JOHNSTOWN, PA – The Philadelphia Rebels (23-25-1-1, 48 pts) travel to Central Pennsylvania for a three-game series with the Johnstown Tomahawks (23-23-3-1, 50 pts) this weekend.
Here are five things to know ahead of the series:
1. Long Layoff
The Rebels last played on March 11 against the Maine Nordiques. The game wrapped up a stretch of nine games in 18 days.
After a 12-day layoff, Philadelphia opens up its final 10 games of the season with three on the road against Johnstown. Of those last 10 games, six will come against Johnstown.
2. King Kuba
Goaltender Jakub Krbecek enters play this weekend with a .933 save percentage, ranking second in the North American Hockey League.
Krbecek enters the weekend having started 21 consecutive games. Krbecek has allowed six total goals in his last eight games, including five shutouts in that stretch.
From Feb. 28 through March 7, Krbecek logged four-straight shutouts.
3. Hammer Time
Forward Max Hamstad has scored in three-straight games and has points in 11 of his last 15. In those 15 contests, Hamstad has totaled six goals and eight assists for 14 points.
In the month of March, Hamstad has points in all four games and has scored three times in the month.
This season, Hamstad has 12 goals and 19 assists for 31 points, ranking third on the team behind Connor Sedlak (40) and David Deputy (37).
4. Last Time Out
In their last matchup, the Rebels fell in both games to the Maine Nordiques. Philadelphia gave up just two goals in each game without its goalie pulled against an offense averaging close to four goals.
Hamstad scored the lone goal for the Rebels in each game of the series with Maine two weeks ago.
5. Matchup
The teams have met three previous times in Johnstown and six previous times total this season. Johnstown, along with Maryland, is the opponent the Rebels will have played most often (12 times) come the end of the season.
Six of those 12 are coming in the final 10 games of the season. So far through six games, Johnstown has won four, while the Rebels took one game in Johnstown (Oct. 1: 4-3 OTW) and one game in Philadelphia (Nov. 25: 5-3 W).
This weekend’s game times are as follows:
Friday, March 24: 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 25: 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 26: 3:00 p.m.
All games will be available to be streamed on HockeyTV.
