grand Rapids Griffins. Through January 6, Haydar was leading Milwaukee in goals (11) and points (23). ... C Greg Classen has produced three multi-point efforts in the last four games, scoring three goals and supplying four assists. The Ontario native matched a season-high with three points in a 5-2 win over the Utah Grizzlies December 30 and has posted six goals and 12 assists through January 6. ... G Chris Mason, G Greg Hewitt and G Brian Finley combined for a 3-0 record last week and produced a 1.33 goals-against average and a .955 save percentage. ... Veteran C Tony Hrkac has scored in three straight games December 30-January 3, scoring four goals, including a game-winner against Grand Rapids.

SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE (Florida Panthers) -- The Rampage have just one win in their last five games (1-3-1-0) and were tied with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks for fifth in the conference with 32 standings points. ... LW Eric Beaudoin, who was selected to the Canadian AHL All-Star Team January 7, produced five points over his last five games, including a team-leading four goals. After notching the lone goal in a 2-1 loss to the Houston Aeros December 26, the 23-year-old tallied again in a 4-3 loss to the Rochester Americans January 2 and matched a season high with two goals in a 5-4 overtime win against the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks the next day. Through January 6, Beaudoin was tied for seventh in the AHL with 34 points, including a team-leading 13 goals and 21 assists. ... C Vaclav Nedorost, who has played 15 games with the Florida Panthers this season, has collected four points over his last two games. In the overtime win against Cincinnati, the 21-year-old scored a go-ahead goal in the second period, assisted on a goal in the third and beat G Ilya Bryzgalov 119 seconds into the overtime to clinch the win and a season-high three points.

UTAH GRIZZLIES (Dallas Stars) -- The Grizzlies were 1-3-1-0 during the first five games of an eight-game road trip December 27-January 10 and were last in the West Division with 30 standings points through January 6. ... Utah has posted a 5-10-2-0 record on the road, getting outscored, 54-29, away from the "E" Center. ... 2001 first-rounder G Jason Bacashihua produced a 1.44 goals-against average and a .960 save percentage in two starts. In a 1-0 victory over the Grand Rapids Griffins December 31, the 21-year-old stopped all 37 shots to earn his second shutout this season. In his third season, Bacashihua has produced a .908 save percentage and a 2.61 goals-against average through January 6. ... After playing in 16 games with the Dallas Stars, RW Mathias Tjarnqvist rejoined Utah and recorded a goal in three consecutive games December 30-January 2. The 24-year-old rookie, who spent the previous four seasons in the Swedish Elite League, netted the game-winner in the third period against Grand Rapids January 1 and added a goal in a 3-3 tie vs. the Manitoba Moose January 2.

North Division

CLEVELAND BARONS (San Jose Sharks) -- The Barons have managed just two wins in their last six games (2-3-1-0), but were in fourth place in the North Division with 38 standings points through January 6. ... The Barons, who have posted an 8-4-3-2 record while averaging 3.00 goals per game on the road, opened a six-game road trip with a 6-4 loss to the Syracuse Crunch January 4. From December 21-January 18, the schedule has Cleveland playing 11 of its 13 games away from Gund Arena. ... RW Miroslav Zalesak has scored a goal in four consecutive games and was tied for second in the league with 42 points (20 goals, 22 assists) through January 6. The 23-year-old recorded his second hat trick, including his team-leading third game-winner, in a 5-2 win over the Manitoba Moose December 31. Zalesak scored once in each of the next three games and has at least one point in 13 of his last 14 games, collecting 12 goals and eight assists. ... Rookie D Garrett Stafford has produced six points during a three-game scoring streak and was fourth among AHL defensemen with 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) through January 6. The Los Angeles native, who was also tied for sixth among rookies in scoring, matched a career high with three points in the loss to Syracuse January 4.

HAMILTON BULLDOGS (Montreal Canadiens) -- The Bulldogs have recorded just two wins in their last seven games (2-2-3-0), but were still atop the North Division with 48 standings points through January 6. ... RW Jozef Balej scored seven goals and assisted on two others in seven games December 26-January 3. The 21-year-old matched a franchise record with four goals in a 4-2 triumph over the St. John's Maple Leafs December 28, four years to the day that Joe Hulbig established the record against St. John's. Through January 6, the Slovakia native was fourth in the league in scoring with 39 points (21 goals, 18 assists). ... Rookie RW Alexander Perezhogin has produced five goals and three assists in his last seven games through January 6. A first-round selection (25th overall) of the Montreal Canadiens in 2001, the 20-year-old netted a pair of goals, including the game-tying marker with 59 seconds left in regulation, in a 2-2 tie with the Syracuse Crunch December 26. In a 5-2 win over St. John's the next day, Perezhogin assisted on a first-period tally by D Ron Hainsey and scored the next two goals, including the game-winner.

MANITOBA MOOSE (Vancouver Canucks) -- The Moose have earned a standings point in four of their last seven games (2-3-2), but were in sixth place in the division with 36 standings points. ... C Brandon Nolan, the son of former Buffalo Sabres' coach Ted Nolan, had four goals and three assists during a six-game scoring streak December 26-January 3. The 20-year-old buried both game-winning goals for Manitoba over that span, scoring the decisive goal in a 4-2 win over the Cleveland Barons December 29 and in a 4-2 victory over the Utah Grizzlies January 3. ... Rookie C Ryan Kesler, who had nine points for the Moose through January 6, finished with three goals for the gold medal-winning USA squad at the 2004 World Junior Championships in Finland. ... G Tyler Moss started his franchise record 16th consecutive game in a 4-2 loss at the St. John's Maple Leafs January 6, the first of a season-high eight consecutive games away from Winnipeg Arena. During his 16 straight starts, the veteran netminder has posted a 7-7-2 record with a 2.70 goals-against average and an .899 save percentage.

ROCHESTER AMERICANS (Buffalo Sabres) -- The Americans are unbeaten in five consecutive games (4-0-1-0) and were second in the division with 42 standings points through January 6. ... C Domenic Pittis has produced a five-game scoring streak, including back-to-back three-point efforts. The 29-year-old assisted on three goals in a 4-2 win over the Albany River Rats December 26 and earned a helper on two more goals the next night before scoring the game-winner - his first of the season - with 3:42 left regulation of a 5-4 win over the Toronto Roadrunners. Through January 6, Pittis was ranked second on the team with 26 points (six goals, 20 assists). ... LW Milan Bartovic scored in three consecutive games December 27-January 2, burying the decisive goal in both the 4-2 win over the Syracuse Crunch December 28 and in the 4-3 victory over the San Antonio Rampage January 2. The Buffalo Sabres' second-round pick in 1999 was tied for second on the team with nine goals, including five game winners, through January 6. ... During the five-game winning streak, Rochester's power play has converted 27 percent of their attempts (6-for-22). Through January 6, their power play was ranked seventh in the league converting on 15.5 percent of their chances.

ST. JOHN'S MAPLE LEAFS (Toronto Maple Leafs) -- Despite losing four of their last seven games, the Maple Leafs were third in the North Division with 39 standings point through January 6. ... St. John's finished their seven-game road trip with a 3-4-0-0 record, losing three of the final four games December 27-January 3. ... C Aaron Gavey has scored a goal in three consecutive games, including both tallies in a 4-2 loss to the Hamilton Bulldogs December 28. The Ontario native, who has four goals over that span, was ranked third on the team with 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists) through January 6. ... C Kyle Wellwood has scored two goals and assisted on another during a three-game scoring streak January 2-6. The 20-year-old was leading St. John's and all AHL rookies with 30 points (seven goals, 23 assists) through January 6. ... Rookie D Carlo Colaiacovo and Wellwood were both selected to the Canadian AHL All-Star Team January 7.

SYRACUSE CRUNCH (Columbus Blue Jackets) -- The Crunch have just one loss in their last six games and were unbeaten in four straight through January 6 (3-0-1-0). ... C Mark Hartigan produced seven goals and one assist during a four-game scoring streak through January 6. The St. Cloud State product matched a franchise record with four goals, including the game-winner, in a 7-4 victory over the Albany River Rats January 3. Hartigan has produced a team-leading 14 goals and collected 12 assists in 33 games before getting recalled to the Columbus Blue Jackets January 6. ... Rookie RW Joe Motzko, who played with Hartigan at St. Cloud, recorded a career-high four points (one goal, three assists) in the win over Albany. Motzko has produced 20 points through January 6, including two goals and five assists over his last three games. ... D Aaron Johnson, who will represent Syracuse on the Canadian AHL All-Star Team, has collected three assists in five games since being returned from a three-game stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The rookie blueliner has scored four goals and supplied 10 assists through January 6. ... C Brad Moran has scored three goals in his last four games, including the decisive markers in both the 3-2 win over the Hamilton Bulldogs January 2 and the 6-4 triumph over the Cleveland Barons January 4.

TORONTO ROADRUNNERS (Edmonton Oilers) -- The Roadrunners have posted a 3-2-2-0 record in their last seven games and were last in the division with 31 standings points through January 6. ... Rookie D Doug Lynch, who was recalled to the Edmonton Oilers for a pair of games January 2-4, was the lone Roadrunner chosen for the Canadian AHL All-Star team. The 6-3, British Columbia native was among the leading scorers for both rookies and defensemen with 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) through January 6. ... Leading scorer LW Jamie Wright has collected six assists over his last four games, including a season-high three helpers in a 3-1 victory over the Hamilton Bulldogs December 30. Through January 6, the Ontario native has already matched an AHL career-high with 11 goals and also assisted on 15 others in 37 games. ... C Chad Hinz has produced eight points in his last nine games, including a season-high, six-game scoring streak December 19-30. The 24-year-old netted his first game-winner in the victory over Hamilton December 30. ... G Stephen Valiquette stopped a season-high 49 shots in a 2-2 tie at Hamilton January 3 and had started a franchise-record eight consecutive games and 12 of 13 overall through January 6.

© 2003 SportsTicker Enterprises, LP