USHL Clark Cup Finals Preview

USHL Clark Cup Finals Preview :: USHL.COM


Two teams remain in the postseason of the United States Hockey League as the Green Bay Gamblers and Fargo Force are set to meet in a best-of-five series to see who will raise the Clark Cup as USHL playoff champions.

Green Bay Gamblers vs. Fargo Force


In just their second USHL season, the Fargo Force make their second straight trip to the Clark Cup Finals, facing the Green Bay Gamblers who have won the Anderson Cup the last two regular seasons. It has been ten years since the Gamblers last reached the Finals (1999-2000), when they won their second Clark Cup in team history.

Green Bay
Record 45-10-5
Home 22-3-5
Road 23-7-0
Goals For Per Game 3.53 (6)
Goals Against Per Game 2.33 (1)
Shots For Per Game 32.37 (3)
Shots Against Per Game 25.33 (1)
Power Play % 13.1% (14)
Penalty Killing % 85.2% (3) 

(league ranking in parentheses)

Fargo
Record 37-17-6
Home 19-7-4
Road 18-10-2
Goals For Per Game 3.78 (tied 2)
Goals Against Per Game 3.57 (9)
Shots For Per Game 33.08 (7)
Shots Against Per Game 28.47 (6)
Power Play % 19.4% (7)
Penalty Killing % 83.9% (7)

(league ranking in parentheses)

Regular Season Series:

12/11/09 – Fargo 2 @ Green Bay 5 
3/26/10 – Green Bay 1 @ Fargo 3

3/27/10 – Green Bay 4 @ Fargo 3 (SO)
4/3/10 –Fargo 1 @ Green Bay 5

Head-to-Head Stats:

Green Bay
Record 3-1-0
Goals For 14
Goals Against 9
Power Play 4-20 (20.0%)
Penalty Kill 17-21 (81.0%)

Fargo

1-2-1

Goals For 9

Goals Against 14

Power Play 4-21 (19.0%)

Penalty Kill 16-20 (80.0%)

Notes:

* This series features the three top playoff scorers to this point in the postseason; Green Bay's Anders Lee leads all scorers with 15 points (7g, 8a) while Fargo's Chase Grant has 12 points (7g, 5a). Fargo's Matt Leitner leads the USHL with eight playoff goals.

* Three of the seven goals scored by Chase Grant in the playoffs have been game-winners.

* Anders Lee leads all players with a plus-10 rating in the playoffs. Green Bay's Scott Czarnowczan and Fargo's Eamonn McDermott lead all USHL defensemen in the postseason with a plus-seven rating.

* The Gamblers have scored the first goal of the game in six of their seven playoff contests.

* Nine players on the Force roster were part of last season's team that reached the Clark Cup Finals.

* The Gamblers lead the USHL in goals per game in the playoffs (4.29) while Fargo ranks third (3.75).

* Green Bay's Steve Summerhays has the second best GAA (2.01) among USHL playoff goaltenders while Fargo's Ryan Massa has made the second most saves (200). Both have six wins this postseason.

* Green Bay leads the playoffs with a 32.0% power play conversion rate (8-of-25). They also lead the League with three shorthanded goals this postseason, one shy of equaling a USHL playoff record.

* No team has scored on the power play in Green Bay during the playoffs as the Gamblers have killed off a perfect 15-of-15 shorthanded situations on home ice.

* Fargo has scored 17 of their 30 goals in the playoffs during the third period.

* Fargo Force Head Coach Steve Johnson twice led teams to the Clark Cup title when he was coach of the Lincoln Stars (2002-03, 1996-97).

* Fargo can become the first team since the Des Moines Buccaneers in 1998-99 to win the Clark Cup after losing in the Finals the previous season.


Schedule - 2010 USHL Clark Cup Finals


Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the USHL celebrates eighth season as the nation's only Tier I junior hockey league in 2009-10. With over 220 players already committed to NCAA Division I schools and 13 NHL Entry Draft picks currently on League rosters, the USHL is the nation's foremost producer of junior hockey talent. For more information, visit us on the web at www.USHL.com.