Friday, May 4, 2012 (Finals Edition)

Ray Miron Presidents’ Cup Finals

all times local

2012 Ray Miron Presidents’ Cup Finals Schedule
Wichita Thunder vs. Fort Wayne Komets (FTW leads series 3-0)
Game 1 – Sat., Apr. 28 – Fort Wayne 5 at Wichita 3
Game 2 – Sun., Apr. 29 – Fort Wayne 6 at Wichita 3
Game 3 – Thu., May 3 – Wichita 3 at Fort Wayne 7
Game 4 – Sat., May 5 – Wichita at Fort Wayne, 8:15 PM
Game 5 – Mon., May 7 – Wichita at Fort Wayne, 7:30 PM (if necessary)
Game 6 – Fri., May 11 – Fort Wayne at Wichita, 7:05 PM (if necessary)
Game 7 – Sat., May 12 – Fort Wayne at Wichita, 7:05 PM (if necessary)

Series Notes:
-Fort Wayne’s power play has scored in five of the last seven games going 9 for 24 over that stretch (38%).  The Komets are 3 for 8 in the Finals.  Wichita’s power play is just 4 for 53 in the playoffs (7.5%).
-Kaleigh Schrock came through in Game 3 with two goals and a team high seven shots on goal.  Schrock started the post-season hot with goals in three of the first four games of the Opening Round but had gone 11 games without scoring a goal before Thursday’s 7-3 win over the Thunder.
-Nick Boucher has won five straight games in net for the Komets stopping 149 of 163 shots (.914 save percentage) during the win streak.
-Fort Wayne is the fifth CHL team to grab a 3-0 series lead in the Finals and the first since the 2008 Arizona Sundogs.  Three times in the previous four chances, the team with the 3-0 lead ended up sweeping the series and all four previous cases, the team with the advantage won the Cup. 
-In 20 previous situations in the CHL playoffs, a team has taken a 3-0 series lead and in 13 of those cases the result was a sweep.  The Komets 3-0 lead over the Thunder marks the second time in this year’s post-season that a team had had such an advantage as the Missouri Mavericks swept away the Evansville IceMen in the Opening Round.
-Mike Vaskivuo had two assists in Thursday’s win taking over the outright points lead in the playoffs with 21 (8-13=21).  Linemates Chris Auger (20 points) and Colin Chaulk (17 points) rank second and third, respectively, on the post-season points list.  The trio are a combined +26 in the playoffs.
-Matt Summers led the Thunder in scoring during the regular season with 61 points but had scored just one goal in the post-season in his first 11 games before Thursday’s Game 3 where he struck for a pair of goals.
-Bryan Hogan made 34 saves on Thursday night in his first start of the playoffs for the Thunder replacing Adam Russo who missed the game with an injury.
-Five different Komets are currently riding five-game point streaks including Brett Smith, Colin Chaulk, Chris Auger, Mike Vaskivuo and Bobby Chaumont.  The balanced offensive attack was apparent in Game 3 with 14 different skaters getting on the score sheet in Fort Wayne’s 7-3 win.
-The seven goals scored by the Komets and the combined 10 goals (7-3) in Game 3 marked CHL playoff highs for Game 3’s.  The Komets have scored 18 goals through the first three games.
-Colin Chaulk and Kaleigh Schrock each scored in the third period of Game 3 giving the Komets a 6-1 advanatge in the final frame of the Finals.

This Date in Playoff History (May 4, 2010)
On this day in 2010, the Rapid City Rush beat the Allen Americans in Game 6 winning the Presidents’ Cup four games to two.  After a long, hard-fought season, the Rush were able to beat the Americans 4-3 with just a half-minute remaining in double overtime and take home the hardware.  Rapid City captain, Scott Wray, notched the double overtime winner assisted by Les Reaney and Dave Grimson.