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As the ECHL playoff picture begins to heat up, the North division-leading and overall third-seeded Adirondack Thunder enter the Scope tonight for a one-game showdown against the Admirals. The last time these two hooked up, the game ended in a 4-5 shootout win for the Admirals. 

Solid defensive play and scoring first could prove pivotal for Norfolk tonight as the team boasts a 21-6 record, with no overtime or shootout losses when scoring first. 

Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. tonight at Scope Arena. 

The Admirals sit 11 points behind the Thunder in the North division standings with 62 points, with the Newfoundland Growlers not far behind with 57 points, and the season series is currently tied 2-2. The Maine Mariners and Worcester Railers are also eyeing a playoff birth, each with 50 points and jockeying for the fourth spot in the North. Reading and Trois-Rivières round out the division with 47 and 46 points respectively.

Elsewhere around the league, the defending Kelly Cup champion Florida Everblades are sitting in the South division’s fourth spot, 11 points behind the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, and just two points behind South Carolina in the third spot. Orlando is still in contention in the fifth spot with 60 points. Barren a collapse at the top, Savannah and Atlanta’s hopes of a playoff berth are all but doused

In the Mountain, the Kansas City Mavericks lead the division with 79 points, followed by the Idaho Steelheads, who are six points out of the division lead. Tulsa and Utah round out the top four.

And in the Central, Toledo holds a four-point lead over Indy, with Wheeling not far behind, just five off the top spot. Fort Wayne and Kalamazoo sit at 57 points apiece, with Cincinnati and Iowa rounding out the division with 51 and 49, respectively.