SECOND MEETING: Coming off of back-to-back overtime wins against the Fort Wayne Komets and Toledo Walleye, the Fuel have won eight of their last ten games heading into Friday's game against Kalamazoo. The last time the two teams met, Indy defeated the Wings 5-2 on Teddy Bear Toss night. Friday's game at Wings Event Center will be the second of nine matchups between the two teams.
THE MATCHUP: Both teams enter Friday night in fifth and sixth in the ECHL's Central Division, while the Fuel sit two points out of the fourth and final playoff spot. Indy is enjoying a three-game winning streak, all three wins coming against Central Division opponents. No strangers to long weekends, the Fuel begin four games in five days on Friday and will finish with another road game against the Wings on Tuesday. Kalamazoo enters Friday having won two games in a row against Central Division opponents but have lost three out of their last five.
TEAM LEADERS: The Fuel are led by forward Spencer Watson who has earned 15 goals and 17 assists through 27 ECHL games. Watson recently snapped a 14 game point streak where he earned eight goals and 12 assists. Returning to Indy on December 20 after spending time with the American Hockey League's Rockford IceHogs, Dylan McLaughlin has earned three goals and one assist in two games with the Fuel. Leading the Wings with 17 goals and 10 assists, Dylan Sadowy sits in second in the ECHL in goals. The fourth-year pro is currently second in the league in power play goals with six goals on the man advantage over 24 games.
SPECIAL TEAMS BATTLE: Indy's power play is currently one of the league's best, scoring on 24% of their power play chances through 27 games. The Fuel also have the ECHL's best road power play, tallying goals on 28.6% of their chances. The Wings enter Friday's game as the league's most penalized team, averaging 19.23 penalty minutes per game. Along with averaging the most penalty minutes per game, Kalamazoo owns the league's second-worst penalty kill, getting scored on 24.1% of the time.
LOOKING AHEAD: After Friday's game at Wings Event Center, the Fuel will continue their three games in three days with home games on Saturday and Sunday against the Kansas City Mavericks and the Wheeling Nailers. In their fourth game in five days, the Fuel will meet Kalamazoo again at Wings Event Center for a New Years matchup on Tuesday night.
Adirondack Thunder
Allen Americans
Atlanta Gladiators
Bloomington Bison
Cincinnati Cyclones
Florida Everblades
Fort Wayne Komets
Greensboro Gargoyles
Greenville Swamp Rabbits
Idaho Steelheads
Indy Fuel
Iowa Heartlanders
Jacksonville Icemen
Kalamazoo Wings
Kansas City Mavericks
Maine Mariners
Norfolk Admirals
Orlando Solar Bears
Rapid City Rush
Reading Royals
Savannah Ghost Pirates
South Carolina Stingrays
Tahoe Knight Monsters
Toledo Walleye
Trois-Rivières Lions
Tulsa Oilers
Utah Grizzlies
Wheeling Nailers
Wichita Thunder
Worcester Railers