It’s the All-Star Break, which means that it’s time to reflect on what has gone on in the fifth season for the Indy Fuel.
The Fuel check into the halfway point with a 20-18-2-1 record, totaling 43 points and achieving fourth place in the Central Division. The top four teams in each division will move on to the Kelly Cup Playoffs, which means that the Fuel currently hold a postseason berth.
This berth is not guaranteed, though, as third through fifth place is separated by a mere three points. Those three teams include the Fort Wayne Komets in third, the Fuel in fourth, and the Wheeling Nailers in fifth.
There has been a lot of rotation of the defensive front, with leading defensive point scorer Neil Manning now playing for the EC Kassel Huskies in the DEL2 league in Germany.
On the positive end, defensive points leader Alex Brooks just appeared in his first ECHL All-Star game in Toledo. Brooks registered an empty-net goal and two assists to Kansas City Mavericks forward Jared VanWormer at the event.
Defenseman Miles Liberati has been battling plenty of injuries lately and has been out the past six games. The 23-year-old defenseman has missed 14 of 34 games since the Indy club acquired him on Oct. 30.
As a replacement, the Fuel have recently acquired defenseman Brandon Rumble. They received Rumble from the Pensacola Ice Flyers of the SPHL, but he never appeared in a game for them. He did appear in 13 games with the Norfolk Admirals of the ECHL. In those 13 game, the 26-year-old defenseman recorded a goal, an assist, five penalty minutes, and a -7 rating.
Also on the injury report is forward and assistant captain Olivier Labelle. Labelle has been out since December 31 with a neck injury. The 33-year-old veteran injured his neck on Dec. 27 in a game against the Nailers. Labelle complained of dizziness and seeing stars after he took a check and snapped his head back while falling. Labelle battled through the injury the next two games but re-aggravated it on Dec. 29 against the Brampton Beast. He traveled with the team to Kalamzoo on New Years’ Eve but was unable to participate in the matchup.
The Fuel just recently acquired goaltender Gordon Defiel in a trade with the South Carolina Stingrays. Defiel will replace Jason Pawloski as Matt Tomkins’ backup in goal. The 25-year-old goaltender was very serviceable for the Stingrays, posting a 6-6-0 record with a 2.77 goals-against-average and a .913 save percentage.
Head coach Bernie John made the decision that Pawloski was not a suitable backup in goal for Indy, as the former Indiana Ice netminder backstopped the Fuel to a miserable 0-5-0 record alongside a 4.65 goals-against-average and an .840 save percentage.
In an interview following a 5-2 loss to the Beast on Dec. 29, John said this about Pawloski, “He doesn’t get to play a lot and he’s just been buying his time. For the time being, what he’s been doing, he’s been doing fine. He’s just got to make sure to keep practicing hard the way he does and keep doing the things he has to do and keep himself ready. It’s hard when you’re not playing to do that and just really practicing.”
The Fuel can gain an all-important two points tomorrow at Indiana Farmers Coliseum against the third-place Fort Wayne Komets. The game will be the first game back against the Fuel for Komets’ forward Taylor Crunk, who was suspended four games for sucker punching Radovan Bondra. We can also expect the return of forward Justin Hodgman from his hand injury from punching Zach Miskovic.
We’ll see if the Fuel can make the same second half push they made last season to clinch a postseason berth.