PREVIEW: Jets @ Ice Dogs (Game #51)

Mar 15, 2018

By Mason Lyttle (@MasonLyttle) | Mar 15, 2018 | 3:42pm

JANESVILLE JETS at FAIRBANKS ICE DOGS — Big Dipper Ice Arena
Thur 3/15 |  10:00pm  |  Fairbanks, AK

LIVE STREAM: HockeyTV  |  TWITTER: @JanesvilleJets1


LAST WEEKEND: The Jets  swept the Kenai River Brown Bears, 6-2 and 5-1, and clinched 2nd place in the Midwest Division, assuring themselves home ice advantage in the first round of the Robertson Cup Playoffs. Forward Jakov Novak broke the Jets’ single-season scoring record on Friday with his 62nd point of the season coming from an assist on Brenden MacLaren‘s 2nd period goal. Garrett Nieto made 19 saves on 21 shots on Friday, earning his 19th win of the season, and Daniel Lebedeff followed up with a spectacular performance Saturday, stopping 32 of 33 for his 15th win of the year. A total of 13 Jets skaters scored at least a point on the weekend, led by Novak (4-1—5), Matt Hanewall (1-2—3), MacLaren (1-2—3), Sam Renlund (1-2—3), TJ Polglaze (1-2—3), and Logan Ommen (0-3—3).

TONIGHT: The Jets begin a huge three-game series against the class of the NAHL tonight at the Dip. The Ice Dogs’ amazing streaks came to ends in back-to-back weekends, as the Shreveport Mudbugs iced the 24-game win streak on March 4 with a 2-1 shootout win in Louisiana before the Springfield Jr. Blues downed Fairbanks in regulation last weekend to snap the 33-game point streak.

Fairbanks holds a 2-1 series lead this season. After an October split in Janesville, the teams met again for a Friday match in January, where the Jets battled back for a point but fell in the shootout, 2-1.

The two clubs have dominated the Midwest Division for three seasons now, neither team finishing below 2nd place in that time. Last year, a high-octane Jets offense took down the Ice Dogs in four games in the Division Finals. Each team will have to take care of its own business in the first round before even thinking about a rematch, but this weekend’s series is still without question a great test of strength for each group as the regular season winds down.

SEASON SERIES (Ice Dogs 2-1-0-0)

Oct. 13 Fairbanks W, 3-2 (OT)
Oct. 14 Fairbanks L, 5-3
Jan. 26 Fairbanks SOL, 2-1
Mar. 15 @ Fairbanks 10:00pm CT
Mar. 16 @ Fairbanks 10:00pm CT
Mar. 17 @ Fairbanks 10:00pm CT

Midwest Division Standings:

Place Team Record Pts GP
1 x – Fairbanks Ice Dogs 40-6-3-3 86 52
2 x – Janesville Jets 34-10-4-2 74 50
3 Springfield Jr. Blues 25-21-5-1 56 52
4 Minnesota Magicians 24-19-5-2 55 50
5 Coulee Region Chill 17-26-4-5 43 52
6 e Kenai River Brown Bears 15-34-1-2 33 52

FAIRBANKS ICE DOGS

OVERVIEW:

Record: 40-6-3-3 (1st, Midwest)
Home Record: 15-4-2-1
Goals For/Goals Against: 194GF/102GA
Power Play: 22.4% (7th in the NAHL)
Penalty Kill: 87.4% (2nd in the NAHL)
Top Scorers: Samuel Ruffin (52GP—18G-35A—53PTS), Erkka Vanska (52GP—17G-31A—48PTS); Hunter Wendt (52GP—14G-33A—47PTS)

 


 

JANESVILLE JETS

OVERVIEW:

Record: 34-10-4-2 (2nd, Midwest)
Road Record: 15-4-3-1
Goals For/Goals Against: 151GF/113GA
Power Play: 20.7% (9th in the NAHL)
Penalty Kill: 79.0% (15th in the NAHL)
Top Scorers: Jakov Novak (47GP—31G-34A—65PTS); Kip Hoffmann (49GP—20G-32A—52PTS); TJ Polglaze (50GP—12G-22A—34PTS)


CLIMBING THE LADDER

Current Jets, ranking among the franchise all-time leaders:

GAMES PLAYED (regular season)

RANK Player Pos GP
1 Kip Hoffmann F 189
2 Cullen Munson F 175
3 Adam Winborg F 170
4 Adam Roeder D 147
5 Bryan Kronberger D 137
6 Jeff Alderfer D 120
7 Jordan Himley F 120
8 Alex Smith D 118
9 Lordanthony Grissom D 115
T-10 Ross Mauermann F 113
T-10 Connor McBride F 113

 GOALS (regular season)

 RANK Player Pos G
1 Adam Winborg F 62
2 Kip Hoffmann F 50
3 Connor McBride F 48
4 Cullen Munson F 43
5 Jakov Novak F 42
6 Jordan Himley F 40
7 Ross Mauermann F 39
8 Cole Paskus F 35
9 Drew Callin F 34
10 Jordan Bancroft F 32

 POINTS (regular season)

RANK Player Pos Pts
1 Adam Winborg F 145
2 Kip Hoffmann F 121
3 Cullen Munson F 113
4 Ross Mauermann F 99
5 Jakov Novak F 93
6 Connor McBride F 92
7 Jordan Himley F 77
8 Cole Paskus F 74
9 Evan Feno F 73
T-10 Jordan Bancroft F 72
T-10 Alex Smith D 72