Dubuque, IA – The No. 2 Dubuque Fighting Saints host the No. 5 Muskegon Lumberjacks for Game 1 of an Eastern Conference Semifinal series on Friday night.
Here are five things to know ahead of the matchup:
1. Postseason Partner
The Fighting Saints will take on the Lumberjacks in a playoff series for the third-consecutive season. In each of the last two seasons, the teams traded sweeps in the Eastern Conference Final.
This season's playoff meeting comes after a six-game regular-season series that was split 3-3. The Saints won the last two games 5-1 and 7-3 on April 3-4 to finish the regular season after Muskegon took three of the four matchups in Michigan over two series in October and November.
2. Crucial Captains
The four Saints captains combined for 99 goals and 226 points in the regular season, with Michael Barron leading the way at 68 points and tying for fifth-most in the league in the regular season. Barron led the league with 50 assists in the regular season.
Colin Frank finished the season fifth in the USHL in scoring with 33 goals, while captain Teddy Merrill was just behind with 30 goals and 60 points. Charlie Arend added 43 points in 52 games for Dubuque.
3. Top Tier
The Fighting Saints finished the regular season with top-five units on both sides of special teams, leading the USHL with a 27.8% power play and placing fifth with an 81.5% penalty kill.
Merrill and Frank tied for fourth in the USHL with 13 power-play goals each, helping Dubuque to a league-best power play. The Saints tied the league-high with 10 shorthanded goals and Dante Josefsson-Westling tied for the league-lead with four of them.
4. Big Blocker
Vojtech Hambálek finished the regular season spectacularly, logging a .932 save percentage over his final 10 appearances of the season and winning four of his last five starts. In total, the Saints netminder finished second in the league with 44 games and 28 wins.
Over four games against the Lumberjacks this season, Hambálek logged a .911 save percentage and split four decisions. Overall, Hambálek logged a .903 save percentage in the regular season.
5. Lumberjack Listings
Muskegon swept a best-of-three first-round series in Cedar Rapids last weekend, allowing just 41 total shots on goal to the RoughRiders. Carl Axelsson stopped 37 of 41 over two games after finishing the regular season tied for second in the league with a .916 save percentage.
Melvin Novotny scored twice in the series, while Drew Stewart added a shorthanded goal for the Jacks. Stewart led the Lumberjacks in scoring in the regular season with 30 goals and 61 points, while Novotny logged 57 points.
Friday's 'Red Out' is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CDT at ImOn Arena and tickets can be purchased here. The game will also be available on Eagle 102.3 and FloHockey.
