Playoff Gameday: Adirondack at Manchester
April 13, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Adirondack Thunder News Release
TONIGHT'S MATCHUP: Tonight's matchup begins the 2016 Kelly Cup Playoffs, the first ever playoff game for the Adirondack Thunder. The Thunder will see a familiar foe, the Manchester Monarchs, who they faced 15 times during the regular season. Tonight's matchup opens up a best of seven series with the first two games held in New Hampshire.
BACK WHERE WE BELONG: The Thunder's playoff berth marks the first time since 2006 that an Adirondack team will play in the postseason, with the UHL's Adirondack Frostbite the last to see playoff action. The Thunder will now look to become the first Adirondack team since 1994 to win a playoff series and the first since 1992 to win a championship, dating back to the Adirondack Red Wings days.
DETHRONING THE MONARCHY: The Monarchs are a familiar foe for the Thunder, with 15 meetings between the teams during the regular season and two more back in preseason. In the regular season, Manchester held a narrow 8-7 advantage, with each team winning four games apiece at the Verizon Wireless Arena. Adirondack has won the past two games in Manchester, including a 4-3 win last Friday night.
LIKE MIKE: Thunder forward Michael Kirkpatrick earned a pair of honors this week, as he finished as the runner up for the ECHL Rookie of the Year and was named the ECHL's Player of the Week for his efforts last week. Kirkpatrick led all rookie scorers on the season with 29 goals, finishing second with 60 points. The North Sydney, NS native collected two points in each game last week, leading to a team best six points (3-3-6) over three games played.
REINFORCEMENTS: Adirondack received a trio of reinforcements from the AHL this week as forward Mitchell Heard returned from Stockton and forward Ben Johnson, as well as defenseman Joe Faust returned from Albany. Heard was nearly a point-per-game this season in the ECHL, with 32 points (10-22-32) in 33 games. Johnson collected six points (3-3-6) in 13 games played with the Thunder while Faust was a mainstay on the blueline for much of the season with 10 points (2-8-10) in 38 games played.
HEAD TO HEAD: Thunder forwards Michael Kirkpatrick (6-7-13) and Greg Wolfe (6-5-11) led the team against the Monarchs during the regular season as both players have collected double-digit point totals in head-to-head matchups. Defenseman Patch Alber has led the way from the blueline with eight assists, tops amongst all skaters on both teams.
A LOOK AHEAD: The Thunder and Monarchs will battle once again in Manchester on Friday before the series shifts to Glens Falls for games 3 and 4, beginning Saturday evening at the Glens Falls Civic Center.
ECHL Stories from April 13, 2016
- Monarchs Struck by Thunder, 3-2, in Game 1 - Manchester Monarchs
- Komets to Face Cyclones in First Round - Fort Wayne Komets
- Wrenn Third in ECHL Defenseman of Year Voting - Alaska Aces
- Maione Named 2015-16 ECHL Defenseman of the Year - Wheeling Nailers
- Jordan Sims Loaned to AHL San Jose - Evansville IceMen
- Wheeling's Maione Named CCM Hockey ECHL Defenseman of the Year - ECHL
- ECHL, TeamWork Online to Host Fifth Annual Career Fair & Symposium - ECHL
- Monarchs Game Day Capsule - Manchester Monarchs
- Thunder Partner with O'Toole's to Offer Playoff Watch Parties - Adirondack Thunder
- Playoff Gameday: Adirondack at Manchester - Adirondack Thunder
- ECHL Today - April 13 - ECHL
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