AHL Morning Skate: 6.2.19

Take a game-day spin around the AHL ice with latest news and notes from the 2019 Calder Cup Playoffs in today’s AHL Morning Skate.

Playoff Brackets | Today’s Scoreboard | League Stats


Chicago @ Charlotte
Game 2 – Tonight, 6:00 ET, AHLTV
(CHI leads series, 1-0)
TV: NHL Network, WCIU “The U Too”
Satellite Radio: NHL Network Radio (SiriusXM 91)
 

Chicago brings a 1-0 series lead into this evening’s Game 2 of the Calder Cup Finals after a 4-3 overtime victory over Charlotte last night… Stefan Matteau scored his second goal of the night with 5:30 gone in the OT period to complete the Wolves’ comeback from two goals down… It was the first two-goal game this season for Matteau (3-5-8), who also tied the game at 1-1 in the first period… Defensemen Zac Leslie (1-3-4) and Zach Whitecloud (3-10-13) scored in the second period to erase Charlotte’s 3-1 lead… Griffin Reinhart (1-6-7) recorded two assists for the Wolves… Curtis McKenzie (8-6-14) extended his scoring streak to five games with an assist, and now has 6-6-12 in 13 career Calder Cup Finals games… Oscar Dansk (10-5, 2.20, .921) finished with 35 saves, turning aside all 25 shots he faced after the first intermission… Chicago improved to 4-0 in overtime games this postseason, with Dansk stopping all 42 shots he has faced in OT… Trevor Carrick (2-8-10), Martin Necas (3-5-8) and Andrew Poturalski (9-10-19) scored the Checkers’ goals in Game 1, and Alex Nedeljkovic (8-4, 2.39, .912) made 32 saves… Poturalski’s nine playoff goals have come on 29 shots (31.0 percent)… Three of Charlotte’s last four games have gone to overtime… Game 1 was the first time the Checkers had a two-goal lead and lost at home since a 4-3 shootout defeat on Jan. 22, 2016, also vs. Chicago… Attendance for Game 1 was 8,465, the largest crowd for a Checkers game in four seasons since the team moved into Bojangles’ Coliseum… Only five teams in AHL history have won the Calder Cup after losing Game 1 of the Finals at home (2010 Hershey, 2001 Saint John, 1978 Maine, 1977 Nova Scotia, 1951 Cleveland)… This evening’s Game 2 will be televised on NHL Network and can be heard on NHL Network Radio (SiriusXM 91).

2019 Calder Cup Finals (best-of-7)
A1-Charlotte Checkers vs. C1-Chicago Wolves | Series Infographic
Game 1 – Sat., June 1 – Chicago 4, CHARLOTTE 3 (OT) | Recap/Highlights
Game 2 – Sun., June 2 – Chicago at Charlotte, 6:00, AHLTV, NHL Network
Game 3 – Wed., June 5 – Charlotte at Chicago, 8:00, AHLTV, NHL Network
Game 4 – Thu., June 6 – Charlotte at Chicago, 8:00, AHLTV, NHL Network**
*Game 5 – Sat., June 8 – Charlotte at Chicago, 8:00, AHLTV, NHL Network
*Game 6 – Thu., June 13 – Chicago at Charlotte, 7:00, AHLTV, NHL Network
*Game 7 – Fri., June 14 – Chicago at Charlotte, 7:00, AHLTV, NHL Network
*if necessary… All times Eastern
**delayed broadcast


About the Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is named for Frank Calder, the first president of the NHL (1917-43) and one of the driving forces behind the formation of the American Hockey League.

While the AHL’s history dates back to the fall of 1936, the Calder Cup trophy was first awarded in 1938 to the Providence Reds for winning the second International-American Hockey League championship. (In 1996, George Parsons of the Syracuse Stars was presented the Calder Cup in a ceremony at the Onondaga County War Memorial; it is believed the Stars never received a trophy for their 1937 championship.)

In 2001, the trophy’s base was changed to include two tiers of plaques, which feature the rosters of each of the last 20 Calder Cup champions; the plaques from the first 62 champions are on display in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. The entire trophy now stands 24 inches tall and weighs 25 pounds. The bowl, made of sterling silver, is 12 inches high and eight inches in diameter; the base is made of Brazilian mahogany.


Calder Cup Finals History
Last 20 Calder Cup Finals results and Jack Butterfield Trophy winners (playoff MVP):

2018 – Toronto Marlies 4, Texas Stars 3 (Andreas Johnsson, TOR)
2017 – Grand Rapids Griffins 4, Syracuse Crunch 2 (Tyler Bertuzzi, GR)
2016 – Lake Erie Monsters 4, Hershey Bears 0 (Oliver Bjorkstrand, LE)
2015 – Manchester Monarchs 4, Utica Comets 1 (Jordan Weal, MCH)
2014 – Texas Stars 4, St. John’s IceCaps 1 (Travis Morin, TEX)
2013 – Grand Rapids Griffins 4, Syracuse Crunch 2 (Tomas Tatar, GR)
2012 – Norfolk Admirals 4, Toronto Marlies 0 (Alexandre Picard, NOR)
2011 – Binghamton Senators 4, Houston Aeros 2 (Robin Lehner, BNG)
2010 – Hershey Bears 4, Texas Stars 2 (Chris Bourque, HER)
2009 – Hershey Bears 4, Manitoba Moose 2 (Michal Neuvirth, HER)
2008 – Chicago Wolves 4, W-B/Scranton Penguins 2 (Jason Krog, CHI)
2007 – Hamilton Bulldogs 4, Hershey Bears 1 (Carey Price, HAM)
2006 – Hershey Bears 4, Milwaukee Admirals 2 (Frederic Cassivi, HER)
2005 – Philadelphia Phantoms 4, Chicago Wolves 0 (Antero Niittymaki, PHI)
2004 – Milwaukee Admirals 4, W-B/Scranton Penguins 0 (Wade Flaherty, MIL)
2003 – Houston Aeros 4, Hamilton Bulldogs 3 (Johan Holmqvist, HOU)
2002 – Chicago Wolves 4, Bridgeport Sound Tigers 1 (Pasi Nurminen, CHI)
2001 – Saint John Flames 4, W-B/Scranton Penguins 2 (Steve Begin, SJN)
2000 – Hartford Wolf Pack 4, Rochester Americans 2 (Derek Armstrong, HFD)
1999 – Providence Bruins 4, Rochester Americans 1 (Peter Ferraro, PRO)


Official Business
The American Hockey League has named the on-ice officials for the 2019 Calder Cup Finals… Referees working the series will be Mitch Dunning (first Finals), Peter MacDougall (first), Michael Markovic (first), Furman South (second) and Corey Syvret (second)… Linesmen will be Tyson Baker (first), Jesse Marquis (first), Bevan Mills (third) and Jamie Tobias (second).


Alumni Watch
In Game 3 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final last night, Torey Krug notched a goal and three assists, 2005 AHL All-Star Patrice Bergeron added a goal and two assists and Charlie Coyle tallied a goal and an assist as Boston rolled to a 7-2 win over St. Louis to take a 2-1 series lead… David Pastrnak, Sean Kuraly and Noel Acciari also scored and 2008 AHL All-Star Tuukka Rask recorded 27 saves… Former Chicago Wolves Ivan Barbashev and Colton Parayko scored for the Blues.


Watch the Calder Cup Playoffs on AHLTV
Don’t miss a second on the road to the 2019 Calder Cup championship. AHLTV features live streaming of every AHL game in high definition on desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile devices, as well as OTT platforms such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV. A subscription is just $24.99 for the entire postseason, or just $7.99 for a day pass. Visit theahl.com/AHLTV for details.