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South Carolina Stingrays

Playoff Game Preview: Game 5-Kalamazoo at South Carolina, 7:05 p.m.

April 23, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
South Carolina Stingrays News Release


THE MATCHUP

The #2 South Carolina Stingrays look to win the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series with the #7 Kalamazoo Wings in Game 5 tonight. The Stingrays lead the series 3-1 and are coming off a 3-2 victory in Game 4 at the North Charleston Coliseum. Forward Joe Devin scored twice, notching the game-winning goal on the power play with only 39.7 seconds to play. The Stingrays are the all-time ECHL leader in playoff victories and are tied for the most Kelly Cup Championships with three. This is the second time the Stingrays and Wings have met in the postseason with the first meeting coming in the Conference Semifinals in 2012. The Wings took that series, 4-1.

DISCIPLINED RAYS

The Stingrays have been on their best behavior this postseason. South Carolina, one of the most penalized teams in the league in the regular season, is one of the least penalized teams in the postseason. The Stingrays are averaging just 11.75 penalty minutes per game, the second lowest total in the league.

KEEPING THE WINGS IN CZECH

Netminder Vitek Vanecek earned his first professional playoff win on Thursday versus Kalamazoo. The 20-year-old Czech Republic native stopped 27 shots in the victory. He was a member of the ECHL All-Rookie Team and is a second round selection (39th overall) of the Washington Capitals in the 2014 NHL Draft.

MARTIN PEPPERED

The Stingrays have kept Kalamazoo netminder Joel Martin busy, while Martin has done all he can to keep Kalamazoo within striking distance in the series. The netminder faced 46 shots in Game 4, and earned the game's #2 Star with 43 saves. Martin faced 23 shots in the second period alone. Martin has faced an ECHL-high 161 shots in the postseason, and has made a league-high 146 saves.

DEVIN DOES IT AGAINForward Joe Devin has continued his playoff magic once again this season for South Carolina. The forward has six points (four goals, two assists) in four playoff games. He notched a pair of goals, including the game-winning tally with 39.7 seconds to play in regulation. Devin scored 13 goals in the postseason last year, including the 3OT goal that sent the Stingrays to the Kelly Cup Finals in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

KELLY CUP EXPERIENCE

The Stingrays enter the playoffs with plenty of postseason experience. Six players of the Stingrays' roster were part of the team's run to the Kelly Cup Finals last season, including Derek DeBlois who finished third on the team with 29 points, and Joe Devin, who scored 13 goals in the playoffs. The club also has Bobby Shea on the roster who won a Kelly Cup in 2013 with the Reading Royals.

ADIRONDACK ON TAP

The winner of the best-of-seven series between #2 South Carolina and #7 Kalamazoo will play the #6 Adirondack Thunder in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Thunder won their opening round series 4-1 over the #3 Manchester Monarchs.

2016 KELLY CUP PLAYOFFS: EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS, GAME 5 (SC LEADS SERIES, 3-1)

#7 Kalamazoo Wings (1-3 playoffs, 38-28-5-1 regular season)

VERSUS

#2 South Carolina Stingrays (3-1 playoffs, 44-18-7-3 regular season)

North Charleston Coliseum, 7:05 p.m.

GAME NOTES:

WATCH/LISTEN MEDIA OPTIONS

WATCH: ECHL.tv

LISTEN: Mixlr.com/scstingrayshockey

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