Kaden Fulcher got the start in goal for the Walleye on Friday. It was the first time that the Fuel had faced the 20-year-old netminder. Fulcher came into the game with a 7-2-1 record with a 2.74 goals against average and a .908 save percentage.

FUEL STARTING LINEUP

Matt Rupert – Ryan Rupert – Logan Nelson

Zach Miskovic – Josh McArdle

Matt Tomkins

The Walleye got off to a fast start in Indy as defenseman Ryan Obuchowski buried his second of the year on a nice feed from TJ Hensick. That goal came just 42 seconds after the opening puck drop.

Less than a minute later, Mathew Thompson got it right back for the Fuel for his fifth goal of the season. Defensemen Alex Brooks and Neil Manning got the helpers on Thompson’s first goal back from an injury.

The Rupert twins joined the first period goal scoring party next less than two minutes after the Thompson goal. Ryan Rupert ripped his fifth of the season home on a pass from his twin brother, Matt Rupert.

Kevin Dufour’s 11^th of the season came on a breakaway pass from Thompson. The puck squeezed through Fulcher’s pads to make it 3-1 8:49 into the game.

Greg Wolfe got one back for the Walleye as he tallied his eighth of the season on a one-timer from Hensick.

Kevin Tansey capitalized on a Fuel turnover and evened the game up for Toledo as the 25-year-old wired home his sixth of the season while falling to the ice.

The most impressive play of the night, though, was not recorded on the scoresheet. Fuel winger Kevin Dufour chased the puck down from the opposite blue line to beat out Kelly Cup winning defenseman Matt Register to negate a sure-fire icing call.

The Walleye caught fire late in the third period, however, as they scored three goals in a matter of 1:54, including a penalty shot from AJ Jenks and an empty netter by Hensick. Dufour answered back with 54 seconds to make it 6-5 Toledo but the last-minute comeback fell short as the Walleye took their first game in Indy in the 2018-19 season.

Quotebook

• Thompson on his return from a minor injury: “It was good. [We] got a lot of chances. [Olivier Labelle] and [Dufour] definitely helped me out. We were able to get a lot of offensive zone time, which makes the game easy. It was only two games, so I didn’t feel too rusty or anything. It was easy to bounce back.”
• Thompson on his line mate Dufour’s speed: “He’s got next-level speed. It makes the game easy for me. You can put the pucks in certain areas and certain spots and you know he’s going to win those races. It makes the game easier for everyone around him and certainly easier for himself. He utilizes it well and he definitely did tonight.”
• Fuel head coach Bernie John on Tomkins’ play and the lack of help he has had: “None of that is on Tomkins. It’s all on everybody else. We’re not playing well defensively and we’re not doing the right things. We’re just getting away from our game. We make ourselves defend so much. We have the puck and instead of getting it to our forwards and getting it out, we want to try to make an extra D-to-D pass and then there’s a fumble and something happens along the boards or a bad bounce and now we’re defending in our zone and now we have to play in our zone for another 30-40 seconds. That’s not the way we play. We play pucks north and we just got to get it through [the players’] minds that that’s the way we play.”

By The Numbers

• 4 – Number of points for Thompson on Friday against Toledo
• 12 – Shots on goal for the Fuel after two periods
• 2 – Number of goals for Dufour and Thompson

The post RECAP: Fuel’s Third Period Breakdown Leads to Devastating 6-5 Loss to Walleye appeared first on The Rink.

At the other end, John Muse got the start for the Wheeling Nailers. Muse had started in two games for Wheeling, prior to Saturday. Coming into the Nailers’ home opener on Saturday, the 30-year-old had posted a 1-1-0 record with a 2.89 goals-against-average and a .914 save percentage.

FUEL STARTING LINEUP

Matt Rupert-Ryan Rupert-Olivier Labelle

Alex Brooks-Neil Manning

Kevin Lankinen

The Fuel got out to yet another shaky start on Saturday. Wheeling got out to a 1-0 lead 16:48 into the opening frame on an unassisted tally by Troy Josephs.

About two minutes later, Zac Lynch ripped a shot over the shoulder of Lankinen as the Fuel found themselves in yet another first-period deficit.

On the ensuing faceoff after the Lynch goal, Anthony Collins and Brad Drobot had a much-anticipated heavyweight fight. This seemed to have spark Indy in the second period.

Fuel captain Zach Miskovic found himself in the box to start the middle frame as he was called for a slashing penalty at the end of the first.

This did not seem to faze the Fuel penalty kill. Connor Moynihan netted his second shorthanded goal of the season on a 2-on-1 rush with Mathew Thompson. This cut the Nailers’ lead in half early.

Kevin Dufour recorded his first of two goals in the game just 40 seconds after the Moynihan tally to tie the game up at two early in the second period. Josh Shalla tallied an assist on the goal which allowed him to continue a season-long point streak, which extends nine games.

A little over four minutes later, Dufour found the back of the net again for his third of the season on a feed from Brooks. This gave the Fuel a 3-2 lead, their first lead of the game.

The Fuel’s power play was the next unit to find the back of the net for Indy. Labelle was able to bury a cross-crease pass from Shalla for his team-leading fifth goal of the season to double the Fuel lead.

Next up on the goal queue was Shalla. Moynihan was able to feed him on the rush to extend the Fuel lead to 5-2.

This is the second time this season that the Fuel were able to net five goals in one period, which is the most goals in a period in the ECHL this season.

Josephs quickly responded to Shalla’s tally on the power play for Wheeling. This was his second goal of the game and it cut the Fuel lead to 5-3.

The chippiness picked up a bit more in the third period with scattered scuffles after whistles. The Fuel were still able to spoil the Nailers’ home opener with a 5-3 victory.

This was Wheeling’s first regulation home opener loss since 2010. They were 6-0-1 in their past seven home openers and 18-5-1 all-time in opening games at home.

By The Numbers

• 9 – The length of Shalla’s point streak. The 27-year-old has 14 points (4G, 10A) in nine games.
• 2 – The number of wins and games played for Lankinen. The netminder has played outstanding in his past two starts and the Finnish goaltender has a bright future.
• 5 – The number of goals Labelle has. The 13-year veteran took the team lead in goals on Saturday with a power-play goal. This turned out to be the game-winner.

The post RECAP: Fuel’s Second-Period Surge Leads to Impressive 5-3 Win appeared first on The Rink.

McInnis, 28, returns to the Fuel after joining the club last season in November. McInnis tallied 18 goals and 34 points in 57 games with Indy last season, playing on the third line alongside last season’s team MVP Ryan Rupert and Matt Rupert. The gritty forward was also the recipient of the Fuel’s 2017-18 Game Changer award. The award was selected by head coach Bernie John and assistant coach Ryan McGinnis. The Boston, MA native brings four seasons of ECHL experience to the Fuel, playing for five other teams around the league. McInnis played three seasons in Orlando, serving as the Solar Bears’ assistant captain in 2016-17 before being traded to the Utah Grizzlies just 13 games into the season.

McInnis brings a great two-way game to the Fuel for this coming season. One play that sticks out in my mind is when McInnis blocked two shots at the end of the last game of the regular season against the Kalamazoo Wings. Those two blocked shots saved the game and perhaps the season for Indy. Not only can he play on the defensive end, but he brings a gritty play to the offensive zone. He puts his body in front of the net to screen the goaltender for shots coming in from the point, something the Fuel have not done much of in the past.

Dufour, 25, will be coming to Indianapolis for the first time in his career, after playing for three other ECHL teams in the past. The Bowling Green State University alum is entering his second full season in the league, playing for the Wichita Thunder for most of the season last year. In 43 games with Wichita, the Quebec City native tallied 15 goals and 15 helpers to send the Thunder to the playoffs for the first time in five seasons.

I can imagine Dufour being a solid second-line winger alongside Thompson for next season. Dufour’s playmaking abilities will be a huge addition to the organization’s strong forward core already. Not only can Dufour find his teammates but he has no problem putting the puck in the back of the net. Dufour has a strong ability to put home rebounds and can clean up in the dirty areas, much like McInnis. Hopefully, both Dufour and Thompson will feed off each other’s playmaking abilities and will be the origin point for each other’s growth next season.

For more Indy Fuel news, updates, and analysis follow @evanfmiller on Twitter.

The post BREAKING: McInnis, Dufour Sign with Fuel for 2018-19 Season appeared first on The Rink.

According to an agreement between ECHL and all its parent clubs, teams must provide housing to all their players. The Indy Fuel have done just that with fully furnished apartments for members of the club. The apartments sit right next to the Fuel Tank at Fishers, an ice rink owned by an affiliate company of the team. Despite the recently renovated rink being feet away from the player’s housing, Fuel President Larry McQueary told The-Rink that practices would continue to take place at the home of the team, Indiana Farmers Coliseum.

When asked about how these apartments would attract players to Indy, McQueary replied, “They’re brand new. No one else has new housing right now in the league. They can walk directly next door to work out, do a little stick and puck, it’s all right there.”

Apparently, the apartments were attractive enough to bring back forwards Logan Nelson and Mathew Thompson for their second seasons with the Fuel.

Logan Nelson

Nelson came to the Fuel in a mid-season trade with the Fort Wayne Komets that saw defenseman Anthony Cortese get sent up the interstate from Indy to Fort Wayne. The Rogers, MN native played in 21 games with Indy, tallying seven goals and 19 points, but boasts a fantastic defensive game as well.

“We brought him in last year to be a two-way guy,” Fuel assistant coach Ryan McGinnis said, “He plays a 200-foot game and a brand of hockey that we like.”

Nelson brings three seasons of ECHL hockey to the Fuel, his seventh different team in that span. With that experience comes leadership and that is exactly Nelson brings.

“He brings a good component to the locker room, which the guys like, and that helps at this level tremendously. If you can bring in enough locker room character guys like himself, the rest will take care of itself.”

It’s also worth noting that Nelson left Game 1 of the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs in Toledo with an injury. The 24-year-old never returned to the playoff series. According to McGinnis, “he is rehabbing” and “taking care of himself.”

Mathew Thompson

Bernie John and his staff brought in some key components to the team this season, but none of them overshadowed the signing of Adrian College captain Mathew Thompson. The Fuel brought the rookie in to close out the regular season and he sure did stand out.

Thompson suited up in seven games with Indy and netted two goals and six points, while also enjoying a +4 rating. The 2017-18 NCAA Division III Player of the Year also played in all four playoff games with Indy, scoring the first home playoff goal in the team’s four-year history. Along with that goal, Thompson added an assist to his playoff stat line.

When asked how much he thinks Thompson is going to help the team this coming season, McGinnis replied, “I think he’s going to help tremendously. We were able to get a good look at him last year in his seven-game sample during the regular season and that was enough for us. We’re glad to have him and he’ll add some great depth to our team.”

The Goaltending Situation

As of right now, the Fuel have no goaltender for the upcoming season. Standout rookie goaltender Etienne Marcoux signed with the Laval Rocket of the AHL this offseason and Matt Tomkins signed an AHL contract with the Rockford IceHogs, Indy’s AHL affiliate. Tomkins is currently the frontrunner for the starting job with Indy, but the backup position is still up in the air.

“When you get contracted players like [Marcoux and Tomkins] who are affiliated with Rockford and Laval, first and foremost it runs through them,” McGinnis said. “If we see them, we don’t know that. It’s going to be up to Rockford and Laval and their situations. You usually get guys like that at the end of the summer.”

The Chicago Blackhawks, the Fuel’s NHL affiliate, just announced the signing of goaltender Cam Ward, which would then push someone down to the Fuel through Rockford, barring any more roster moves.

The post Catching up with the Indy Fuel: Housing and the Upcoming Season appeared first on The Rink.

First of all, According to the ECHL rulebook, a team may not have more than four veterans on its roster at any time during the season. The ECHL website states that “A veteran shall mean a player, other than a goaltender, who has played in at least 260 regular season games of professional hockey.”

The Fuel currently have five players that meet that veteran threshold on the active roster: captain Michael Neal, defenseman Zach Miskovic, and forwards Josh Shalla, Ryan Rupert, and Darian Dziurzynski. Of the five players, four of them finished in the top five on the team in points.

At 32 years old, Miskovic might have seen his last season with the Fuel. The ECHL veteran has played the most games in a Fuel sweater in club history (186). In those 186 games, he has registered 55 points. The point total is not bad for a defenseman, but he is not producing like the Fuel need.

Miskovic seems to be far past his prime and unable to keep up with the speed of today’s ECHL game. In the three seasons that Miskovic has played with the Fuel, he has also had a -32 rating. A reasonable progression for Miskovic to continue his association with the Fuel might be a move behind the bench as an assistant coach.

Strengthening the defensive core is also something the Fuel could concentrate on in their long offseason. Defense has always been a weakness of the team and bringing in a solid offensive defenseman would be great. One of the best defenseman in team history, Robin Press, will most likely see more time with Rockford than he does with Indy next season. That would leave the team with only Brandon Anselmini, which would be fine, but he’s not the type of player you build your defense around.

Bringing in a legitimate goal scorer is something the Fuel have yet to do in their four-year history. Former Adrian College captain Mathew Thompson might be a player who would be worth bringing back for next season. He showed great potential after being brought in at the tail end of this past season. Thompson’s speed, skill, and a hint of physicality comprise just the type of skill set Indy has missed. Playing him along side Shalla and Dziurzynski could be a lethal option for the Fuel next season—if they all return.

Goaltending will also be an issue for the Fuel going forward. Unexpected breakout Etienne Marcoux may end up in the AHL with a team like the Chicago Wolves next season.  Based on his outstanding performance between the pipes in Indy, teams will take a look at him as a potential backup. Matt Tomkins might be back for another season, but it should be a priority for the team to find a backup goaltender over the offseason.  The Fuel’s AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, have an abundance of goaltenders now with four on their active roster.

Something that differentiates the rest of the remaining teams in the playoffs from the Fuel are smart decisions in their own end, and not turning the puck over. In the defensive end, the Fuel seem to struggle with execution, such as making one simple pass to get it out of the zone or having the confidence skate the puck out past the blue line.

All too often, the defense either just ices the puck or blatantly turns it over in the slot. Focusing on these details early on in training camp and the preseason should help the Fuel get out to an early lead in the standings.

If the Fuel continue to make smart decisions in the front office and make the moves that will help the team in the long run, they could build on the playoffs this season make a deep run in the 2019 Kelly Cup Playoffs.

The post Armchair GM: Indy Fuel Offseason Edition appeared first on The Rink.

A Fantastic Rebound Season

This season’s campaign was quite a turnaround from the result the team had the previous year, though. Last season, the Fuel finished with an abysmal 23-42-7 record, which placed them third to last in the league. They also boasted a -94 goal differential in that season.

The Fuel enjoyed a great bounce-back year, setting franchise records in wins (36), points (77), and road wins (16) this season. The beginning of the year started off on the wrong foot, as the team won just two games in the month of October. One of those two wins came against the future Brabham Cup champion, Florida Everblades, however.  In that game, future Rockford Icehogs starting goaltender Collin Delia backstopped the Fuel with 36 saves in a 5-2 victory. Delia would go on later to eventually start in two games in Chicago with the Blackhawks, as well.

Player Analysis

The Fuel started to finally find their stride once they acquired power forwards Darian Dziurzynski and Logan Nelson, sniper Josh Shalla, two-way forward Johnny McInnis, playmaker Mathew Thompson, and shutdown defender Jaynen Rissling.

Dziurzynski turned out to be a crucial piece to the team’s Kelly Cup Playoff puzzle. Since joining the club from Rapid City, the power forward played in 47 games with the Fuel, recording 24 goals, five of which came on the man advantage. Along with his stellar goal scoring ability, It is also worth noting that Dziurzynski appeared in ten games with the Toledo Walleye, the Fuel’s first-round opponent in the playoffs. During his brief stint with the Walleye, Dziurzynski recorded three assists.

Logan Nelson has been anything but quiet during his brief time with the Fuel.  He was acquired in what was, arguably, the best trade in Indianapolis’ four-year history. The Fuel acquired Nelson in a trade with their in-state rival, the Fort Wayne Komets. Fuel Head coach and head of Hockey Operation Bernie John sent defenseman Anthony Cortese to Fort Wayne for Nelson. Cortese, coincidentally, did not make the Komets’ final playoff roster.

Nelson, however, has not been afraid to throw the body around and he seems to have great chemistry with teammates on the ice. He has 12 assists in the 21 games he has been in the lineup with the Fuel.  Along with his offensive production, Nelson has also shown terrific defensive ability. He has put pressure on the opposing forwards every time down the ice.

Fuel fan favorite Josh Shalla was fantastic, once again, this season. Shalla joined the team in a trade with the Wheeling Nailers last season and finished with 42 points in 48 games with the Fuel. Shalla later joined the EIHL but eventually returned to the Fuel this season. The sniper finished the 2017-18 season with the team lead in goals (28), despite re-joining the team after the New Year. Shalla earned himself the nickname “Komet Killer” after earning 26 points in 15 games against Fort Wayne  over the last two seasons. It seems that Shalla finds the back of the net in almost every game against the Komets.

Johnny McInnis could be the most underrated player on the Fuel this season.  The defensive-minded forward joined the team from the South Carolina Stingrays early in the seasonand has found a home on the wing alongside the pesky Rupert twins, Matt and Ryan.  McInnis has shown balanced scoring ability at times, posting 34 points in 56 games with Indy, including 18 goals.

McInnis’s defensive ability was in full force during the final seconds of the Fuel’s playoff-clinching victory over the Kalamazoo Wings, as he sprawled on the ice to block a couple of shots from the Wings’ defensemen. These blocked shots secured the 2-1 Fuel victory and their inaugural playoff berth.

Mathew Thompson is another brand new addition to the Fuel, hailing from division-III Adrian College. Thompson only appeared in seven games with the Fuel this season, but when he played, he had flashes of brilliance. He recorded six points and a +4 rating during those seven games. In every game the young playmaker has dressed, the Fuel have earned at least one point, which have proven to be very important down the stretch.

Jaynen Rissling has been a welcome addition to a less than stellar defensive unit this season. Rissling came to the Fuel in another trade with Wheeling, which sent defenseman Nolan Descoteaux and forward Stephen Collins to the nailers in return. There is certainly room for improvement in the big defenseman’s physical game.

Regardless, Rissling has done a lot for this team, and it shows in the +/- category. During his 21 games with Indy, Rissling had a +7 rating, good for second on the team. The shutdown defenseman showed that he could add some offense too, dishing out 11 assists and netting three goals.

The Fuel have generally had a sub-par defensive unit, but this year they have shown potential to build on. Obviously, there is still room for improvement, as primary goaltender Etienne Marcoux had to be leaned on heavily, making the ninth most saves in the league.

The Fuel’s best defensive pairing of Brandon Anselmini and Robin Press produced for the Fuel when they needed it most. Both have spent some time with the IceHogs and it has been apparent. Press was named ECHL Player of the Week and was the first defenseman to be named the award winner in 15 years.

Along with Press showing his silky smooth moves on the point, Anselmini played more of the pest role.  Together, Press and Anselmini also led the team with +8 and +6, respectively.

On to the ECHL Playoffs

The Fuel will be entering their inaugural playoff campaign with some positive momentum after their emotional 2-1 victory over the Kalamazoo Wings in the final game of the regular season, which clinched the playoff berth.

The Fuel are also riding hot goaltender Etienne Marcoux. The surprising rookie netminder finished the season 22-12-1 with a GAA of 2.94 (18th) and a save percentage of 0.918 (9th).  The 24-year-old seemingly had to stand on his head at times, making superb saves to either keep the Fuel in games or sustain a slim lead.  His strong play also earned him tryouts with Laval, Springfield and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the AHL.

Next Up

The Fuel begin  the 2018 Kelly Cup Playoffs on Friday, April 13 in Toledo against the Walleye. Puck drop for Game 1 is 7:35 PM EDT.

The post Indy Fuel Season Wrap-Up appeared first on The Rink.