Every morning, take a spin around the AHL ice with recaps and previews, news and notes, facts and figures, and the top headlines from around the American Hockey League.
WEDNESDAY’S SCORES:
Game 4 – Manchester 3, PROVIDENCE 2 (Series tied, 2-2)
Game 4 – W-B/SCRANTON 3, Hershey 2 (OT) (HER leads, 3-1)
WEDNESDAY’S THREE STARS:
1. Kurtis McLean’s second goal of the night is the overtime winner as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton keeps its season alive.
2. Gabe Gauthier snaps a 2-2 tie early in the third period and helps Manchester square its series with Providence through four games.
3. Nolan Schaefer makes 25 saves as the Penguins end a three-game losing streak.
THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE (all times ET):
Game 5 – Chicago at
2007 CALDER CUP PLAYOFFS:
Atlantic Division Final – Series “I” (best-of-7)
A1-Manchester Monarchs vs. A3-Providence Bruins || Preview
Game 1 – Tue., May 1 – Providence 6, MANCHESTER 3
Game 2 – Wed., May 2 – MANCHESTER 4, Providence 1
Game 3 – Tue., May 8 – PROVIDENCE 2, Manchester 1
Game 4 – Wed., May 9 – Manchester 3, PROVIDENCE 2
Game 5 – Sat., May 12 – Providence at Manchester, 7:35
Game 6 – Mon., May 14 – Manchester at Providence, 7:05
*Game 7 – Wed., May 16 – Providence at Manchester, 7:05
East Division Final – Series “J” (best-of-7)
E1-Hershey Bears vs. E2-W-B/Scranton Penguins || Preview
Game 1 – Wed., May 2 – HERSHEY 4, W-B/Scranton 3
Game 2 – Fri., May 4 – HERSHEY 4, W-B/Scranton 3 (2OT)
Game 3 – Sat., May 5 – Hershey 2, W-B/SCRANTON 0
Game 4 – Wed., May 9 – W-B/SCRANTON 3, Hershey 2 (OT)
Game 5 – Fri., May 11 – W-B/Scranton at Hershey, 7:00
*Game 6 – Sat., May 12 – Hershey at W-B/Scranton, 7:05
*Game 7 – Mon., May 14 – W-B/Scranton at Hershey, 7:00
North Division Final – Series “K” (best-of-7)
N1-Manitoba Moose vs. N3-Hamilton Bulldogs || Preview
Game 1 – Sat., May 5 – Hamilton 2, MANITOBA 1
Game 2 – Sun., May 6 – Hamilton 3, MANITOBA 2
Game 3 – Tue., May 8 – Manitoba 3, HAMILTON 2
Game 4 – Sat., May 12 – Manitoba at Hamilton, 7:00
Game 5 – Sun., May 13 – Manitoba at Hamilton, 3:00
*Game 6 – Mon., May 14 – Hamilton at Manitoba, 8:30
*Game 7 – Wed., May 16 – Hamilton at Manitoba, 8:30
West Division Final – Series “L” (best-of-7)
W2-Chicago Wolves vs. W4-Iowa Stars || Preview
Game 1 – Wed., May 2 – CHICAGO 7, Iowa 0
Game 2 – Fri., May 4 – Iowa 5, CHICAGO 4
Game 3 – Sun., May 6 – Chicago 5, IOWA 3
Game 4 – Tue., May 8 – Chicago 6, IOWA 1
Game 5 – Thu., May 10 – Chicago at Iowa, 8:05
*Game 6 – Sat., May 12 – Iowa at Chicago, 8:00
*Game 7 – Mon., May 14 – Iowa at Chicago, 8:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern
GAME NOTES (all times ET):
Game 5 –
Chicago can advance to the Western Conference Final for the third time in six years with another victory in Des Moines tonight… The Wolves are 11-3 all-time in the Calder Cup Playoffs with a chance to win a series… Andre Deveaux and Jason Krog each scored twice in
Darren Haydar, the AHL’s postseason scoring leader in 2004 and 2006, added two more assists in Game 4, and continues to climb up the league’s all-time playoff scoring leaderboards again this spring:
|
|
Points |
|
|
Goals |
|
|
Assists |
|
1. Willie Marshall |
119 |
1. Jody Gage |
51 |
|
1. Willie Marshall |
71 |
|
|
2. Jody Gage |
110 |
2(t). Willie Marshall |
48 |
|
2. Mike Nykoluk |
62 |
|
|
3. Fred Glover |
104 |
2(t). Fred Glover |
48 |
|
3. Domenic Pittis |
61 |
|
|
4. Bob Solinger |
92 |
4. Brad Smyth |
46 |
|
4. Jody Gage |
59 |
|
|
5(t). Gordie Clark |
90 |
5. Gordie Clark |
42 |
|
5. Fred Glover |
56 |
|
|
5(t). Glenn Merkosky |
90 |
6(t). Darren Haydar |
39 |
|
6(t). Fred Thurier |
53 |
|
|
7. Darren Haydar |
89 |
6(t). Bob Solinger |
39 |
|
6(t). Bob Solinger |
53 |
|
|
8. Steve Maltais |
88 |
6(t). Glenn Merkosky |
39 |
|
8. Don Biggs |
52 |
|
|
9(t). Fred Thurier |
85 |
9(t). Michel Picard |
37 |
|
9(t). Steve Maltais |
51 |
|
|
9(t). Brad Smyth |
85 |
9(t). Steve Maltais |
37 |
|
9(t). Glenn Merkosky |
51 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
11. Darren Haydar |
50 |
MORNING HEADLINES:
STARS CLING TO MEMORY OF ’06 RALLY TO MOTIVATE
Lisa Colonno, Des Moines Register
Memories of Milwaukee push Iowa Stars forward Chris Conner. Iowa enters Game 5 of the West Division finals today in a must-win situation, as the Chicago Wolves lead the best-of-seven Calder Cup series 3-1. It’s a familiar American Hockey League playoff situation for the Stars, who trailed Milwaukee 3-1 in their first-round series last season but came back to tie the series against a team led by Darren Haydar – who now paces the Wolves. “A lot of guys in the room last year, we were down 3-1 and we came back to force a Game 7,” Conner said. “It’s totally possible. … We’re down 3-1 so there is nothing to save it for.” … Link
LEACH HAS GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE LINE OF DUTY
Joe McDonald,
In order for a team to have success, players need to know their roles, and if for some reason there’s a communication breakdown in the chain of command, it’s the captain’s duty to correct things. Providence Bruins captain Jay Leach is the embodiment of a true leader and that’s why he’s wearing the “C” on his sweater. This season, especially, he has been a critical component for a young and inexperienced P-Bruins club. “He’s been with us for a while now and he knows what our expectations are,” said Providence coach Scott Gordon. “I’m sure there are many conversations he has that I don’t even know about, just to back up what we say and our philosophy as coaches. That’s so critical for a team’s success because you can’t, as a coach, oversee everything.” … Link
FROM CALDER TO STANLEY:
The 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs resume tonight with Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final between Buffalo and Ottawa… The series will feature a former AHL MVP (Jason Spezza), a former AHL outstanding goaltender (Ryan Miller), a former AHL rookie of the year (Daniel Briere), and six former AHL All-Rookie Team selections, including Ray Emery, Antoine Vermette, Thomas Vanek and Dmitri Kalinin.
Sabres associate coach Brian McCutcheon and Senators assistant John Paddock met as head coaches in the 2000 Calder Cup Final, won by Paddock’s Hartford Wolf Pack in six games over McCutcheon’s Rochester Americans.
BY THE NUMBERS:
34.6 – Percentage of teams in AHL history who have successfully avoided a sweep after losing the first three games of a best-of-seven series… Last night, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton became the 36th team (out of 104) to do so.
ON THIS DATE:
May 10, 1994 – Jeff Sirkka scores 4:52 into overtime, sending Portland to the Calder Cup Final with a 4-3 win in Game 6 at Adirondack.
ON THE AIR:
B2 Networks brings AHL action to your computer, web-enabled cell phone or PDA throughout the Calder Cup Playoffs with live video webcasts of nearly every AHL game… Visit caldercup.com for details.
