Let's hear it for Elmira's ironman goaltender Kris Tebbs. The Calgary, Alberta, native has played 21 games so far, the most of any United Hockey League goaltender. He's faced 736 shots, also the most of any UHL netminder and turned back 670 of them. He's posted an 11-9-0 record for the Jackals with a 3.37 goals against average and a .910 save percentage.

And he's in the middle of playing four games in five days.

Unfortunately, last night's game didn't go for so well him, as the Flags captured a 4-2 victory on home ice in front of an announced crowd of 1,725.

A non-drafted free agent out of the university of Nebraska-Omaha, he played 21 games for the Adirondack Frostbite in the 2004-05 season and 39 in the 2005-06 season. Barring an injury, he's going very much surpass those totals this season.

Tebbs robbed Port Huron's Ryan Markham on a breakaway in the first period last night, but Steve Hildenbrand picked up the rebound and scored to put the Flags up 1-0. Elmira answered back when rookie Derek Miller scored his first career professional goal. A natural defenseman, Miller was playing on a forward line for the game, as the Jackals were shorthanded due to suspensions earlier this week.

Taking a cross ice pass from David Morelli, his slap shot from the top of the right circle beat Flags' goalie Noah Ruden. Port Huron bounced back on a failing clearing attempt. Bobby Kukulka nabbed the puck just inside the offensive blue line and made it is 3rd goal in the last two games, all coming against Elmira.

Port Huron defenseman Craig Mahon tallied what would prove to be the game winning goal, again on rebound after Tebbs denied his inital one-timer.

Yevgeny Lazarev netted his 11th goal of the season, the only other puck that Elmira would be able to put in the net.

Tebbs stopped 33 of 37 shots, nine more attmepts than his Port Huron counterpart would face. Neither team could convert on the power play.

The Jackals fell to 13-11-0 this season.

Tebbs and his teammates will face the Flint Generals tonight at Perani's Arena at 7:30, and then take on the Kalamazoo Wings Sunday.

Gamesheet
Boxscore
Jackals lose again to Port Huron
Flags earn second straight win

The Port Huron Flags skated to a 2-1 win over the Elmira Jackals last night at the First Arena. Port Huron newcomer Bobby Kukulka scored both goals in a late Flags rally for the win.

Former Everblade and current Elmira captain Brent Cullaton got the Jackals on the board first when he took a long pass from Scott Wray and snapped a wrist shot over the blocker of Port Huron goalie Noah Ruden for his 5th gal of the season at 6:16 of the second period. Erik Anderson also assisted on the goal.

Kukulka tipped in a Shayne Tomlinson shot at 17:18 of the same period for a power play goal, tying the game at one each.

Game would stay that way until 18:35 of the third, when Kukulka swooped in, tucking the puck past netminder Kris Tebbs for the Flags victory. Greg Bullock and Tomlinson assisted on the goal.

Ruden stopped 32 shots to claim his first win of the season for the Flags, while Tebbs turned back 25 Port Huron shots to drop to 11-8-0 on the season.

The Jackals hit the road for three games in three nights this weekend beginning Friday night in Port Huron for a rematch with the Flags at 7:30 pm. Saturday the Jackals are in Flint to face the Generals and Sunday Elmira is in Kalamazoo for an afternoon game against the K-Wings. The games can be heard live over the internet at www.jackalshockey.com.

Flags Fly In Elmira 2-1
Boxscore
Game Sheet
Late goal sends Jackals to loss
Flags end road skid, clip Jackals

Chanse Fitzpatrick, one of the players suspended for last weekend's altercation, failed to show up for the game, although he did practice on Wednesday morning.

"We talked to Binghamton twice, and they didn't call him up," Jackals head coach Kris Waltze is quoted as saying in the Elmira Star Gazette. There was no word on his status according to Owen Newkirk, the director of broadcasting and public relations for the Jackals.

Fitzpatrick participated in the Ottawa Senators preseason training camp and was assigned to the Jackals two weeks ago by the Sens AHL affiliate in Binghamton.

Note: I have added a photo gallery to my Live Journal account. You can view it here. These were the pictures I was trying to upload when NHL Connect's editing tools broke. Now I can't upload anything! :( I will be posting more photos to the gallery soon.