Fuel go for series sweep in Saturday's finale with Quad City

GAME PREVIEW: FUEL VS. MALLARDS

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24 - 7:35 P.M.

INDIANA FARMERS COLISEUM, INDIANAPOLIS

TICKETS: TICKETMASTER, INDIANA FARMERS COLISEUM BOX OFFICE

BROADCAST INFO: 1070THEFAN.COM, ECHL.TV

The Story: The Indy Fuel (26-24-2-1) go for their third victory in as many nights as they wrap up a tripleheader with the Quad City Mallards (19-30-3-1) Saturday at Indiana Farmers Coliseum.

The 2017-18 series finale between the Fuel and Mallards takes place on Zombie Night in Indianapolis, with actor Jason Douglas (aka Tobin from AMC's The Walking Dead) set to be in attendance. Tickets are still available at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum box office as well as through Ticketmaster.

Entering Saturday with a sterling 3-0 record to start a five-game stay at Indiana Farmers Coliseum, the Fuel find themselves on the cusp of playoff positioning in the ECHL's Central Division. Winners of five of its last six contests, Indy trails the fourth place Cincinnati Cyclones by three points, while sitting just four back of the third place Kalamazoo Wings. The Wings and Cyclones meet each other Saturday night in Cincinnati.

The Fuel took one step closer to the Central's top four Friday by taking down the Mallards 4-2. Where the first two wins of the homestand required come-from-behind efforts, Indy was in control from the outset Friday, building a 2-0 lead in the first period, before tacking on two more in the second.

Alex Wideman and Robin Press each tallied a goal and an assist, while Matheson Iacopelli and Jack Burton rounded out the goal scoring for the Fuel. Goaltender Étienne Marcoux turned in another solid performance, stopping 32 of 34 shots for his second win of the weekend.

Keeping Busy: Saturday marks the seventh game the Fuel have played over the last nine days and their eighth in a span of 11 days since Feb. 14. So far, Indy has a 5-2 record over the busy stretch, with a 5-1 mark against Central Division opponents during the same span. Following Saturday's game, the Fuel have two days of rest before they begin another circuit of four games in five days, starting Tuesday against the Toledo Walleye.

Going Streaking: Defenseman Robin Press (9g, 17a) rides a pair of impressive streaks into Saturday's action. Press has points in seven straight games, while scoring a goal in each of his last four. Meanwhile, forward Alex Wideman (12g, 18a) has factored in all six games since being reassigned by AHL Rockford on Feb. 16, picking up three goals and six assists over that span.

Multi-Point Inspection: The Fuel have scored power play goals in three straight games, converting on 50.0% of their chances since returning to Indiana Farmers Coliseum on Tuesday (7-for-14). Indy ranks first in the ECHL in both overall power play efficiency (22.6%) and home power play efficiency (25.0%) ... Indy is 17-8-1 this season when scoring first ... Forward Logan Nelson has three assists in two games with the Fuel ... Josh Shalla (13g, 15a) has 11 points (3g, 8a) in five games against Quad City this season.

Inside the Matchup: The Fuel and Mallards wrap up their 11-game season series Saturday in Indianapolis. Indy clinched the 2017-18 series with Friday's win, bringing a 6-2-1-1 mark against the Central Division rival into the finale. The Fuel have now won four straight against Quad City this season, and six straight in Indianapolis dating back to last season.

Scouting Report: The Mallards have surrendered three or more goals in 11 straight games ... Forward Tristan King (14g, 17a) has scored eight goals over his last six games ... Alex Globke has points in five straight games, picking up four goals and five assists over that span.

ECHL MEDIA KIT