LOOKING BACK:
In Tuesday’s action, Sean Bentivoglio tallied his first professional hat trick and Jon Sim put up three points (1-2-3) as Bridgeport clinched a Calder Cup Playoff berth with a 5-3 win at Albany… Benoit Pouliot, Corey Locke and Danny Irmen each posted a goal and an assist as Houston defeated Iowa by a 6-2 count.
Mon 3/30
No games scheduled
Tue 3/31
Bridgeport 5, ALBANY 3
Houston 6, IOWA 2
LOOKING AHEAD: 
Binghamton hosts division-rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Wednesday as the teams conclude their season series… The Senators’ lead on Philadelphia for the East Division’s fourth and final available playoff spot has shrunk to four points… Rookie defenseman Mattias Karlsson has a point in five of his last six games (2-3-5) for Binghamton and ranks fourth among AHL blueliners with 49 points overall (8-41-49)… Sens captain Denis Hamel leads the team with four goals and six points in seven games against the Penguins this season… Playoff-bound for the seventh straight year, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has won five straight games and eight of its last 11 (8-3-0-0)… Chris Minard (3-3-6) and Connor James (1-3-4) are each riding three-game scoring runs for the Penguins… Minard’s 34 goals in 50 games rank third in the AHL… Janne Pesonen paces the Pens with 74 points (29-45-74) and has racked up six goals and nine points in six games against Binghamton… The Pens have scored a league-high 94 goals in the third period.
Lowell and Manchester square off for the 10th and final time on Wednesday in a critical game for both teams’ playoff hopes… The fifth-place Monarchs are one point back of Worcester for the Atlantic Division’s final entry, while the Devils trail by just three points… Lowell, going for its first three-game winning streak since Jan. 21-24, has captured three of its four visits to the Verizon Wireless Arena this season… The Devils’ Jeff Frazee leads all AHL rookie goaltenders with 26 wins (26-19-5) and has two shutouts in his last four appearances… Rookie Alexander Vasyunov has a goal in his last two games (2-1-3) for Lowell, and leading scorer Jon DiSalvatore (19-32-51) put up 1-2-3 in a 5-3 win over Bridgeport on Sunday… Manchester is trying to climb out of a 1-5-0-2 slump… Monarchs rookie goaltender Jonathan Bernier is 5-2-1 (1.85, .936) with two shutouts against Lowell this season… Rookie Justin Azevedo has a point in four of his last five games (2-3-5)… Gabe Gauthier (3-7-10 in 9 GP), David Meckler (4-5-9 in 9 GP) and Azevedo (2-6-8 in 5 GP) have strong showings against the Devils this season.
Chicago continues its playoff push on Wednesday with its final visit of the season to intra-state rival Peoria… The defending Calder Cup champion Wolves, just 3-6-1-1 in their last 11 outings, sit three points back of Rockford for the West Division’s final guaranteed postseason entry… Wolves rookie Spencer Machacek averaged a point per game in March (5-7-12 in 12 GP) and has a team-high 12 points (4-8-12) in nine games against the Rivermen thus far… Three-time AHL All-Star Joe Motzko paces Chicago with 26 goals and 51 points in 67 games, and defenseman Brett Skinner has found the scoresheet in three of his last four contests (2-2-4)… Coming off a 10-2-1-1 showing in March, Peoria is just two points back of Houston for second in the West with six games to play… The Rivermen have won eight straight home games since a 3-1 loss to Chicago on Feb. 21… Steve Regier has netted a goal in three straight games (3-1-4) for Peoria, and Yan Stastny has five goals (5-1-6) in his last four contests… Julian Talbot is riding a three-game scoring streak (3-1-4), while defenseman Justin Fletcher has a point in four straight (0-5-5) and eight of his last nine tilts (1-9-10).
(all times Eastern)
Wed 4/1
Portland @ Hartford, 7:00
Lowell @ Manchester, 7:00
Worcester @ Springfield, 7:00
Rockford @ Lake Erie, 7:00
W-B/Scranton @ Binghamton, 7:05
Albany @ Philadelphia, 7:05
Hershey @ Norfolk, 7:15
Chicago @ Peoria, 8:00
Milwaukee @ Quad City, 8:05
Thu 4/2
Iowa @ Houston, 8:05
ALUMNI WATCH:
On Tuesday, 2009 AHL All-Star Cal O’Reilly scored for the second time in three games in Nashville’s 2-1 loss to Columbus… Brandon Dubinsky, Daniel Girardi and Ryan Callahan – Hartford Wolf Pack teammates in 2006-07 – each netted a goal in the N.Y. Rangers’ 3-0 win over New Jersey on Monday… Enver Lisin scored twice and assisted on the overtime winner as Phoenix beat Dallas, 6-5… The Stars’ Garrett Stafford recorded two assists for his first NHL points in the loss.
BY THE NUMBERS:
6 — Games between Hartford and Portland this season, out of seven total, which have been decided by either a one- or two-goal margin… The Pirates and Wolf Pack conclude their regular-season series on Wednesday at the XL Center.
AHL LIVE:
Don’t miss a step on the road to the 2009 Calder Cup Playoffs. AHL Live brings AHL action to your computer all season long with live video webcasts and highlights of every AHL game, as well as behind-the-scenes features and interviews in the Video On Demand section… Visit theahl.com or ahllive.com for details.
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