ECHL ECHL

Streaking Trio Tightens Race In West Division

January 10, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


Five-game winning streaks are common in the West Division of the National Conference as Alaska, Bakersfield and Las Vegas all open the week having won their last five games.

Las Vegas will host Fresno on Monday while Tuesday will find Bakersfield visiting Reading and Alaska hosting Idaho.

Bakersfield has also won six consecutive road games and is 5-0-0 on its current road trip that concludes Wednesday at Atlantic City. The Condors have improved to 21-9-4 and lead the league with 46 points and 21 wins. The five consecutive wins and six consecutive road wins are both ECHL team records for Bakersfield which will return home to host Las Vegas on Saturday.

The five consecutive wins are an ECHL team record for Alaska, which won four games in a row twice in 2003-04. The Aces are 18-12-2 and have moved into third place in the West Division, three points behind Long Beach (19-10-3) and two points ahead of San Diego (16-11-4), Las Vegas (16-12-4) and Fresno (16-13-4). Alaska, which has won three home games in a row, remains home to host Idaho on Wednesday and Fresno on Friday and Saturday. The Aces ECHL record for consecutive home wins is four games which they did twice in 2003-04.

Las Vegas needs a win against Fresno on Monday to tie its team record of six consecutive wins, which it accomplished twice in the inaugural season in 2003-04. The Wranglers remain home on Thursday to host San Diego and Friday to host Victoria before traveling to Bakersfield on Saturday.

In the North Division of the National Conference, Atlantic City is 20-7-5 remains in first place with 45 points, three points ahead of Trenton (19-8-4). Wheeling (19-12-2) is two points behind Trenton and two points ahead of fourth-place Reading (18-10-2) which is three points ahead of Toledo (16-13-3) and Johnstown (13-8-9).

Pensacola has won its last three games to improve to 20-9-3 and the Ice Pilots lead the American Conference and the South Division with 43 points and 20 wins. Florida is 19-13-3 and two points behind Pensacola in the South Division. Gwinnett (17-10-4) is three points behind Florida and three points ahead of fourth-place Mississippi (16-12-3) which has won four in a row and is 7-2-1 in its last 10 games.

Charlotte is 19-13-2 and leads the East Division with 40 points, two points ahead of Pee Dee at 18-12-2. Columbia, which has won a team-record and ECHL season-high six consecutive home games, is 17-9-3 and in third place with 37 points, two points ahead of Greenville at 16-14-3.

Currently out of the playoff picture is defending Kelly Cup Champion Idaho, which is in seventh place in the West Division, as well as perennial postseason participants South Carolina, Louisiana and Peoria. South Carolina has advanced to the postseason in each of its 11 seasons, winning the Kelly Cup Championship in 1997 and 2001, while Peoria has qualified for the Kelly Cup Playoffs in every one of its eight years in the league, capturing the title in 2000. Louisiana has not missed the postseason in each of its nine seasons.

Minard, Gomez Lead High-Scoring Alaska Offense

Alaska All-Star center Chris Minard scored a team-record and ECHL season-high five goals in the Aces 8-2 win over Victoria on Saturday. Minard has scored 11 goals and 15 points in his last five games to lead the league in goals with 24 while moving into a tie for sixth in scoring with 35 points in 32 games. Scott Gomez assisted on four of Minard's goals and registered his second five-assist game of the week, having picked up five helpers in the Aces 10-3 win at Victoria on Wednesday. Gomez, who finished tied for the NHL lead with 56 assists in 2003-04, has moved atop the ECHL with 31 assists and is tied for third in scoring with 36 points in 26 games. The five points by Minard on Saturday and by Gomez on both Wednesday and Saturday tie the Aces' ECHL team highs from November 9 when Mike Scott and Joe Talbot each scored a goal and picked up four assists. Mississippi's Travis Lisabeth had a team-record five assists and an ECHL season-high and team-record tying six points on December 4.

Laplante's Shutout Streak Ends 15:03 Shy of ECHL Record

A goal by Florida's Steve Saviano 55 seconds into the third period on Thursday ended Pee Dee goaltender Sebastien Laplante's shutout streak at 220:55, only 15:13 shy of the ECHL record of 236:03 set by Hampton Roads Darryl Paquette from March 23-April 2, 1997. Laplante had three consecutive shutouts during the streak, tying the ECHL record set by Paquette in 1996-97 and tied by Trenton's Andrew Allen in 2002-03. Wheeling's Dany Sabourin, who leads the league with five shutouts, had a shutout streak of 214:37 from October 30-November 11, during which he was 4-0-0 with two shutouts. Allen did not allow a goal for 199:40 from February 5-15, 2003.

Check out the ECHL Statistics



ECHL Stories from January 10, 2005


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.


Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central