TONIGHT'S MATCHUP: The Adirondack Thunder and Worcester Railers are back in Glens Falls to continue their first-round series. Adirondack enters tonight's action holding a 2-1 series lead after it was victorious on Sunday with a 3-1 victory in Game 3 at the DCU Center in Worcester.
BABY GOT MACK: Thunder netminder MacKenzie Blackwood allowed one goal or fewer for the third straight game as he turned aside 28 of the 29 shots he faced in the Game 3 victory. In his first career ECHL postseason action, Blackwood has started every game of the North Division Semifinals to date and has posted a 2-1 record with a .976 save percentage and a 0.67 goals against average.
TUG OF WARD: Adirondack forward Brian Ward collected a goal and an assist in Sunday's Game 3, the first multi-point game of his ECHL playoff career. Ward moved into a tie for fifth in Thunder franchise history in playoff goals scored and is tied for the team lead during the 2018 postseason with three points (2-1-3). The 6-1 center also led the Thunder during the regular season with 30 goals scored.
OPEN MIKE NIGHT: Thunder forward Mike Szmatula scored his first career professional goal on Sunday, the game-winning goal in the victory over Worcester. Szmatula joined the Thunder in March from the University of Minnesota and tallied two assists from six regular season games. Prior to beginning his professional career, the 5-9 forward played four seasons of collegiate hockey with Minnesota and Northeastern.
OLSENS OF ANARCHY: Adirondack defenseman Dylan Olsen leads the Thunder from the blueline with three points (0-3-3) from three playoff games. Olsen is tied for the ECHL lead in points by a defensemen as one of seven blueliners with three points to date in the 2018 Kelly Cup Playoffs. Olsen is currently in his first ECHL playoff action after he amassed 23 points (5-18-23) from 50 regular-season games with the Thunder.
FIRST GOAL FURY: The Adirondack Thunder won for the second time this series when scoring the first goal after they opened the scoring in Sunday's Game 3 victory. All time in Kelly Cup Playoff action, the Thunder are 9-1-1 when scoring the first goal, as opposed to 2-7-0 when their opponent scores first. During the 2017-18 regular season, Adirondack posted a 27-5-2-3 mark when scoring the first goal.
A TIME TO PENALTY KILL: The Adirondack Thunder killed off all three of Worcester's power-play opportunities in Game 3. Adirondack has yet to allow a power-play goal throughout the series and is now 12-of-12 on the penalty kill in the postseason. Adirondack was perfect on the penalty kill 40 times during the regular season and its 7-of-7 effort in Game 1 marked the most kills in a perfect effort on the season.