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
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Game 5 – 3:05 ET, AHL Live
(Series tied, 2-2)
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It’s do or die in the Atlantic Division semifinals as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the top team in the AHL during the regular season, hosts Providence in Game 5 this afternoon… The Penguins, who have gotten out of the first round every year since 2011, are 8-3 all-time in winner-take-all games, including a perfect 5-0 at Mohegan Sun Arena… The Bruins are 7-4 in winner-take-all games, 6-3 on the road… Providence evened the series with a 4-2 win on Friday night behind two goals from rookie Jake DeBrusk (3-1-4)… Wayne Simpson (1-2-3) and Colton Hargrove (1-0-1) also scored for the Bruins, who opened up a 4-0 lead in Game 4 before holding off a late Wilkes-Barre rally… Teddy Blueger (1-0-1) and Ethan Prow (1-0-1) scored for the Penguins… Zane McIntyre (2-2, 2.68, .919) made 27 saves for the Bruins to pick up the win in net; Casey DeSmith (2-2, 2.95, .915) finished with 38 stops in the loss… David Warsofsky (3-3-6) and Kevin Porter (0-6-6) are tied for the Penguins’ scoring lead… DeBrusk shares the Bruins’ points lead with Danton Heinen (2-2-4) and Tommy Cross (1-3-4)… Providence is 5-for-19 (26.3 percent) on the power play in the series; Wilkes-Barre is 3-for-17 (17.6 percent)… The team scoring first has won each of the first four games… It has been 21 years since a regular-season AHL champion has been bounced in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs (1996, Cornwall def. Albany).
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 – W-B/SCRANTON 2, Providence 1
Game 4 – Fri., Apr. 28 – Providence 4, W-B/SCRANTON 2
Game 5 – Sun., Apr. 30 – Providence at W-B/Scranton, 3:05
*if necessary… All times Eastern
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Game 5 – 5:05 ET, AHL Live
(Series tied, 2-2)
Follow @TheHersheyBears Follow @LVPhantoms Tweet #LVvsHER
The other Atlantic Division semifinal also comes down to 60 more minutes as Lehigh Valley hosts Hershey in Game 5 this evening… The Phantoms went into Giant Center in an 0-2 series hole and staved off elimination twice, including last night’s 4-1 victory in Game 4… Danick Martel (1-0-1) and Mark Zengerle (1-1-2) scored their first goals of the postseason to stake the Phantoms to a 2-0 lead last night, and Scott Laughton (2-0-2) potted his first two playoff goals in the third period to seal the victory… Chandler Stephenson (1-0-1), making his series debut following an NHL stint in Washington, scored Hershey’s only goal in Game 4… Martin Ouellette (2-1, 1.80, .935) stopped 27 of 28 shots and now has a .966 save percentage in his two starts in the series after making his debut in relief during Game 2… Pheonix Copley (2-2, 2.19, .932) made 34 saves for the Bears in the loss… Today’s game will be the third winner-take-all contest ever between these franchises; the Bears won in 1997 and in 2000, both at Philadelphia… Hershey has held the lead for a total of 9:35 of the 249:27 played in the series (3.8 percent)… The road team has won each of the first four games of the series; only once in Calder Cup Playoff history has the road team won every game in a best-of-five set (1999, Fredericton def. St. John’s).
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 2, HERSHEY 1 (OT)
Game 4 – Sat., Apr. 29 – Lehigh Valley 4, HERSHEY 1
Game 5 – Sun., Apr. 30 – Hershey at Lehigh Valley, 5:05
*if necessary… All times Eastern
vs. 
(SYR wins series, 3-1)
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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 – SYRACUSE 3, St. John’s 2
Game 4 – Fri., Apr. 28 – SYRACUSE 2, St. John’s 1 (OT)
vs. 
(TOR wins series, 3-1)
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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 – TORONTO 3, Albany 2 (OT)
Game 4 – Fri., Apr. 28 – TORONTO 2, Albany 1 (3OT)
vs. 
(CHI wins series, 3-2)
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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 – CHICAGO 3, Charlotte 2
vs. 
(GR wins series, 3-0)
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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 3, MILWAUKEE 2 (OT)
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Game 4 – 7:00 ET, AHL Live
(SJ leads series, 2-1)
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San Jose visits Stockton this afternoon with a chance to move on to the Pacific Division Finals… The Barracuda took a 2-1 series lead on Friday night with a 5-3 victory in Game 3… Ryan Carpenter (3-3-6) broke a 2-2 tie with 4:43 left in regulation, and Timo Meier (1-0-1) converted on an odd-man rush 86 seconds later to provide what would stand up as the game-winning goal… Barclay Goodrow (1-2-3), Daniel O’Regan (1-1-2) and Buddy Robinson (2-2-4) also scored for San Jose in Game 3, and Troy Grosenick (2-1, 2.69, .900) finished with 30 saves… Mike Angelidis (1-1-2), Brandon Bollig (1-0-1) and Michael Kostka (1-1-2) scored for the Heat… Stockton goalie David Rittich (1-1, 3.46, .886) made 28 saves in his first start of the series… The Heat were 2-for-7 on the power play in Game 3.
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 5, STOCKTON 3
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
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Game 4 – Monday, 10:00 ET, AHL Live
(SD leads series, 2-1)
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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 – SAN DIEGO 3, Ontario 1
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
#LVvsHER: Phantoms push back again, draw even with Bears
Working Overtime
There have been 10 overtime games played in the 2017 Calder Cup Playoffs so far:
Apr. 28 – TORONTO 2, Albany 1 (Justin Holl, 46:43)
Apr. 28 – SYRACUSE 2, St. John’s 1 (Gabriel Dumont, 2:18)
Apr. 26 – Grand Rapids 3, MILWAUKEE 2 (Kyle Criscuolo, 10:03)
Apr. 26 – TORONTO 3, Albany 2 (Colin Greening, 0:45)
Apr. 26 – Lehigh Valley 2, HERSHEY 1 (Chris Conner, 1:49)
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
In Stanley Cup Playoff action yesterday, 2017 AHL All-Rookie forward Jake Guentzel notched two goals and an assist as Pittsburgh defeated Washington, 6-2… Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored four goals in Ottawa’s 6-5 double-overtime win over the N.Y. Rangers.
On This Date
April 30, 1989 – Adam Graves scores 10:31 into overtime as the Adirondack Red Wings beat Hershey, 2-1, to become the second team in AHL history to rally from an 0-3 series deficit and advance.
April 30, 1967 – The Pittsburgh Hornets win their final AHL game, capturing the Calder Cup on Billy Harris’s overtime goal against Rochester at the Civic Arena… The expansion Penguins would begin play in the NHL in the fall.
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.
