Chicago Express Explain Playoff Scenarios
March 29, 2012 - ECHL (ECHL)
Chicago Express News Release
Hoffman Estates, IL - The Chicago Express, proud member of the ECHL and proud affiliate of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, announced today the 2012 playoff scenarios as they continue to battle to take part in this season's playoffs.
The Express currently sit in a three-way tie for seventh place in the Eastern Conference, along with the South Carolina Stingrays and the Reading Royals. Those three teams are all two points behind the sixth place Wheeling Nailers, and two points ahead of the 10th place Cincinnati Cyclones. The Express could finish as high as sixth in the conference, or as low as 10th, depending on results of their final two games as well as how Cincinnati, Reading, South Carolina, and Wheeling finish their regular season schedules.
The Express will finish in 6th if:
Chicago wins their final two games AND: Reading and South Carolina each earn three or fewer pointsWheeling earns one point or less Chicago earns three points AND: Reading and South Carolina each earn two or fewer pointsWheeling loses in regulation in their last two games
The Express will finish in 7th if:
Chicago wins their final two games AND: Wheeling earns two or more pointsReading and South Carolina each earn three or fewer pointsChicago earns three points AND: Wheeling earns at least one pointReading and South Carolina each earn two or fewer pointsChicago earns two points AND: Reading and South Carolina each earn one or fewer pointsCincinnati earns three or fewer pointsChicago earns one point AND: Reading and South Carolina each lose their last two games in regulation Cincinnati earns two or fewer points
The Express will finish in 8th if:
Chicago wins their final two games AND: Either South Carolina OR Reading win their final two gamesWheeling earns two or more points ORSouth Carolina AND Reading win their final two games AND Wheeling earns one or fewer pointsChicago earns three points AND: Either South Carolina OR Reading earn three or more pointsWheeling earns at least one point ORSouth Carolina AND Reading earn three points AND Wheeling loses their last two games in regulationChicago earns two points AND: Either South Carolina OR Reading earn two or more pointsCincinnati earns one or fewer pointsChicago earns one point AND: Either South Carolina OR Reading earn one or more point Cincinnati loses their final two games in regulation
Chicago will miss the playoffs if:
Chicago wins both of their games AND: South Carolina AND Reading each win both of their remaining gamesWheeling earns at least two pointsChicago earns three points AND: Wheeling earns at least one pointSouth Carolina AND Reading each earn at least three pointsChicago earns two points AND: South Carolina AND Reading earn at least two points OREither South Carolina OR Reading earn at least two points AND Cincinnati wins both of their gamesChicago earns one point AND: Both South Carolina AND Reading earn at least one point OREither South Carolina OR Reading earn at least one point AND Cincinnati earns three pointsChicago loses each of their remaining games in regulation
The first two ECHL Tie-Breaking Rules are as follows:
If two Members are tied with the same amount of points earned in the Regular Season, the following tie-breaking formula will determine the higher seed:
The greater number of games won by the Member (excluding games won in the Shootout). Chicago loses this tie-breaker to each of the teams currently in contention of the final three playoff spotsThe higher number of points earned in games against each other among two Members having equal standing under priority (1)
The list continues, but as Chicago is defeated in the first tie breaker against Cincinnati, Reading, South Carolina, and Wheeling, they must pass those teams in overall points, as outlined above. Each team has played 70 of their 72 regular season games, and the only teams among that list that meet head-to-head are Chicago and Cincinnati on Saturday, March 31 in Cincinnati.
The ECHL Playoff Format (Eastern Conference):
Round 1:
#1 vs. #8
#2 vs. #7
#3 vs. #6
#4 vs. #5
The first round is a best-of-five series, while each subsequent round is a best-of-seven series. The ECHL re-seeds after each round, so the highest remaining original seed will always play the lowest remaining original seed. The Express could potentially be matched up with Gwinnett, Elmira, or Kalamazoo in the first round of the playoffs. Under any scenario that sees the Express in the post-season, Chicago will play the first two games of the best-of-five series at the Sears Centre on Tuesday, April 3, and Wednesday, April 4.
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