Swamp Rabbits Muck Way to Kelly Cup!
Mar 11, 2018 19:44:48 GMT -5
bjernagris (PHI), brob89 (NSH), and 1 more like this
Post by mbest (ANA) on Mar 11, 2018 19:44:48 GMT -5
SWAMP RABBITS MUCK WAY TO KELLY CUP!
Jeffrey Lee had one of those moments every kid dreams of while skating on the frozen backyard pond. With 44 seconds to play in game seven, the defenseman slipped one past Bellingham goalie Nathan Torchia to capture the ECHL Kelly Cup for Greenville.
The goal broke a 2-2 tie and saved the Swamp Rabbits from an offseason to stew over. Greenville had blown a 3-1 game lead in the series, including a game six where Bellingham put up a 41-13 shot advantage en route to a 4-0 win. The Blazers then took a 2-0 in the first period in the finale but the Swamp Rabbits battled back in front of the home crowd, literally coming out fighting at the start of the second with Tobias Eder getting into it with Konrad Albeltshauser. Later it was Eder, along with William Rouleau, who set up Lee's game-winner.
Lee, a third round pick of the New York Rangers in 2020, had played at Hartford (AHL) for the regular season as did goalie Hugo Alnefelt who went 2.47, .918 in the postseason after being stuck behind Tristan Jarry during the regular season. Meanwhile, it was a long fall for the 25-year old Eder, who was traded once during the regular season and later claimed on waivers by the Rangers when Nikolaj Ehlers and Tomas Hertl got hurt. Eder eventually was sent to the AHL for three games and then transferred to Greenville midway through the playoffs so the Rangers could take a deeper look at him with his contract expiring. He responded to the demotion with 18 points in 13 games.
Center Brett Davis led the Swamp Rabbits in the postseason with 12 goals on 22% shooting and 21 points in all. However, he also tallied 54 penalty minutes and played a role in two of Bellingham's victories. In game three with his team up 2-0 in the series, he got a game misconduct less than two minutes in and then returned later in the period to commit the same penalty - hooking - as the first (the same same period, Eder also got into fisticuffs with Ryan Caulkin). In game five, Davis received a five-minute major for a check to the head.
"I'm happy we could play a role in bringing exciting hockey players to Greenville," said Ranger General Manager Mike Best. "I'm happy for the owner, the players and the extra money brought to the team and the South Carolina community."