AHL Morning Skate: April 21

Take a game-day spin around the AHL ice with latest news and notes from
the 2016 Calder Cup Playoffs in today’s Morning Skate.

Complete Schedule || Playoff Brackets || Today’s Scoreboard || League Leaders

   
Game 2 – 7:05 ET, AHL Live (WBS leads series, 1-0)

Carter Rowney‘s goal 1:09 into overtime last night gave the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins a 3-2 victory and a 1-0 series lead heading into Game 2 against the Providence Bruins tonight… It was the first career playoff OT goal for Rowney, who ranked second in the AHL with three overtime winners during the 2015-16 regular season… Rowney and Jake Guentzel each had a goal and an assist on the night for the Penguins, and Dustin Jeffrey scored the 15th goal of his AHL postseason career… Casey DeSmith made 31 saves to pick up the win in his AHL postseason debut, and he now has stopped 60 of 64 Bruins shots in two starts over the past week… Seth Griffith and Colby Cave scored for the Bruins, who rallied from a two-goal deficit to force overtime… Cave’s goal came shorthanded with 11:16 left in regulation; the teams have now combined for four SHG while going 57-for-59 on the penalty kill between them (96.6 percent) in seven meetings this season… Max Talbot recorded an assist in Game 1 for Providence, his first Calder Cup Playoff appearance since 2006 when he was with Wilkes-Barre… Jeremy Smith stopped 24 of 27 shots but fell to 2-5 in playoff OT games… The Penguins improved to 26-21 all-time in playoff OT games, and are now 17-3 in their last 20 first-round playoff games.

Atlantic Division Semifinals – Series “B” (best-of-5)
A2-Providence Bruins vs. A3-Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Game 1 – Wed., Apr. 20 – W-B/SCRANTON 3, Providence 2 (OT) 
Game 2 – Thu., Apr. 21 – Providence at W-B/Scranton, 7:05 
Game 3 – Sat., Apr. 23 – W-B/Scranton at Providence, 7:05 
*Game 4 – Mon., Apr. 25 – W-B/Scranton at Providence, 7:05 
*Game 5 – Tue., Apr. 26 – W-B/Scranton at Providence, 7:05 
   *if necessary… All times Eastern

   
Game 2 – 8:00 ET, AHL Live (LE leads series, 1-0)

In their first playoff game in nearly five years, the Lake Erie Monsters rolled to a 5-2 win over the Rockford IceHogs in last night’s opener of their Central Division semifinal… It was the Monsters’ first regulation win in their last 13 tries at the BMO Harris Bank Center… Alex Broadhurst notched a goal and two assists for Lake Erie, Zach Werenski and Dean Kukan had a goal and an assist each, and Oliver Bjorkstrand and Michael Chaput notched two helpers apiece as the Monsters won their first postseason contest as the Columbus Blue Jackets’ top affiliate — and notched the franchise’s first playoff victory since Apr. 21, 2011… Joonas Korpisalo made 28 saves for Lake Erie, taking a shutout bid into the final six minutes before Tyler Motte and Dennis Rasmussen scored late in the third… Mac Carruth stopped 21 shots in his first career Calder Cup Playoff start… Lake Erie is now 10-1-1-0 in its last 12 games.

Central Division Semifinals – Series “F” (best-of-5)
C2-Lake Erie Monsters vs. C3-Rockford IceHogs

Game 1 – Wed., Apr. 20 – Lake Erie 5, ROCKFORD 2
Game 2 – Thu., Apr. 21 – Lake Erie at Rockford, 8:00
Game 3 – Sat., Apr. 23 – Rockford at Lake Erie, 7:00
*Game 4 – Mon., Apr. 25 – Rockford at Lake Erie, 7:00
*Game 5 – Thu., Apr. 28 – Rockford at Lake Erie, 7:00
   *if necessary… All times Eastern

   
Game 1 – 8:30 ET, AHL Live

The Pacific Division semifinals get underway tonight with Game 1 between San Diego and Texas at Cedar Park Center… The Gulls owned the best record in the AHL after the All-Star break, going 20-5-3-1 (.759) including 9-1-1-1 in their last 12 away from home… San Diego’s Brandon Montour (12-45-57) finished third among AHL rookies and second among AHL defensemen in scoring in 2015-16… Gulls forward Nick Ritchie (16-14-30) and his older brother, Stars forward Brett Ritchie (14-14-28), both split the season between the AHL and their NHL parent clubs… Texas’s top three scorers — Brendan Ranford (19-40-59), Curtis McKenzie (24-31-55) and Travis Morin (15-39-54) — were all members of the Stars’ Calder Cup championship squad in 2014… Chris Mueller (20-37-57), who tied for San Diego’s team scoring lead, was also part of that Texas title team… The Stars won five of six meetings from the Gulls during the regular season, outscoring San Diego by a 29-15 margin.

Pacific Division Semifinals – Series “H” (best-of-5)
P2-San Diego Gulls vs. P3-Texas Stars
Game 1 – Thu., Apr. 21 – San Diego at Texas, 8:30
Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 23 – San Diego at Texas, 8:00
Game 3 – Thu., Apr. 28 – Texas at San Diego, 10:05
*Game 4 – Fri., Apr. 29 – Texas at San Diego, 10:05
*Game 5 – Mon., May 2 – Texas at San Diego, 10:05
   *if necessary… All times Eastern

Wednesday’s Recaps/Highlights
Rowney lifts Penguins to Game 1 win
Monsters roll in playoff return
Alumni Watch
In last night’s Stanley Cup Playoff action, two-time Calder Cup champion Michal Neuvirth made 31 saves, outdueling his former Hershey Bears creasemate Braden Holtby and lifting Philadelphia to a 2-1 win over Washington… The Flyers’ goals were scored by Shayne Gostisbehere and Andrew MacDonald — who were also the starting defensive pair for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on opening night, Oct. 10… Alex Petrovic‘s first career Stanley Cup Playoff goal was the game-winner in Florida’s 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders… 2005 AHL MVP Jason Spezza tallied a goal and an assist as Dallas defeated Minnesota, 3-2… Brent Burns had a goal and an assist and former AHL All-Star Martin Jones made 26 saves in San Jose’s 3-2 win over Los Angeles.

AHL Live
Don’t miss a second on the road to the 2016 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.