#ivan kulbakov

[ravenpawraas]

EXUSE ME, WHAT'S GOING ON??

This is the first time I've seen a mass fight started by 2x2 goalkeepers.... It looks like some kind of surrealism!

Belarus (and a bit Tatar) guys with character ahahah.... 🤭🤭

[qcmallardshockey]

Mallards Blow Lead -- Again

MOLINE, IL – It was a tale of Jekyll and Hyde for the Quad City Mallards on Sunday when they took on the Fort Wayne Komets. The team that left the ice for the first intermission was far different than the one that returned for the start of the second period. Three unanswered goals in the third period spelled doom for the Mallards in what would be a 4-3 loss for the Illinois-based team.

The Mallards took an early two goal lead just under three and half minutes into the first period, Gergo Nagy being credited with the first goal. The puck bounced off of Ryan Lowney’s shin pad, bouncing uncontrollably towards the net. Neither Lowney nor Jason Binkley was able to corral the puck before it slid past Garrett Bartus. A minute later Matt Pohlkamp added to the Mallards’ lead with help from Jake Bolton and Triston Grant. Pohlkamp shot from the right circle, deflecting the puck ever so slightly up off Bartus’ left pad to send the puck careening into the net.

Halfway through the game Grant began his night-long parade to the penalty box, earning a double minor for roughing after a face off at center ice. Grant had just returned from a five game suspension for incidents during the Mallards’ game in Indy on February 22. Bobby Shea was Grant’s combatant, each only getting a shot in before the officials separated them. Shea then scored the first goal for the Komets with just under two minutes remaining in the first period, going top shelf from the left circle. Ivan Kulbakov was diving to make the save but was unable to stop the shot.

The Mallards had looked good up until that point. They appeared to be the dominant team in the first period, out-shooting the Komets 13-7 and out-scoring them 2-1. Things quickly changed for the home team in the second period, however. While no goals were added in the sandwich stanza, the Komets out-skated and out-passed the Mallards.

Jamie Tardif scored the third goal for the Mallards ten and a half minutes into the second period, deflecting Ryan McGrath’s shot from the blue line while just past the mouth of the crease. Five minutes later it appeared that the Komets had brought themselves within one goal when Dennis Kravchenko went on a breakaway, but the goal was disallowed due to goaltender interference. Komets head coach Gary Graham was not happy with the call, earning himself a two minute penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Komets, and Kravchenko, really would end up being within a goal five minutes into the final frame, however.

Kravchenko buried the puck behind Kulbakov with a one-timer that traveled too fast from left to right for Kulbakov to track. Two minutes later Gabriel Desjardins made his way onto the scoresheet with the tying goal, the perfect set up between him and Shea giving the goal. Shea was at the left corner when he passed it up to Desjardins at just past the blue paint smack dab in the center. The game-winning goal trickled five-hole on Kulbakov after a break away by Garret Thompson, who had slid face-first into an upright late in the second period after Pohlkamp tripped him.

Off the ensuing faceoff, Grant earned his final penalty of the night by knocking out Justin MacDonald. Grant continued attempting to punch MacDonald after the two were already on the ice with the officials ontop of them in hopes of breaking it up. MacDonald was taken to the locker room after the encounter, Grant being removed from the game with a match penalty for fighting.

The Mallards will travel to Wichita for a Wednesday game this week before heading to Toledo for a pair of weekend games against the Walleye. Puck drop is set for 6 CST on Wednesday and 6:15 CST on Friday and Saturday. The Mallards will return home for a Wednesday game of their own on March 14, when they will take on the Walleye.

Don’t forget to follow @SinbinMallards on twitter for all the latest news about the team both during the season and the off-season.  

[qcmallardshockey]

TRANSACTION: G Ivan Kulbakov has been recalled by the American Hockey League's Cleveland Monsters.

source (x)

read (x)  

[qcmallardshockey]

Komets Serve Roast Duck

MOLINE, IL – With the 2018 Winter Olympics having begun already, many people are reminiscing about their favorite past Olympics. Perhaps the most celebrated of the past Olympics in American hockey circles is the “Miracle on Ice”, and with that reminiscing comes remembering of quotes by the famed Herb Brooks. One quote stands out after the Quad City Mallards’ game against the visiting Fort Wayne Komets on Saturday: “The legs feed the wolf, gentlemen.” The legs did indeed feed the wolves, as the Mallards looked akin to Team USA in the exhibition game in Norway on September 17, 1979 – where the US Olympians held out for a 3-3 tie against the Norwegian National Team but were then Herbie’d. The Komets just plain out-skated the Mallards throughout the entire night, as well as out-checked, out-passed, and out-scored. The Komets waged a war of attrition on the Mallards, speeding up and down and side to side on the ice as they completed crisp passes and wore the home team down.

Both teams were held scoreless after 20 minutes thanks to Michael Houser and Ivan Kulbakov. Four penalties were handed out in the first 20 minutes, only one of them not being for slashing. The penalties were evenly distributed, and the teams began the second period with 25 seconds of four-on-four before the Mallards went on a 25 second power play. The Mallards were ineffective with the man advantage, and only a minute after the teams returned to even strength the red light was lit.

Kulbakov has played an aggressive game for the Mallards, and though going out of the crease to play the puck can be a useful play, sometimes it comes back to haunt the goaltender. Shortly after the Komets came off the penalty kill, Kulbakov went out of his crease to play the puck in front of the left trapezoid. While out of his crease, Justin Hodgman grabbed the puck instead. Hodgeman passed it over to Trevor Cheek, and Cheek tapped it into the empty net as Kulbakov made an attempt at a diving save. Fifty-five seconds later the Komets doubled up their lead thanks to Mason Baptista, who sent the puck in over Kulbakov’s blocker. Garrett Thompson and Jamie Schaafsma earned the assist on that tally.

It was not until almost the 16-minute mark of the second frame that the Mallards ended Houser’s shut out. Three seconds after Ryan Culkin entered the sin bin for roughing, Jake Bolton sent a wrister in from the blue line nearer the penalty boxes after Ryan McGrath had won the faceoff on the same side. The Mallards’ attempt at a comeback would be short-lived, however, as Bobby Shea scored off a shin pad. Shea sent in the shot from the blue line, and as the puck traveled in the air it bounced off a defending Mallard’s right shin pad. This deflection caused a slight redirection of the puck, giving it a higher trajectory as it sailed towards Kulbakov. The puck then hit the cross bar, bounced off of Kulbakov’s back, and into the net. Logan Nelson and Dennis Kravchenko picked up the apples on what would prove to be the game-winning goal.

Nelson decided he didn’t like Greg Amlong being behind Houser in Gretzky’s office, tripping him as play continued towards the Mallards’ zone. Amlong then gave Nelson a taste of his glove, and Nelson dropped his own. Before any more punches could be thrown, Jamie Tardif skated up behind Nelson and tackled him to put him in a head lock. All three earned roughing calls, putting Fort Wayne on the power play.

The Komets were held off the board again until just over 11 minutes of the final frame, when Baptista scored again off a deflection. Baptista was just a little before the goal line to Kulbakov’s right when he shot the puck, the puck hitting the post as Kulbakov slid to make the save. The bounce went to Kulbakov’s shoulder, which then led it into the net to light the lamp. Ryan Lowney and Thompson made their ways onto the scoresheet with the assists, and less than thirty seconds later their teammates joined them on the scoresheet. Kravchenko went on a breakaway, out-skating the defense to leave him all alone against Kulbakov. Marco Roy earned the assist on the final tally of the night.

After the game, the Mallards’ specialty Pink in the Rink sweaters were auctioned off. Over $16,000 were raised through the auction, the proceeds going to the Genesis Health Services Foundation.

The Mallards and Komets will face off again on Sunday, this time in Fort Wayne, IN. Puck drop is scheduled for 5 EST, with a post-game skate to follow. The Mallards will then visit the Kalamazoo Wings on Wednesday before returning home on Friday February 16th to see the Wings.

[qcmallardshockey]

TRANSACTIONS: G Ivan Kulbakov has been loaned to the Mallards by @monstershockey; G Matt O'Connor has been assigned to the Mallards by @PredsNHL from @mkeadmirals; G Jake Paterson has been recalled by @mkeadmirals.

source (x)

read (x)

[qcmallardshockey]

Goaltender Ivan Kulbakov has been loaned to the Mallards by the American Hockey League’s Cleveland Monsters and goaltender Matt O’Connor has been reassigned to the Mallards from the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals by the National Hockey League’s Nashville Predators while goaltender Jake Paterson has been recalled from the Mallards by Milwaukee.

source (x)

read (x)

[qcmallardshockey]

Goaltender Ivan Kulbakov has been recalled from the Mallards by the American Hockey League’s Cleveland Monsters.

Kulbakov ranks second in the ECHL in saves (434), ranks ninth in minutes played (786) and is tied for tenth in wins (7). He has gone 7-6-0 with a 3.36 goals against average and a .908 save percentage in 14 games with the Mallards this season.

source (x)

read (x)

[qcmallardshockey]

TRANSACTION: G Ivan Kulbakov has been recalled from loan by @monstershockey.

source (x)

read (x)