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Express Weekly: Chicago Enters Final Week of the Regular Season in Tie for Eighth

March 26, 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, won three of their four games last week, earning six of eight possible points and moving back into a three-way tie for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Express are 32-26-7-4 on the season, earning 75 points in the standings. This week marks the final week of the regular season throughout the ECHL.

Games this week (Home team in CAPS):

EXPRESS vs. Cincinnati - Wednesday, March 28 @ 7:00 pm

EXPRESS vs. Kalamazoo - Friday, March 30 @ 7:30 pm

Express at CINCINNATI - Saturday, March 31 @ 6:35 pm

Last week (Home team in CAPS):

Wednesday, March 21

CINCINNATI 4 vs. Chicago 1

A defensive effort for both sides saw the game enter the final frame with just two goals showing on the board, both scored by Cincinnati on the power play. The Cyclones pushed their lead to 3-0 with a breakaway goal late in the frame, but just 1:21 later, D Jonathan Zion scored for Chicago putting the game back within reach. The momentum for Chicago was short lived, as the Cyclones added the game's final goal 22 seconds after that, winning 4-1.

Friday, March 23

Express 4, KALMAZOO 3

The Wings started off strong, scoring 3:10 into the first period to take a 1-0 lead. C Aaron Marvin rallied the Express 1:17 later, evening the score at 1-1. After LW Maxime Gratchev tallied a power play goal to put the Express up 2-1, D Taylor Ellington finished the first period off with a flourish, scoring with just 3.5 seconds left in the period. RW Danick Paquette picked up the second period right where the Express left off in the first, as he struck with a one-timer 40 seconds into the frame. The Wings scored twice at the tail end of the middle stanza, but the Express clamped down in the third to win 4-3.

Saturday, March 24

EXPRESS 5, Kalamazoo 4

For the second straight game, the Wings scored early to go up 1-0, this time just 26 seconds into the game. The Wings scored once more in the opening period and again in the second frame to take a 3-0 lead. D Jonathan Zion put Chicago on the board with 1:40 left in the period, as the Express trailed 3-1 after two periods of play. The Wings scored an early power play goal in the third, but D Darcy Campbell answered with a shorthanded goal that opened the flood gates for a Chicago comeback. Zion put home his second of the game at 13:18, and D Taylor Ellington tied the contest up at 4-4 with 4:55 to play. RW Danick Paquette added the finishing touch, scoring a highlight reel marker while splitting two Kalamazoo defensemen with 2:28 left to play, as Chicago won 5-4 on the strength of four third-period goals.

Sunday, March 25

EXPRESS 3, Toledo 1

For the first time since March 14, the Express scored for the first goal of the game. F Anthony Maiani fed a beautiful pass to RW Ryley Grantham at 6:50 of the second stanza to grant Chicago a 1-0 lead. Toledo tied it up at 1-1 with 3:31 left in the frame, but Grantham answered with his second goal of game 10:50 into the third period to put Chicago back on top. D Taylor Ellington scored his third goal in as many games on an empty net with 2:21 remaining to lock in a 3-1 victory for Chicago.

Team Notes:

The Express saw both extremes on the penalty minute scale on Saturday and Sunday. Chicago was whistled for 88 PIM on Saturday night, the most in a single game in team history, but came out on Sunday and for the first time in club history was not whistled for a single penalty during the game.Saturday night was the final home Saturday night game of the season, and the Express finished with a record of 6-2-3 at home on Saturday nights.G Rob Madore made 39 saves in Kalamazoo on Friday, and has now stopped 106 of 114 shots faced at Wings Stadium for a .930 save percentage in Kalamazoo.D Taylor Ellington had a five game assist streak (6a) snapped on Wednesday in Cincinnati, but bounced right back and is now riding a three game goal streak.The Express raised $15,050 to donate to the American Brain Tumor Association with the St. Patrick's Day jersey auction held on Saturday, March 17.

Team Leaders:

Goals: Faubert - 19

Assists: Donati - 47

Points: Donati - 61

Power play goals: Faubert, Johnson, Wietecha - 7

Short-handed Goals: Campbell, Embach, Johnson - 2

Plus/Minus: Lutz - +19

Penalty Minutes: DiDiomete - 265

GAA: Madore - 2.56

Save Percentage: Madore - .916

League Leaders:

RW Tyler Donati - 19 power play assists (4th, ECHL)

RW Tyler Donati - 25 power play points (t-4th, ECHL)

D Darcy Campbell -19 power play assists (2nd, defensemen)

D Darcy Campbell - 2 shorthanded goals (t-1st, defensemen)

D Darcy Campbell - 3 shorthanded points (t-1st, defensemen)

D Taylor Ellington - 6 shootout goals (t-2nd, ECHL)

D Taylor Ellington - 148 shots (3rd, defensemen)

LW Devin DiDiomete - 265 PIM (1st, ECHL)

RW Danick Paquette - 207 PIM (4th, ECHL)

RW Danick Paquette - 47 minor penalties (2nd, ECHL)

D Scott Wietecha - 14.1 shooting percentage (5th, defensemen)

D Scott Wietecha - 14 goals (2nd, defensemen)

D Scott Wietecha - 7 power play goals (t-2nd, rookies)

D Nathan Lutz - +19 plus-minus rating (t-4th, defensemen)

D Jonathan Zion - 20.4 shooting percentage (1st, defensemen)

C Aaron Marvin - 3 shorthanded assists (t-1st, rookies)

C Aaron Marvin - 4 shorthanded points (t-4th, rookies)

Chicago - 1,442 PIM (2nd, ECHL)

The Express host Cincinnati on Wednesday, March 28, and Kalamazoo on Friday, March 30, at the Sears Centre Arena. Friday night is a Dollar Friday, featuring one dollar beers and one dollar hot dogs. The specially priced items will be sold until midway through the third period.



ECHL Stories from March 26, 2012


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