Six days ago, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (15-11-2-0, 32 pts) came to Jacksonville and defeated the Icemen (6-15-2-2, 16 pts), 4-2. The Icemen have an opportunity to avenge that loss as the two divisional foes battle at 7:00 p.m. as the 2017-18 season, presented by Community First Credit Union, continues tonight in South Carolina.
Both teams played last night as the Icemen defeated the Gladiators and the Swamp Rabbits fell to the Stingrays at home. Ty Rimmer played for the Swamp Rabbits in their 3-1 loss last night, so it's questionable if he will start against the Icemen tonight. He limited the Icemen to just two goals last week, and Brandon Halverson defeated the Icemen back in early November in a 5-4 win.
The most dangerous element of this Greenville team is their power play. Currently, the Swamp Rabbits are third overall with the man advantage and have 27 goals, which is tied for the most in the league. On the penalty kill, Jacksonville has given up power play goals in each of their last five games.
For the Icemen, they head into Bon Secours Wellness Arena with a chance to secure their first-ever winning streak, a feat that the Swamp Rabbits denied them of on Dec. 16. Jacksonville continues to impress with their competitive and physical play this season. Last night's victory was the first time the team had won when trailing after two periods. This team never quits and is in contention for the win every game they play. In fact, 10 of the 15 losses this season are only by one goal.
Defenseman Christopher Dienes has been reassigned from the Manitoba Moose today and forward Cristiano DiGiacinto has left the team to pursue an educational opportunity.
Fans can tune in to tonight's game on ECHL TV or listen here as the puck drops at 7:00 p.m. tonight.
Matchup Breakdown
Records:
Jacksonville Icemen: 6-15-2-2 (7th in South division)
Greenville Swamp Rabbits: 15-11-2-0 (3rd in South division)
Power Play:
Icemen: 8/93 – 8.6% (27th in ECHL)
Swamp Rabbits: 27/130 – 20.8% (3rd in ECHL)
Penalty Kill:
Icemen: 90/112 – 80.4% (22nd in ECHL)
Swamp Rabbits: 98/133 – 73.7% (27th in ECHL)
Players to Watch:
#22 F Bobby MacIntyre (JAX)
5G, 6A – 11 Pts, +3 Rating
With recent roster changes, MacIntyre’s return is momentous for the Icemen. The forward scored the go-ahead goal last night against Atlanta.
#10 F Evan Jasper (GRN)
8G, 12A – 20 Pts, 0 Rating
The last time these two teams played, it was Evan Jasper who scored the game-winning goal, tallying a total of two goals on Dec. 16.
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