MOLINE, Ill. (November 9, 2013) - Mike Hellyer broke a 3-3 tie with just 55 seconds left in regulation, Jeff Lee scored twice and Ty Rimmer made 37 saves as the host Quad City Mallards edged the Denver Cutthroats 4-3 Saturday night.
Hellyer scored the game winner from the doorstep on a goalmouth feed from Jim McKenzie. Rimmer then came up with perhaps his biggest save of the evening, denying Denver's T.J. Fox point-blank to preserve the victory with just seconds left on the clock.
The Mallards had twice battled from behind earlier in the night. After Jean-Philipp Chabot's power play tip-in gave Denver a 3-2 lead at 7:27 of the second period, the Mallards rebounded to tie the game for a second time when Lee scored from the slot at 11:10 of the second.
The first period saw the Mallards recover after the Cutthroats scored twice in 51 seconds to jump out to an early 2-0 lead. Garret Brembidge scored the first goal of the night from the slot at 3:17 of the first. At 4:08 Vincent Arseneau buried a rebound to double the Denver advantage. The Mallards bounced back when Vladimir Nikiforov halved the margin with a backhander from the left wing circle at the 10:38 mark. With just a minute and 21 seconds left in the period Lee's wrist shot from the high slot knotted the game.
The Mallards return to action next Friday in Denver. The Mallards next play at home on Friday, November 29 at 7:05 p.m. against the St. Charles Chill. November 29 is also a $1 Dog/$1 Beer Friday presented by 97X. Fans can purchase hot dogs and beer for $1 at iWireless Center concession stands during all Friday night home games.
Tickets for the November 29 game and all other Mallards regular season home games can be purchased at the iWireless Center ticket office, Ticketmaster outlets, through ticketmaster.com or through Ticketmaster charge-by-phone toll free at 1-800-745-3000. The ticket office is open weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on game days from 10:00 a.m. until the start of the second period.
About the Quad City Mallards
A proud affiliate of the National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild and the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild, the Quad City Mallards are approaching their seventeenth season and their fourth in the Central Hockey League. One of the winningest teams in all of minor league hockey, the Mallards competed in the United Hockey League from 1995 through 2007 and in the International Hockey League in 2009-10. The Mallards' proud history has seen them capture the UHL's Colonial Cup Championship three times (1997, 1998, 2001) and secure that league's Tarry Cup four times (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002) for the best overall regular season record. In 2001, the Mallards made professional hockey history, recording their sixth consecutive season with 50 or more wins, a feat that has yet to be matched. The i wireless Center provides a unique environment for hockey and features one-of-a-kind seating areas such as the Nest for groups and functions and the exclusive Drake Club. For more information on the Quad City Mallards or for Mallards tickets go to www.myqcmallards.com. Fans can also follow the Mallards via Twitter at twitter.com/myqcmallards
