AHL Morning Skate: 4.26.17

Photo: Mark Newman

Take a game-day spin around the AHL ice with latest news and notes from the 2017 Calder Cup Playoffs in today’s AHL Morning Skate.

Playoff Brackets | Today’s Scoreboard | League Stats | Series Infographics


 @  
Game 3 – Thursday, 7:05 ET, AHL Live
(Series tied, 1-1)

Atlantic Division Semifinals – Series “A” (best-of-5)
A1-Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins vs. A4-Providence Bruins
Game 1 – Fri., Apr. 21 – PROVIDENCE 2, W-B/Scranton 1
Game 2 – Sun., Apr. 23 – W-B/Scranton 6, PROVIDENCE 5 (OT)
Game 3 – Thu., Apr. 27 – Providence at W-B/Scranton, 7:05
Game 4 – Fri., Apr. 28 – Providence at W-B/Scranton, 7:05
*Game 5 – Sun., Apr. 30 – Providence at W-B/Scranton, 3:05
*if necessary… All times Eastern


 
Game 3 – 7:00 ET, AHL Live
(HER leads series, 2-0)

After a pair of one-goal wins on the road to open the series, Hershey heads home with a chance to close out Lehigh Valley in Game 3 tonight… The Bears have played with the lead for a total of 33 seconds out of the 127:38 played in the series thus far (0.4 percent), scoring the only goal of Game 1 in overtime and rallying from 1-0, 2-1 and 4-2 deficits to take Game 2 on Chris Bourque‘s goal at 19:27 of the third period… Bourque now has 31-78-109 in 123 career postseason contests in the AHL, fifth all-time in scoring and tied for third in games played… Stanislav Galiev and Christian Djoos each tallied a goal and an assist for the Bears in Game 2… Greg Carey (2-1-3) and former Bear Chris Conner (0-3-3) each tallied three points for Lehigh Valley in Game 2… Martin Ouellette, who made four appearances and two starts with the Phantoms in the regular season (3-0-0, 1.06, .968), is expected to get the call in Game 3 after Alex Lyon left Saturday’s contest with an injury… Lehigh Valley won an AHL-best 25 road games during the regular season… Only three teams in AHL history have won a best-of-five series after losing the first two games at home (Hershey def. Pittsburgh, 1954; Rochester def. Cleveland, 1967; Providence def. Hershey, 2013).

Atlantic Division Semifinals – Series “B” (best-of-5)
A2-Lehigh Valley Phantoms vs. A3-Hershey Bears
Game 1 – Fri., Apr. 21 – Hershey 1, LEHIGH VALLEY 0 (OT)
Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 22 – Hershey 5, LEHIGH VALLEY 4
Game 3 – Wed., Apr. 26 – Lehigh Valley at Hershey, 7:00
*Game 4 – Sat., Apr. 29 – Lehigh Valley at Hershey, 7:00
*Game 5 – Sun., Apr. 30 – Hershey at Lehigh Valley, 5:05
*if necessary… All times Eastern

 
Game 3 – 7:00 ET, AHL Live
(Series tied, 1-1)

Down 1-0 in the series and 3-1 late in Game 2, Syracuse rallied on Saturday for a 4-3 double-overtime victory to even up their North Division semifinal with St. John’s heading into Game 3 tonight… Matt Taormina (15:43) and Cory Conacher (17:16) both scored with goaltender Mike McKenna pulled for an extra attacker, and Tye McGinn won it 10:37 into the second OT period… McGinn, making the first postseason trip of his six-year pro career, has scored a goal in each of the first two games of the series… It was the first multiple-overtime game in the Crunch franchise’s 23-year history… Jacob de la Rose, Charles Hudon and Stefan Matteau scored in Game 2 for the IceCaps, who fell to 3-7 all-time in playoff overtime games… Charlie Lindgren made 46 saves in the loss as Syracuse finished with a 50-41 advantage in shots on goal; McKenna stopped 38 shots for the win… The Crunch have not played with the lead at all in the series; they trailed throughout Game 1 and were behind 1-0 and 3-1 in Game 2.

North Division Semifinals – Series “C” (best-of-5)
N1-Syracuse Crunch vs. N4-St. John’s IceCaps
Game 1 – Fri., Apr. 21 – ST. JOHN’S 2, Syracuse 1
Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 22 – Syracuse 4, ST. JOHN’S 3 (2OT)
Game 3 – Wed., Apr. 26 – St. John’s at Syracuse, 7:00
Game 4 – Fri., Apr. 28 – St. John’s at Syracuse, 7:00
*Game 5 – Sat., Apr. 29 – St. John’s at Syracuse, 7:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern


 @  
Game 3 – 7:00 ET, AHL Live
(Series tied, 1-1)

Toronto and Albany head north of the border to conclude their North Division semifinal series after splitting the first two games in New York… The Marlies’ 6-2 road win in Game 2 on Saturday pulled them even with the final three games of the series set for Ricoh Coliseum… After being shut out in Game 1, Toronto scored six times on 23 shots in Game 2, as six different Marlies found the net and defenseman Justin Holl dished out three assists… Kerby Rychel and Frederik Gauthier notched a goal and an assist each for Toronto in Game 2… Kevin Rooney and John Quenneville scored for the Devils… Neither starting goaltender finished Game 2; Toronto’s Garret Sparks played the first two periods and stopped 16 of 18 shots, while Albany’s Mackenzie Blackwood was chased after allowing four goals on 13 shots in the wake of his Game 1 shutout… Kasperi Kapanen, who had 18-25-43 in 43 regular-season games for the Marlies, returned to the club after skating in all six games of the parent Maple Leafs’ playoff series vs. Washington (2-0-2).

North Division Semifinals – Series “D” (best-of-5)
N2-Toronto Marlies vs. N3-Albany Devils
Game 1 – Thu., Apr. 20 – ALBANY 3, Toronto 0
Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 22 – Toronto 6, ALBANY 2
Game 3 – Wed., Apr. 26 – Albany at Toronto, 7:00
Game 4 – Fri., Apr. 28 – Albany at Toronto, 7:00
*Game 5 – Sat., Apr. 29 – Albany at Toronto, 7:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern


button_chi200 @  
Game 5 – 8:00 ET, AHL Live
(Series tied, 2-2)

A four-goal third period saved Chicago’s season last night and forced the first winner-take-all game of this year’s Calder Cup postseason… The Wolves pulled out a 5-1 victory to set up tonight’s Game 5 against Charlotte, with the winner advancing to the Central Division Finals against either Grand Rapids or Milwaukee… Chicago defensemen Jake Walman (1-0-1) and Jordan Schmaltz (1-3-4) scored early in the third period to break a 1-1 tie last night and Ty Rattie (2-0-2), who had one goal in 15 previous Calder Cup Playoff games, scored twice in the final three minutes of the game… Samuel Blais (2-2-4) also scored for the Wolves and Andrew Agozzino (0-2-2) and Chris Butler (0-4-4) each recorded two assists in Game 4… Ville Husso (2-2, 2.42, .921) made 26 saves, allowing only a goal by the Checkers’ Lucas Wallmark (3-3-6) just 1:51 into the contest… Wallmark continues to lead the league in playoff scoring, followed by teammate Andrew Miller (3-2-5)… Tom McCollum (2-2, 2.44, .922) stopped 29 of 33 shots in the loss for Charlotte… Tonight will be the 167th winner-take-all game in Calder Cup Playoff history; home teams are 103-63 (.620), including a current 11-game winning streak… Chicago is 7-3 all-time in winner-take-all games, including 5-2 at home; Charlotte is 0-1… In seven playoff series since 2010, the Wolves have now gone the distance six times.

Central Division Semifinals – Series “E” (best-of-5)
C1-Chicago Wolves vs. C4-Charlotte Checkers
Game 1 – Thu., Apr. 20 – CHARLOTTE 4, Chicago 0
Game 2 – Fri., Apr. 21 – Chicago 3, CHARLOTTE 2
Game 3 – Sun., Apr. 23 – Charlotte 4, CHICAGO 3 (OT)
Game 4 – Tue., Apr. 25 – CHICAGO 5, Charlotte 1
Game 5 – Wed., Apr. 26 – Charlotte at Chicago, 8:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern


 @  
Game 3 – 8:00 ET, AHL Live
(GR leads series, 2-0)

Milwaukee heads home tonight looking to extend its season and get back into its series with Grand Rapids in Game 3… Tyler Bertuzzi (2-1-3) scored twice on Sunday as the Griffins took a 2-0 series lead with a 5-2 win in Game 2… Eric Tangradi (1-1-2) and Matthew Ford (2-1-3) each notched a goal and an assist and Mitch Callahan (0-2-2) recorded two assists for Grand Rapids… Jared Coreau (2-0, 2.32, .914) made 21 saves to pick up the Game 2 victory… Vladislav Kamenev (1-0-1) and Frederick Gaudreau (3-1-4) scored for Milwaukee, while Marek Mazanec (0-2, 3.29, .897) stopped 23 of 26 shots… The Griffins have won eight consecutive first-round games going back to 2015… Milwaukee is 9-12 all-time when facing elimination… Tonight is the first playoff hockey game at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena in 30 years, since the IHL Admirals hosted the Salt Lake Golden Eagles there on Apr. 25, 1987.

Central Division Semifinals – Series “F” (best-of-5)
C2-Grand Rapids Griffins vs. C3-Milwaukee Admirals
Game 1 – Fri., Apr. 21 – GRAND RAPIDS 4, Milwaukee 3 (OT)
Game 2 – Sun., Apr. 23 – GRAND RAPIDS 5, Milwaukee 2
Game 3 – Wed., Apr. 26 – Grand Rapids at Milwaukee, 8:00
*Game 4 – Fri., Apr. 28 – Grand Rapids at Milwaukee, 8:00
*Game 5 – Mon., May 1 – Milwaukee at Grand Rapids, 7:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern


 
Game 3 – Friday, 10:00 ET, AHL Live
(Series tied, 1-1)

Pacific Division Semifinals – Series “G” (best-of-5)
P1-San Jose Barracuda vs. P4-Stockton Heat
Game 1 – Fri., Apr. 21 – SAN JOSE 4, Stockton 0
Game 2 – Sun., Apr. 23 – Stockton 6, SAN JOSE 4 
Game 3 – Fri., Apr. 28 – San Jose at Stockton, 10:00
Game 4 – Sun., Apr. 30 – San Jose at Stockton, 7:00
*Game 5 – Tue., May 2 – Stockton at San Jose, 10:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern


 
Game 3 – Friday, 10:00 ET, AHL Live
(Series tied, 1-1)

Pacific Division Semifinals – Series “H” (best-of-5)
P2-San Diego Gulls vs. P3-Ontario Reign
Game 1 – Fri., Apr. 21 – Ontario 3, SAN DIEGO 2
Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 22 – San Diego 2, ONTARIO 1
Game 3 – Fri., Apr. 28 – Ontario at San Diego, 10:00
Game 4 – Mon., May 1 – San Diego at Ontario, 10:00
*Game 5 – Tue., May 2 – Ontario at San Diego, 10:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern


Yesterday’s Recaps
#CHIvsCHA: Wolves send series to limit with Game 4 win


W’s Wanted
Lehigh Valley and Milwaukee both enter tonight’s action looking to snap one of the longest losing streaks in Calder Cup Playoff history:

12 – Buffalo Bisons (1950-54)
10 – Milwaukee Admirals (2013-current)
10 – Philadelphia/Lehigh Valley Phantoms (2008-current)
10 – Rochester Americans (2010-14)
10 – Rockford IceHogs (2008-10)
10 – Rochester Americans (1993-95)
10 – Providence Reds (1941-48)


Working Overtime
There have been 5 overtime games played in the 2017 Calder Cup Playoffs so far:

Apr. 23 – Charlotte 4, CHICAGO 3 (Connor Brickley, 9:28)
Apr. 23 – W-B/Scranton 6, PROVIDENCE 5 (Derrick Pouliot, 7:49)
Apr. 22 – Syracuse 4, ST. JOHN’S 3 (Tye McGinn, 30:37)
Apr. 21 – GRAND RAPIDS 4, Milwaukee 3 (Tomas Nosek, 9:32)
Apr. 21 – Hershey 1, LEHIGH VALLEY 0 (Nathan Walker, 7:38)


Alumni Watch
The Stanley Cup Playoffs resume tonight with Game 1 of the two Western Conference second-round series… Jake Guentzel, voted to the 2016-17 AHL All-Rookie Team, is the NHL leader with five playoff goals for Pittsburgh thus far… Two-time AHL All-Star Pekka Rinne leads the league with a 0.70 goals-against average and .976 save percentage for Nashville.


On This Date
April 26, 1996 – An AHL playoff record five overtime games are played on one day, including Cornwall’s 2-1 win over Albany to cap the second-biggest upset in Calder Cup Playoffs history… The Aces finished 35 points behind the defending champion River Rats in the regular season.

April 26, 1962 – AHL Hall of Famer Jimmy Anderson’s goal 2:44 into overtime clinches Springfield’s 3-2 win over Buffalo and the Indians’ third consecutive Calder Cup championship, a feat yet to be duplicated.


AHL Live
Don’t miss a second on the road to the 2017 Calder Cup championship. AHL Live brings AHL action to your desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet all season long with live video webcasts and free highlights of every AHL game… Visit ahllive.com for details.

AHL Live