IDAHO STEELHEADS WEEKLY – WEEK 7 – 12/3/24

BOISE, ID – The Idaho Steelheads (@Steelheads), proud ECHL (@ECHL) affiliate of the Dallas Stars (@DallasStars), picked up four out of a possible six points last week in Boise and now have won four of their last five games as they head north of the border this week. 

THIS WEEK’S GAMES  
Wednesday, Dec.4 at Trois-Rivières | 5 p.m. (MT)                           
Friday, Dec. 6 at Trois-Rivières | 5 p.m. (MT)
Saturday, Dec. 7 at Trois-Rivières | 1 p.m. (MT) 

OH CANADA
The Trois-Rivières Lions entered the ECHL during the 2021-22 season and are currently third place in the North Division with a (9-3-2) overall record. The two club’s met last season for the first ever time as Idaho took game one of the best of three series on Mar. 13 by a final score of 2-1 in overtime with Francesco Arcuri providing the overtime winner. Two nights later Zachary Émond helped lead the Lions to a 5-0 victory where he made 23 saves and then Trois-Rivières took the series the next night with a 5-4 shootout win. 

Prior to last season the Steelheads had not been to Canada since the 2010-11 season. Idaho played the Victoria Salmon Kings in Canada 33 times from 2004-11 posting a (25-7-1) record. Last year the Steelheads went (2-1-0) to start their Canadian road trip in Newfoundland before heading to Trois-Rivières.

Patrick Kudla and Matt Register led the way on the trip with two goals and four assists each while A.J. White, Ty Pelton-Byce, Lynden McCallum, and Nick Canade each scored twice and provided an assist. 

Brendan Hoffmann who played parts of the last two seasons with the Reading Royals scored in his first game against the Lions on Dec. 16, 2022, his third career goal, and has played 11 career games vs. Trois-Rivières scoring two goals and four assists. Thomas Caron played 17 games with Trois-Rivières during the 2021-22 season collecting three goals and four assists, scoring a goal in his ECHL debut on Feb. 10, 2023 at Maine. Pelton-Byce notched two assists in his ECHL debut on Oct. 21, 2021 at Trois-Rivières while playing with Newfoundland and scored one goal and three assists in five games vs. the Lions during that season. Jade Miller played three games against the Lions as a member of the South Carolina Stingrays during the 2021-22 campaign. 

The Steelheads have 14 current players on their roster from Canada including two players from Quebec; Romain Rodzinski (Blainville) and Thomas Caron (Candiac). 

LAST WEEK’S GAMES
Wednesday, Nov. 27 
Idaho (3) vs. Tahoe (7)
Highlights
Full Recap 
Box Score
C.J. Walker tied the game at 1-1 midway through the second period, but the Knight Monsters re-took the lead 18 seconds later and shortly thereafter made it 3-1. A.J. White pulled it to a 3-2 deficit with 54 seconds left in the middle frame before Tahoe tacked on four goals in the first half of the third period taking a 6-2 advantage. Connor MacEachern scored with 5:03 left in regulation before Tahoe’s Chris Dodero capped off a hat-trick with one minute to play for a 7-3 Knight Monsters win. 

Friday, Nov. 29 
Idaho (6) vs. Tahoe (2)
Highlights
Full Recap 
Box Score
After falling behind 1-0 with 72 seconds left in the first period Connor MacEachern provided the equalizer with 53 seconds left in the period. Idaho erupted offensively in the second period receiving four goals thanks to MacEachern’s second of the game, a pair from Brendan Hoffmann, and one from Lynden McCallum as they led 5-1 after 40 minutes. The Knight Monsters pulled back within three early into the final stanza but MacEachern completed the hat-trick with 7:44 to play in the game securing a 6-2 win as Tomas Sholl made 26 saves. 

Saturday, Nov. 30 
Idaho (5) vs. Tahoe (2)
Highlights
Full Recap 
Box Score
Idaho fell behind 1-0 through 20 minutes of play but used three goals in a stretch of 7:31 during the second period thanks to Jade Miller, Connor Punnett, and Nick Canade as they led by two after 40 minutes of play. Tahoe made it a one-goal game 6:24 into the final period but Lynden McCallum increased the lead back to a pair with 3:48 to play before Connor MacEachern sealed the deal with an empty-netter for a 5-2 win. Tomas Sholl made 38 saves. 

MOUNTAIN DIVISION STANDINGS
1. Tulsa Oilers (12-5-1-0, 25pts, 0.694)
2. Kansas City Mavericks (11-6-1-1, 24pts, 0.632)
3. Idaho Steelheads (10-7-1-0, 21pts, 0.583)
4. Wichita Thunder (10-10-1-0, 21pts, 0.500)
5. Tahoe Knight Monsters (8-6-1-1, 18pts, 0.563)
6. Allen Americans (7-6-3-0, 17pts, 0.531)
7. Rapid City Rush (5-9-2-2, 14pts, 0.389)
8. Utah Grizzlies (5-10-2-0, 12pts, 0.358) 

 INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• #3 Nick Canade scored a goal and added an assist on Saturday for his first multi-point game of the season… He has two goals and one assist in his last four games.
• #9 Brendan Hoffmann has a five-game point-streak (3-4-7)… It is the second time in his career having a point in five straight games… His two goals on Friday :16 apart from one another are the two fastest goals scored for this year by Idaho while one of them coming short-handed was Idaho’s second short-handed goal of the season… His eight shots in the game were a career high… He tallied two assists on Saturday… the first time in his career having a multi assist game… He is eight games shy of 150 career ECHL games (29-40-69)… He has six goals and five assists in his last 12 games.
•  #11 Thomas Caron missed Idaho’s game on Saturday… He has an assist in back-to-back games… His 18 points are tied for seventh in the ECHL while his 12 assists are tied for fifth… He has a point in five of his last seven games (1-5-6) and nine of his last 12 (3-10-13)… He has a point in 11 of 17 games.
• #15 C.J. Walker has a point in four of his last five games (2-2-4) and seven of his last 12 (4-3-7).
• #17 Ty Pelton-Byce is third in the ECHL with 22 points… His 10 overall goals are tied for fourth while his five on the power-play are tied for the league lead… He has a point in four of his last five games (4-3-7) and six goals over his last 10 games…. He has a point in 14 of 18 games.
• #18 A.J. White is tied for second in the ECHL with 15 assists… He has a point in four of his last five games (1-6-7) and a point in 12 of 18 games… He is three games shy from becoming Idaho’s franchise leader in games played.
• #19 Lynden McCallum has a goal in back-to-back games and six in his last nine games… He has a eight goals and three assists in his last 13 games.
• #26 Jade Miller has two goals in his last four games.
• #29 Connor MacEachern scored his first professional hat-trick on Friday and has a goal in three straight games (5G)… Prior to his hat-trick he had not had a multi-goal game in his pro career… He had eight one goal games in 31 career ECHL games… His 10 goals are tied second amongst ECHL rookie skaters while his 19 points are tied for first… He has a point in six of his last nine games (6-4-10) and a point in 12 of 18 games.
• #35 Tomas Sholl was named ECHL Goaltender of the Week on Monday for the ninth time in his career.
• #36 Blake Swetlikoff tallied an assist on Friday for his first professional point.
• #43 Matt Register is tied for second amongst ECHL skaters with 15 assists and tied for second amongst league defensemen with 16 points… He has a point in eight of his last 11 games (1-10-11)… He is five assists shy from 400 career ECHL assists.
• #47 Patrick Kudla is tied for fifth amongst ECHL defensemen with 13 points… He has four assists in his last five games.
• #67 Hank Crone is tied for fourth in the ECHL with 21 points while his eight goals are tied for sixth and his 13 assists are tied for fourth… He has a point in 13 of 18 games.

TEAM NOTES

• Idaho has won four of their last five games outscoring their opponents 24-17… They have scored four or more goals in four of the games.
• Idaho has sold-out in all nine home games this season and have 43 consecutive sellouts at the Idaho Central Arena.
• Idaho is second in the ECHL averaging 3.83 goals for per game… Their 69 goals are the second most as they’ve scored four or more goals in 10 of 18 games.
  • They’ve outscored their opponents 26-15 in the first period, the most goals scored by a team and tied for the best goal differential (+11)… They’ve scored a first period goal in 12 games and have eight multi-goal first periods… They were outscored 3-1 in the opening 20 minutes during their three-game series with Tahoe.
  • They’ve outscored their opponents 26-20 in the second period and outscored Tahoe 9-2 during the three-game series… They had a multi-goal second period in all three games… The four-goal period on Friday was the third time this year they’ve scored four goals in a stanza… They’ve scored a second period goal in five straight games and have failed to score in the middle frame just three times.
  • They’ve been outscored 16-20 in the third period but have scored in five straight games.
• Idaho is 18^th in the ECHL with a 3.11 goals against average… They’ve held their opponent to just two goals in each of their last two contests and five times on the season.
• Idaho is 7-1-1 when scoring first this season but fell behind 1-0 in all three games vs. Tahoe… They’re 3-6 when their opponent scores first this season.
• Idaho is 16^th on the power-play (12-for-69, 17.4%)… They were 0-for-8 vs. Tahoe and just (2-for-34) over their last nine games dating back to Nov. 10.
• Idaho is 7^th on the penalty kill (59-for-69, 85.5%) and (37-for-40, 92.5%) over their last 11 games dating back to Nov. 8.
• Idaho is 7^th averaging 32.17 shots for per game… They’ve produced 40 or more shots in back-to-back games, now five times this season, and have outshot their opponent in four of their last eight games averaging 37.25 shots per game.
• Idaho is 24^th allowing 33.33 shots against per game… They’ve given up 30 or more shots in 10 of 18 games.

ACTIVE STATISTICAL LEADERS
Goals: Ty Pelton-Byce, Connor MacEachern (10) 
Assists: Matt Register, A.J. White (15)
Points: Ty Pelton-Byce (22)
Plus/Minus: Hank Crone (+11)   
PIMs: Connor Punnett (39) 
PPGs: Ty Pelton-Byce (5) 
GWGs: Connor MacEachern, Lynden McCallum (2)   
Shots: Connor MacEachern (56)   
Wins: Ben Kraws (5) 
GAA: Tomas Sholl (1.67)
SV%: Tomas Sholl (.947)