Western Conference quarter-final match-ups

 

STOCKTON , Calif. – The highlight of ECHL hockey is here and the teams of the Western Conference have secured their playoff placement, which ultimately came down to the final game of the season.   
The Alaska Aces are the winners of the Brabham Cup for their second time, finishing the season with 97 points and earning a bye for the first round of the playoffs as well as guaranteed home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. Alaska went 47-22-3 for the season.    
Of the eight teams in the conference, the Ontario Reign was bumped out of the post season.   The remaining teams have been placed in order based on points from second – seventh and will play the first round of the post season as follows:
 
#2 Bakersfield Condors vs #7 Victoria Salmon Kings
Game 1 – Monday, April 4 at Victoria
Game 2 – Tuesday, April 5 at Victoria
Game 3 – Friday, April 8 at Bakersfield
Game 4 – Saturday, April 9 at Bakersfield (If Necessary)
Game 5 – Monday, April 11 at Bakersfield (If Necessary)
 
#3 Stockton Thunder vs #6 Utah Grizzlies
Game 1 – Tuesday, April 5 at Utah
Game 2 – Wednesday, April 6 at Utah
Game 3 – Saturday, April 9 at Stockton
Game 4 – Sunday, April 10 at Stockton (If Necessary)
Game 5 – Tuesday, April 12 at Stockton (If Necessary)
 
4 Las Vegas Wranglers vs #5 Idaho Steelheads
Game 1 – Tuesday, April 5 at Las Vegas
Game 2 – Wednesday, April 6 at Las Vegas
Game 3 – Friday, April 8 at Idaho
Game 4 – Saturday, April 9 at Idaho (If Necessary)
Game 5 – Tuesday, April 12 at Las Vegas (If Necessary)
 
 
# Home ice advantage for the first round goes to top four teams.
 
Now that the match-ups have been determined, many fans are speculating on the future of their favorite team.   The first round of the Western Conference Semi-finals is a best of five series, with subsequent match-ups in a best of seven.
 
Coach Ryan Mougenel of the Las Vegas Wranglers said it best, “It’s really 72 exhibition games; now the real season starts.”
 
Coaches and players alike believe that the stats go out the window and everything changes when post-season begins.   Just because a team was hot coming down the stretch, does not necessarily mean they will continue their streaks into the post-season. Many teams are dealing with player injuries, not to mention being short-handed due to call-ups to the AHL.   Call-ups, as usual, have been huge this year, but it is up to the coaches to find fill-in players that can fill those gaps until their players return.   Now the coaches must take long hard looks at their rosters and pare them down to size.  
 
Contact the writer at Shellie.Lima@prohockeynews.com
Contact the photographer at Jack.Lima@prohockeynews.com