Take a game-day spin around the AHL ice with latest news and notes from the Calder Cup Playoffs in today’s Morning Skate. Complete Schedule || Playoff Brackets || Today’s Scoreboard || League Leaders |
Grand Rapids is one win away from the Western Conference Finals heading into this afternoon’s Game 5 in Rockford… The Griffins took a 3-1 series lead with a 2-1 overtime victory on Thursday night, snapping a six-game road losing streak in the postseason that dated back more than a year… Tyler Bertuzzi (5-3-8) scored 13 seconds into the extra period to give Game 4 to the Griffins, his second goal of the night and his third game-winner of the postseason… It was also the fourth-fastest OT winner in Calder Cup Playoff history… Bertuzzi’s five playoff goals have come on 14 shots (35.7 percent)… Andy Miele (2-8-10) and Mark Zengerle (0-7-7) both had two assists in Game 4… Tom McCollum (6-2, 2.64, .916) made 27 saves for his sixth win in his last seven decisions… Phillip Danault (3-2-5) scored for the IceHogs, his first point of the series… Michael Leighton (4-3, 2.43, .924) stopped 29 of 31 shots in the loss, allowing two goals or fewer for the fifth time in seven starts this postseason… Grand Rapids is 2-for-16 on the power play in the series (12.5 percent); Rockford is 1-for-11 (9.1 percent)… The Griffins are 11-12 all-time in the AHL with a chance to close out a series… The IceHogs have never won a game when facing elimination from the Calder Cup Playoffs (0-3). Western Conference Semifinals – Series “L” (best-of-7) |
Friday’s Recaps/Highlights Wolf Pack roll into conference finals |
Working Overtime There have been 14 overtime games played in the 2015 Calder Cup Playoffs so far… Home teams are 7-7: May 14 – Grand Rapids 2, ROCKFORD 1 (Tyler Bertuzzi, 0:13) |
Career Playoff Scoring Leaders Chris Bourque had three assists for Hartford on Friday night to move into a tie for seventh place on the AHL’s career Calder Cup Playoff scoring list with 92 points: 1. 143 – Darren Haydar |
Alumni Watch Dominic Moore scored with 2:25 left in the third period to send the N.Y. Rangers to a 2-1 win over Tampa Bay in Game 1 of the NHL’s Eastern Conference final yesterday… Moore played two full seasons with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, including a trip to the Calder Cup conference finals as a rookie in 2004… Ondrej Palat, a Calder Cup champion with Norfolk in 2012 and the AHL’s leading playoff scorer (7-19-26) with Syracuse in 2013, scored the only Lightning goal in Game 1. |
AHL Live Don’t miss a second on the road to the 2015 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. |