ECHL ECHL

10 Teams Secure Playoff Berths

March 25, 2002 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


Entering the final week of the regular season, 10 teams have secured berths in the 2002 Kelly Cup Playoffs led by record-setting Brabham Cup winner Louisiana and Northern Conference Champion Trenton.

With three games remaining, Louisiana has 110 points breaking the East Coast Hockey League record of 108 points set by Florida in 1999-2000, and the IceGators have 53 wins tying Florida's record for most wins, also set in 1999-2000. The IceGators have 29 home wins tying Pee Dee's record set in 1998-99, and 24 road wins, one win shy of the ECHL record set by Florida in 1999-2000 and tied by Trenton in 2000-01. The IceGators lead the ECHL in goals scored (3.59 per game) and fewest goals allowed (2.22 per game), and are trying to become the first team since Knoxville in 1990-91 to lead the ECHL in both goals scored and fewest goals allowed.

The teams are set in the Northeast Division with Trenton, Atlantic City, Charlotte, and Roanoke having qualified. The Titans won their second consecutive Northern Conference title with a 4-1 win against Roanoke on Saturday guaranteeing home ice throughout the Northern Conference Finals. Atlantic City is in second place with 88 points, one point ahead of Charlotte, and the Bullies have a game in hand in the battle for home ice in the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs.

In the Northwest Division, Dayton and Peoria have secured playoff berths while Johnstown needs a win or a loss by Wheeling to secure its berth. Cincinnati leads Wheeling by one point for the fourth and final playoff spot and the Cyclones have a game in hand on the Nailers.

In the Southwest Division, Mississippi and Pensacola have joined Louisiana in clinching postseason berths. Jackson can clinch a playoff berth on Tuesday with a point at Louisiana while New Orleans can secure its playoff spot with a win against Mobile on Wednesday. A loss by Mobile on Wednesday at New Orleans will eliminate the Mysticks from the postseason.

In the Southeast Division, Greenville became the first team to secure a playoff berth with its 4-2 win at Charlotte on Sunday. Pee Dee can clinch a berth with a point at Greenville on Tuesday while Columbia can clinch with a win at Augusta on Tuesday. South Carolina and Florida are tied for fourth place with 79 points although the Stingrays have a game in hand on Florida. Augusta is in sixth place with 74 points and has a game in hand on South Carolina and two games in hand on Florida.

The first round will be a best-of-five series with the division winners hosting the fourth-place finisher in the Northern Conference and the division winners hosting the Wild Card winner in the Southern Conference. The higher seeds in the Northern Conference will host Games 1 and 2 between April 2-5 with the lower seeds hosting Games 3 and 4, if necessary, between April 6-9.

The higher seed will host Game 5, if necessary, on April 10 or 11. The higher seeds in the Southern Conference will host Games 1 and 2 between April 3-5 with the lower seeds hosting Games 3 and 4, if necessary, between April 6-8. The higher seed will host Game 5, if necessary, on April 9 or 10.

The first-round winners will meet in the Division Finals, also a best-of-five series, with the Division Champions meeting in the best-of-five Conference Finals. The Division Finals are scheduled to open April 11 in the Southern Conference and April 12 in the Northern Conference while the Conference Finals are scheduled to begin April 23. The Northern Conference Champion will advance to the best-of-seven Kelly Cup Finals against the Southern Conference Champion. The Kelly Cup Finals are scheduled to begin May 3.

187th PLAYER ADVANCES TO NHL

Greenville defenseman Luke Sellars made his National Hockey League debut with the Atlanta Thrashers on Saturday, becoming the 187th East Coast Hockey League alumnus to play in the National Hockey League. Sellars, who was recalled from the Grrrowl on Saturday morning, had two penalty minutes in Atlanta's 3-2 overtime win at Ottawa. Following the game at Ottawa, Sellars flew back to Atlanta, drove to Greenville and bussed to Charlotte where he helped the Grrrowl clinch a playoff spot with a 4-2 win over the Checkers.

PEE DEE'S BOUSQUET HAS ECHL SEASON-HIGH 11-GAME ASSIST STREAK

Dany Bousquet had two assists in Pee Dee's 4-2 win against Augusta on Sunday extending his streak of consecutive games with an assist to 11 games, the longest streak in the East Coast Hockey League this season. Bousquet, who also had a goal on Sunday, has 16 assists during his streak, and also has an 11-game scoring streak in which he has 23 points (7g-16). Bousquet ranks third in the ECHL with 53 assists and is tied for third in scoring with 86 points.

INGLASCO PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Luke Curtin Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies

GP: 3 G: 6 A: 1 PTS: 7 +/-: +5

ECHL GOALIE OF THE WEEK

Paxton Schafer New Orleans Brass

GP: 3 Rec.: 3-0-0 GAA: 0.33 PCT: .987

FEATURE GAMES OF THE WEEK

NORTHERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic City at Johnstown Sunday @ 4:00 ET
Season series is tied 2-2 . . . Bullies have won six games in a row and are 8-2 in their last 10 games . . . Chiefs have won four consecutive games and are 22-10-2 at home.

Wheeling at Cincinnati Sunday @ 3:00 ET
Wheeling is 6-2-1 against the Cyclones . . . Cincinnati has won four consecutive games and is 7-1-2 in its last 10 games . . . Nailers are 4-5-1 in their last 10 games.

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE

Mobile at New Orleans Wednesday @ 7:05 CT
Mysticks are 3-0-1 against New Orleans . . . Brass have won three games in a row and are 18-17-0 at home . . . Mobile is 2-5-3 in its last 10 games and 8-16-10 on the road.

Florida at Augusta Sunday @ 4:05 ET
Everblades are 5-2 against Augusta . . . Lynx are 6-4 in their last 10 games and 21-9-3 at home . . . Florida is 3-6-1 in its last 10 games and 14-15-4 on the road.

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