ECHL ECHL

Race for Brabham Cup heats up in final month

March 5, 2012 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


Entering the final month of the ECHL regular season, the race for the Brabham Cup has developed into a six-team race.

Alaska, which captured the regular-season championship last season with 97 points, owns the top spot in the league with 83 points. The Aces have won the Brabham Cup twice in team history (2005 and 2011) and has gone on to win the Kelly Cup both times. Alaska ends the home portion of its schedule this weekend with a pair of games against Colorado before ending the season with a 10-game road trip.

Las Vegas enters the week with 79 points, and leads the Pacific Division by one point over Ontario. The Wranglers, who have gone 6-1-0 in their last seven games, captured the Brabham Cup in 2007. Ontario has been the hottest team in the ECHL in 2012 posting a 21-4-3 record in 28 games since Jan. 1. The Reign, who are returning to the Kelly Cup Playoffs after missing the postseason the previous two seasons, host Las Vegas for a pair of games this weekend, and will close the season hosting Alaska four times over their final six contests.

The top team in the Eastern Conference, Gwinnett has 77 points, and is just six points off of Alaska's Aces. The Gladiators won all three of their games over the weekend to improve to 33-17-11. Gwinnett enjoys a one-point lead over Greenville for the top spot in the South Division. The Road Warriors, who finished just one point behind Alaska for the Brabham Cup last season, meet the Gladiators five times in the final month of the season, including twice this week.

Elmira has fashioned a 7-3-0 record in its last 10 games to move atop the Atlantic Division with 76 points. The Jackals have finished first or second in their division in three of their four seasons in the ECHL, and are five wins shy of matching their 41-win total in their inaugural season of 2007-08.

Divisions

ATLANTIC DIVISION

- Brian Stewart recorded the Jackals first shutout since Dec. 18, 2010 on Sunday in a 3-0 win against Reading.

- The Jackals have a league-best 10 wins when trailing after two periods (10-15-1).

- Elmira travels to Trenton on Friday and hosts Toledo on Saturday.

- Mikael Bedard has five multi-point games in 14 games with the Royals.

- Reading's nine shorthanded goals this season have been scored by eight different players.

- The Royals host Toledo on Friday and Trenton on Saturday.

- Tyler Hostetter is fourth in the league with a 23.3 percent shooting percentage (7-for-30).

- The Titans are the league's third-least penalized team with 13.81 penalty minutes per game.

- Trenton visits South Carolina on Tuesday, hosts Elmira on Friday, is at Reading on Saturday and hosts Florida on Sunday.

- Chris Barton leads rookies with 25 goals.

- Wheeling is 21-7-2 when scoring first.

- The Nailers host Florida in Johnstown on Friday and Saturday and Toledo on Sunday.

NORTH DIVISION

- Pierre-Luc Faubert played his 200th ECHL game on Saturday.

- The Express are 17-1-4 when leading after two periods.

- Chicago is at Kalamazoo on Friday and Saturday.

- Mathieu Aubin is tied for fourth in the league in plus-minus at +18.

- Cincinnati is first with two shorthanded goals against.

- The Cyclones are at Kalamazoo on Wednesday, Gwinnett on Saturday and South Carolina on Sunday.

- Nick Sirota is on a six-game point streak since Feb. 24 (3g-3a).

- Twelve of the K-Wings final 13 games are against North Division opponents.

- Kalamazoo hosts Cincinnati on Wednesday and Chicago on Friday and Saturday.

- Joey Martin has three goals in the last two games and leads Toledo with 43 points (19g-24a).

- The Walleye are 16-12-4 against North Division opponents.

- Toledo is at Reading on Friday, Elmira on Saturday and Wheeling on Sunday.

SOUTH DIVISION

- Scott Pitt is tied for first among rookies with four game-winning goals.

- The Everblades are second on the power play at home at 23.6 percent (30-for-127).

- Florida plays Wheeling in Johnstown on Friday and Saturday and is at Trenton on Sunday.

- Tim Coffman scored his first professional goal on Saturday against Trenton.

- Greenville plays its next six games against South Carolina (3) and Gwinnett (3).

- The Road Warriors host Gwinnett on Tuesday and then visit South Carolina on Friday and Saturday and Gwinnett on Sunday.

- Pat Galivan leads the club with 23 goals.

- The Gladiators are fifth with 2.82 goals-against per game.

- Gwinnett is at Greenville on Tuesday and hosts Cincinnati on Saturday and Greenville on Sunday.

- Johann Kroll is third in the ECHL and second among league defensemen in plus-minus at +20

- South Carolina is 20-3-3 when scoring first.

- The Stingrays host Trenton on Tuesday, Greenville on Friday and Saturday and Cincinnati on Sunday.

MOUNTAIN DIVISION

- Bryan Miller is tied for second among defensemen with seven power-play goals.

- The Aces have scored first a league-high 40 times (31-6-3).

- Alaska hosts Colorado on Friday and Saturday.

- Kyle Jones is second in the league with 26 wins.

- Colorado is 13-5-4 against Mountain Division opponents.

- The Eagles host Stockton on Tuesday and Wednesday and are at Alaska on Friday and Saturday.

- Andrei Plekhanov has six points (1g-5a) in the past seven games.

- The Steelheads are 17-1-1 when holding their opponent to two goals or less.

- Idaho hosts Bakersfield on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

- Andrew Engelage is fifth with 2,363 minutes played.

- Utah is 19-6-5 in one-goal games.

- The Grizzlies host Ontario on Monday and Wednesday and Stockton on Friday and Saturday.

PACIFIC DIVISION

- Ian McKenzie is on a seven-game point streak (2g-8a).

- The Condors have scored at least three goals in each of their last 10 games.

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

- Jamie Fritsch is tied for fourth among defensemen in plus-minus at +16.

- Las Vegas is tied for second with three shorthanded goals against.

- The Wranglers visit Ontario on Friday and Saturday.

- Derek Couture is fifth in the league with 24 power-play points (12g-12a).

- The Reign are on a season-high seven-game home winning streak.

- Ontario is at Utah on Monday and Wednesday and hosts Las Vegas on Friday and Saturday.

- Matt Thomas became the eighth coach in ECHL history to reach the 300-win plateau on Sunday against Alaska.

- Stockton is 11-3-1 in its last 15 home games.

- The Thunder visit Colorado on Tuesday and Wednesday and Utah on Friday and Saturday.

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