ECHL Idaho Steelheads

Steelheads Playoff Game Preview: Idaho @ Alaska; National Conference Quarter Finals, Game Three

April 12, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


NATIONAL CONFERENCE QUARTER FINALS (ROUND 1), PRESENTED BY RC WILLEY

#4 IDAHO STEELHEADS (0-2) VS. #5 ALASKA ACES (2-0)

BEST-OF-SEVEN SERIES

SERIES PREVIEW:

This National Conference Quarter Finals series pits the defending Kelly Cup Champion Idaho Steelheads (40-22-10) against the 2006 Kelly Cup winners, the Alaska Aces (41-26-5). The Steelheads are looking to become the first team in league history since the 1994 Toledo Storm to repeat as ECHL champs (Riley Cup Champions - 1993 & 1994). Furthermore, the Steelheads are looking to equal the now defunct Hampton Roads Admirals mark of three ECHL crowns (1991, 1992 & 1998). Meanwhile, the Aces attempted to capture their fourth consecutive West Division title during the regular season's final weekend, but they fell four points shy, which dropped them to the fifth seed in the National Conference. Having reached at least the conference finals in three straight years, the Aces will have to get through the club that ended their 2007 run if they want to become the second team in the last 12 seasons to appear in four conference finals series (Louisiana IceGators). Since entering the league in 2004, the Aces have won 226 regular season games and the Steelheads have won 207 contests.

SERIES SCHEDULE (all games listed in Mountain Time):

Game 1: Idaho 1, Alaska 4 (Boise, ID) - Alaska leads series 1-0

Game 2: Idaho 4, Alaska 6 (Boise, ID) - Alaska leads series 2-0

Game 3: Idaho @ Alaska - Saturday, April 12; 9:15 p.m.

Game 4: Idaho @ Alaska - Sunday, April 13; 9:15 p.m.

Game 5: Idaho @ Alaska - Tuesday, April 15; 9:15 p.m. **

Game 6: Idaho vs. Alaska - Thursday, April 16; 7:10 p.m. **

Game 7: Idaho vs. Alaska - Sunday, April 20; 7:10 p.m. **

** If Necessary; Home games in bold

GAME RECAPS:

GAME ONE - Idaho 1, Alaska 4: Aces' defenseman Corbin Schmidt broke a scoreless tie less than three minutes into the second period as the visitors got goals from three defenseman and four different skaters overall en route to a 4-1 win in Game One. The Steelheads mustered 48 shots in the opening game defeat, but they failed to convert in their eight power play chances and the club's only tally came with just 4:48 left in regulation when Taggart Desmet had Mark Bomersback's deflection carom off the glass and then his chest before finding the back of the net. The Aces finished the night an efficient two-for-five on the power play and in addition to Marek Schwarz's 47 saves, the 2006 Kelly Cup Champions got multiple point efforts from Peter Metcalf (1g, 1a) and Josh Soares (1g, 1a). Steelheads' third-year goaltender Steve Silverthorn, last season's Kelly Cup Playoffs MVP, turned aside 25 shots to see his ECHL playoff record drop to 17-8 lifetime, while his team fell to 1-4 in their last five Game One scenarios.

GAME TWO - Idaho 4, Alaska 6: The Aces wasted no time taking control of Game Two, scoring three times in the opening 10:11 of the first period to quiet the Qwest Arena faithful and take a 3-0 lead into the first intermission. Then, with Lance Galbraith in the penalty box for a five-minute, charging infraction, the Aces tallied twice more on the power play to open up a 5-0 lead just 5:30 into the second period. The Steelheads would score twice in each of the final two periods, but a 6-4 loss in Game Two put them down two-games-to-none in the series, which headed to Anchorage for the next two games. John Snowden registered three points (1g, 2a) in the Steelheads' defeat and Taggart Desmet scored twice to give him three goals in the first two contests. Once again, Marek Schwarz (48 saves) and the Aces power play (2-for-6) was the difference for the visitors, who also got four points (1g, 3a) from F.P. Guenette and a goal and two assists from Josh Soares. The Steelheads did not lose back-to-back games in the entire 2007 postseason and their two-goal defeat in Game Two dropped them to 14-11 all-time on home ice at Qwest Arena and 8-3 in Game Two's in the Kelly Cup Playoffs.

STEELHEADS' NOTES:

Goaltender Steve Silverthorn (27 saves) has been beaten six times in the first two games of this series after allowing just 11 goals on 114 shots in the 2007 National Conference Finals against the Aces...In 2007 the Steelheads went 3-1 in Game 3's...Steelheads' power play is one-for-16 in the series, putting them at one for their last 21including the final game of the regular season...Steelheads' penalty kill units didn't allow multiple power play goals in back-to-back games during the entire 2007 postseason, yet the Aces have two tallies in each of the first two games this year...John Lammers has at least one point in seven of his last nine postseason games (3g, 7a) dating back to last year...Taggart Desmet has three goals and one assist in his last three playoff games...The Steelheads have 100 shots through the first two games of this series and they've posted already three periods of 20 or more chances.

ACES' NOTES:

Defenseman Peter Metcalf, a former Steelhead, has 10 points in his last 17 playoff games...In four Kelly Cup Playoffs home games against the Steelheads, the Aces are winless having been out-scored 11-5...The Aces lone win in last year's conference finals against the Steelheads came in Game Three, a 5-2 decision on Qwest Arena ice in which they scored three power play goals...The Aces are 19-10 overall in Kelly Cup playoff outings played at home...Kimbi Daniels' marker in Game Two snapped a nine-game postseason goal drought, although he did collect five assists during that span...Goaltender Marek Schwarz 95.0 SV % ranks third amongst ECHL postseason goaltenders who have played at least 120 minutes...The Aces haven't posted more than 30 shots in any of their last seven postseason games against the Steelheads (164 total shots) and they've given up 255 (36.4 / GP) during that span

STEELHEADS' RECENT TRANSACTIONS:

4/11/08: DELETE Kellen Briggs (G) placed on the 3-day IR

4/11/08: ADD Matt Craig (F) activated off the 7-day IR

4/08/08: ADD Kellen Briggs (G) activated off the 3-day IR

ACES' RECENT TRANSACTIONS:

4/09/08: DELETE Felipe Larranaga (F) placed on the 3-day IR

4/09/08: ADD Ed Hill (D) activated off the 7-day IR

4/08/08: ADD Marek Schwarz (G) reassigned from Peoria (AHL)

STEELHEADS' 2008 PLAYOFF LEADERS:

Goals: Taggart Desmet (3)

Assists: Kory Scoran, Blake Forsyth & John Snowden (2)

Points: Taggart Desmet & John Snowden (3)

+/-: John Snowden (+3)

PIM: Lance Galbraith (13)

Wins: N/A

ACES' 2008 PLAYOFF LEADERS:

Goals: Josh Soares (2)

Assists: F.P. Guenette (4)

Points: F.P. Guenette (5)

+/-: F.P. Guenette (+4)

PIM: Peter Metcalf & Cam Keith (6)

Wins: Schwarz (2)

REGULAR SEASON TALE OF THE TAPE:

Record: Idaho: 40-22-10 = 90 pts. (8th) / Alaska: 41-26-5 = 87 pts. (10th)

Offense: Idaho: 3.11 (15th) / Alaska: 3.40 (T-7th)

Defense: Idaho: 2.54 (4th) / Alaska: 3.18 (14th)

Shots For: Idaho: 31.7 (15th) / Alaska: 30.7 (20th)

Shots Against: Idaho: 29.6 (4th) / Alaska: 30.8 (10th)

Average PIM: Idaho: 20.7 (9th) / Alaska: 18.3 (16th)

PP: Idaho: 20.4% (6th) / Alaska: 19.3% (7th)

PK: Idaho: 84.8% (6th) / Alaska: 80.4% (19th)

1-Goal Games: Idaho: 15-11-10 (T-12th) / Alaska: 18-9-5 (T-6th)

HEAD TO HEAD:

The Steelheads finished the 2007-2008 regular season with a 5-3-2 mark against the Aces to give them a 20-17-5 record overall in five ECHL seasons. In their 10 regular season meetings this year, five were decided by one goal and there were 22 combined power play goals (IDH 14, AK 8). The former WCHL foes have hooked up twice in the Kelly Cup Playoffs, with the Steelheads winning both series (2004 & 2007) and eventually hoisting the Kelly Cup in both those campaigns. Last year in the National Conference Finals, the Steelheads took the best-of-seven, four games to one, while out-scoring the Aces 16-11. In 2004, the Steelheads downed the Aces in four games to take the best-of-five West Division Finals.

STEELHEADS' REGULAR SEASON LEADERS:

Goals: Taggart Desmet (29)

Assists: Marty Flichel (48)

Points: Lance Galbraith / Marty Flichel (67)

+/-: Blake Forsyth (+25)

PIM: Lance Galbraith (282)

Wins: Kellen Briggs (17)

ACES' REGULAR SEASON LEADERS:

Goals: Josh Soares (36)

Assists: Peter Metcalf (53)

Points: Josh Soares (81)

+/-: Derrick Martin (+18)

PIM: Peter Metcalf (165)

Wins: Derek Gustafson / Chris Beckford-Tseu (12)

Check out the Idaho Steelheads Statistics



ECHL Stories from April 12, 2008


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