Brampton Beast (12-16-2-1) at Indy Fuel (16-13-0-0)
7:35 PM Eastern
Indiana Farmers Coliseum
Watch Live: ECHL.TV
Team Statistics:
Power Play
Indy (15.2%, 19th)
Brampton (15.4%, 18th)
Penalty Kill
Indy (83.2%, 16th)
Brampton (82.8%, 20th)
Shots For/Against Per Game
Indy (24.79, 26th – 32.79, 17th)
Brampton (33.74, 5th – 32.97, 18th)
Shooting%
Indy (12.2%, 2nd)
Brampton (9.3%, 19th)
Avg. Height/Weight
Indy – 6’1”, 195 lbs
Brampton – 6’0”, 193 lbs
Analysis:
The Indy Fuel are coming off a couple of huge 5-2 wins over division rivals, including the ECHL-leading Cincinnati Cyclones.
Ryan Rupert struck twine twice for Indy in the third period to seal the three-goal victory. That was the fifth straight game in which the Fuel had scored five goals.
This is the first meeting between these two clubs this year. They have met seven times before and the Fuel have failed to win any of them, going 0-6-1-0.
The Beast are on a cold stretch right now, losing their last six games in regulation. Their most recent loss came at the hands of the Toledo Walleye at Huntington Center in Ohio. They attempted a comeback in the final period but came up short in a 7-4 loss.
Beast goaltender Jake Paterson was called up to the AHL’s Belleville Senators two days ago. Paterson went 4-9-1 with a 3.52 goals-against-average and an .896 save percentage.
Players To Watch
Indy: Olivier Labelle
Labelle is due for a breakout game. The 33-year-old has been the Fuel’s gritty goal-scorer all year but hasn’t had the show-stealing type game. I think he’s going to be very physical against Brampton and he’s going to try to knock their offensive-style game off-center. His veteran presence is going to be very crucial as Brampton is a very experienced team. With Zach Miskovic out, it is up to Labelle to rally the team against a very skilled Beast team.
Brampton: David Pacan
Pacan has been a thorn in many ECHL team’s sides over the years. He is doing it once again this year, with 16 goals and 15 assists in 31 games. The improved Fuel defense should have their hands full with Brampton’s offensive firepower, including Pacan and Brandon Marino. Pacan has scored twice in his last five games.