A Rivermen reunion? Chopped

Thanks to 23 saves from JP Levasseur and goals from Josh Green and Francis Wathier, the Chops broke out of their three-game skid with a 2-1 win in Peoria on Friday night. The 1st period was scoreless thanks in large part to save big saves from Chops goaltender JP Levasseur and some good penalty killing from Iowa, who outshot the Rivermen 10-8 in the scoreless 1st period. The 2nd period began with more back and forth action and some more saves from Levasseur and Rivermen goaltender Chris Holt, who denied both Josh Green and Drew Miller on seperate breakaways. However, Miller and Green would have their revenge as the Chops scored their first goal of the night late in the period. Andrew Thomas fed Drew Miller, who skated the puck around the back of the net, into the high slot and wristed a shot in on Holt. Holt made the original save, but the rebound went right to Green in the slot who potted one over the shoulder of Holt for a 1-0 Chops lead. The 3rd period period was the most exciting of the game, as the Iowa Chops went up 2-0 thanks to a nice individual effort from Ryan Dingle who was stopped by Holt from a shot from the side, but Holt's rebound sat in front of him and a diving Dingle chipped the puck out in the high slot for a streaking Francis Wathier, who touched home a shot past Holt for a 2-1 lead. Peoria would finally answer after a couple more brilliant saves from Levasseur Steve Wagner found a rebound in the high slot and fired home the first Rivermen goal of the game. The rest of the way out was more defensive brilliance from the Chops, who had to spend the last minute with an extra Peoria attacker on the ice. The Chops now return home to the Wells Fargo Arena for the tail-end of the home and home series against the Rivermen. Face-off time Saturday is 7:05pm. AND


FOR ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW

PEORIA —

It looked good on paper.

Chris Conner, back from the Dallas Stars. Jonas Junland and Cam Paddock, back from the St. Louis Blues. Happy reunion.

But the Iowa Chops, playing without their top goaltender and top forward, spoiled the party Friday, beating the offensively challenged Peoria Rivermen 2-1 before 3,459 at Carver Arena.

Rivermen defenseman Steve Wagner scored Peoria's lone goal, with under six minutes left.

The Rivermen have eight goals in their last five games. Six of those are from defensemen. In fact six of the last seven goals the team has scored are from its blueline unit.

'We had some opportunities,' Wagner said. 'Our goaltending, it was better than good enough. We just have to put the puck in the net. We have guys who've been away from the team for 15 games, travel all day to get back here, and it's like starting over with the first game of the year together.'

But they also have guys who have been here, and clearly are slumping. Rivermen right wing Steve Regier stretched his streak to nine games without a goal — seven since returning from a Blues call-up.

Center Nicholas Drazenovic logged his seventh consecutive game without a goal, and has one in his last 11 games.

Key forward Julian Talbot was held without a shot, and has just just eight chances in his last seven games.

'I felt comfortable, but in those first two periods I was definitely tired,' said Conner, who spent eight hours getting to Peoria from Dallas on Friday and arrived just two hours before the game. 'We needed to get some shots to the net, and we needed to stay at the net, not peel off and give up on it.'

Chris Holt made his fourth consecutive start in goal, during which the Rivermen have backed him with just six goals. He was beaten by Iowa backup J-P Levasseur, who lugged an .885 saves percentage into the game.

Peoria got some help in the West Division race, as Chicago, Rockford, Milwaukee and Quad City all lost as well.

The Rivermen had a chance to jump on Iowa early, drawing three power plays in the first period — including two in the game's first four minutes — but could not convert.

Holt robbed left wing Josh Green eight minutes into the second period when he slid across and blocked a backhander off a three-on-one walk-in.

Iowa broke the scoreless tie at 16:44 when Drew Miller's drive from the right circle left a rebound below the left hashmarks, from where Green roofed it into an open left side of the net.

The Chops rolled in, three-on-one against defenseman Justin Fletcher at 6:59 of the third period. But Holt came up big again, smothering Andrew Thomas' redirect bid from between the circles.

Holt misplayed a routine shot by Ryan Dingle from the left circle at 7:58, though, juggling the puck in his midsection and leaving it loose in front of him. Dingle, laying on his stomach near the left post, swatted the puck toward the goalmouth, and Francis Wathier tapped it into an empty net for what proved to be the game-winner.

Wagner ended Levasseur's shutout at 14:39 when he sneaked down to the net and put a second rebound in from the top of the crease to make it 2-1.

RIVER READINGS: The St. Louis Blues sent rookie goaltender Ben Bishop back to the Rivermen late Friday. With Chris Holt making four straight starts here and playing well, bet on Peoria shipping goaltender Marek Schwarz back to ECHL Alaska today so he can get some minutes. ... Rivermen veteran defenseman Andy Wozniewski (upper body injury) scratched from his second straight game. ... Iowa was without top winger Bobby Ryan, on a lengthy call-up to Anaheim.