Stingrays Playoff Game Preview: Stingrays and Walleye Collide in Winner-Take-All Game 7
May 27, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
South Carolina Stingrays News Release
North Charleston, S.C. - The South Carolina Stingrays battle the Toledo Walleye in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals tonight at 7:35 at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio. The best-of-seven series is tied 3-3.
#1 Toledo Walleye vs. #2 South Carolina Stingrays
Game 1: Friday, May 15 at Toledo 2-1 Win Box Score Recap
Game 2: Saturday, May 16 at Toledo 4-3 Win Box Score Recap
Game 3: Wednesday, May 20 at South Carolina 6-5 Overtime Win Box Score Recap
Game 4: Friday, May 22 at South Carolina 5-4 Loss Box Score Recap
Game 5: Saturday, May 23 at South Carolina 5-4 Overtime Loss Box Score Recap
Game 6: Tuesday, May 26 at Toledo 5-4 Overtime Loss Box Score Recap
Game 7: Wednesday, May 27 at Toledo 7:35 p.m.
Where Are We Now:
The Stingrays are battling in the third round of a four-round Kelly Cup Playoffs and are one win away from capturing the E.A. "Bud" Gingher Memorial Trophy as the Eastern Conference champion and reaching the Kelly Cup Finals for the fourth time in team history. The winner of the Eastern Conference Finals will meet the winner of the Western Conference Finals between the Ontario Reign and Allen Americans in the Kelly Cup Finals.
Chasing the Gingher Memorial Trophy:
The Gingher Memorial Trophy is named in recognition of E.A. "Bud" Gingher, who was Chairman of the ECHL Board of Governors from 1992-95 and co-founded the Dayton Bombers in 1991. He owned the team for seven seasons, served as President and Governor until selling the team in 1998. Gingher, who passed away in 2002, was inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame in 2009. Beginning in 1997-98, the trophy was awarded to the playoff champion of the Northern Conference in the ECHL. The first recipient of the trophy following its renaming was the Dayton Bombers in 2001-02. From the 2004-05 season through 2009-10, the trophy was designated for the playoff champion of the American Conference. The Stingrays captured the Gingher Memorial Trophy in 2009.
Game 1 Recap:
Forward Wayne Simpson scored a goal and an assist and defenseman Michal Cajkovsky buried the game-winning goal with 3.3 seconds left in the second period to propel the Stingrays over the Walleye 2-1 in Game 1 in Northwest Ohio. Goaltender Jeff Jakaitis made 29 saves and stopped all 10 shots faced in the third period.
Game 2 Recap:
Looking to shake off a tough loss in the opening contest, the Walleye jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period of Game 2 Saturday evening, capitalizing on Stingrays turnovers. The Stingrays regrouped in the intermission and fought back with three goals in the second period off the stick of forward Caleb Herbert and Cajkovsky. Forward Derek DeBlois added a tally in the third period to make it 4-2 before the Walleye were able to squeak in goal late in the contest.
Game 3 Recap:
The Stingrays jumped out to 4-1 and 5-2 leads behind four-point games from forwards Derek DeBlois (two goals, two assists) and Andrew Rowe (one goal, three assists) and a three-point effort from forward Wayne Simpson (one goal, two assists). The Walleye did not back down as forward Martin Frk registered a hat trick and forward Kyle Bonis picked up a goal and two assists to tie the contest 5-5 and force overtime. Early in the extra session, Forward Rob Ricci buried the game-winning tally to give the Stingrays a 3-0 series lead.
Game 4 Recap:
The South Carolina Stingrays trailed 4-1 after the first period, but mounted a comeback in the second period with three goals only to fall 5-4 to the Walleye. Forward Andrew Rowe scored two goals and an assist and forward Wayne Simpson chipped in three assists.
Game 5 Recap:
The Stingrays carried 2-1 and 4-2 leads into the first and second intermission, but behind forward Martin Frk's second hat trick of the series, the Walleye rallied in the third period to force overtime and Frk buried his third goal of the game 5:29 into the extra session to force the series back to Toledo, Ohio. Forward Derek DeBlois picked up a Gordie Howe Hat Trick (goal, assist and fight) and finished the game with two goals and two assists for four points.
Game 6 Recap:
The Stingrays quickly jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but the Walleye answered with three straight markers. Stingrays forward Joe Devin would make it 3-3 and bury the game-tying tally in the third period to force overtime for a second straight contest. Similar to Game 5, the Walleye prevailed early in the extra session to force a decisive Game 7 and earn the series' third straight 5-4 final.
Game 7 History:
Tonight is the 30th Game 7 in the 27-year history of the ECHL. The Stingrays are 2-0 all-time in Game 7s after defeating the Alaska Aces in the final game of the 2009 Kelly Cup Finals and taking down the Reading Royals in the 2015 East Division Semifinals. Including this series, the Walleye head to a Game 7 for the third time this playoff season after defeating the Wheeling Nailers in the opening round and the Fort Wayne Komets in the North Division Finals. The three Game 7s in a single playoff season is a new ECHL record.
Nail-Bitters:
Each of the six games in the series have been decided by one goal and the last three contests have been decided with a 5-4 final.
Offensive Outburst:
Over the last four games, the Stingrays and Walleye have scored a combined 38 goals.
Free Hockey:
Tuesday's game marked the sixth overtime contest for the Stingrays in the 2015 Kelly Cup Playoffs and the first overtime game not played in the North Charleston Coliseum. The Stingrays are 2-4 in overtime this season.
Simpson Rolling Through the Postseason:
Stingrays forward Wayne Simpson leads the ECHL postseason scoring race with 31 points (nine goals, 22 assists) and is currently on a nine-game point streak with six goals and 15 assists for 21 points. His 31 postseason points is first all-time in Stingrays single-season playoff history, passing David Seitz's 28-point performance (13 goals, 15 assists) during the 2001 Kelly Cup Playoffs and he is the seventh player in ECHL history with at least 30 points in a single playoff season.
Top Line Continues to Roll:
The Stingrays' top forward line of Andrew Rowe, Wayne Simpson and Derek DeBlois has grabbed a combined 36 points (14 goals, 22 assists) in the series against the Walleye.
Stingrays Look to Avoid History:
The Walleye look become the second team in the 27-year history of the ECHL to win a best-of-seven series after trailing 0-3. The Cincinnati Cylcones defeated the Reading Royals in seven games in the 2010 American Conference Finals after dropping the first three contests to the Royals. Cincinnati earned a 6-4 win in Game 4, 5-0 in Game 5 and 6-3 in Game 6 to setup a 1-0 victory in Game 7.
Watch the Stingrays at Southside 17
Watch the Stingrays take on the Walleye in Game 6 action at Southside 17 at Tanger Outlets! Enjoy great food and drink specials! All drafts and well drinks are $3, $1 off wine and $5 top-shelf drinks! Appetizers are $5! Specials start 30 minutes before puck drop.
Regular-Season Recap:
The Stingrays went 1-2-0-1 against the Walleye in 2014-15 regular season with three of the four meetings taking place at the North Charleston Coliseum. The Walleye earned their first-ever win (including the Toledo Storm) at the Coliseum in the first meeting of the season on November 4 with a 4-3 shootout win. The two sides came together again at the Coliseum with the Walleye prevailing 4-3 and 7-2 on January 16 and January 18. The lone contest at the Huntington Center came on March 27 with the Stingrays rallying for a 5-3 victory and their ECHL record 23rd win in a row. Forward Derek DeBlois led the Stingrays in the series with four points (two goals, two assists) while Kyle Bonis led the Walleye with six points (three goals, three assists). In three appearances, Jeff Jakaitis went 1-2-0 against the Walleye with a 4.47 goals-against average and .863 save percentage. Toledo's Jeff Lerg went 2-1-0 with a 3.03 GAA and .912 save percentage.
How We Got Here:
South Carolina Stingrays
The Stingrays defeated the Reading Royals four games to three in the opening round, scoring three goals in the final period of Game 7 to rally for a 3-2 win. In the second round, the Stingrays jumped out to a commanding 3-0 series lead over the Florida Everblades in the East Division Finals behind two multiple-goal road victories in Game 1 and Game 2 down at Germain Arena in Estero, Florida and a 3-2 triumph in Game 3 at the North Charleston Coliseum. The Everblades rejected elimination in Game 4 and Game 5 with triple overtime and double overtime wins to force the series back to Southwest Florida. In Game 6 Monday night, the Stingrays took a 2-0 lead into the second intermission and added three goals in the final frame to cruise to a 5-2 victory and the series win.
Toledo Walleye:
Like the Stingrays, the Walleye needed all seven games to close their first-round series against the Wheeling Nailers and wrapped up a seven-game set against the Fort Wayne Komets Wednesday night on home ice. All three of the Komets' victories came in overtime (Game 3, Game 4 and Game 6), three of the four Toledo triumphs were decided by three goals and all four Walleye wins came on home ice. With the Game 7 win, the Walleye are the fourth team in ECHL history to win two Game 7s in the same playoff season.
2015-16 Regular-Season Schedule is Here:
The Stingrays, along with the ECHL, announced the 2015-16 regular season schedule. The schedule features six new teams and a rematch of the 2009 Kelly Cup Finals against the Alaska Aces. The schedule also features 33 of 36 home games on Friday, Saturday or Sunday at the North Charleston Coliseum.
Broadcast Central
Watch: ECHL.TV, Southside 17 at Tanger Outlets
Listen Live: StingraysHockey.com, Caps Radio 24/7
Twitter: @SCStingrays
Facebook: SCStingraysHockey
Game Notes
Do not miss a second of the action! 2015-16 Stingrays Ticket Plans are on sale NOW! Save money off of box office prices and receive great benefits like FREE parking, Buddy Passes, discounts off of merchandise, advanced ticket purchases to North Charleston Coliseum and Performing Arts Center events and more!
2014-15 Postseason Record
South Carolina: 11-8
Toledo: 11-9
All-Time Postseason Records
South Carolina: 95-89, 21-24 in Overtime
Toledo: 71-63, 19-14 in Overtime
2014-2015 Records South Carolina: 45-20-1-6, 97 points (2nd place, East Division) Toledo: 50-15-5-2, 107 points (1st place, North Division, Brabham Cup Champion)
South Carolina vs. Toledo, 2014-15 Season Schedule (Home Games in Bold, All times Eastern)
Nov. 4 vs. Toledo 4-3 Shootout Loss Box Score
Jan. 16 vs. Toledo 4-3 Loss Box Score
Jan 18 vs. Toledo 7-2 Loss Box Score
Mar. 27 at Toledo 5-3 Win Box Score
South Carolina vs. Toledo, Head-to-Head in 2014-15 1-2-0-1
2013-2014 Records South Carolina: 43-23-2-4, 92 points (1st place, South Division, 3rd Eastern Conference) Toledo: 21-44-4-3, 49 points (5th place, North Division, 13th Eastern Conference)
South Carolina vs. Toledo, Head-to-Head in 2013-14 4-0-0-0
Stingrays vs. Toledo, All-Time 20-3-1
Head Coaches South Carolina: Spencer Carbery (4th year) Toledo: Derek Lalonde (1st year)
NHL Affiliate South Carolina: Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals Toledo: Detroit Red Wings
AHL Affiliate South Carolina: Providence Bruins and Hershey Bears Toledo: Grand Rapids Griffins
ECHL Stories from May 27, 2015
- Reign Season Comes to Close in 3-1 Game 7 Loss to Americans - Ontario Reign
- ECHL Transactions - May 27 - ECHL
- Toledo Walleye Surpass Playoff Attendance Record for Game 7 - Toledo Walleye
- ECHL Announes Fine, Suspension - ECHL
- Playoff Preview - Ontario Reign at Allen Americans - Game 7 - Ontario Reign
- Condors Sign Rimmer, Christoffer, and Rankin to AHL Contracts - Bakersfield Condors
- Montreal Canadiens, Minnesota Wild Or New Jersey Devils to be Brampton Beast NHL Affiliate - Brampton Beast
- Eastern and Western Conference Finals to be Decided in Game 7 - ECHL
- ECHL Today - May 27 - ECHL
- Stingrays Playoff Game Preview: Stingrays and Walleye Collide in Winner-Take-All Game 7 - South Carolina Stingrays
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