Adirondack Thunder (22-12-2-0) vs Worcester Railers (18-17-3-2)

DCU Center – Worcester, Massachusetts

Saturday, January 26, 2019 – 7:05 EST – ECHL Game #565

989 Nash Icon | ECHL.TV

Referee: Andrew Bruggeman (#25)

Linesmen: Shane Kanaly (#39), Brent Colby (#38)

Match Notes

  • Season Series: Game 6 of 11. (Adirondack leads 4-2)
  • Both teams are the most penalized teams in the north with 583 (Adirondack) and 517 (Worcester).
  • Worcester can take fifth in the division with a win and a Manchester loss. Adirondack trails Newfoundland by seven points for first in the north.

Players to Watch

  • Ryan Hitchcock (Worcester) – Hitchcock played a big role in last night’s 4-2 win over the Thunder, picking up the game-winning goal and an assist earlier in the game. He stands out on the ice with his skating and passing game, so look for him to pick up another point or two for the Railers tonight.
  • Conor Riley (Adirondack) –  Riley leads the Thunder in goals against Worcester with three this season. He scored one of Adirondack’s two goals (though in controversial fashion) and is not afraid to drop the gloves, fighting Josh Holmstrom in a bout earlier this season.

Railers Notes

  • Josh Holmstrom leads the Railers in goals against Adirondack with two. Ivan Kosorenkov and Matt Schmalz each have a goal and two assists against Adirondack this season.
  • Barry Almeida and Tyler Barnes both have 100 regular season goals.
  • Railers are ranked 25th on the power play in road games at 12.9 percent.
  • Evan Buitenhuis is tied for third in save percentage this season with .928.
  • Worcester has yet to score shorthanded this season.
  • Railers have the worst power play at home at 10.7 percent but have the best penalty kill at 89.4 percent.
  • Cold Streaks: Woody Hudson (7 games), Yanick Turcotte (5 games), Alex Vanier (4 games), Dylan Willick (5 games), Bo Brauer (4 games), David Quenneville (3 games)

Recent Railers Additions, Subtractions, Transactions

  • Nick Roberto was traded to the Greenville Swamp Rabbits for future considerations on Friday.
  • Kevin Hart was signed to an SPC on Saturday morning.

Possible Railers Scratches

  • Malcolm Gould – on injured reserve, has not played this season.
  • Kyle McKenzie – on injured reserve, has not played since November 27.
  • Tyler Mueller – left last Saturday’s game with an upper-body injury.
  • Alex Vanier – left last Saturday’s game with a lower-body injury.
  • Additional scratched to be determined closer to puck drop.

Thunder Notes

  • James Henry has 36 points in 41 games for Adirondack.
  • Jake Linhart has three power play goals, is tied for thrid among rookie defensemen.
  • John Edwardh ranks in the 19 for rookies in points with 29 and has 14 power play points this season.
  • Adirondack has the fifth-best power play on the road at 21.9 percent.
  • Conor Riley leads all Thunder with 68 penalty minutes this season.
  • The Thunder have not allowed a shorthanded goal on the road.

Recent Thunder Additions, Subtractions, Transactions

  • Goaltender Devin Buffalo was traded to the Reading Royals on Saturday morning.

Possible Thunder Scratches

  • Shane Conacher –  last played on December 31.
  • Nikolas Olsson – last played on January 11.
  • Kelly Summers – last played on December 31.
  • Andrew Tessier – last played on January 12.
  • Additional scratched to be determined closer to puck drop.

Head-to-Head

Worcester Adirondack
Goals For  2.38 – 27th  3.10 – 16th
Goals Against  2.83- 6th  2.93 – 9th
Shots For  31.95 – 12th  33.93 – 3rd
Shots Against  33.20 – 21st  30.46 – 9th
Fighting Majors  27  19
Power Play  11.5% – 27th  20.5% – 6th
Penalty Kill  85.3% – 3rd  80.9% – 22nd
Avg Height / Weight / Age  6′ 0″ / 193 lbs / 24.87 years  6′ 0″ / 192 lbs / 25.27 years

Team Records

Worcester Adirondack
Scoring First  13-5-1-2  15-2-1-0
Leading After 1  6-1-1-2  13-1-1-0
Leading After 2  11-0-0-1  18-0-2-0
Tied After 1  8-9-2-0  9-3-2-1
Tied After 2  7-5-2-1  3-3-1-1
Trailing After 1 4-7-0-0  0-10-0-1
Trailing After 2  0-12-1-0  1-11-0-1
Outshooting Opponents  6-8-1-1  15-7-2-2
Out Shot by Opponents  10-9-2-1  5-7-1-0

On the Island and at the Port

  • The Islanders are off this weekend as the NHL is on its All-Star Break.
  • Sound Tigers play tonight against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on the road.

Closing Statements

  • For live updates during the game, follow us on Twitter @WooHockeyNews.