AHL Morning Skate: May 2

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Tonight’s Previews

   
Game 5 – 7:00 ET, AHL Live (Series tied, 2-2)
@PortlandPirates | @MonarchsHockey | #MCHvsPOR

Portland has bounced back from 0-2 down to force Manchester to a deciding Game 5 at Verizon Wireless Arena tonight… The eighth-seeded Pirates, who did not qualify for the Calder Cup Playoffs until the last day of the regular season, is now one win away from upsetting the regular-season champion Monarchs… Louis Domingue (2-1, 1.53, .947) made 28 saves for the 5-0 shutout win in Game 4 on Thursday while Francis Wathier (3-0-3), who had scored three goals in his first 56 career Calder Cup Playoff games, struck twice in Game 4 and now has three goals — including both game-winners — in the last two contests… Defensemen Brandon Gormley and Patrick McNeill also scored for Portland in Game 4, and Brendan Perlini, Arizona’s first-round pick (12th overall) in the 2014 NHL draft, netted his first professional goal… Jean-Francois Berube (2-2, 3.00, .844) made 14 saves in Thursday’s loss as the Monarchs held Portland under 20 shots on goal for the third time in the series… Manchester, which owned the AHL’s top-ranked power play in the regular season, is 3-for-23 (13.0 percent) in the series… Portland, 27th in the regular season, is 4-for-15 (26.7 percent)… The Monarchs are looking to avoid what would be just their second three-game losing streak all year (Jan. 4-7), and also avoid a first-round ouster for the 11th time in 13 trips to the playoffs… Manchester has never won a winner-take-all playoff game (0-3); Portland is 1-6, with its only victory coming in the 1996 conference finals vs. Saint John… The Monarchs meet Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the conference semifinals if they win; the Pirates would draw Hershey.

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals – Series “A” (best-of-5)
1-Manchester Monarchs vs. 8-Portland Pirates
Game 1 – Thu., Apr. 23 – MANCHESTER 5, Portland 2
Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 25 – MANCHESTER 6, Portland 2
Game 3 – Sun., Apr. 26 – PORTLAND 3, Manchester 2
Game 4 – Thu., Apr. 30 – PORTLAND 5, Manchester 0
Game 5 – Sat., May 2 – Portland at Manchester, 7:00
   *if necessary… All times Eastern

   
Game 5 – 7:00 ET, AHL Live (Series tied, 2-2)
@Chicago_Wolves | @UticaComets | #UTIvsCHI

A series that has seen three of its first four games decided in overtime comes down to a winner-take-all Game 5 as Utica hosts Chicago tonight… The eighth-seeded Wolves staved off elimination last night with a 4-3 OT victory, their first playoff overtime win against Comets goalie Jacob Markstrom in five career tries… Joel Edmundson (1-0-1) scored the winning goal on a power play 2:19 into the extra session after Utica had been whistled for having too many men on the ice… Adam Cracknell (1-0-1), Mathieu Brodeur (1-0-1) and former Comet Benn Ferriero (1-0-1) all had goals for Chicago in Game 4, and it was the first point of the postseason for each of them… Shane Harper (0-2-2) and Pat Cannone (0-5-5) recorded two assists each last night… Jordan Binnington (2-2, 1.96, .945) stopped 35 shots for the win… Cory Conacher (1-0-1), Adam Clendening (2-0-2) and Bobby Sanguinetti (2-0-2) scored for the Comets in Game 4, and Sven Baertschi (0-3-3) assisted on all three goals… Markstrom (2-2, 1.96, .920) finished with 28 saves… Chicago improved its all-time AHL-best record to 16-7 (.696) when facing Calder Cup Playoff elimination… The Wolves were 2-for-6 on the power play in Game 4 after starting the series 1-for-13; the Comets were 2-for-4 after a 1-for-16 start… Chicago is 7-2 in winner-take-all games (2-0 on the road) since joining the AHL in 2001-02, and has never lost a first-round Calder Cup Playoff series under head coach John Anderson (7-0).

Western Conference Quarterfinals – Series “E” (best-of-5)
1-Utica Comets vs. 8-Chicago Wolves
Game 1 – Wed., Apr. 22 – Utica 3, CHICAGO 2 (2OT)
Game 2 – Fri., Apr. 24 – CHICAGO 2, Utica 1
Game 3 – Wed., Apr. 29 – UTICA 2, Chicago 1 (OT)
Game 4 – Fri., May 1 – Chicago 4, UTICA 3 (OT)
Game 5 – Sat., May 2 – Chicago at Utica, 7:00
   *if necessary… All times Eastern

   
Game 4 – 7:00 ET, AHL Live, Leafs TV, SiriusXM NHL Network Radio (TOR leads series, 2-1)
@TorontoMarlies | @GriffinsHockey | #GRvsTOR

Grand Rapids battled back Wednesday and got its first win of the series with a 5-2 victory over Toronto, but the Marlies still own a 2-1 series lead as the teams hit the Van Andel Arena ice for Game 4 tonight… The Griffins, now 7-7 all-time when facing Calder Cup Playoff elimination, got two more goals from Teemu Pulkkinen (5-0-5), who has scored 28 goals in his last 24 games with Grand Rapids… Tyler Bertuzzi, a second-round draft pick by Detroit in 2013, drew into the lineup for the first time in the series and recorded a goal and an assist in Game 3, just his third career professional match… Andy Miele (2-2-4) and Andreas Athanasiou (2-0-2) also scored for Grand Rapids on Wednesday, and Tom McCollum (1-1, 4.04, .869) turned aside 25 of 27 shots to earn the first playoff win of his six-year pro career… Miele now has 4-10-14 in seven games vs. Toronto this season… Troy Bodie (1-0-1) and Brendan Mikkelson (1-0-1) scored for the Marlies in Game 3… Eighteen different Toronto skaters have registered at least one point in the series… Defenseman Alexey Marchenko, who had 3-17-20 and a plus-22 rating in 51 regular-season games with the Griffins in 2014-15, has rejoined Grand Rapids after Detroit’s elimination from the Stanley Cup Playoffs… Tonight’s game will air live on Leafs TV as well as on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio (Sirius 211, XM 218).

Western Conference Quarterfinals – Series “F” (best-of-5)
2-Grand Rapids Griffins vs. 7-Toronto Marlies
Game 1 – Sat., Apr. 25 – TORONTO 7, Grand Rapids 4
Game 2 – Sun., Apr. 26 – TORONTO 5, Grand Rapids 2
Game 3 – Wed., Apr. 29 – GRAND RAPIDS 5, Toronto 2
Game 4 – Sat., May 2 – Toronto at Grand Rapids, 7:00
*Game 5 – Sun., May 3 – Toronto at Grand Rapids, 5:00
   *if necessary… All times Eastern

Manchester Monarchs (0-3)
2011, Game 7 – Binghamton 6, MANCHESTER 5 (OT)
2006, Game 7 – HARTFORD 2, Manchester 1
2002, Game 5 – HARTFORD 3, Manchester 2 (2OT)

Portland Pirates (1-6)
2008, Game 7 – W-B/SCRANTON 3, Portland 2
2006, Game 7 – HERSHEY 5, Portland 4 (OT)
2003, Game 3 – Manitoba 6, PORTLAND 3
1997, Game 5 – SPRINGFIELD 1, Portland 0 (OT)
1996, Game 7 – ROCHESTER 2, Portland 1
1996, Game 7 – Portland 5, SAINT JOHN 0
1995, Game 7 – Providence 6, PORTLAND 3

Utica Comets (0-0)

Chicago Wolves (7-2)
2014, Game 5 – CHICAGO 4, Rochester 2
2012, Game 5 – San Antonio 3, CHICAGO 2 (2OT)
2010, Game 7 – Texas 6, CHICAGO 5 (OT)
2010, Game 7 – CHICAGO 2, Milwaukee 1
2008, Game 7 – CHICAGO 4, Rockford 1
2003, Game 5 – CHICAGO 3, Hershey 2 (OT)
2002, Game 7 – Chicago 6, SYRACUSE 2
2002, Game 5 – Chicago 4, GRAND RAPIDS 2
2002, Game 3 – CHICAGO 3, Cincinnati 2

.696 — Chicago Wolves (16-7)
.639 — Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (23-13)
.609 — Manitoba Moose (14-9)
.600 — several teams tied (3-2)
.595 — Providence Bruins (25-17)

May 1, 2015 — HERSHEY BEARS 10, Worcester Sharks 4
Apr. 22, 1998 — Hershey Bears 10, KENTUCKY THOROUGHBLADES 3
Apr. 3, 1991 — HERSHEY BEARS 11, Adirondack Red Wings 1
May 16, 1989 — ADIRONDACK RED WINGS 10, New Haven Nighthawks 7
May 3, 1987 — SHERBROOKE CANADIENS 10, Adirondack Red Wings 4
Apr. 8, 1984 — BALTIMORE SKIPJACKS 10, Springfield Indians 2
May 16, 1981 — Maine Mariners 10, ADIRONDACK RED WINGS 1
Apr. 15, 1981 – SPRINGFIELD INDIANS 10, Maine Mariners 3
Apr. 25, 1980 – NEW HAVEN NIGHTHAWKS 10, Hershey Bears 3
Apr. 23, 1979 – NEW HAVEN NIGHTHAWKS 15, Binghamton Dusters 1
Apr. 6, 1974 – RICHMOND ROBINS 10, Baltimore Clippers 0
Apr. 28, 1972 – BALTIMORE CLIPPERS 10, Cincinnati Swords 8
Apr. 12, 1972 – BALTIMORE CLIPPERS 10, Cleveland Barons 1
Apr. 12, 1972 – NOVA SCOTIA VOYAGEURS 11, Springfield Kings 1
Apr. 17, 1970 – MONTREAL VOYAGEURS 10, Baltimore Clippers 6
Apr. 9, 1968 – BUFFALO BISONS 10, Quebec Aces 7
Apr. 2, 1964 – PROVIDENCE REDS 11, Hershey Bears 3
Apr. 3, 1963 – BUFFALO BISONS 10, Providence Reds 2
Apr. 6, 1944 – BUFFALO BISONS 12, Cleveland Barons 2
Mar. 24, 1943 – BUFFALO BISONS 10, Hershey Bears 0
Mar. 19, 1942 – INDIANAPOLIS CAPITALS 10, Springfield Indians 3