ECHL ECHL

Walleye, Condors enjoy season-best winning streaks

Published on February 13, 2012 under ECHL (ECHL) News Release


With a season-high four-game winning streak, the Toledo Walleye have moved to within four points of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 48 points (22-23-4).

Toledo opened last week with a 2-1 win at Cincinnati on Wednesday. Alec Richards, who was reassigned to the Walleye from Rockford of the American Hockey League on Monday, made 40 saves in his first appearance for the Walleye this season, and Harrison Reed scored the game-winning goal midway through the third period.

On Friday, the Walleye traveled to Wheeling and skated away with a 3-2 shootout victory. Joey Martin and David Gilbert tallied in regulation for Toledo and Gilbert tallied the lone goal of the shootout. Richards was once again stellar in net, stopping 42 shots in regulation and overtime, and turning aside all four Wheeling attempts in the shootout.

The Walleye returned home on Saturday and picked up a 4-3 win over Cincinnati. Toledo started quickly, scoring three times in the first period on goals from Kyle Rogers, Paul Zanette and David Toews, with Martin scoring the eventual game-winner seven minutes into the second period.

Toledo capped its week with a come-from-behind 4-3 overtime win over the Cyclones on Sunday. Cincinnati led 3-2 after two periods, but the Walleye tied the game on an Andrej Nestrasil power-play goal midway through the third period and got the game-winner off the stick of Rogers with just 42 seconds remaining in the extra session.

Richards started all four games last week for the Walleye, turning aside 128 of 136 shots for a .941 save percentage to go along with a 1.93 goals-against average.

Rogers leads the Walleye on the season with 17 goals and 34 points, and is third on the club in plus-minus at +8. Martin, who is second on the team with 14 goals and 33 points, is sixth among ECHL rookies in points, while fellow first-year player Bryan Rufenach is third among league defensemen in goals with 11 and is tied for 10th among blueliners with 26 points.

Toledo heads south for a pair of games this week, visiting Greenville for games on Friday and Sunday.

Out west, Bakersfield has put together its longest winning streak of the year, winning each of its three games last week.

The Condors opened their week with a 4-0 win at Utah on Wednesday. Parker Stanfield, Evan Trupp and Robby Dee all scored in the first 7:13 of the contest to get the Condors off to a quick start, and Matt Keetley took over from there, stopping all 29 shots he faced to record his second shutout of the season.

Bakersfield traveled to Las Vegas on Friday, and came away with a 2-1 win. After the Wranglers struck first three minutes into the contest, the Condors again struck quickly, as Tyler Helfrich tied the score three minutes later, and Peter Boyd scored the go-ahead goal late in the period, as the Condors held on behind Keetley's 28 saves.

The Condors ended the week at home with a 4-3 shootout win against Las Vegas on Saturday. The teams traded goals all night, with Trupp tallying his second goal of the game three minutes into the third period to force extra time. Trupp and Kyle Calder notched goals in the shootout, and Keetley, who made 41 saves in regulation and overtime, turned aside four of Las Vegas' five attempts to preserve the win.

A trio of rookies pace the Condors in scoring, as Scott Freeman leads the club with 30 points (15g-15a) in 28 games. He is followed by a pair of players acquired in trades during the season. Helfrich has 22 points (8g-14a) in 31 games with the Condors and 30 points (10g-20a) in 43 games overall this season while Dee has 21 points (10g-11a) in 29 games with Bakersfield and 29 points (15g-14a) in 46 overall games. Freeman and Dee are tied for third among all ECHL rookies with 15 goals.

Bakersfield looks to extend its winning streak this week as the Condors head to Alaska for a three-game series against the Aces on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Attendance surpasses two-million mark for season

The ECHL surpassed the two-million mark in attendance for the season last week as the league averaged over 4,500 fans per game for the week, marking the fifth straight week that the league has seen at least 4,400 per game. Overall on the season, the ECHL is averaging 4,145 per game.

Toledo, which leads the league with an average of 5,991 per game, had just under 14,500 fans at Huntington Center for its two home games last week. The Walleye have had eight crowds in excess of 7,000 this season.

Bakersfield had its second-largest crowd of the season on Saturday as 7,757 fans were at Rabobank Arena for its game against Las Vegas. The Condors are sixth in the league with 4,928 per game.

Greenville had just under 13,000 fans in attendance for its three games last week, including a season-best 6,158 on Saturday against Kalamazoo.

Ontario had its second largest crowd of the season on Saturday with 8,481, and ranks second in the league with an overall average of 5,881 per game.

Gwinnett had back-to-back crowds of over 6,000 on Saturday and Sunday, giving the Gladiators seven crowds this season over that mark. Gwinnett is fifth in the league with an overall average of 5,129, and has averaged 5,901 fans over its last five home games.

The ECHL has averaged over 4,000 fans per game for each of the last seven seasons and 19 times in the past 21 years. The league has surpassed the 3,000,000 mark in each of the last 20 seasons.

Visit the Tickets Page on ECHL.com to purchase tickets to ECHL games.

Divisions

ATLANTIC DIVISION

- Dustin Gazley is on a five-game point streak (2g-4a) and leads all rookies with 49 points and 35 assists.

- The Jackals are third on the power play at 21.4 percent (40-for-187).

- Elmira hosts Wheeling on Tuesday, is at Cincinnati on Thursday, at Wheeling in Johnstown on Friday and is home against Trenton on Saturday.

- Olivier Labelle is tied for the league lead with 10 power-play goals.

- Reading has notched 12 come-from-behind wins this season.

- The Royals travel to Trenton on Wednesday and Friday and host Wheeling on Saturday.

- Andy Bohmbach scored three goals last week to tie for the team lead with 16.

- The Titans are 5-3-1 when tied after the second period.

- Trenton hosts Reading on Wednesday and Friday, travels to Elmira on Saturday and hosts Wheeling on Sunday.

- Peter Merth is tied for the league lead in plus-minus at +21.

- Wheeling is tied for second with three shorthanded goals against.

- The Nailers are at Elmira on Tuesday, host the Jackals in Johnstown on Friday, and are at Reading on Saturday and Trenton on Sunday.

NORTH DIVISION

- Scott Wietecha is on a six-game point streak (5g-5a).

- The Express went 3-2-1 on their just-completed six-game road trip.

- Chicago hosts Gwinnett on Friday and Cincinnati on Saturday and is at Kalamazoo on Sunday.

- Mathew Sisca is tied for second among rookies with 44 points (15g-29a).

- Cincinnati is fifth with 28.04 shots-against per game.

- The Cyclones are at Kalamazoo on Tuesday, host Elmira on Thursday and Kalamazoo on Friday and are at Chicago on Saturday.

- Trent Daavettila is one point shy of 200 in his career.

- The K-Wings are tied for the most road wins the ECHL with 15.

- Kalamazoo hosts Cincinnati on Tuesday, is at Cincinnati on Friday and hosts Gwinnett on Saturday and Chicago on Sunday.

- Kyle Rogers has scored a career high 17 goals scored this season.

- Toledo has won four games in a row for the first time this season. - The Walleye are at Greenville on Friday and Sunday.

SOUTH DIVISION

- David Fischer is tied for the league lead among defensemen with 27 assists.

- The Everblades are third with 3.43 goals per game.

- Florida is at South Carolina on Monday and hosts the Stingrays on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

- Brendan Connolly has tied a team record with a 12-game point streak (9g-12a).

- Greenville is sixth in the league with 163 goals scored.

- The Road Warriors host Gwinnett on Tuesday and Toledo on Friday and Sunday.

- Nikita Kashirsky is on a 13-game point streak since Jan. 14 (5g-10a).

- The Gladiators have scored at least one power-play goal in nine of their last 12 games.

- Gwinnett is at Greenville on Tuesday, Chicago on Friday and Kalamazoo on Saturday.

- Trent Campbell is tied for first in the league with three shorthanded assists.

- South Carolina is the league's third-least penalized team with 14.10 penalty minutes per game.

- The Stingrays host Florida on Monday and are at Florida on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

MOUNTAIN DIVISION

- Dan Kissel is second in the league with 28 goals.

- The Aces are first with 2.31 goals-against per game.

- Alaska hosts Bakersfield on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

- Kyle Jones is second in the league with 21 wins.

- Colorado's 59 third-period goals are tied for the most in the league.

- The Eagles host Idaho on Tuesday and Wednesday, are at Ontario on Friday and at Stockton on Saturday and Sunday.

- Aaron Lewicki scored the game-winning goal in two of his first three games with Idaho.

- The Steelheads are 17-1-1 when allowing two goals or less.

- Idaho travels to Colorado on Tuesday and Wednesday, Stockton on Friday and Ontario on Saturday and Sunday.

- Andrew Engelage is 10th with a 2.71 goals-against average.

- Utah is 16-4-5 in one-goal games.

- The Grizzlies host Las Vegas on Tuesday and visit the Wranglers on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

PACIFIC DIVISION

- Parker Stanfield is on a four-game point streak (3g-4a).

- The Condors are on a season-high three-game winning streak.

- Bakersfield is at Alaska on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

- Mike Madill is tied for third among defensemen with 31 points (4g-27a).

- Las Vegas is 20-4-2 when scoring first.

- The Wranglers are at Utah on Tuesday and host the Grizzlies on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

- Kyle Kraemer had seven points (2g-5a) in four games last week.

- The Reign killed off all 12 opponent power plays last week.

- Ontario is at Stockton on Wednesday and hosts Colorado on Friday and Idaho on Saturday and Sunday.

- Mike Little has collected five points in the last six games.

- Stockton is 6-0-1 in its last seven home games.

- The Thunder host Ontario on Wednesday, Idaho on Friday and Colorado on Saturday and Sunday.

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ECHL Stories from February 13, 2012


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