ECHL Greenville Swamp Rabbits

Swamp Rabbits Weekly

Published on March 15, 2016 under ECHL (ECHL)
Greenville Swamp Rabbits News Release


LAST WEEK'S RECAP

Overall Picture: The Greenville Swamp Rabbits (27-26-7), proud ECHL affiliate of the New York Rangers and the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack, gathered two points in three games last week as the club battled the top two teams in the South Division. Greenville went 1-2-0 during the week and fell into a straight tie for 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings. The squad is now seven points outside of a playoff spot with 12 games remaining in the regular season.

The week opened with a disappointing outcome on Thursday as the Swamp Rabbits couldn't solve South Carolina Stingrays' goaltender Vitek Vancecek, who stopped all 28 shots he faced in a 4-0 decision on SANDLAPPER Securities Rink. It was Vanecek's second career shutout, while Marcus Perrier scored twice for the Stingrays. Ryan Ruikka also found the back of the net for his first professional goal, which stood as the game-winner.

Things turned around quickly on Friday as the Swamp Rabbits scored three unanswered goals against the Florida Everblades to secure a 3-1 victory on "Stick It To Cancer Night" presented by the Bon Secours St. Francis Health System. Vinny Saponari, Ryan Rashid and Brian Hart each scored for Greenville, while Alain Valiquette stopped 21 shots and improved to 4-0-0 in his professional career. The win knocked Florida off the top spot in the South Division for the first time since Oct. 18.

Twenty-four hours later, Jack Combs scored twice on the power play but the Swamp Rabbits surrendered three goals in the second period and suffered a 5-2 setback in a rematch against Florida at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Ryan Martindale scored twice for the Everblades, while Brendan O'Donnell (1g, 1a), Jon DiSalvatore (2a), Kevin Lynch (2a) and Matt Willows (2a) all chipped in multi-point efforts for the visitors. The loss dropped the Swamp Rabbits to 13-12-6 at home this season.

UPCOMING GAMES

Friday, Mar. 18 vs. Atlanta (29-25-7), 7 p.m. - Faith & Family Night

Saturday, Mar. 19 at Atlanta (29-25-7), 7:05 p.m.

Sunday, Mar. 20 at South Carolina (36-18-7), 3:05 p.m.

QUICK SHIFTS

Consistency is Key: Forwards Ryan Rashid and Josh Nicholls have repeatedly been Greenville's two most consistent threats over the last 4-6 weeks. Rashid, a second-year pro out of Niagara University, has notched 14 points (6g, 8a) in his last 15 games and has jumped to second on the club in assists (21) and tied for third in points (34). He is also tied for second on the team in power-play goals (5) and third on the squad in shots (130). In addition, Nicholls has collected nine points (3g, 6a) in his last eight games and now ranks third on the Swamp Rabbits' roster with 15 goals this season.

Playoff Picture: Similar to the 2013-14 campaign and years prior, this season, each division winner and the next five best teams in each conference will qualify for the 2016 Kelly Cup playoffs. The Swamp Rabbits (61 points) are currently on the outside looking in with just 25 days left in the regular season, which concludes April 9. Greenville is seven points behind both Wheeling and Elmira, who are tied for seventh place in the Eastern Conference (68 points). In order to achieve this, the Swamp Rabbits need to leap both Atlanta (65 points) and Orlando (64 points), and must pull away from Kalamazoo (61 points) in the final 12 games. The good news - Greenville still has a number of chances for a four-point swing with games against Orlando (1x), Atlanta (4x) and Kalamazoo (3x) remaining.

Special Teams Success: The Swamp Rabbits special teams have heated up significantly over the last six games. Greenville has gone 8-for-24 (33.3%) on the power play during that span, including a three-goal performance on March 5 against Atlanta, and has improved to eighth on the power play at home (18.8%). In addition, Greenville's penalty kill has gone 22-for-24 (91.7%) over the course of those same six games.    

News and Notes: Scott Fleming continues to lead the Swamp Rabbits in a variety of offensive categories including assists (tied for first with 25), points (42), plus-minus (+14) and power-play goals (6)... Jack Combs now leads the club with 18 goals... Combs also has six goals and 10 points in his last six home games... Greenville is tied for sixth with eight shorthanded goals... Justin DaSilva is tied for third among rookies with six major penalties... The Swamp Rabbits earned their 13th comeback victory of the season on Friday (when trailing at some point)... Greenville is 18-15-5 this season against its remaining opponents.

SOUTH DIVISION

1. South Carolina Stingrays (36-18-7) = 79 points in 61 games

2. Florida Everblades (38-20-2) = 78 points in 60 games

3. Atlanta Gladiators (29-25-7) = 65 points in 61 games

4. Orlando Solar Bears (28-23-8) = 64 points in 59 games

5. Greenville Swamp Rabbits (27-26-7) = 61 points in 60 games

Faith and Family Night: The Swamp Rabbits return to SANDLAPPER Securities Rink at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Friday for Faith and Family Night. The 7 p.m. contest against Atlanta will include a free post-game concert featuring the JJ Weeks Band and a special guest appearance by former USC football star Marcus Lattimore. The Greenville News Family Fun Pack also provides an excellent opportunity for families to enjoy the evening. It features 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! Click here to reserve yours or call the Swamp Rabbits' front office at 864-674-PUCK.

Check out the Greenville Swamp Rabbits Statistics

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