Corridor Cross Checks: Updates on Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, Iowa Heartlanders hockey

CEDAR RAPIDS — When you asked Mark Carlson to describe Adam Flammang as a hockey player, what his game is all about, he shrugged and gave you a simple answer.

“He’s a RoughRider,” the head coach said.

Can’t get a better compliment out of Carlson. He went on to say how much hockey means to Flammang, that he works incessantly to improve his already good two-way play, how he cares about his teammates, that he’s got leadership skills.

It’s why the 20-year-old from St. Michael, Minn., was named Cedar Rapids RoughRiders captain recently. Flammang has eight goals in 16 games for Cedar Rapids, including three in his last four.

The Riders have won four of their last five games and inched above the .500 mark at 9-7, their 18 standings points placing them in fourth place in the United States Hockey League’s Eastern Conference.

Most importantly, Flammang is healthy. He played in six games last season for the Sioux Falls Stampede before tearing his labrum and biceps tendon, the victim of an open-ice hit from an opponent.

“I cut to the middle, and he popped me, my arm went flying,” Flammang said. “I had torn my other one before, so I was almost 100-percent sure I’d done the same thing. (Rehab) is hard. You’re watching hockey on TV, and they’re scoring goals. You’re sitting on the couch with your dog and your dad watching games, wishing you could be there.”

He’s here now and loving every minute of it.

“It’s two years in the making,” Flammang said. “I’m ecstatic to be here and winning some hockey games at The Stable.”

Cedar Rapids won a pair of games last week against rival Waterloo, beating the Black Hawks in their traditional Thanksgiving night game at Young Arena, 3-2, on a Nate Hanley overtime goal. Robert Flinton, a Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick, had two goals as the Riders won the return encounter two nights later at home, 5-3.

Iowa Heartlanders

It was a very promising start to last week for the ECHL club. It beat Kansas City at Xtream Arena the night before Thanksgiving, 4-1.

The Heartlanders posted a whopping 51 shots on goal in the victory, getting two goals from Kris Bennett. It was Iowa’s first-ever win streak (two games).

“I loved our first period,” said Coach Gerry Fleming. “I thought we came out and played the game we have to play. I thought we built upon what we did in Fort Wayne the other night (a 5-1 win). Guys were playing their positions and moving the puck. Making high-percentage plays and executing. As a result, we generated some offense.”

The weekend didn’t go quite as well. Wheeling scored four straight goals midway through Friday night’s game for a 7-4 win, then Justin Almeida got a hat trick plus one the next night in Wheeling’s 4-2 win.

The Heartlanders generated just 15 shots on goal Friday night and 16 the next night. Iowa is 4-10-2, its 10 standings points last in the Central Division and entire ECHL.

This week

It’s three-game weeks for both clubs

The Heartlanders host Wichita at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The Thunder have a 9-5 record.

Then it’s back-to-back roadies at Fort Wayne against the Komets over the weekend.

The RoughRiders have an always arduous three-in-three against the Muskegon Lumberjacks on Friday and Saturday nights and again Sunday afternoon. Muskegon has a 7-8-3 record and 17 standings points.

Comments: (319)-398-8258, jeff.johnson@thegazette.com