AHL Morning Skate: 5.6.18

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 – Tuesday, 7:00 ET, AHL Live
(Series tied, 1-1)
 

Atlantic Division Finals – Series “I” (best-of-7)
A1-Lehigh Valley Phantoms vs. A3-Charlotte Checkers
Game 1 – Fri., May 4 – LEHIGH VALLEY 2, Charlotte 1 | Recap
Game 2 – Sat., May 5 – Charlotte 6, LEHIGH VALLEY 0 | Recap
Game 3 – Tue., May 8 – Lehigh Valley at Charlotte, 7:00
Game 4 – Wed., May 9 – Lehigh Valley at Charlotte, 7:00
Game 5 – Sat., May 12 – Lehigh Valley at Charlotte, 6:00
*Game 6 – Mon., May 14 – Charlotte at Lehigh Valley, 7:05
*Game 7 – Tue., May 15 – Charlotte at Lehigh Valley, 7:05
*if necessary… All times Eastern


 
Game 3 – Tonight, 7:00 ET, AHL Live
(TOR leads series, 2-0)

The North Division Finals shift east to the Onondaga County War Memorial Arena as Syracuse hosts Toronto in Game 3 tonight… The Marlies took a 2-0 series lead with a 2-1 win in double overtime yesterday, with Frederik Gauthier (1-5-6) scoring the decisive goal at 15:10 of the second OT… Garret Sparks (5-2, 2.40, .916) stopped 46 of 47 shots in Game 2, allowing only a Matthew Peca goal (3-6-9) midway through the second period… Peca, who missed Game 1 of the series, now leads the AHL with nine points in four games played this postseason… Sparks improved to 5-0 (1.53, .949) at Ricoh Coliseum in these playoffs, but is 0-2 (6.54, .704) on the road entering tonight’s contest… Crunch rookie Connor Ingram (1-1, 1.93, .946) made 55 saves in the loss… Mitchell Stephens (1-5-6) recorded an assist for Syracuse in Game 2, and now has points in all five postseason games… After his Game 2 goal for Toronto, Mason Marchment (2-1-3) has three points in the division finals after going scoreless in five first-round games… Last night’s contest was the longest game in Crunch franchise history, and the third-longest game ever for the Marlies… Syracuse is 13-1 at home over the last two postseasons, including a 4-0 mark against Toronto in last year’s division finals… The Crunch are 4-for-14 on the power play (28.6 percent) in the 2018 playoffs; the Marlies are 8-for-40 (20.0 percent)… Toronto won an AHL-record 30 road games during the regular season, but lost both road games in the first round vs. Utica.

North Division Finals – Series “J” (best-of-7)
N1-Toronto Marlies vs. N2-Syracuse Crunch
Game 1 – Thu., May 3 – TORONTO 6, Syracuse 4 | Recap
Game 2 – Sat., May 5 – TORONTO 2, Syracuse 1 (2OT) | Recap
Game 3 – Sun., May 6 – Toronto at Syracuse, 7:00
Game 4 – Tue., May 8 – Toronto at Syracuse, 7:00
*Game 5 – Sat., May 12 – Syracuse at Toronto, 4:00
*Game 6 – Mon., May 14 – Toronto at Syracuse, 7:00
*Game 7 – Wed., May 16 – Syracuse at Toronto, 7:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern


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Game 3 – Wednesday, 8:00 ET, AHL Live
(RFD leads series, 2-0)

Central Division Finals – Series “K” (best-of-7)
C3-Manitoba Moose vs. C4-Rockford IceHogs
Game 1 – Fri., May 4 – Rockford 4, MANITOBA 2 | Recap
Game 2 – Sat., May 5 – Rockford 4, MANITOBA 1 | Recap
Game 3 – Wed., May 9 – Manitoba at Rockford, 8:00
Game 4 – Fri., May 11 – Manitoba at Rockford, 8:00
*Game 5 – Sat., May 12 – Manitoba at Rockford, 7:00
*Game 6 – Tue., May 15 – Rockford at Manitoba, 8:00
*Game 7 – Wed., May 16 – Rockford at Manitoba, 8:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern


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Game 3 – Monday, 8:00 ET, AHL Live
(Series tied, 1-1)

Pacific Division Finals – Series “L” (best-of-7)
P1-Tucson Roadrunners vs. P2-Texas Stars
Game 1 – Wed., May 2 – TUCSON 2, Texas 1 (OT) | Recap
Game 2 – Fri., May 4 – Texas 4, TUCSON 1 | Recap
Game 3 – Mon., May 7 – Tucson at Texas, 8:00
Game 4 – Wed., May 9 – Tucson at Texas, 8:00
Game 5 – Fri., May 11 – Tucson at Texas, 8:00
*Game 6 – Sun., May 13 – Texas at Tucson, 10:05
*Game 7 – Mon., May 14 – Texas at Tucson, 10:05
*if necessary… All times Eastern


Alumni Watch
In last night’s Stanley Cup Playoff action, Jakub Vrana, who reached the 2016 Calder Cup Finals with Hershey, recorded a goal and two assists and was named the game’s first star in Washington’s 6-3 win over Pittsburgh… Vrana recorded 10-10-20 in 38 career Calder Cup Playoff games with the Bears… Kyle Connor led the way with two goals and an assist and earned first-star honors in Winnipeg’s 6-2 win at Nashville… Connor scored 25 goals in 52 AHL games as a rookie with the Manitoba Moose in 2016-17.


Working Overtime
There have been 8 overtime games played in the 2018 Calder Cup Playoffs so far:

Date Result GWG Time
May 5 TORONTO 2, Syracuse 1 Frederik Gauthier 35:10
May 2 TUCSON 2, Texas 1 Michael Bunting 8:53
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
May 6, 2017 – Cory Conacher scores two shorthanded goals and Matthew Peca adds to goals of his own in Syracuse’s 8-5 win over Toronto in Game 2 of their second-round series.

May 6, 2015  Zach O’Brien scores 4:13 into the third overtime period as Manchester outlasts Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 4-3, in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

May 6, 2008 – Four Marlies record three points apiece in Toronto’s 8-2 win at Syracuse in Game 3 of their second-round matchup.

May 6, 1983 – The Rochester Americans advance to the Calder Cup Finals with a 4-2 win over New Haven in Game at a sold-out Rochester War Memorial.

May 6, 1980 – Darryl Sutter scores 6:01 into overtime, giving New Brunswick a 3-2 win over Maine in Game 6 and sending the Hawks into the Calder Cup Finals.


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.