#raphael bussieres

The Quad City Mallards lost to the Wichita Thunder in overtime last night, the final score being 3-2. Former Mallard Miles Koules scored the winning goal.

The first period began well for the Mallards, taking a 2-0 lead within the first five minutes. Vladimir Nikiforov rifled the puck past Adrien Lemay while on the powerplay with help from Olivier Archambault and Jordan Knackstedt. This was Knackstedt’s first point as a Mallard in his second game.

With just five seconds left on the penalty kill, Matt Neal raced down the ice with the puck and sent it careening behind Lemay. Matt Carey picked up an assist on Neal’s goal.

Dominec Alberga put the Thunder on the board with help from Ian Lowe after an errant pass in front of the Mallards’ crease.

Dan Milan and Raphael Bussieres dropped the gloves at 15:16 of the first period, Bussieres winning decidedly. Milan had appeared to have the upper hand towards the beginning of the bout, but after Bussieres got a very hard hit in, the Mallard had the advantage. Bussieres is reported to have an upper body injury from the altercation, as he was seen at the auction to have a wrist wrap on.

The second period the Mallards came out playing like a team already out of the playoffs; their passing had no control and they did not chase the action. Alberga took advantage of the lackluster defense present and scored again at 6:25 on assists from Michael Neal and Dalton Reum. 

Anthony Collins and Martin Nemcik engaged in a minor match of fisticuffs during the second period, but it had no real passion.

The third period then devolved into pond hockey, no real structure being present. 

The winning goal came 25 seconds into the overtime period, Koules receiving help from Christian Isackson and Milan.

The three stars of the game were

WIC - 10 Koules

WIC - 30 Lemay

QC - 1 P.J. Musico 

For the first time in nearly a month, the Quad City Mallards grabbed two points in a single game on the road. The Mallards defeated the Tulsa Oilers 4-3 in overtime in the second of two back-to-back games against the Oklahoma-based team tonight.

The first period was scoreless, with only one minor penalty occurring. Tulsa was saving its strength for the second period, when they scored two power-play goals within five minutes. Dan DeSalvo scored the first Tulsa goal, while Axel Blomqvist scored the second.

Matt Carey scored his own power-play goal at 4:19 of the third period to end Kevin Carr’s shut-out. Guillaume Gelinas and Jake Baker assisted on Carey’s goal. Raphael Bussieres tied the game with help from Austin Coldwell and Matt Neal just over halfway through the final period, also on the power-play.

With just over four minutes left in the game Carey gave the Mallards their first lead in the game, Bussieres and Mike Monfredo assisting.

Connor Kucera tied the game with under a minute left after pulling their goalie and being on the power-play as a result of Neal’s hooking call.

Bussieres won the game after putting home a rebound in the left hand circle while on a power-play.

Penalties were a costly thing for the Mallards tonight, all of the goals that made their way past Brody Hoffman came while on the power-play.

Hoffman made 19 saves tonight for Carr’s 33.

The three stars of the game were

QC - 28 Bussieres

QC - 27 Carey

TUL - 11 DeSalvo

The Quad City Mallards were defeated by the Cincinnati Cyclones in overtime tonight 3-2.

Raphael Bussieres and Tommy Mele dropped the gloves, exchanging rights before tumbling to the ice.

The Mallards took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission, Kevin Henderson and Vladimir Nikiforov the goal scorers.

Jake Baker and Seth Ambroz fought at 7:22 of the middle frame, Zach Budish ending Brody Hoffman’s shut-out bid just 90 seconds later.

Mele tied the game with just over four and a half minutes to go in the game, leading to an overtime which would last 2:16.

Jack Downing won the game on the Cyclones’ 42nd shot on goal. The Mallards only had 14 shots on goal, including their two in the overtime period. The fact that they were able to score two goals on only 12 shots in regulation is a great surprise.

The three stars of the game were

CIN - 19 Downing

CIN - 18 Mele

CIN - 24 Budish

The Quad City Mallards beat the Evansville Icemen 6-4 tonight in a comeback win to split the home-and-home series began last night.

This game was even more aggressive than last night’s at the iWireless Center, a combined 16 infractions being called on both teams. At 17:34 of the first period Raphael Bussieres and Andrew Himelson dropped the gloves.

The Mallards took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission off goals from Anthony Collins and Matt Carey. Carey’s tally came on a powerplay after Nathan Moon had been called for goaltender interference at the same time as Bussieres’ fight. Moon also received a ten minute misconduct, as well as a matching roughing call against Mike Monfredo.

Five goals were scored during the second period, three by the home team to put them in the lead before Ryan Tesink tied the game at three a piece. Alex Wideman, Alex Guptill, and Vincent Dunn scored the Icemen goals during that stretch. Vladimir Nikiforov gave the Mallards the go-ahead goal at 14:17 of the middle frame with help from Monfredo.

Brady Brassart scored his first goal as a Mallard at 11:20 of the final frame, Nikiforov and Alex Gudbranson assisting. Carey then scored on the empty net after Coach Al Sims pulled Matt Zenzola when the Indiana team was down 5-3.

Mike Duco scored at 18:11 with help from Chris Rumble, but the Icemen were unable to score again.

The three stars of the game were

QC - 71 Nikiforov

QC - 7 Austin Coldwell

EVN - 11 Guptill

The only two Quad City Mallards who played a full 60 minute game tonight against the Indy Fuel were Steve Michalek and Raphael Bussieres in the 2-1 Mallards victory.

The Mallards seemed to be tentative and unable to complete crisp passes throughout most of the game, the third period being their strongest. The Mallards seem to have Edmontonitis, having lots of talent but often unable to showcase that talent. Michalek made many strong saves to give the Mallards a victory that rests squarely in his glove.

Cody Sharib scored the lone Fuel goal at 15:35 of the first period from Garett Bembridge and Alex Lavoie.

Raphael Bussieres tied the game at 18:07 from Olivier Archambault and Austin Coldwell. The puck hit the underside of the water bottle through the twine of the net, just past the goalline.

Sam Warning scored his first career goal at 18:46 of the second period, Jake Baker and Vladimir Nikiforov.

The three stars of the game were

QC - 31 Michalek

QC - 14 Warning

IND - 50 Shane Owen

The aggressive play from the Quad City Mallards’ home opener carried over to the second match-up of the Tulsa Oilers and Mallards tonight.

Although no fights broke out, there were several heated conversations and shoving matches on the ice. Raphael Bussieres was one of the main participants of these extra-curriculars, but only received two minutes for a cross-check in the first period for his trouble.

Logan Nelson scored the first Mallard goal on the Marsh for this season at 6:48 of the first period, Miles Koules assisting.

With a minute and six seconds remaining in the first period Brian Nugent put Tulsa on the board. Brandon Wong and Adam Pleskach received points on Nugent’s goal as well.

At 2:46 of the middle frame Koules scored his own goal, receiving help from Darren McMillan and Sam Warning.

Phil Brewer tied the game at 7:51 of the second period from Dennis Brown and Dan DeSalvo. Bussieres was unhappy with the score, getting in the face of one of the Tulsa players.

Guillaume Gelinas gave the Mallards the lead again in the second period while on a powerplay, falling to his knees as he took the shot. Nelson and Mike Monfredo assisted on Gelinas’ second goal of the season.

Bussieres scored 14:37 of the final period from Olivier Archambault and McMillan. This was Bussieres’ first goal as a Mallard. Bussieres then scored again on an empty net with 19.1 seconds left, Archambault and McMillan assisting once more.

The three stars of the game were

QC - 12 Koules

QC - 9 Nelson

QC - 28 Bussieres