Swamp Rabbits Weekly Report
November 16, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Greenville Swamp Rabbits News Release
LAST WEEK'S RECAP
Overall Picture: The Greenville Swamp Rabbits (5-8-0), proud ECHL affiliate of the New York Rangers and the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack, reached the 10-point mark this past week by claiming two wins in three games, including a key early-season victory against the East Division's Adirondack Thunder.
Greenville began the week with a victory on Thursday when its offense ignited for a season-high six goals from six different skaters in a 6-3 win against Atlanta. Jordan Knackstedt led the way with a career-best four points (4a), while Scott Fleming (1g, 1a), Jack Combs (1g, 1a), Ryan Rashid (2a) and Sean Escobedo (2a) each added a multi-point effort. Between the pipes, Jeff Malcolm returned from AHL Hartford and delivered 26 saves for his first ECHL win this season. The Swamp Rabbits power play also ran on all cylinders and finished the game 2-for-2 on SANDLAPPER Securities Rink.
Greenville continued its winning ways on Saturday when the Swamp Rabbits silenced the second-best team in the Eastern Conference, Adirondack, with a 3-2 come-from-behind victory at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Trailing 2-1 midway through the third period, Tyler Elbrecht and Brian Hart scored a pair of goals 29 seconds apart to lift the Swamp Rabbits over the Thunder. In net, Malcolm made 21 saves to secure the win, while Greenville's penalty kill went an impressive 8-for-8 on the evening.
Less than 24 hours later, the Swamp Rabbits traveled down I-85 for their first visit to Duluth, Georgia this season and a Sunday afternoon tilt with the Atlanta Gladiators. Fleming scored his third goal of the season for Greenville, but the Gladiators netted two power-play goals and one shorthanded marker en route to a 4-1 victory over the Swamp Rabbits. Malcolm stopped a season-high 44 shots in the loss.
UPCOMING GAMES
Tuesday, Nov. 17 vs. Orlando (6-3-1-1), 7 p.m. ET
Friday, Nov. 20 vs. South Carolina (7-5-1-1), 7 p.m. ET*
QUICK SHIFTS
Mr. 400: Seventh-year forward Jack Combs made his 400th professional appearance on Sunday when he took the ice in Atlanta. One of four veterans on the Swamp Rabbits' roster, Combs has played 178 games in the ECHL, 144 in the AHL, as well as registering games played in the Central Hockey League (CHL) and overseas. The St. Louis, Missouri native has collected 388 points (184g, 204a) in his professional career and currently leads Greenville with 12 points (5g, 7a) this season.
"Knack" for Success: Another one of Greenville's veterans, Jordan Knackstedt enjoyed a memorable performance on Thursday when he recorded a pair of career highs against Atlanta. The eighth-year pro notched single-game ECHL career-bests in points (4) and assists (4) helping the Swamp Rabbits to a 6-3 win. Knackstedt is also approaching a personal milestone as he will play his 400th professional game this Friday against South Carolina.
He's Got "Hart": Rookie forward Brian Hart is off to a hot start in his professional career, leading the Swamp Rabbits with six goals in his first 12 appearances. Hart also sits third among all league rookies in goal-scoring and notched his first pro game-winning goal in Saturday's win against Adirondack. Prior to turning pro, the 21-year-old spent three seasons at Harvard University and collected 18 goals in 98 career games. He was selected in the second round (53rd overall) by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft and signed a three-year contract with the Lightning on June 28, 2015.
Embracing the Extra Man: Greenville's power play went 3-for-8 overall last week and improved to sixth in the league at home (26.3%). In addition, the Swamp Rabbits are 4-0-0 when scoring at least once on the power play this season.
Next Time Out: The Swamp Rabbits return to SANDLAPPER Securities Rink at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena tomorrow night for a 7 p.m. puck drop against the Orlando Solar Bears. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the night will feature a "2-for-$7" concession special! Get two (2) fountain drinks, two (2) hot dogs or two (2) pretzels for just $7! Fans can follow all of the action online through ECHL.TV or the free Mixlr app.
*Video Game Night: The Swamp Rabbits will host Video Game Night this Friday when in-state rival South Carolina visits the Bon Secours Wellness Arena for a 7 p.m. puck drop. All fans are encouraged to dress up like their favorite video game character and a variety of vintage and current video games will be available to play on the concourse. In addition, anyone in attendance can enter for a chance to play another fan on the jumbotron during the game. The Greenville News Family Fun Pack is available for this game featuring four (4) red-level tickets, four (4) hot dogs, four (4) bags of chips, four (4) soft drinks and two (2) foam fingers for just $60!
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 expanded to include a stop at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. The deviated 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!
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