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Mallards squander late chances in road loss
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BLOOMINGTON -- The Quad City Mallards had a chance to move from eighth to sixth Friday night in the CHL standings. Instead, the Flock failed to win for the second straight night at rival Bloomington, squandering a late power-play opportunity and having another shot hit the goalpost in a 3-2 setback at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum. As a result, the Mallards (15-16-4, 34 points) backslid into ninth, a point away from the final CHL playoff spot just past midseason heading into tonight's visit to third-place Missouri (18-12-4, 40 points). "We just can't seem to get over the hump,'' QC coach Terry Ruskowski lamented. "If we beat them, we jump ahead of them by a (standings) point. We had our chances. We just couldn't put the biscuit in the basket.'' QC rookie Mike Hellyer scored with 15 seconds left, after QC pulled goalie Neil Conway for the extra attacker. However, the Flock failed to cap the last-minute comeback with the overtime-forcing equalizer. Just before opting for that 6-on-5 skating situation, the Mallards failed to find the net in a five-minute, extended power-play chance when Bloomington's Sebastien Trudeau was whistled for a spearing major and game misconduct with 6:53 remaining in the third period. "I told the guys I screwed up,'' said Ruskowski, one of the CHL's all-time winningest coaches. "Looking back, I should have pulled the goalie then for a 6-on-4 (situation). "Down one (goal), you can't pull the goalie, but down two (scores), you should, because you just have to get a goal there. Instead, I wanted to see our power play (unit) get some shots on net, get some more traffic in front of their goalie, and get another one. So that was my mistake, because the tic-tac-toe just didn't work for us.'' The Mallards' league-worst power play improved to an 11.38-percent success rate, though, by cashing in 1-of-3 man-advantage chances for a 1-0 lead. Scoring leader Mickey Lang netted a goal for the fourth time in five games since New Year's Day, tallying his 19th of the season, only 4:01 into the first period. "I wish I'd done it now,'' Ruskowski said about pulling Conway. "I should have known better. I just don't have a guy back there that can quarterback the power play like you'd like, to fake a shot and find the free guy.'' Also unfortunate for QC? Jason Dixon also had a third-period shot hit the post. "I have to look at the (video) tape because I thought that was in,'' Ruskowski said. "Usually you hear something when it hits the post, but I never did. That was the game-tier as it would have turned out.'' Instead, league-scoring leader Bloomington (18-15-1, 37 points) bounced back from QC's early edge, taking the lead with a pair of second-period scores, before going up 3-1 with 12:07 gone in the third on Tyler Gron's second goal of the game. Matt Duffy had a pair of assists, setting up both Mallards goals. Rookie Conway turned away 21-of-24 shots in his second start in as many nights for QC. 
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Today is Sunday, May 19, the 139th day of 2013. There are 226 days left in the year.
1863 -- 150 years ago: The Rt. Rev. Harry I. Witherspoon, D.D. Bishop of Illinois, willpreach in Trinity (Episcopal) Church, in this city this evening.
1888 -- 125 years ago: At 1 o'clock yesterday afternoon the Mississippi River flooded itsbanks at Rock Island, destroying the warehouse of the Rock Island Lumber companyand damaging the Lumber Company and arsenal power plant. Total loss isestimated at $100.000.
1913 -- 100 years ago: Residents of South Rock Island township are circulating a petitionfavoring the annexation of that area to the city of Rock Island.
1938 -- 75 years ago: Mrs. Thomas Ackles, of Rock Island, has been elected president ofthe Playcrafters for the next season. She succeeds Warren Leonard.
1963 -- 50 years ago: Some 8,000 people filed through the gates of Rock Island Arsenal on Saturday to view a display of a part of the nation's armed strength. The occasion was theannual observance of Armed Forces Day.
1988 -- 25 years ago: Willis Kuschmann, of Moline, who already has won his laurels as oneof the most artistic men in the Quad-Cities area, has a new hobby. He is deeply involvedin miniature railroading. At the age of 88, when many other seniors are dozing in theirchairs or sitting before the television, Mr. Kuschmann is planning and working on hiscollection.
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