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Five straight wins have Steelheads on top of the Pacific

November 3, 2014 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


Thanks to a five-game winning streak, the Idaho Steelheads have moved to the top of the Pacific Division with a 6-1-0 record and 12 points.

Idaho swept a three-game series against Stockton at CenturyLink Arena last week, outscoring the Thunder 16-7 in the process.

The Steelheads opened the week with a 3-0 win on Wendesday. Jason Bast scored twice and assisted on Idaho's other goal, while Olivier Roy turned aside all 28 shots he faced to record his fifth career ECHL shutout.

On Friday, Idaho raced out to a 4-0 lead less than 21 minutes into the contest, only to see Stockton erase the deficit with four straight goals of its own before the second period ended. Jesse Root 's shorthanded goal, his third point of the night, 7:41 into the third period put the Steelheads back on top to stay as Idaho prevailed 5-4. Wade MacLeod scored a pair of goals in the win while Henri Kiviaho earned his first North American win with 23 saves.

Idaho faced a 2-0 deficit in the series finale on Saturday before scoring eight of the game's final nine goals en route to an 8-3 win. Bast and David de Kastrozza both scored two goals, while MacLeod added three assists.

The Steelheads have featured a good mix of offense and defense in the early going as the club is tied for fourth with 4.00 goals per game while leading the league with 2.00 goals-against per game. Idaho's +14 goal differential leads the league, and is four goals better than the second-place squad.

Bast's seven goals this season lead ECHL rookies, and are tied for first overall in the league, while his nine points have him tied for third among first-year players and tied for fourth overall. de Kastrozza, who led the league last season with six shorthanded goals and 10 shorthanded points, has picked up where he left off as his two shorthanded goals and three shorthanded points once again pace the league.

Roy has been solid between the pipes, as his five wins lead the league, while he ranks third in minutes played (328), and fifth in both goals-against average (1.28) and save percentage (.949).

The Steelheads hit the road this week for a three-game series at Colorado on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Historic week ahead for Ontario head coach Christie

Ontario head coach Jason Christie will make history on Wednesday when the Reign visit the Stockton Thunder as he will become just the fourth coach in the ECHL's 27-year history to coach in at least 800 regular-season games.

Christie is in his 12th season as an ECHL coach following stints in Peoria and Utah. He made his coaching debut during the 2000-01 season with the Rivermen, just one season removed from serving as the captain on Peoria's 2000 Kelly Cup championship team. In five seasons with the Rivermen, Christie led the team to 40 or more wins four times, and led the team to four trips to the Kelly Cup Playoffs.

After Peoria moved to the American Hockey League for the 2005-06 season, Christie spent the next three seasons with Utah, leading the Grizzlies to two trips to the postseason, including their only visit to the Conference Finals in 2008.

He then spent time as an assistant coach with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League and one season as head coach for Bloomington of the Central Hockey League before joining the Reign in 2011-12. Ontario has won at least 43 games in each of Christie's first three seasons with the club, and the team has won the Pacific Division title in all three seasons.

John Marks, a 2012 inductee into the ECHL Hall of Fame, is the League's all-time leader with 1,008 games coached, followed by Jeff Pyle with 932 and 2009 ECHL Hall of Fame inductee John Brophy with 882.

Christie's 444 career wins also rank fourth all-time, trailing Marks (491), Brophy (480) and Pyle (477).

A look ahead

Games to watch in the ECHL during the week ahead. Watch ECHL games live on ECHL.TV.

Eastern Conference

Fort Wayne at Reading (Friday and Saturday)

The Komets and Royals meet for the first time since Fort Wayne eliminated Reading 4 games to 1 in the 2014 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Fort Wayne leads the North Division with 12 points (6-1-0) while Reading has allowed just five goals in its first three home games.

Western Conference

Idaho at Colorado (Wednesday, Friday and Saturday)

Another Kelly Cup Playoffs rematch sees the Pacific Division leading Steelheads (6-1-0) visit Colorado, which is tied for second (5-2-0). Idaho defeated Colorado 4 games to 2 in the 2014 Western Conference Quarterfinals, winning the deciding Game 6 in four overtimes, the longest game in ECHL history.

Divisions

North Division

- Andrew Yogan has at least one point in all four games.

- The Cyclones are 3-0-0 when scoring first.

- Cincinnati hosts Indy on Friday and Wheeling on Saturday before visiting Toledo on Sunday.

- Myles Bell scored his first pro goal on Friday at Indy.

- Evansville is the only ECHL team to have not lost in regulation (3-0-1).

- The IceMen host Elmira on Wednesday and Wheeling on Friday and visit Toledo on Saturday.

- Mitchell Heard is on a four-game point streak (3g-1a).

- The Komets' streak of 21 straight successful penalty kills was snapped on Saturday.

- Fort Wayne visits Reading on Friday and Saturday.

- Robert Czarnik leads the league with three power-play goals.

- Indy has played a league high four games that have gone beyond regulation.

- The Fuel are at Cincinnati on Friday and Wheeling on Sunday.

- Curtis Valk leads rookies with 11 points (4g-7a).

- The K-Wings lead the league with 4.29 goals per game.

- Kalamazoo hosts Elmira on Friday and Saturday.

- Anthony Luciani is on a five-game point streak (2g-5a).

- Toledo is 3-1-0 on the road.

- The Walleye visit South Carolina on Tuesday and host Evansville on Saturday and Cincinnati on Sunday.

- Three of Zach Yuen 's five points have come on the power play, giving him the team lead in that category.

- The Nailers are 14-for-14 on the penalty kill on the road.

- Wheeling is at Evansville on Friday and Cincinnati on Saturday and hosts Indy on Sunday.

East Division

- Brayden Irwin is on a six-game point streak (5g-7a) to start the season.

- Elmira combined for 98 shots on goal in its two games against Brampton last week.

- The Jackals are at Evansville on Wednesday and Kalamazoo on Friday and Saturday.

- Evan Bloodoff is on a three-game goal streak (4g).

- The Everblades are tied for second on the penalty kill at 96.7 percent (29-for-30).

- Florida is at South Carolina on Friday and Gwinnett on Saturday.

- Michael St. Croix is on a four-game point streak (3g-2a) and leads the team with six points overall.

- Greenville is 4-0-0 when scoring three or more goals.

- The Road Warriors visit Orlando on Saturday and Sunday.

- Adam Brown is fourth with a .964 save percentage.

- The Gladiators are 3-0-0 when scoring first.

- Gwinnett hosts Florida on Saturday and visits South Carolina on Sunday.

- Mike Ullrich collected his 100th professional assist on Friday against Florida.

- Orlando is 3-0-0 when leading after one period.

- The Solar Bears host Greenville on Saturday and Sunday.

- Adam Hughesman is on a five-game point streak (3g-5a).

- The Royals have allowed five goals in their three home games.

- Reading hosts Fort Wayne on Friday and Saturday.

- Caleb Herbert scored three goals on Saturday against Greenville, his first goals as a pro.

- South Carolina is league's third-least penalized team with 11.71 penalty minutes per game.

- The Stingrays host Toledo on Tuesday, Florida on Friday and Gwinnett on Sunday.

Central Division

- Jack Combs is on a four-game point streak (4g-2a).

- The Americans lead the league on the power play at 30.0 percent (6-for-20).

- Allen hosts Tulsa on Saturday and Sunday.

- Tyler Donati scored his 70th career ECHL goal on Friday at Elmira.

- Brampton has scored six of its 10 goals in the second period.

- The Beast host Quad City on Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

- David Rutherford leads Missouri with three goals.

- The Mavericks will be the last team to play its home opener on Saturday.

- Missouri visits Tulsa on Tuesday, hosts Rapid City on Saturday and is at Wichita on Sunday.

- Justin Fox has four points (2g-2a) in the last three games.

- Quad City plays 14 of its next 18 games on the road.

- The Mallards are at Brampton on Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

- Dylan Clarke tallied five points (1g-4a) in three games last week.

- The Rush are fourth with 32.86 shots per game.

- Rapid City visits Wichita on Friday and Missouri on Saturday.

- Jon Booras is tied for the league lead with eight assists.

- Each of Tulsa's three home games have gone beyond regulation (2-0-1).

- The Oilers host Missouri on Tuesday and are at Allen on Saturday and Sunday.

- Jared Walker has points in all five games and leads the team with four goals.

- The Thunder are third with 25.80 shots-against per game.

- Wichita hosts Rapid City on Friday and Missouri on Sunday.

Pacific Division

- Olivier Archambault leads rookies with 27 shots on goal.

- Alaska leads the league with 38.33 shots per game.

- The Aces host Bakersfield on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

- Josh Winquist is tied for third among rookies with nine points (3g-6a).

- The Condors are fifth with 2.56 goals-against per game.

- Bakersfield is at Alaska on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

- Clarke Saunders leads rookie goaltenders with three wins.

- Colorado is second in the league with three shorthanded goals.

- The Eagles host Idaho on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

- Jason Bast is tied for the league lead with seven goals.

- The Steelheads have scored first in six of their seven games.

- Idaho is at Colorado on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

- Ralfs Freibergs ' game-winning goal on Sunday was his first pro goal.

- Ontario has scored a league-high 12 goals in the second period.

- The Reign are at Stockton on Wednesday and host Utah on Saturday.

- Ryan Constant became Stockton's all-time leader in assists on Saturday (98).

- The Thunder are fourth on the penalty kill at 92.7 percent (38-for-41).

- Stockton hosts Ontario on Wednesday and Utah on Friday.

- Michael Pelech has at least one point in each of Utah's five home games (5g-1a).

- Utah has scored seven of its 16 goals in the first period.

- The Grizzlies visit Stockton on Friday and Ontario on Saturday.

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