AHL Morning Skate: 4.29.18

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


 vs.  
(LV wins series, 3-1)

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 – LEHIGH VALLEY 4, Providence 1 | Recap
Game 4 – Sat., Apr. 28 – LEHIGH VALLEY 4, Providence 3 (OT) | Recap


vs. button_cha200 
(CHA wins series, 3-0)

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 7, W-B/SCRANTON 3 | Recap


 @  
Game 5 – Today, 4:00 ET, AHL Live
(Series tied, 2-2)

The North Division semifinals come down to a decisive Game 5 as Toronto hosts Utica this afternoon with a trip to the second round on the line… The Comets battled back to tie the series with a pair of 5-2 wins at home earlier this week… Reid Boucher (3-0-3) scored twice in Game 4 on Friday night, giving him three goals in two games since returning to the Comets lineup… Nikolay Goldobin (0-6-6), who notched two more assists on Friday, has found the scoresheet in all four games of the series to date… Thatcher Demko (2-2, 2.59, .929) turned aside 40 shots in Game 4 for Utica… Dmytro Timashov (2-2-4) and Pierre Engvall (2-0-2) scored Toronto’s goals in Game 4… Garret Sparks (2-2, 3.41, .860) made 15 saves in the loss; the 2017-18 Baz Bastien Award winner allowed eight goals on 27 shots in his two starts in Utica (6.54, .704), but has fared much better at Ricoh Coliseum in the series (1.74, .932)… The Comets have lost nine of their last 10 visits to Toronto… Both teams have scored exactly one power-play goal in each game of the series; Toronto is 4-for-25 (16.0 percent), while Utica is 4-for-18 (22.2 percent)… There has not been a single lead change through the first four games of the series… Utica is bidding to become the 12th team in AHL history to win a best-of-five series after falling behind 0-2, and the first since Grand Rapids rallied past Toronto in 2015… This is the 174th winner-take-all playoff game in AHL history… Home teams are 107-66 (.618), including 15-4 since 2014… The Marlies are 3-3 in winner-take-all games, but a perfect 3-0 at Ricoh Coliseum… The Comets are 2-0, winning twice at home in 2015.

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 – TORONTO 5, Utica 2 | Recap
Game 3 – Wed., Apr. 25 – UTICA 5, Toronto 2 | Recap
Game 4 – Fri., Apr. 27 – UTICA 5, Toronto 2 | Recap
Game 5 – Sun., Apr. 29 – Utica at Toronto, 4:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern


vs.  
(SYR wins series, 3-0)

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 6, ROCHESTER 3 | Recap


vs. button_chi200 
(RFD wins series, 3-0)

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 – ROCKFORD 5, Chicago 2 | Recap
Game 3 – Thu., Apr. 26 – Rockford 4, CHICAGO 3 (3OT) | Recap


 @  
Game 5 – Monday, 7:00 ET, AHL Live
(Series tied, 2-2)

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 5, MANITOBA 1 | Recap
Game 3 – Wed., Apr. 25 – Manitoba 6, GRAND RAPIDS 3 | Recap
Game 4 – Thu., Apr. 26 – GRAND RAPIDS 3, Manitoba 0 | Recap
Game 5 – Mon., Apr. 30 – Manitoba at Grand Rapids, 7:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern


 vs.  
(TUC wins series, 3-1)

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 – TUCSON 6, San Jose 0 | Recap
Game 4 – Fri., Apr. 27 – TUCSON 3 San Jose 0 | Recap


 vs.  
(TEX wins series, 3-1)

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 5, ONTARIO 4 (2OT) | Recap
Game 4 – Tue., Apr. 24 – Texas 1, ONTARIO 0 | Recap


Alumni Watch
In yesterday’s Stanley Cup Playoff action, 2010 AHL All-Star Logan Couture scored at 5:13 of the second overtime period to give San Jose a 4-3 win over Vegas… Brent Burns had two goals and an assist for the Sharks, while William Karlsson scored twice for the Golden Knights… Brad Marchand (1g, 3a) and David Pastrnak (4a) tallied four points each in Boston’s 6-2 win over Tampa Bay… 2005 AHL All-Star Patrice Bergeron added two goals and an assist for the Bruins.


Working Overtime
There have been 6 overtime games played in the 2018 Calder Cup Playoffs so far:

Date Result GWG Time
Apr. 28 LEHIGH VALLEY 4, Providence 3 Maxim Lamarche 18:36
Apr. 26 Rockford 4, CHICAGO 3 Victor Ejdsell 57:22
Apr. 22 Texas 5, ONTARIO 4 Samuel Laberge 37:38
Apr. 21 TORONTO 3, Utica 2 Chris Mueller 17:48
Apr. 20 CHARLOTTE 3, W-B/Scranton 2 Lucas Wallmark 3:18
Apr. 19 TEXAS 4, Ontario 3 Brian Flynn 1:55

On This Date
April 29, 2015 – Darren Archibald‘s goal at 10:58 of overtime gives Utica a 2-1 win over Chicago and a 2-1 lead in their first-round series.

April 29, 2006 – Marc-Andre Fleury makes 27 saves and Ryan Whitney posts a goal and an assist as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton takes a 5-4 victory over Bridgeport in Game 7.

April 29, 1995 – Garth Snow stops 35 shots, including an overtime penalty shot, in the Cornwall Aces’ 5-4 win over the Binghamton Rangers.

April 29, 1972 – The Baltimore Clippers advance to their first Calder Cup Finals with a 3-1 road win over the Cincinnati Swords in Game 6.


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.