Jackals Clinch Playoff Spot After Edging Nailers
March 18, 2012 - ECHL (ECHL)
Elmira Jackals News Release
Elmira, N.Y. - The Elmira Jackals (40-22-2-2) earned a 3-2 shootout victory on Sunday afternoon at First Arena over the Wheeling Nailers (35-23-4-4) and then clinched a spot in the 2012 Kelly Cup Playoffs later in the day when the Trenton Titans defeated the Chicago Express in overtime, 5-4. The Jackals have now qualified for the ECHL's postseason in each of their first five years in the league.
Mike Radja posted both of Elmira's tallies in the contest to extend his goal streak to five games (7g-1a). The Yorkville, Ill. native notched his first goal of the outing in the opening period, taking a feed from Dustin Gazley in the right circle and then snapping the puck off of Wheeling goaltender Peter Delmas and in, giving Elmira a 1-0 lead at 5:20. Gazley's point was his 77th of the season, putting the rookie into sole possession of first place for the ECHL's scoring lead.
After a scoreless second period, Chase Watson buried a rebound off a Peter Merth shot at 6:46 of the final frame, tying the contest, 1-1.
The Jackals wasted no time in reclaiming the lead, as Radja corraled a feed from Benjamin Dieude-Fauvel and blasted a puck in from the left circle past Delmas just 10 seconds after Watson's goal, putting Elmira back in front, 2-1.
Zack Torquato snapped in a puck off a face-off from the right circle, evening the score, 2-2, at 16:01.
After a scoreless overtime period, Elmira netminder Brian Stewart's perfect lifetime shootout record of 11-0 was put to the test. The second-year pro set aside all five Nailers attempts, while Artem Demkov, the only Jackal to score in the shootout, fired in a shot past Delmas in the bottom of the fifth round to lift Elmira past Wheeling, 3-2.
Stewart (23-11-1-0) made 24 saves in regulation and overtime en route to netting his 12th-career shootout victory, including his ninth in the ECHL. Delmas (18-12-1-2) stopped 20 of Elmira's 22 shots.
The victory extended Elmira's Atlantic Division lead over Wheeling to six points with six games remaining in the season.
Elmira became the third Eastern Conference team to seal a playoff berth in 2011-2012 after the Gwinnett Gladiators clinched on Saturday and the Greenville Road Warriors wrapped up a spot earlier on Sunday.
The Jackals' first-round playoff schedule will be announced once the pairings are finalized. Fans looking to reserve seats to see Elmira in the playoffs can order a playoff six pack by calling (607) 734-PUCK (7825) or by visiting the First Arena Box Office. Individual game tickets for the playoffs will go on sale once the first-round schedule is announced.
Elmira heads to Toledo for contests on Friday and Saturday with the Walleye and then visits Wheeling on Sunday to take on the Nailers. The Jackals returns to First Arena for their final regular season home game on Friday, Mar. 30 at 7:35 p.m. against the Reading Royals.
Notes:
Stewart has allowed only four goals on 33 shootout attempts this season...He is 9-0 lifetime in the ECHL and 3-0 in his AHL career in shootouts...Elmira's 10 shootout wins are the second-most by any team in the ECHL during the league's overtime/shootout era...The Greenville Grrrowl and Lexington Men O'War hold the record during this era with 11 shootout victories...Gazley has points in seven-straight games (2g-10a) and 28 of the last 30 contests...He is alone in first place in the league in points for the first time this season...Radja has 10 goals since he returned from an 18-game stint with the AHL's Houston Aeros on Mar. 3...Elmira went 4-0 in Sunday home games this season...The victory was Elmira's 23rd by one goal...The Jackals are one victory shy of their franchise record within ECHL play of 41, set in 2007-2008
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