2010 Kelly Cup playoffs explained

Kelly Cup playoffs
Year:2010
Dates:April 5–May 21, 2010
Num Teams:15
Winners:Cincinnati Cyclones
Second:Idaho Steelheads
Stat Leader Title:Scoring leader(s)
Stat Leader Player:Milan Gajic (Florida)
Ryan Cruthers (Reading)
Stat Leader Value:16 points
Prev Season:2009
Next Season:2011

The 2010 Kelly Cup Playoffs of the ECHL began April 5, 2010. 15 teams qualified, eight from the American Conference and seven from the National Conference. In the American conference, the winners of each of the three divisions plus the five teams with the highest point totals from the teams remaining qualified. Due to the National Conference's membership being limited to only eight teams, the two division winners and the five teams with the highest point totals from the teams remaining qualified, with the division winner with the highest point total receiving a bye to the conference semifinals.[1]

The conference quarterfinals will be a 2-3 format with the higher seed choosing if it wishes to host Games 1-2 or Games 3-5. Teams that are less than 350 miles apart may choose to play a 2-2-1 format.[1]

The remaining rounds will be best-of-seven game series.[1]

Due to a scheduling conflict with their home arena, the Alaska Aces were forced to play their home games in the National Conference quarterfinals against the Stockton Thunder at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center in nearby Wasilla.[2]

Playoff seeds

After the regular season, 15 teams qualified for the playoffs. The Idaho Steelheads were the National Conference regular season champions and the Brabham Cup winners with the best record at 103 points. The Charlotte Checkers earned the top seed in the American Conference after winning a tiebreaker with the Kalamazoo Wings and South Carolina Stingrays after each of the three teams finished the season with 94 points each.

American Conference

  1. Charlotte Checkers  - South Division and American Conference regular season champions, 94 points (43 wins - South Division)
  2. Kalamazoo Wings  - North Division champions, 94 points (42 wins)
  3. Elmira Jackals  - East Division champions, 83 points
  4. South Carolina Stingrays  - 94 points (41 wins - South Division)
  5. Cincinnati Cyclones  - 91 points
  6. Florida Everblades  - 85 points
  7. Reading Royals  - 80 points
  8. Toledo Walleye  - 77 points

National Conference

  1. Idaho Steelheads  - West Division and National Conference regular season champions; Brabham Cup winners, 103 points
  2. Bakersfield Condors  - Pacific Division champions, 81 points
  3. Alaska Aces  - 80 points
  4. Utah Grizzlies  - 77 points
  5. Las Vegas Wranglers  - 76 points (34 wins)
  6. Stockton Thunder  - 76 points (33 wins)
  7. Victoria Salmon Kings  - 74 points

Conference Quarterfinals

Note: Home team is listed first.

American Conference

(4) South Carolina Stingrays vs. (5) Cincinnati Cyclones

National Conference

(4) Utah Grizzlies vs. (5) Las Vegas Wranglers

Conference semifinals

Note: Home team is listed first.

American Conference

(6) Florida Everblades vs. (7) Reading Royals

National Conference

(2) Bakersfield Condors vs. (6) Stockton Thunder

Conference Finals

National Conference finals: (1) Idaho Steelheads vs. (6) Stockton Thunder

Kelly Cup Finals

(1) Idaho Steelheads vs (5) Cincinnati Cyclones

Statistical leaders

Skaters

These are the top ten skaters based on points.

PlayerTeamGPGAPts+/–PIM
Milan Gajic 9 7 9 16 6 0
9 6 10 16 9 4
8 2 10 12 6 8
9 7 4 11 7 14
6 2 9 11 5 0
9 2 8 10 6 4
8 6 3 9 0 8
9 5 4 9 1 4
4 3 6 9 -2 0
8 3 6 9 1 2
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/– = Plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes; Yellow shade = team still in playoffs

All statistics as of: 04:04, 21 April 2010 (UTC)

Goaltending

These are the top five goaltenders based on both goals against average and save percentage with at least one game played (Note: list is sorted by goals against average).

PlayerTeamGPWLSAGAGAASV%SOTOI
3 3 0 87 6 2.00 .931 0 180
7 4 3 458 17 2.23 .919 1 458
4 1 2 135 8 2.26 .941 0 212
5 2 3 134 13 2.30 .903 0 339
3 1 2 97 8 2.55 .918 0 189
GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; SA = Shots against; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; SV% = Save percentage; SO = Shutouts; TOI = Time on ice (in minutes); Yellow shade = team still in playoffs

All statistics as of: 04:04, 21 April 2010 (UTC)

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Press Release . Annual ECHL Board of Governors Meeting Concludes . ECHL . June 29, 2009 . April 13, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110710165909/http://echl.com/annual-echl-board-of-governors-meeting-concludes-p163029 . July 10, 2011 . dead .
  2. Web site: Woody . Doyle . Schedule conflict puts Aces in Wasilla . . March 11, 2010 . April 6, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110610133533/http://www.adn.com/2010/03/11/1179986/schedule-conflict-puts-aces-in.html . June 10, 2011 . dead . mdy-all .