Sports stats



ECHL Greenville Swamp Rabbits

Preview: Swamp Rabbits Battle Alaska in Inaugural Meeting Tonight

January 14, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Greenville Swamp Rabbits News Release


THE STORY COMING IN

The Greenville Swamp Rabbits (18-13-6), proud ECHL affiliate of the New York Rangers and the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack, conclude a four-game homestand tonight with their first-ever matchup against the Western Conference's Alaska Aces. Greenville enters the contest with points in 10 of its last 11 games (7-1-3) and unbeaten in regulation in each of its last two. In the team's last outing on Saturday, Justin DaSilva scored the Swamp Rabbits lone tally in regulation and Jordan Knackstedt netted the only goal in a three-round shootout in a 2-1 victory against Florida. Between the pipes, Mackenzie Skapski stopped 36 shots, including several highlight-reel saves in the third period, to secure his second ECHL win. The Swamp Rabbits have now gone past regulation in seven of their last nine games.

DON'T MISS OUT

The Swamp Rabbits return to SANDLAPPER Securities Rink at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena tonight for the final "Thirsty Thursday" until March! Take a break and enjoy $2 domestic drafts during Hockey Happy Hour from 6-8 p.m. and $2 soft drinks, hot dogs and pretzels all game long. Limited $5 tickets are available at the box office while supplies last.

THE MATCHUP

Tonight's contest is the inaugural meeting between the Swamp Rabbits and Aces, and the only matchup between the two clubs this season. Greenville and Alaska nearly met in the 2014 post-season when the Aces played their way to a Kelly Cup championship, however, Greenville came up short in the Eastern Conference Finals series against Cincinnati that season. Tonight's game will also be the Swamp Rabbits third matchup against a Western Conference opponent this season. Greenville went 1-0-1 in a pair of games against Cincinnati in December.  

VIEW FROM ALASKA

Led by head coach Rob Murray, the Aces enter tonight's contest at 12-18-4 (28 points) and at the bottom of the West Division. However, the club is on a three-game point streak (2-0-1) including a 4-3 overtime loss at Atlanta in its last outing on Tuesday. Peter Sivak led the way for the Aces that night with two goals and an assist, while netminder Troy Redmann halted 44 shots. Overall, Alaska is led in scoring by former Greenville forward Tim Coffman, who has posted 28 points (11g, 17a) this season. In his third season with Alaska, Coffman made his pro debut and played 14 games with Greenville during the 2011-12 campaign. The Aces won the ECHL's Kelly Cup in 2014.

KILLING IT ON THE KILL

The Swamp Rabbits penalty kill has come to life over the last six games, going 16-for-17 during that span and improving to 24th in the league. Greenville's penalty kill currently stands at 79.0% this season, up from 75.6% on December 2, when it was ranked last in the ECHL.

FREE HOCKEY

Seven of Greenville's last nine games have been decided beyond regulation, including two of the team's three contests last weekend. The Swamp Rabbits are a perfect 4-0 in shootouts this season and 2-6 when the game is decided in overtime.

KWIET'S MILESTONE NIGHT

Eighth-year defenseman Rob Kwiet reached a milestone last Saturday when he made his 400th professional appearance. The 27-year-old has been a staple in the pro ranks since 2009 when he played his first full season with the AHL's Providence Bruins. Since then, Kwiet has played 42 American Hockey League games with Providence and Bridgeport and 299 ECHL contests among seven different teams. In addition, Kwiet spent five consecutive seasons in the ECHL from 2009-2014 with Reading, Stockton, Greenville, San Francisco, Fort Wayne, Atlanta and Florida.

AS CLOSE AS IT GETS

Each of Greenville's last nine games have been decided by two goals or less, while eight of those contests have been decided by just one tally. The Swamp Rabbits are 10-4-6 in one-goal games this season and 2-2-0 when the contest is decided by two goals.  

QUICK HITS

Bretton Cameron is three penalty minutes from his 600th pro penalty minute... Jordan Knackstedt is two goals from his 100th professional goal... The Swamp Rabbits are tied for fifth in the league with 42 third-period goals... Last Saturday's 2-1 victory against Florida was the first time Greenville has won this season when scoring two goals or fewer (1-11-4).

AFFILIATE REPORT

New York Rangers (23-14-5, T-2nd Metropolitan): Next at Islanders - Tonight, 7 p.m. ET

Hartford Wolf Pack (16-19-2, 7th Atlantic): Next at Springfield - Tomorrow, 7 p.m. ET

Get Social: Follow the Swamp Rabbits all season long and get behind-the-scenes coverage like never before on the team's official Facebook and Twitter pages.

Trolley On Over: Greenville's downtown trolley route has been extended to include a stop at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. The expanded route will operate for all Swamp Rabbits' games taking place Thursdays through Sundays during normal trolley service hours.

Call 864-674-7825 or visit SwampRabbits.com for tickets. Bring a group of 15 or more out to a game and receive great discounts, merchandise offers and hospitality opportunities! Call a Swamp Rabbits Account Executive for more information! Get the latest Swamp Rabbits gear at the "Hop Shop" team store or visit the "Hop Shop" online at SwampRabbits.com/shop to browse the full collection of fan wear and novelties!

Check out the Greenville Swamp Rabbits Statistics

• Discuss this story on the ECHL message board...

ECHL Stories from January 14, 2016


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central