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Playoff picture starting to come into focus

Published on March 11, 2013 under ECHL (ECHL) News Release


Playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference is heating up, and several key matchups this week will go a long way in determining the eight teams from the conference to advance to the Kelly Cup Playoffs.

The Cincinnati Cyclones sit atop the Eastern Conference with 87 points courtesy of a 9-0-1 streak in their last 10 games. Cincinnati is just one point away from clinching the first playoff berth in the conference. The Cyclones open a six-game road trip on Friday in Trenton, and on Saturday visit Reading, which is in second place in the conference, just three points off of Cincinnati's pace.

Gwinnett leads the South Division, and is in third place of the conference, with 77 points, but has just a two point advantage over both Florida and South Carolina for the division lead. The Gladiators are home for a three-game series against Orlando on Thursday, Friday and Sunday while the Everblades and Stingrays tangle for a three-game set in Florida on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

The race for the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference has developed into a four-team race. Toledo and Greenville hold down the final two spots with 71 points each. Kalamazoo, which has won three straight games, is in ninth place with 67 points while Wheeling, which is undefeated in regulation in its last six outings (4-0-2) is six points off the pace with 65. The Walleye host the Road Warriors on Wednesday, before a three-game weekend series against the Nailers, in Wheeling on Friday and in Toledo on Saturday and Sunday. Kalamazoo hits the ice against Fort Wayne on Friday, visits Evansville on Saturday and then wraps up the weekend by hosting the Road Warriors on Sunday.

In the Western Conference, the Alaska Aces currently own the top spot with 98 points, enjoying an eight-point lead over Ontario for the conference lead and a 13-point advantage over Idaho for the Mountain Division lead. The Aces host the Steelheads for three games in Anchorage on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday while the Reign, who became the first ECHL team to clinch their division with a win on Saturday at Bakersfield, host Stockton on Friday and visit the Thunder on Saturday.

Only two playoff spots remain unclaimed in the Western Conference. Utah, which is in seventh place with 59 points, has a magic number of one to claim its sixth consecutive playoff berth while San Francisco with 51 points, has a magic number of eight points.

Zapolski ties ECHL record with eighth shutout of season

South Carolina goaltender Ryan Zapolski tied the ECHL single-season record with his eighth shutout of the season on Saturday against Greenville.

Zapolski tied the mark set by Jean-Philippe Lamoureux of Alaska during the 2008-09 season when he turned aside all 22 shots he faced in the Stingrays' 3-0 win over the Road Warriors. Five of Zapolski's eight shutouts have come in his last 12 appearances, a stretch which has seen him go 9-1-2 with a 1.06 goals-against average and a save percentage of .965.

The 26-year-old leads the ECHL in goals-against average (1.64) and save percentage (.940) and he is tied for second in the league in wins (24). Zapolski also earned Most Valuable Player honors at the 2013 ECHL All-Star Game, stopping all 17 shots he faced in the second period of the ECHL All-Stars 7-3 win against Colorado.

This week in ECHL history

As part of the ECHL's 25th anniversary, each week the League will take a look back at important moments in ECHL history.

March 11, 2004 - The ECHL welcomes the 50 millionth fan in League history during a game at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Miss.

March 14, 1993 - Nashville's Trevor Jobe ends the 1992-93 regular season on a league-record 38-game point streak. Jobe registered 112 points over the course of his streak.

Divisions

Atlantic Division

- Jordon Southorn is fourth among defensemen in plus-minus at +23.

- The Jackals are fourth with 32.33 shots per game.

- Elmira is at Reading on Friday and at Trenton on Sunday.

- Riley Gill recorded shutout in first game as a Royal at Sovereign Center on Friday against Orlando.

- Reading had the 30th sellout in team history on Saturday with 7,162 fans against Wheeling.

- The Royals host Wheeling on Wednesday, Reading on Friday and Cincinnati on Saturday.

- Jacob Cepis is tied for sixth with 40 assists.

- The Titans are fifth on the power play at 20.9 percent (62-for-296).

- Trenton hosts Cincinnati on Friday and Elmira on Sunday.

- Cam Fergus has multiple points in three of his last four games.

- Wheeling is 4-0-2 in its last six games.

- The Nailers are at Reading on Wednesday, host Toledo on Friday and visit the Walleye on Saturday and Sunday.

North Division

- Matt Smyth registered his first pro hat trick on Saturday against Evansville.

- The Cyclones are 9-0-1 in their last 10 games.

- Cincinnati is at Trenton on Friday and at Reading on Saturday.

- Jason Dale has eight points (3g-5a) in his last eight games.

- Evansville has played a league-low nine games that have gone beyond regulation.

- The IceMen are at Fort Wayne on Wednesday and Sunday and host Greenville on Friday and Kalamazoo on Saturday.

- Tyler Butler is the only Komet to appear in all 62 games this season.

- The Komets are 12-0-0 when leading after one period.

- Fort Wayne hosts Evansville on Wednesday and Sunday, is at Kalamazoo on Friday and hosts Greenville on Saturday.

- John Armstrong is on a 13-game point streak and a four-game goal streak.

- Kalamazoo is 42 for its last 44 on the penalty kill (95.5 percent).

- The K-Wings host Fort Wayne on Friday, are at Evansville on Saturday and host Greenville on Sunday.

- Kent Simpson is ninth with a 2.49 goals-against average.

- The Walleye have outscored their opponents 83-60 in the third period.

- Toledo hosts Greenville on Wednesday, visits Wheeling on Friday and hosts the Nailers on Saturday and Sunday.

South Division

- Mathieu Roy is second in the league with 70 points (31g-39a).

- The Everblades lead the league with 14 shorthanded goals.

- Florida hosts South Carolina on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

- Marc-Olivier Vallerand leads the Road Warriors with 17 multi-point games.

- Greenville is tied for second in the league with six shootout wins.

- The Road Warriors are at Toledo on Wednesday, Evansville on Friday, Fort Wayne on Saturday and Kalamazoo on Sunday.

- Sacha Guimond leads defensemen with 43 points (12g-31a).

- The Gladiators are 33-4-2 when scoring first.

- Gwinnett hosts Orlando on Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

- Ryan Cruthers played in his 300th career ECHL game on Sunday at Trenton.

- Orlando is tied for fifth with five shorthanded goals against.

- The Solar Bears are at Gwinnett on Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

- Tyler Johnson is third among rookies with a .750 shootout percentage (3-for-4).

- The Stingrays are 11-0-2 in their last 13 home games.

- South Carolina is at Florida on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

Mountain Division

- Alex Hudson is on a four-game goal streak, and has six goals in his last six games.

- The Aces have killed off 48 consecutive opponent power plays.

- Alaska hosts Idaho on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

- Michael Forney is third in the league with 69 points (33g-36a).

- Colorado has outscored its opponents 128-90 at home.

- The Eagles host Las Vegas on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

- Austin Smith is tied for second among rookies with 24 goals, despite playing just 30 games.

- The Steelheads are 30-1-2 when scoring at least three goals.

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

- Colin Vock leads the Grizzlies with 22 goals.

- Utah is first on the power play on the road at 23.7 percent (37-for-156).

- The Grizzlies visit Bakersfield on Wednesday and Friday and San Francisco on Saturday and Sunday.

Pacific Division

- Scott Greenham is second among rookies with 1,059 saves.

- The Condors are 9-0-0 when leading after two periods at home.

- Bakersfield hosts Utah on Wednesday and Friday and travels to Stockton on Sunday.

- Joe Fallon is fifth with 22 wins.

- Las Vegas is fifth on the penalty kill at 84.7 percent (211-for-249).

- The Wranglers are at Colorado on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

- Mario Lamoureux leads rookies with 59 points (25g-34a).

- The Reign are 28-7-3 against Pacific Division opponents.

- Ontario hosts Stockton on Friday and visits the Thunder on Saturday.

- Kory Falite scored his first goal with the Bulls on Saturday against Alaska.

- San Francisco is 7-0-0 when leading after two periods at home.

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

- Shawn Weller tied a career high with four points on Sunday vs. Ontario.

- The Thunder are fifth in ECHL attendance with 5,419 fans per game.

- Stockton hosts San Francisco on Wednesday, visits Ontario on Friday and hosts the Reign on Saturday and Bakersfield on Sunday.

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ECHL Stories from March 11, 2013


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