Photo courtesy of Chance Parker and Sarah Buchanan / Kansas City Mavericks
ECHL Kelly Cup Division Semifinal Standouts: Jack LaFontaine, Ty Pelton-Byce, Patrick Kudla, And More
The first round of the ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs concluded on Wednesday with a pair of Game 7s as the defending Kelly Cup champion Florida Everblades topped the Jacksonville Icemen in the South Division Semifinals, and the Adirondack Thunder knocked off the Maine Mariners in the North Division Semifinals.
In the Central Division, the Toledo Walleye took care of the Kalamazoo Wing in four games and advanced to the Division Finals against the Wheeling Nailers, who closed out the Indy Fuel in five games in the first round.
Meanwhile, the Mountain Division Semifinals saw the Kansas City Mavericks sweep the Tulsa Oilers in four games and the Idaho Steelheads knock off the Allen Americans in five games.
With the Division Finals set to begin on Friday, let's look at several of the top performers from the first round, along with a few honorable mentions.
Jack LaFontaine, G, Kansas City
LaFontaine got the start in Game 2 and 4 of the Mavericks series with Tulsa and allowed three goals on 73 shots faced. The former University of Minnesota standout carries the best save percentage (0.959) into the second round among all ECHL goaltenders in the postseason.
Cale Morris, G, Kansas City
What's better than having one reliable goaltender? How about two? Morris took Games 1 and 3 of Kansas City's series with Tulsa. Like his teammate, he allowed just three goals while making 61 saves on 64 shot attempts.
Isaac Poulter, G, Adirondack
Poulter allowed two or fewer goals in six outings and collected three shutouts along the way. The Winnipeg native engineered his best performance in Game 7, stopping all 21 shots to help Adirondack advance to the second round for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
Ty Pelton-Byce, F, Idaho
Peltyon-Byce was the top-scoring forward in the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. The 27-year-old earned back-to-back four-point nights in the first two games of the series. Peltyon-Byce also had a three-point effort in Game 4, including two goals in the Steelheads' 5-1 win over Allen.
Spencer Kersten, F, Orlando
Kersten finished tied for the most goals (6) among all ECHL skaters in the first round. The Solar Bears forward had goals in five of the six games against Greenville, including a two-goal night in Game 4. Kersten provided the dagger in Game 6 early in the third period.
Jakov Novak, F, Trois-Rivières
Tied with Kersten for the goal total, Novak had an exceptional showing for Trois-Rivières, recording goals in four of the six games against Norfolk. Novak had goals in the final three games, including back-to-back multi-goal efforts. However, it was not enough, as Trois-Rivières was eliminated in Game 6.
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Jordan Martel, F, Wheeling
Martel was a difference-maker in Wheeling's first-round series against Indy, recording points in four of the five games. The 26-year-old had a five-point effort in Game 2, with another multi-point effort coming in Game 4.
Brandon Hawkins, F, Toledo
Hawkins has been a big-time contributor for Toledo in the postseason the last two years, and he is off to another good start. The veteran forward collected points in all four games against Kalamazoo, including three multi-point efforts, highlighted by a three-assist night in Game 2.
Patrick Kudla, D, Idaho
Kudla led all ECHL defensemen in the first round with seven points from the blue line. The Arizona Coyotes draft pick recorded a three-point night, including two goals, in Game 1 of Idaho's series against Allen. He tallied multi-point efforts in Games 2 and 4 as well.
Carson Musser, D, Norfolk
Musser's scoring touch showed up in a big way in Norfolk's six-game series against Trois-Rivières. He had eight goals in 57 regular-season games but found the back of the net three times in the first round. Added, Musser collected three assists, totaling six points for the 27-year-old.
Justin Lee, D, Wheeling
Lee played well in his first exposure to the ECHL playoffs. However, the former Denver standout is used to rising in high-pressure situations. Lee finished with a goal and five assists, and he led all defensemen with a +7 plus/minus rating in the first round.
Evan Fitzpatrick, G, Orlando
Fitzpatrick made 46 saves in Game 6 to help Orlando finish off Greenville. The St. John's, Newfoundland, native was busy all throughout the series, turning aside a combined 209 of 225 (0.929 SV%) in the six-game series.
Honorable Mentions: Justin Addamo (Wheeling), Cedric Montminy (Trois-Rivières), Jacob Graves (Toledo), Brandon Fortunato (Jacksonville), Josh McDougall (Norfolk), Matt Vernon (Jacksonville), Cam Johnson (Florida).
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