AHL Morning Skate: May 7

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

   
Game 2 – 7:00 ET, AHL Live (MCH leads series, 1-0)
@WBSPenguins | @MonarchsHockey | #MCHvsWBS

Less than 20 hours after finishing off a triple-overtime marathon, Manchester and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton are at it again tonight for Game 2 of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series… Zach O’Brien (1-3-4) scored 4:13 into the third OT period last night, giving the Monarchs a 4-3 win and a 1-0 series lead… It was the second-longest game in franchise history for both clubs, and the longest game in the AHL in seven years… The Monarchs and Penguins, the top two defensive teams in the AHL during the regular season, combined for four goals in the first period, including a Nick Shore (1-4-5) goal for Manchester just 18 seconds into the contest… Colin Miller (1-3-4) tallied a goal and an assist, Jordan Weal (5-4-9) recorded two assists and Brian O’Neill (4-2-6) also scored for the Monarchs… Conor Sheary (3-4-7) tallied a goal and an assist to lead the Penguins’ offense… Taylor Chorney (1-1-2) and Scott Wilson (2-1-3) also scored for the Pens, who erased three separate one-goal deficits in regulation… Jean-Francois Berube (4-2, 2.67, .878) turned aside 40 of 43 shots for his 10th consecutive home win… Matt Murray (3-1, 1.48, .950) made 52 saves in the loss, stopping 24 of 25 shots in sudden death, as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was outshot 56-43 for the night… It was the first time since Nov. 8 at Binghamton that Murray had allowed more than three goals in a road game… Even with the Game 1 loss, the Penguins have won 16 of their last 21 away from home.

Eastern Conference Semifinals – Series “I” (best-of-7)
1-Manchester Monarchs vs. 4-Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Game 1 – Wed., May 6 – MANCHESTER 4, W-B/Scranton 3 (3OT)
Game 2 – Thu., May 7 – W-B/Scranton at Manchester, 7:00
Game 3 – Sat., May 9 – Manchester at W-B/Scranton, 7:05
Game 4 – Mon., May 11 – Manchester at W-B/Scranton, 7:05
*Game 5 – Tue., May 12 – Manchester at W-B/Scranton, 7:05
*Game 6 – Fri., May 15 – W-B/Scranton at Manchester, 7:00
*Game 7 – Sat., May 16 – W-B/Scranton at Manchester, 7:00
   *if necessary… All times Eastern

   
Game 1 – 7:00 ET, AHL Live
@OKCBarons | @UticaComets | #UTIvsOKC

Utica and Oklahoma City open their Western Conference semifinal series tonight with Game 1 at the Utica Memorial Auditorium… The sixth-seeded Barons were the only lower seed to win its series in the first round, taking out West Division champion San Antonio in three straight… The Comets, who finished the regular season with the best record in the Western Conference, eliminated Chicago in five games… Rookie Brendan Gaunce (2-0-2) was the hero for Utica with two goals in the decisive Game 5 on Saturday… Comets captain Cal O’Reilly (0-7-7), who was second in the AHL with 51 assists in the regular season, led the league with seven helpers in the first round… Utica’s Jacob Markstrom (3-2, 1.97, .917) is playing in his second Calder Cup postseason; his 2012 run with San Antonio also featured meetings with Chicago in the first round and Oklahoma City in the second round… Connor Jones (2-0-2) and Jujhar Khaira (1-0-1) scored overtime winners for the Barons in the conference quarterfinals; neither scored any of Oklahoma City’s AHL-record 14 OT goals during the regular season… Matthew Ford (1-4-5) led the Barons in first-round scoring, while Ryan Hamilton (3-0-3) netted a team-best three goals… Richard Bachman (2-0, 0.59, .981) stopped 51 of 52 shots to close out the series for Oklahoma City after coming on relief during Game 2… The Barons were 5-for-14 on the power play (35.7 percent) in the first round and 10-for-11 (90.9 percent) on the penalty kill.

Western Conference Semifinals – Series “K” (best-of-7)
1-Utica Comets vs. 6-Oklahoma City Barons
Game 1 – Thu., May 7 – Oklahoma City at Utica, 7:00
Game 2 – Fri., May 8 – Oklahoma City at Utica, 7:00
Game 3 – Mon., May 11 – Utica at Oklahoma City, 8:00
Game 4 – Wed., May 13 – Utica at Oklahoma City, 8:00
*Game 5 – Thu., May 14 – Utica at Oklahoma City, 8:00
*Game 6 – Mon., May 18 – Oklahoma City at Utica, 7:00
*Game 7 – Wed., May 20 – Oklahoma City at Utica, 7:00
   *if necessary… All times Eastern

May 6 – MANCHESTER 4, W-B/Scranton 3 (Zach O’Brien, 44:13)
May 6 – Hartford 2, HERSHEY 1 (Chris Bourque, 16:47)
May 1 – Chicago 4, UTICA 3 (Joel Edmundson, 2:19)
*May 1 – HARTFORD 3, Providence 2 (Tommy Hughes, 4:35)
*Apr. 29 – ROCKFORD 3, Texas 2 (Stephen Johns, 0:23)
*Apr. 29 – Oklahoma City 2, SAN ANTONIO 1 (Jujhar Khaira, 5:01)
Apr. 29 – UTICA 2, Chicago 1 (Darren Archibald, 10:58)
Apr. 26 – PROVIDENCE 2, Hartford 1 (Seth Griffith, 42:00)
Apr. 25 – OKLAHOMA CITY 4, San Antonio 3 (Connor Jones, 4:01)
Apr. 22 – Utica 3, CHICAGO 2 (Bobby Sanguinetti, 23:10)
  *series clincher