The Breakdown: Week 1

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Every week, theAIHL.com will break down the key stats from every game of the weekend.

Game 01 - Ice Dogs 9 def. Ice 2
601 days since the Ice Dogs scored 9 goals in an AIHL match. The previous game was on August 19, 2012 in a 9-7 victory over the Canberra Knights.

Three consecutive losses for the Melbourne Ice, which is the 2^nd time in their last 11 fixtures they have been on this run.

The Ice Dogs have had six straight victories against the Melbourne Ice. The last victory the Ice had over the Ice Dogs was in the 2012 semi-final in Newcastle where the Ice won 6-2.

100 career AIHL games for Matt Armstrong as he starts his fifth season with the Melbourne Ice. He has scored 83 goals and 122 assists for 205 points.

Simon Barg has scored 11 shorthanded goals in his 30 games for the Sydney Ice Dogs, an average of one every 2.7 games.
 
Game 02 - North Stars 2 def. Brave 0
2006 was the last time the North Stars lost their season opener. In that game, they lost 4-2 to the Canberra Knights at Hunter Ice Skating Stadium.

CBR Brave conceded the least goals by a losing team since Mustangs def. North Stars 2-1 on July 27, 2013.

This was the lowest scoring AIHL game in 300 days.

Newcastle have scored 2 or less goals and still managed to win on four occasions in the past year.

800 is the estimate for a capacity crowd at the Phillip Ice Skating Centre who were on hand to witness the Brave’s first game in the AIHL.
 
Game 03 - Ice Dogs 3 lost to Mustangs 6
Mustangs were the only home team to get a victory on the opening weekend.

Simon Barg picked up where he left off in 2013 (he finished fourth with 26 goals, 29 assists and 55 points) to lead the league in goals (4), assists (4), and points (8) after the first weekend.

This was the Mustangs first ever victory in a season opener.

The Mustangs shared the points with Jamie Bourke (4), Joey Hughes (3) and Pat O’Kane (3) each scoring multiple points. All six Mustangs goals were scored by different players.

This was the third time the Mustangs have defeated the Ice Dogs in 11 meetings between the clubs. All three victories have been at the Medibank Ice House.
 
Game 04 - Bears 4 def. North Stars 0
The Bears became the first team since August 19^th 2012 to shutout the North Stars. Coincidentally, that match saw the Bears defeating the North Stars 4-0 at HISS.

The Bears earned just their third victory in a season opener since 2008. The last time they won a season opening game was in 2012; before that, 2008.

Daniel Pankvist claimed the season’s second shutout, against the man who had the first, the North Stars’ Harrison May.

The Bears scored four goals in a match for the first time in 18 games. The last time they scored four goals was in a 4-2 win against Adelaide on June 2, 2013.

2008 was the last time two shutouts have occurred on the opening weekend. Last time it happened, the Canberra Knights went down to both the Adelaide A’s (4-0) and Melbourne Ice (2-0).