ECHL Atlanta Gladiators

Glads Clash with Icemen in South Division Showdown

Published on March 18, 2022 under ECHL (ECHL)
Atlanta Gladiators News Release


JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Atlanta Gladiators (36-18-3-1) collide with the Jacksonville Icemen (33-19-2-2) tonight in the first of three consecutive battles between the two South Division heavyweights. Atlanta and Jacksonville will meet twice more this weekend on Saturday and Sunday with the division standings hanging in the balance.

Scouting the Icemen

Jacksonville features a balanced attack lead by Craig Martin's 47 points (18G-29A). The Icemen rank first in the ECHL by only allowing 2.41 goals per game, and their penalty kill is tops in the league at 85.6%. Francois Brassard and Charles Williams have split the Jacksonville net so far this season. Brassard has the better numbers with a 13-5-1-1 record, 2.02 goals-against average, and .919 save percentage. The Icemen are tied for the most overtime games played with 13 and hold a 5-2 record in OT and a 4-2 record in shootouts.

Last Time Out

The Gladiators came back to defeat the Orlando Solar Bears 3-2 on Tuesday in Duluth. Atlanta trailed 2-0 until late in the second period when Hugo Roy and Sanghoon Shin scored 12 seconds apart to tie the game. Kamerin Nault pushed the Glads ahead with a power-play goal in the closing minutes of the third.

Last Meeting

Atlanta bested Jacksonville 5-2 at Gas South Arena on Jan. 30 in the last meeting between the two clubs. Five different Gladiators found the back of the net and Chris Nell made 27 saves on 29 shots.

The Road Ahead

After three straight home games, the Gladiators now face eight straight road tests against Jacksonville, Rapid City, and Greenville. 10 of Atlanta's next 14 games will be played away from Gas South Arena. The Glads' strength of schedule will also pick up over the remaining schedule. 11 of Atlanta's next 14 contests will be against teams that are currently in the Kelly Cup Playoff picture. Greenville is the only remaining opponent that is currently outside the top four in their division.

Power Play Humming

The Gladiators have scored power-play goals in seven of their last eight games, including the last six contests. In those last seven games, Atlanta is 12-30 (40.0%) on the man-advantage. The Glads have also notched power-play goals in 15 of their last 17 games, going 21-59 (35.6%) on the man-up in that span. Derek Topatigh leads Atlanta with 14 power-play points and six power-play goals. In recent weeks Atlanta has climbed up to 14th in league rankings at 20.0% after ranking near the bottom of the ECHL for much of the season.

Two-Headed Monster

Since Joe Murdaca first appeared with Atlanta on Jan. 2, he and Chris Nell have teamed up to go 16-4-0-0 with a .930 combined save percentage in that span. Murdaca has a .939 save percentage since joining Atlanta, and Nell owns a .927 mark in his last 14 starts. Murdaca has won all seven of his starts with the Gladiators, Nell has won eight of his last 10 assignments.

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WHEN: Friday, Mar. 18 at 7:00 PM ET

WHERE: VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena - Jacksonville, Fla.

WHO: Atlanta Gladiators at Jacksonville Icemen

BROADCAST: All Atlanta Gladiators games are broadcast live on the Gladiators Broadcast Network. Listen to the game online at Mixlr.com, or watch the game on FloHockey.TV.

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