AHL Morning Skate: 4.22.18

Take a game-day spin around the AHL ice with latest news and notes from the 2018 Calder Cup Playoffs in today’s AHL Morning Skate.

Playoff Brackets | Today’s Scoreboard | League Stats | Series Infographics


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Game 3 – Friday, 7:05 ET, AHL Live
(Series tied, 1-1)

Atlantic Division Semifinals – Series “A” (best-of-5)
A1-Lehigh Valley Phantoms vs. A4-Providence Bruins
Game 1 – Fri., Apr. 20 – Lehigh Valley 3, PROVIDENCE 2 | Recap
Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 21 – PROVIDENCE 5, Lehigh Valley 3 | Recap
Game 3 – Fri., Apr. 27 – Providence at Lehigh Valley, 7:05
Game 4 – Sat., Apr. 28 – Providence at Lehigh Valley, 7:05
*Game 5 – Mon., Apr. 30 – Providence at Lehigh Valley, 7:05
*if necessary… All times Eastern


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Game 3 – Thursday, 7:05 ET, AHL Live
(CHA leads series, 2-0)

Atlantic Division Semifinals – Series “B” (best-of-5)
A2-Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins vs. A3-Charlotte Checkers
Game 1 – Fri., Apr. 20 – CHARLOTTE 3, W-B/Scranton 2 (OT) | Recap
Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 21 – CHARLOTTE 4, W-B/Scranton 1 | Recap
Game 3 – Thu., Apr. 26 – Charlotte at W-B/Scranton, 7:05
*Game 4 – Sat., Apr. 28 – Charlotte at W-B/Scranton, 7:05
*Game 5 – Sun., Apr. 29 – Charlotte at W-B/Scranton, 3:05
*if necessary… All times Eastern


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Game 2 – Today, 4:00 ET, AHL Live
(TOR leads series, 1-0)

Toronto hosts Utica in Game 2 of their series this afternoon, just 20.5 hours after a hard-fought opener… Chris Mueller knocked home the winning goal at 17:48 of overtime to send the Marlies to a 3-2 win yesterday… It was the third playoff OT goal of Mueller’s AHL career; the others were with Hartford in 2015 and with Texas in 2014… Toronto took a 1-0 lead into the third period of Game 1 on a goal by Jeremy Bracco, but Utica pulled even on Zack MacEwen‘s goal at 6:17 of the final frame… Justin Holl‘s goal with 5:15 remaining put the Marlies back in front, but the Comets answered again as Michael Chaput scored with just 35.6 seconds to play in regulation… Each team had two power plays in overtime, and both finished 1-for-7 with the man advantage for the game… Garret Sparks made 32 saves in the win for the Marlies, while Thatcher Demko stopped 44 shots in his playoff debut… Toronto has won six straight home playoff games; Utica has dropped five in a row on the road in the postseason.

North Division Semifinals – Series “C” (best-of-5)
N1-Toronto Marlies vs. N4-Utica Comets
Game 1 – Sat., Apr. 21 – TORONTO 3, Utica 2 (OT) | Recap
Game 2 – Sun., Apr. 22 – Utica at Toronto, 4:00
Game 3 – Wed., Apr. 25 – Toronto at Utica, 7:00
*Game 4 – Fri., Apr. 27 – Toronto at Utica, 7:00
*Game 5 – Sun., Apr. 29 – Utica at Toronto, 4:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern


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Game 3 – Wednesday, 7:05 ET, AHL Live
(SYR leads series, 2-0)

North Division Semifinals – Series “D” (best-of-5)
N2-Syracuse Crunch vs. N3-Rochester Americans
Game 1 – Fri., Apr. 20 – SYRACUSE 6, Rochester 2 | Recap
Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 21 – SYRACUSE 6, Rochester 5 | Recap
Game 3 – Wed., Apr. 25 – Syracuse at Rochester, 7:05
*Game 4 – Fri., Apr. 27 – Syracuse at Rochester, 7:05
*Game 5 – Sat., Apr. 28 – Rochester at Syracuse, 7:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern


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Game 2 – Today, 5:00 ET, AHL Live
(RFD leads series, 1-0)

After a big win in Rosemont last night, Rockford brings a 1-0 series lead home for Game 2 against Chicago this afternoon… Collin Delia made 31 saves and the IceHogs scored a pair of power-play goals in a 2-1 road victory in Game 1… Tyler Sikura and Adam Clendening scored for Rockford, which continued its winning ways after finishing the regular season on a 14-5-1-1 roll… Cody Franson assisted on both IceHogs goals in his first postseason game since 2015 with the Nashville Predators… Delia, who had a save percentage of .817 in three appearances vs. the Wolves in the regular season, held Chicago scoreless until Teemu Pulkkinen scored on a power play at 5:31 of the third period… Pulkkinen’s goal was the 23rd of his Calder Cup Playoff career, and his 10th goal in 13 games vs. Rockford this season… Oscar Dansk stopped 27 of 29 shots for the Wolves.

Central Division Semifinals – Series “E” (best-of-5)
C1-Chicago Wolves vs. C4-Rockford IceHogs
Game 1 – Sat., Apr. 21 – Rockford 2, CHICAGO 1 | Recap
Game 2 – Sun., Apr. 22 – Chicago at Rockford, 5:00
Game 3 – Thu., Apr. 26 – Rockford at Chicago, 8:00
*Game 4 – Sun., Apr. 29 – Chicago at Rockford, 5:00
*Game 5 – Mon., Apr. 30 – Rockford at Chicago, 8:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern


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Game 2 – Today, 3:00 ET, AHL Live
(MB leads series, 1-0)

After its first third-period rally of the season, Manitoba brings a 1-0 series lead into Game 2 against Grand Rapids today… Michael Spacek‘s goal with 1:09 remaining capped a three-goal final frame and lifted the Moose to a 3-2 win of the Griffins yesterday… Manitoba was 0-18-2-2 in the regular season — one of two AHL teams without a win — when trailing after 40 minutes… Eric Comrie, one of 12 Moose players making his Calder Cup Playoff debut in Game 1, finished with 34 saves… Jan Kostalek and Cameron Schilling also scored for Manitoba, and Chase De Leo recorded two assists… Kostalek’s goal at 6:22 of the third period ended a Moose drought of 225:29 without a goal against Grand Rapids at Bell MTS Place… Ben Street and Turner Elson had the goals for the Griffins… Tom McCollum got the start for Grand Rapids and stopped 28 shots… The Griffins outshot Manitoba 36-31 for the game, including 20-8 in the first period.

Central Division Semifinals – Series “F” (best-of-5)
C2-Grand Rapids Griffins vs. C3-Manitoba Moose
Game 1 – Sat., Apr. 21 – MANITOBA 3, Grand Rapids 2 | Recap
Game 2 – Sun., Apr. 22 – Grand Rapids at Manitoba, 3:00
Game 3 – Wed., Apr. 25 – Manitoba at Grand Rapids, 7:00
*Game 4 – Thu., Apr. 26 – Manitoba at Grand Rapids, 7:00
*Game 5 – Mon., Apr. 30 – Manitoba at Grand Rapids, 7:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern


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Game 3 – Wednesday, 10:05 ET, AHL Live
(Series tied, 1-1)

Pacific Division Semifinals – Series “G” (best-of-5)
P1-Tucson Roadrunners vs. P4-San Jose Barracuda
Game 1 – Thu., Apr. 19 – Tucson 4, SAN JOSE 2 | Recap
Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 21 – SAN JOSE 6, Tucson 3 | Recap
Game 3 – Wed., Apr. 25 – San Jose at Tucson, 10:05
*Game 4 – Fri., Apr. 27 – San Jose at Tucson, 10:05
*Game 5 – Sat., Apr. 28 – San Jose at Tucson, 10:05
*if necessary… All times Eastern


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Game 3 – Today, 6:00 ET, AHL Live
(Series tied, 1-1)

Ontario hosts Texas in Game 3 of their Pacific Division semifinal series this afternoon following a split of the first two games in Cedar Park… The Reign got in the win column on Friday night with a 5-1 victory, getting two goals from Philippe Maillet (2-0-2) and 28 saves from Cal Petersen (1-1, 2.48, .915)… Matt Luff (1-0-1), T.J. Hensick (1-0-1) and Oscar Fantenberg (1-0-1) also scored for the Reign and Brett Sutter (0-2-2) chipped in with two assists… Fourteen different members of the Reign have recorded at least one point already in the series, with Michael Mersch (0-2-2) and Alex Lintuniemi (0-2-2) the only Ontario skaters to find the scoresheet in both games… Brian Flynn (2-0-2), whose OT goal gave the Stars the win in Game 1, scored Texas’s only goal in Game 2… Mike McKenna (1-1, 3.46, .903) finished with 27 saves in Friday’s loss… Texas is 1-for-6 on the power play in the series, while Ontario is 1-for-5… Four of the Stars’ five goals in the series have come in the third period or overtime.

Pacific Division Semifinals – Series “H” (best-of-5)
P2-Texas Stars vs. P3-Ontario Reign
Game 1 – Thu., Apr. 19 – TEXAS 4, Ontario 3 (OT) | Recap
Game 2 – Fri., Apr. 20 – Ontario 5, TEXAS 1 | Recap
Game 3 – Sun., Apr. 22 – Texas at Ontario, 6:00
Game 4 – Tue., Apr. 24 – Texas at Ontario, 10:00
*Game 5 – Mon., Apr. 30 – Ontario at Texas, 8:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern


Alumni Watch
In yesterday’s Stanley Cup Playoff action, 2017-18 Second Team AHL All-Star Andreas Johnsson scored his first Stanley Cup Playoff goal to help Toronto to a 4-3 win over Boston… Andrei Vasilevskiy made 26 saves as Tampa Bay eliminated New Jersey with a 3-1 win in Game 5… Vasilevskiy, who played for the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch from 2014-16, had a .941 save percentage in the series… 2011 AHL All-Star Braden Holtby stopped 39 shots in Washington’s 4-3 overtime victory over Columbus, giving the Capitals a 3-2 series lead.


On This Date
April 22, 2017 – Tye McGinn scores at 10:37 of the second overtime to give Syracuse a 4-3 win at St. John’s.

April 22, 2011 – Robin Lehner denies Bud Holloway on a penalty shot in the second overtime period and Geoff Kinrade gets the game-winning goal five minutes later as Binghamton survives in Manchester, 2-1, to force a Game 7 of their first-round series.

April 22, 2009 – Logan Couture scores his first professional goal during a five-goal third period as Worcester evens its best-of-seven series with a 6-0 win over Hartford in Game 4.

April 22, 2003 – Steve Maltais scores 80 seconds into overtime as Chicago defeats Hershey, 3-2, in their winner-take-all Game 5.

April 22, 1998 – Hershey scores seven power-play goals in a 10-3 win at Kentucky to complete a three-game sweep of their first-round series.

April 22, 1960 – The Springfield Indians defeat Rochester, 6-3, to win their first of three consecutive Calder Cup championships.


AHL Live
Don’t miss a second on the road to the 2018 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.