Monday, April 14, 2008 | 11:58 a.m.
It’s an odd playoff schedule. Then again, this is the ECHL, so Las Vegas Wranglers coach and general manager Glen Gulutzan takes it all in stride.
The Wranglers opened the National Conference quarterfinals at home against Stockton on Friday and Saturday, splitting the games. They won Game 3 on Sunday night in California.
Now, it’s time for the intermission in the best-of-seven series. Take a week off. Get some sun. Swing the golf clubs.
The Wranglers don’t play again until Friday night in Stockton, so they returned to Las Vegas after Sunday’s victory and Gulutzan gave his players the day off Monday. They’ll skate Tuesday and Wednesday, and head back to Stockton on Thursday.
“As always, teams are trying to maximize dates and revenues,” Gulutzan said Monday while running errands with his family. “The schedule kind of goes on the back burner.”
During the regular season, Stockton – with an average crowd of 6,648, more than 600 higher than Florida – had the best attendance in the ECHL. To ensure that the Thunder got some prime box-office games, the Wranglers were flexible.
If that continues, look for the Kelly Cup finals to start in August.
The winner, by the way, gets Alaska, which swept Idaho. If the Wranglers beat the Thunder, expect no such scheduling favors with the rival Aces.
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