Jackals Journal

March 11, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Elmira Jackals News Release


ELMIRA, NY - The Elmira Jackals, proud member of the ECHL, won both contests last week in snapping a season-high six-game losing streak (0-3-1-2) and in the process, moved back into second place in the North Division. Entering the week having clinched a playoff berth in the 2008 Kelly Cup playoffs, the Jackals have 16 games remaining in the regular season, all against North Division foes.

Overall: 33-18-3-4 (73 pts.) 2nd North Division/6th American Conference/10th Overall Last Week: 2-0-0-0 (4 pts.)

Friday, March 7th - @ TRENTON (6-4 W) Att: 3,465 Shots: 46-33 TRE PP: 1/7 PK: 2/4

BENOIT DOUCET scored twice (24, 25), once in a five-goal first period (tying an the ECHL season-high) and an important insurance strike with 3:53 left in the third period, to help the Jackals snap an overall six-game losing streak and five-game skid on the road. MATT JOHNSON scored in his Jackals debut, part of the first period uprising, after being acquired earlier in the week from Wheeling.

Saturday, March 8th - @ JOHNSTOWN (3-2 W ot) Att: 2,516 Shots: 30-22 ELM PP: 1/5 PK: 2/4

BOBBY ROBINS (12) scored on a deflection of a KYLE WHARTON shot on the power play 3:13 into overtime to lift the Jackals to their second straight road win. The winning goal was ROBINS' team-high sixth of the year as Elmira won for the third time in four tries at the Cambria County War Memorial and never trailed following MAXIME LINCOURT's first professional goal 10:56 into the contest. JOEL MARTIN ended a torturous personal eight-game losing streak by making 20 saves for his 24th win of the season.

This Week: Wednesday, March 12th - @ READING 6:35 p.m. Sovereign Center

Friday, March 14th - v. READING 7:35 p.m. First Arena

St. Patrick's Day Celebration with Green Ice at First Arena

The Jackals and Royals hook up for a late season home-and-home set which could heavily impact which club eventually secures the second seed in the North Division. Reading has won two straight in the season series, both at Sovereign Center, but Elmira has taken all three get-togethers at First Arena. The Jackals hold a 10-9 points lead in the season series with three games left including the two contests this week.

Series Leaders Elmira Reading Series Result to Date

Goals Fulghum (4) Blight (4) 4-Nov ELM 3 @ REA 5

Assists Pilkington (5) Jarrett (5) 24-Nov REA 1 @ ELM 4

Points Faubert/Doucet/Pilkington (7) Blight (9) 14-Dec REA 4 @ ELM 5 ot

+/- Johnson/Doucet (+6) Roussin/Germain/Uchevatov (+3) 26-Dec ELM 3 @ REA 4

PIM Johnson (99) Salekin (48) 2-Jan ELM 7 @ REA 3

Shots Faubert (28) Lukacevic (24) 2-Feb REA 2 @ ELM 5

Power Play Goals Faubert (2) Roussin/Atherton/Cavosie/Blight (2) 9-Feb ELM 1 @ REA 7

Shorthanded Goals Fulghum/Ulanski (1) Blight/Lalonde (1) 20-Feb ELM 2 @ REA 3 ot

Game-Winning Goals Four with (1) each Roussin/Blight/Lalonde/Hersley (1)

Saturday, March 15th - @ JOHNSTOWN 7:05 p.m. Cambria County War Memorial

This nine-game series wraps up with a rematch from last Saturday night. The Jackals and Chiefs have each posted nine standings points in the previous eight games with Elmira taking three of their four wins in the series in Johnstown.

Series Leaders Elmira Johnstown Series Result to Date

Goals Doucet/Faubert (4) Garlock (6) 26-Oct JHN 2 @ ELM 1 so

Assists Doucet (6) Garlock (6) 31-Dec ELM 5 @ JHN 2

Points Doucet (10) Garlock (12) 11-Jan JHN 4 @ ELM 3

+/- Faubert (+4) Coutu (+6) 30-Jan JHN1 @ ELM 3

PIM Doucet(20) Straub (15) 3-Feb ELM 3 @ JHN 2 so

Shots Littlejohn (30) Garlock (33) 8-Feb ELM 3 @ JHN 9

Power Play Goals Doucet (2) Six with (1) each 2-Mar JHN 6 @ ELM 2

Shorthanded Goals Busby/McKenzie (1) Roche/Drummond/Garlock (1) 8-Mar ELM 3 @ JHN 2 ot

Game-Winning Goals Robins (2) Rowe/Olson/Martens (1)

Jackals Bites: The Jackals snapped a season-high six game losing streak (0-3-1-2) overall and a five-game road losing streak (0-3-1-1) with Friday's win in Trenton...Elmira has scored the first goal of the game in nine consecutive contests, going 3-3-1-2 in that streak when getting on the board first...The five-goal first period matched a season-high for goals in a period first done November 20th @ Gwinnett (3rd period) in 6-3 win...Picking up eight penalty minutes in each contest last weekend, the 16 PIM total is the lowest back-to-back game total by the club this year while spending a league-leading 26+ minutes a game in the penalty box...Elmira has given up a league-high 18 SHG...MATT JOHNSON and JOHN BURTON made their Jackals debuts this weekend bumping the total to 52 different players that have seen action in an Elmira uniform this season...With Trenton's loss to Johnstown Sunday, the Jackals became the 11th team to clinch a spot in the upcoming Kelly Cup playoffs, marking the first time since 2004 that Elmira fans will see post-season hockey...BENOIT DOUCET remained red hot with a five-point weekend including three goals (24, 25, 26) and carries a three-game goal streak into this week's action...PIERRE-LUC FAUBERT ran his point/assist streak to nine games (3+11=14), his longest such streaks of the year...Both DOUCET (63 pts) and FAUBERT (62 pts) climbed into the top five in rookie scoring leaders over the weekend and are 1-2 on the Jackals in scoring...DOUCET's 26 goals and FAUBERT's 39 assists lead the Jackals in those departments...JOEL MARTIN's personal eight-game losing streak came to an end Saturday as he made 20 saves in a 3-2 overtime win at Johnstown...Defenseman MATT GENS had his six-game point steak (1+9=10) end Saturday, a night after he netted his first goal of the season in Friday's win at Trenton.

Jackals Leaders: Goals: DOUCET 26...Assists: FAUBERT 39...Points: DOUCET 63...PIM: JOHNSON 218...

Goalie Wins: MARTIN 24...PPG: DOUCET 10...SHG: FULGHUM 4...GWG: ROBINS 5

Streaking into Friday's Game #59: Wins - 2; Road wins - 2; Home losses - 3 (0-2-0-1); First goal - 9; Power play goals for -3 (4x23); Power play goals against - 3 (5x20)...Goals - Benoit Doucet (5), Shawn Weller 3 (3); Points - Pierre-Luc Faubert 9 (3+11=14), Doucet 3 (5+2=7), Weller 3 (3+3=6), Kyle Wharton 2 (0+3=3), Maxime Lincourt 2 (1+1=2), Bobby Robins 2 (1+1=2), Luke Fritshaw 2 (0+2=2).

Jackals Amongst ECHL Leaders: Joel Martin - 24 wins (2nd), 2,379 minutes played (1st), 1016 saves (4th), 5 shootout wins (1st) ...Pierre-Luc Faubert - 5 shootout goals (t-1st overall/1st rookies), 62 points (t-8th overall/t-6th rookies), 39 assists (4th rookies)...Benoit Doucet - 63 points (7th overall/4th rookies)...Trevor Hendrikx - 156 PIM (3rd - defensemen)...Luke Fulghum - 4 shorthanded goals (t-2nd)...Kevin Ulanski - 3 shorthanded assists (t-5th)...Chaz Johnson - 218 PIM (2nd), Tomas Kudleka - 3 game-winning goals (t-2nd defensemen).

Ranking the Jackals ECHL Rank ECHL Leader

Goals for/game 3.40 (11th) 4.14 - Cincinnati

Goals against/game 3.19 (14th) 2.26 - Cincinnati

Shots for/game 31.62 (15th) 36.47 - Gwinnett

Shots against/game 30.57(8th) 28.70 - Cincinnati

PIM/game 26.48 (1st) 26.48 - Elmira

Power Play % 57/336 17.0% (15th) 22.0% - Gwinnett

Penalty Kill % 301/361 83.4% (12th) 87.7% - Columbia

Shorthanded goals for 9 (t-11th) 15 - South Carolina

Shorthanded goals against 18 (25th) 2 - Las Vegas

Shootout % for 19/46 41.3% (4th) 47.8% - Alaska

Shootout % against 14/46 30.4% (13th) 17.2% - South Carolina

Attendance/game 3,583 (15th) 6,509 - Stockton

Jackals On the Air: All 72 regular season games will air live on MAGIC FM (92.7/97.7) beginning with the Hill Top Inn Countdown to Face-Off 30 minutes prior to game time (except televised games). WETM-2 will televise 11 Friday night contests live from First Arena with coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. each night. A free audio stream and a pay-per-view video stream are available at www.jackalshockey.com. The team's weekly Coach's Show airs Mondays throughout the season from 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. on NewsTalk 1230/1450 live from O'Ryans Sports Bar & Grill, 159 Prescott Avenue - Elmira Heights. The show is also available on-line via www.jackalshockey.com. There will not be a show Monday, March 17th, as the Jackals play the Wheeling Nailers at First Arena that night. The next edition of the Coach's Show will air Monday, March 24th.

On-Ice This Week (subject to change) Radio/TV airtime

Tuesday, March 11th 10:30 a.m. Practice - First Arena

Wednesday, March 12th 10:00 a.m. Practice - First Arena

Noon Depart for Reading, PA

6:35 p.m. JACKALS @ READING MAGIC-FM 6:05 p.m.

Thursday, March 13th 2:00 p.m. Practice - First Arena

Friday, March 14th 10:00 a.m. Morning skate - First Arena

7:30 p.m. JACKALS v. READING MAGIC FM/WETM-2 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 15th 10:30 a.m. Morning skate - First Arena

7:00 p.m. JACKALS @ JOHNSTOWN MAGIC FM 6:35 p.m.

Sunday, March 16th ~To be announced~

Tickets for all Jackals home games may be purchased in person at the Gray Street box office at First Arena (10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, Saturdays 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.), Ticketmaster charge-by-phone at 722-3711, on-line at www.ticketmaster.com and by calling 734-PUCK (7825).



ECHL Stories from March 11, 2008


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