2018 ECHL Kelly Cup Finals Thread

[JMCx4]

From: The ECHL > News > Headlines

ECHL Today – June 2
June 2, 2018

Kelly Cup Finals

Colorado Eagles at Florida Everblades 7 p.m. ET
Series tied 2-2
Series Matchup Sheet

• Game 5 winner has won each of the nine Finals series that were tied 2-2.
• Matt Register leads Colorado in the series with seven points (3g-4a).
• Florida’s Spencer Smallman leads the playoffs with three shorthanded points (0g-3a).
• Eagles are 10-for-24 on the power play (41.7 percent) in the series.
• Everblades have outscored their opponents 22-9 in the first period.
• Colorado’s J.C. Beaudin leads rookies with 10 goals.
• Florida’s Joe Cox is tied for first among rookies with three power-play goals.
• Game 6 is Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. MT at Colorado ...

 

[Cyclones Rock]

I'm sorry that I couldn't make it to the game last night. That was certainly one for the ages!

This series is what minor-league hockey should be about. Lots of scoring, lots of hitting and lots of fighting.

I am really looking forward to tonight's game!

 

[JMCx4]

Florida playing Game 5 without forward Mitchell Heard, after he was suspended one game & fined for a head-butting infraction in the 3rd period of Game 4.

 

[JMCx4]

Who needs Mitchell Heard? Florida scores two in the 1st, and leads Colorado 2-0 after one period in Estero.

P.S. - Love how the ECHL's Game Center software lists "Game Winning" and "Insurance Goal" before the game is even over. Hope - or despair - springs eternal for those who follow the box scores.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Florida completely dominated through 2.

I can't decide whether Florida is great on the transition or Colorado defenseman are too aggressive. Far too many odd man rushes for the everblades.

 

[JMCx4]

Martin Ouellette & the guys in front of him shutout the Eagles in Game 5, by a final score of 5-0. The Everblades take a 3-2 series lead back to Colorado for Game 6 on Wednesday

 

[JMCx4]

From: The ECHL > News > Headlines

ECHL Today – June 6
June 6, 2018
jbabik

Kelly Cup Finals

Florida Everblades at Colorado Eagles 7:05 p.m. MT
Florida leads series 3-2
Series Matchup Sheet

• Stephen MacAulay leads Florida in the series with four goals and three points.
• Colorado’s J.C. Beaudin and Michael Joly are tied for second in the playoffs with 10 goals each.
• Everblades are second on the power play on the road at 28.6 percent (14-for-49).
• Eagles are 8-2 when scoring first.
• Florida’s Spencer Smallman leads rookies in plus-minus at +12.
• Colorado’s Jake Marto is tied for first among defensemen with six goals.
• Game 7, if necessary, is Saturday at 7 p.m. ET at Florida ...

 

[PanniniClaus]

Colorado made some lineups changes. Says they have 7 d playing tonight but that seems high on a 16 man roster.

An awful lot of drafted players with AHL experience on these two teams. Is it always this way in the finals?

 

[JMCx4]

... An awful lot of drafted players with AHL experience on these two teams. Is it always this way in the finals?

Depends upon the teams, and their affiliations, and whether their affiliates are still alive in the AHL playoffs.

 

[JMCx4]

Colorado's Michael Joly scores an unassisted goal in the final minute of Period 1, to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead at the first intermission of Game 6 in Loveland.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

The Everblades are having a watch party at their arena. Germain Arena has a restaurant behind one of the goals which is packed. 300? or so. Game on big screen as well.

I think I'm rooting for a game 7...would be a cool experience

 

[JMCx4]

Colorado extends their Game 6 lead to 3-1 in the 2nd period. The Everblades will have part of a minor power play left to start the 3rd. Just 20 more minutes for Florida to catch up, before a Game 7 wish is granted for Cy'Rock.

 

[JMCx4]

Joly scores his second of the night, 3rd point of the game, on an ENG in the closing minutes of Game 6. That gives Colorado the comfort margin to absorb a late Florida goal, and win by a 4-2 margin. The series is tied @ 3's, Game 7 winner-hoists-the-Cup will be on Saturday night in Colorado.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Got lucky and scored a game 7 ticket in a middle section. Tix have been on sale for less than half an hour and using the ripoff master chart as a guide, there appeared to be less than 100 tickets left a few minutes ago.

I was lucky enough to go to a game 7 NHL final when I was 9 in 1971....many, many moons ago and I'm stoked about watching the game on Saturday!

Hope that it goes to double OT and the home team wins.

 

[royals119]

Colorado made some lineups changes. Says they have 7 d playing tonight but that seems high on a 16 man roster.

An awful lot of drafted players with AHL experience on these two teams. Is it always this way in the finals?

Normal lineup would be 10 forwards and 6 defense. The usual reason teams go to a 9/7 lineup is because they don't have enough health forwards. Sometimes it is because they have a defenseman who they want in the game, but might not be able to play a regular shift - like their best power play point man has a mild injury, so they dress him for PP use only.

By the time you get to the finals, the odds of that same team's AHL team also being in the finals is small, so often they have thei best players back from the affiliate. Plus, you are usually seeing the best teams, which means teams with more talented players. It is often the teams who get restocked from their affiliate who do the best in the playoffs, which is not always the best regular season team (although sometimes those happen to be the same team, or a team who got a lot of help from their affiliate all season long)

 

[210]

If the seventh defenseman is a better player than the 10th forward dressing the defenseman give the coach a lot more options. Sticking a defenseman at forward seldom has disastrous effects, but being forced to use a forward as a defenseman hardly ever works out.

 

[Avsrule2022]

Colorado was forced to use 7 d-men because of injury.

 

[JMCx4]

Colorado was forced to use 7 d-men because of injury.

I liked the other answers better. Yours is too factual.

 

[JMCx4]

From: The ECHL > News > Headlines

Kelly Cup title on the line in Game 7
June 8, 2018

For just the fifth time in ECHL history, the League title will be decided in a Game 7 when the Florida Everblades host the Colorado Eagles on Saturday at Germain Arena. The 44th Game 7 in ECHL postseason history, and the 20th over the last four playoff seasons, faces off at 7 p.m. ET and you can catch all of the action LIVE on ECHL.TV.

The previous Riley/Kelly Cup Finals to be decided in seven games were 1989 (Carolina won at Johnstown), 1999 (Mississippi defeated Richmond in double overtime), 2009 (South Carolina won at Alaska) and 2015 (Allen defeated South Carolina).

The Everblades will be playing in their fourth Game 7 in club history, and third on home ice. Florida fell to Dayton in the 2007 American Conference Finals and at Reading in the 2013 Eastern Conference Semifinals before defeating Orlando in the 2017 South Division Semifinals.

The Eagles are playing in their second Game 7 in the 2018 Kelly Cup Playoffs and their third in team history. Colorado defeated Fort Wayne 4-3 in overtime in the Western Conference Finals to advance to the Kelly Cup Finals. The Eagles fell at Ontario in Game 7 of the 2015 Pacific Division Semifinals.

Saturday’s game is the 44th Game 7 all-time in ECHL postseason history. The home team is 31-12 all-time in ECHL Game 7s and has won 18 of the last 23 Game 7s. Ten Game 7s have gone beyond regulation, with four being decided in two overtimes and one in three overtimes. The home team has won eight of the 10 games decided in overtime. ...

Read more at: Kelly Cup title on the line in Game 7 - The ECHL - Premier 'AA' Hockey League

 

[PanniniClaus]

Game 7 of the finals.. Awesome showcase for this league.

Wish one of the Canadian networks picked it up. We do have the Marlies on TSN tonight at 9 Atlantic.

 

[Affiliate Watcher]

Agreed.
Not a Marlies or Stars fan, so I’d rather watch the league that has a team in my city

 

[sikolec]

Game 7 is tied 1-1 after two periods. Controversial waived off goal towards the end of 2nd period taken away from Florida.

I’m sitting right behind that net and didn’t think it crossed the line. Refs waived it off, but goal judge pushed the button. Refs gathered and waived it off after a five-minute discussion. I’d be interested to see a replay.

 

[PanniniClaus]

What the heck happened here? Up 2-1 and then capitulated...Props to Colorado winning on the road, short handed and against what on paper is a better roster.

 

[JMCx4]

As scooped by Pannini, the Colorado Eagles are now the two-time Kelly Cup Champions after a 3-2 victory over the Florida Everblades in Game 7 in Estero. The Eagles scored both the tying & the game-winning goal in the final 10 minutes of the 3rd period, to hoist the Cup before Loveland becomes an AHL city. Congratulations & good luck.

 

[tigervixxxen]