Playoff Primer – February 28, 2022
Playoff Primer – February 28, 2022
Worcester Railers Hold Fourth and Final Playoff Spot
WORCESTER, Mass. – The Worcester Railers Hockey Club (@RailersHC on Twitter), proud ECHL (@ECHL) affiliate of the New York Islanders (@NYIslanders), currently have 25 games remaining in the 2021-22 regular season schedule and hold the fourth and final playoff spot. Worcester wraps up a season-long seven game road trip on Wednesday night in Reading at 7pm before returning to the DCU Center for a home three-in-three weekend Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The Railers returned to Worcester on Sunday, completing a six-game western road trip grabbing nine out of a possible 12 points posting a record of (4-1-1) out in Utah and Idaho.
NORTH DIVISION STANDINGS
- Reading Royals (25 GR, 27-12-6-1, 0.663)
- Newfoundland Growlers (23 GR, 26-15-3-0, 0.625)
- Trois-Rivières Lions (26 GR, 23-16-3-1, 0.581)
- Worcester Railers (25 GR, 22-20-3-1, 0.522)
- Maine Mariners (23 GR, 22-21-4-2, 0.510)
- Adirondack Thunder (25GR, 19-25-2-0, 0.435)
LAST WEEK’S GAMES (2-0-1-0)
Wednesday, Feb. 23 Worcester (4) at Idaho (2) Box Score Highlights
Friday, Feb. 25 Worcester (4) at Idaho (5) OT Box Score Highlights
Saturday, Feb. 26 Worcester (4) at Idaho (2) Box Score Highlights
THIS WEEK’S GAMES
Wednesday, Mar. 1 at Reading 7:00pm
Friday, Mar. 4 vs. Reading 7:05pm
Saturday, Mar. 5 vs. Maine 7:05pm
Sunday, Mar. 6 vs. Maine 3:05pm
REMAINING SCHEDULE
Games: 25
Home: 10
Away: 15
6X – Trois-Rivières Lions (4 away / 2 home)
5X – Newfoundland Growlers (3 away / 2 home)
5X – Reading Royals (4 away / 1 home)
4X – Adirondack Thunder (3 away / 1 home)
4X – Maine Mariners (1 away / 3 home)
1X – South Carolina Stingrays (1 home)
RISING RAILERS
#5 Nick Albano has (1-5-6) in his last five games.
#7 Liam Coughlin set a franchise record on Wednesday with most consecutive games recording an assist (6). Coughlin saw his career-high seven game point streak (2-8-10) come to an end.
#9 Charlie Spetz holds the team “Iron Man Streak” playing in 27 straight games.
#11 Nolan Vesey has goals in three straight games and five in his last eight games. Vesey has points in four of his last five games (3-2-5) and six of his last eight (5-5-10).
#16 Jacob Hayhurst has points in four of his last five games (2-3-5) and nine of his last 11 (3-6-9).
#18 Reece Newkirk has points in back-to-back games (1-1-2) and in four of his last five (3-4-7).
#24 Cole Coskey has a three-game point streak (2-4-6) and has points in four of his last five (2-5-7).
#92 Colten Ellis is (9-1-3) in his last 13 starts and (5-1-1) in his last seven starts.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
Personal
Ross Olsson recorded his second hat trick of the season on Saturday night in a 4-2 win over Idaho. No other player in Railers franchise history has scored multiple hat tricks in a season. Prior to this season, the Railers had only recorded three regular season hat tricks in team history. This season alone they have scored three; Ross Olsson (11/26/21 + 2/26/22) and Jordan Lavallee-Smotherman (12/11/21). Olsson is third in the ECHL with nine power-play goals.
Colten Ellis finished the month of February posting an overall record of (6-1-2) making 270 saves on 302 shots for a .924 save percentage and a goals against average of 2.54. Friday night Ellis made his seventh consecutive start and is (9-1-3) in his last 13 starts dating back to Dec. 8. Ellis notched his fourth assist of the season on Wednesday, setting a Railers franchise record for most assists (4) by a goaltender in his Railers career and in a single season.
Liam Coughlin set a franchise record for most consecutive games with an assist at six games, notching his 10th and 11th helper of the year on Wednesday. Coughlin saw his career-high six game point streak (2-6-8) end on Saturday night.
Jordan Lavallee-Smotherman is tied for third in the ECHL with (22) goals while leading all Railers skaters in that category as well as points (22-17-39). The captain leads Worcester with 12 multi-point games including seven multi-goal games.
Nolan Vesey has scored goals in three straight games and added his fourth empty-net goal of the season on Saturday night, setting a franchise record for most empty-net tallies in one season. Vesey is now second all-time in empty net scores, trailing Barry Almeida by two.
Team
Dating back to Jan. 22, the Railers are (11-3-2) averaging 4.3 goals for (69 total) and allowing just 2.8 goals against (46 total). The power-play is 17-for-55 (31%) and set a franchise record on Wednesday night at six games for most consecutive games with a power-play score and now rank 5th in the ECHL on the man advantage 37-for-167 (22.2%) and 3rd on the road 22-for-83 (26.5%). Meanwhile, the penalty kill is operating at 80% having killed off 56 of 70 short-handed chances. Nolan Vesey (6-12-18) has led all Railers skaters in points during the span while Anthony Repaciand Jordan Lavallee-Smotherman are tied for the lead with nine goals each.
STATISCAL LEADERS
Points: (39) Jordan Lavallee-Smotherman
Goals: (22) Jordan Lavallee-Smotherman
Assists: (25) Jacob Hayhurst
Plus/Minus: (+11) Nolan Vesey/John Furgele
PIMS: (88) Ross Olsson
PPG: (9) Ross Olsson
SH Goals: (2) Jacob Hayhurst
GW Goals: (5) Anthony Repaci
Shots: (146) Jordan Lavallee-Smotherman
Wins: (12) Colten Ellis
GAA: (3.02) Colten Ellis
SV %: (.912) Colten Ellis
