Division, playoff races heat up as season passes midway point

January 16, 2012

The ECHL season reached the halfway point this past weekend, and division and playoff races are starting to materialize across the league.

The tightest division race is in the South Division, where the four teams are separated by just three points. Gwinnett, which defeated Greenville 3-2 on Monday afternoon, leads the division with 47 points, followed by Florida, which has gone 8-1-1 in its last 10 games, which is two points back at 45. South Carolina, which ran its winning streak to six games with a 4-3 win at Reading on Monday, is tied with Greenville for third place in the division with 44 points each.

Kalamazoo leads the North Division with 45 points, and has a seven-point lead over Chicago.

The Atlantic Division leading Elmira Jackals own the most points in the Eastern Conference with 49, which gives the club a six-point edge over Wheeling for the division lead.

In the Eastern Conference playoff race, only six points separate Chicago, which currently has the eighth and final playoff spot in the conference with 38 points, and four other teams looking to move into that position. Reading, which is on a 6-3-1 run in its last 10 games, is two points behind the Express with 36, while Cincinnati sits three behind Chicago with 35. The Cyclones host the Express for a pair of games on Friday and Saturday. Toledo, which is unbeaten in its last four games (2-0-2), has moved to within five points of Chicago, while Trenton is six points out of the final spot with 32 points.

The defending Brabham Cup and Kelly Cup champion Alaska Aces are well on their way to defending their regular-season title, leading the Western Conference with 63 points. Alaska, which is 21-1-5 in its last 26 games and 23-3-0 at home, has allowed just 73 goals in 39 games this season. Las Vegas leads the Pacific Division, and sits second in the Western Conference, with 50 points.

Colorado is third in the conference with 46 points, four more than Ontario. Utah and Idaho, who meet tonight at Maverik Center, are fifth and sixth in the conference with 36 and 35 points respectively, while Stockton currently holds the seventh and final playoff spot with 34 points, giving it a 12-point edge over Bakersfield.