AHL Morning Skate: 6.12.18

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


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Game 6 – Tonight, 7:00 ET, AHL Live | Series Infographic
TV: TSN2, NHL Network, Leafs Nation Network
Satellite Radio: NHL Network Radio (SiriusXM 91)
(TOR leads series, 3-2)

Toronto brings a 3-2 series lead in the Calder Cup Finals back home to Ricoh Coliseum as it hosts Texas in Game 6 tonight… The Marlies are one victory away from bringing Toronto its first men’s professional hockey championship since the Maple Leafs captured the Stanley Cup in 1967… Andreas Johnsson (8-12-20) had a goal and two assists for Toronto in Saturday’s 6-2 victory, taking over the league postseason scoring lead with 20 points in 14 games… Calle Rosen (4-5-9) scored twice in Game 5, giving him three goals in the Finals and four in the playoffs after scoring four times in 62 regular-season outings… Carl Grundstrom (7-5-12) picked up a goal and an assist as well… The Marlies scored twice on their first three shots of the game, taking a 2-0 lead just 2:19 into the contest… Garret Sparks (13-4, 2.15, .918) made 23 saves for the win… Gavin Bayreuther (3-5-8) and Sheldon Dries (9-0-9) had the goals for the Stars in Game 5… Texas’s Justin Dowling (4-11-15) and Travis Morin (6-8-14) were both scoreless on Saturday, but they still lead all skaters in Finals scoring with 2-4-6 each… Mike McKenna (13-7, 2.30, .927) stopped 17 of 22 shots in two periods of work in Game 5; Landon Bow made seven saves in his first appearance for the Stars since Apr. 22 at Ontario… Twelve different Marlies skaters have scored a goal in the Finals; the Stars have gotten goals from six players in the series… Toronto finished 36-8-1-2 on the road in 2017-18, including 6-3 in the playoffs… The Stars are 3-0 this postseason when trailing in a series, including 2-0 in the Finals… Toronto scored more goals in Game 5 (six) than it did in Games 2-4 of the series combined (five)… The road team has owned the advantage in shots on goal in each of the first five games of the Finals… With Saturday’s victory, the Marlies are 11-0 in the playoffs and 60-4-1-0 overall this season when scoring at least three goals in a game… The Finals were tied at 2-2 for the 21st time in the best-of-seven format; the Game 5 winner is 19-1 in the previous 20 series… Texas is looking to become the first team ever to win Games 6 and 7 of the Calder Cup Finals on the road… The Calder Cup has been awarded on June 12th twice in history, and both times on Canadian soil (2003 in Hamilton, 2009 in Winnipeg)… Game 6 is airing live this evening on TSN2, NHL Network and Leafs Nation Network, and can also be heard on NHL Network Radio (SiriusXM 91).

2018 Calder Cup Finals (best-of-7)
N1-Toronto Marlies vs. P2-Texas Stars
Game 1 – Sat., June 2 – TORONTO 6, Texas 5 | Recap/Highlights
Game 2 – Sun., June 3 – Texas 2, TORONTO 1 | Recap/Highlights
Game 3 – Tue., June 5 – Toronto 2, TEXAS 1 | Recap/Highlights
Game 4 – Thu., June 7 – TEXAS 3, Toronto 2 | Recap/Highlights
Game 5 – Sat., June 9 – Toronto 6, TEXAS 2 | Recap/Highlights
Game 6 – Tue., June 12 – Texas at Toronto, 7:00, TSN2, NHLN, LNN
*Game 7 – Thu., June 14 – Texas at Toronto, 7:00, TSN2, NHLN, LNN
*if necessary… All times Eastern


Catch-22
Toronto’s 22-point advantage over Texas in the regular-season standings represents the 10th-largest differential ever in the Calder Cup Finals; a Stars win would match the biggest upset (by points) in Finals history.

34 – 1995, Albany River Rats (109) def. Fredericton Canadiens (75), 4-0
33 – 1956, Providence Reds (92) def. Cleveland Barons (59), 4-0
33 – 1949, Providence Reds (94) def. Hershey Bears (61), 4-3
32 – 1997, Hershey Bears (101) def. Hamilton Bulldogs (69), 4-1
28 – 1952, Pittsburgh Hornets (95) def. Providence Reds (67), 4-2
24 – 2010, Hershey Bears (123) def. Texas Stars (99), 4-2
24 – 1951, Cleveland Barons (93) def. Pittsburgh Hornets (69), 4-3
23 – 1965, Rochester Americans (99) def. Hershey Bears (76), 4-1
23 – 1961, Springfield Indians (99) def. Hershey Bears (76), 4-0
22 – 2018, Toronto Marlies (112) vs. Texas Stars (90)
22 – 1981, Maine Mariners (97) lost to Adirondack Red Wings (75), 4-2
22 – 1969, Hershey Bears (88) def. Quebec Aces (66), 4-1


About the Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is named for Frank Calder, the first president of the NHL (1917-43) and one of the driving forces behind the formation of the American Hockey League.

While the AHL’s history dates back to the fall of 1936, the Calder Cup trophy was first awarded in 1938 to the Providence Reds for winning the second International-American Hockey League championship. (In 1996, George Parsons of the Syracuse Stars was presented the Calder Cup in a ceremony at the Onondaga County War Memorial; it is believed the Stars never received a trophy for their 1937 championship.)

In 2001, the trophy’s base was changed to include two tiers of plaques, which feature the rosters of each of the last 20 Calder Cup champions; the plaques from the first 61 champions are on display in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. The entire trophy now stands 24 inches tall and weighs 28 pounds. The bowl, made of sterling silver, is 12 inches high and eight inches in diameter; the base is made of Brazilian mahogany.


Calder Cup Finals History
Last 20 Calder Cup Finals results and Jack Butterfield Trophy winners (playoff MVP):

2017 – Grand Rapids Griffins 4, Syracuse Crunch 2 (Tyler Bertuzzi, GR)
2016 – Lake Erie Monsters 4, Hershey Bears 0 (Oliver Bjorkstrand, LE)
2015 – Manchester Monarchs 4, Utica Comets 1 (Jordan Weal, MCH)
2014 – Texas Stars 4, St. John’s IceCaps 1 (Travis Morin, TEX)
2013 – Grand Rapids Griffins 4, Syracuse Crunch 2 (Tomas Tatar, GR)
2012 – Norfolk Admirals 4, Toronto Marlies 0 (Alexandre Picard, NOR)
2011 – Binghamton Senators 4, Houston Aeros 2 (Robin Lehner, BNG)
2010 – Hershey Bears 4, Texas Stars 2 (Chris Bourque, HER)
2009 – Hershey Bears 4, Manitoba Moose 2 (Michal Neuvirth, HER)
2008 – Chicago Wolves 4, W-B/Scranton Penguins 2 (Jason Krog, CHI)
2007 – Hamilton Bulldogs 4, Hershey Bears 1 (Carey Price, HAM)
2006 – Hershey Bears 4, Milwaukee Admirals 2 (Frederic Cassivi, HER)
2005 – Philadelphia Phantoms 4, Chicago Wolves 0 (Antero Niittymaki, PHI)
2004 – Milwaukee Admirals 4, W-B/Scranton Penguins 0 (Wade Flaherty, MIL)
2003 – Houston Aeros 4, Hamilton Bulldogs 3 (Johan Holmqvist, HOU)
2002 – Chicago Wolves 4, Bridgeport Sound Tigers 1 (Pasi Nurminen, CHI)
2001 – Saint John Flames 4, W-B/Scranton Penguins 2 (Steve Begin, SJN)
2000 – Hartford Wolf Pack 4, Rochester Americans 2 (Derek Armstrong, HFD)
1999 – Providence Bruins 4, Rochester Americans 1 (Peter Ferraro, PRO)
1998 – Philadelphia Phantoms 4, Saint John Flames 2 (Mike Maneluk, PHI)


Alumni Watch
The Washington Capitals won the 2018 Stanley Cup championship with a 4-3 victory over Vegas last Thursday night… Braden Holtby, John Carlson and Jay Beagle became the 123rd, 124th and 125th players ever to win both the Calder Cup and Stanley Cup in their careers… Barry Trotz became just the seventh head coach in history to win both a Stanley Cup and a Calder Cup (Portland Pirates, 1994), joining Fred Shero, Al MacNeil, Mike Keenan, Bob Hartley, John Tortorella and Peter Laviolette.


Working Overtime
There have been 16 overtime games played in the 2018 Calder Cup Playoffs so far (*indicates series-ending goal):

Date Result GWG Time
May 28 TEXAS 2, Rockford 1 Roope Hintz 19:51*
May 24 ROCKFORD 3, Texas 2 Victor Ejdsell 2:32
May 22 Texas 6, ROCKFORD 5 Curtis McKenzie 5:12
May 20 TEXAS 3, Rockford 2 Curtis McKenzie 10:46
May 20 TORONTO 3, Lehigh Valley 2 Miro Aaltonen 10:59
May 11 TEXAS 3, Tucson 2 Joel L’Esperance 8:43*
May 9 Lehigh Valley 2, CHARLOTTE 1 Alex Krushelnyski 86:48
May 7 TEXAS 5, Tucson 4 Sheldon Dries 13:36
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
June 12, 2015 – Nic Dowd scores twice, Nick Shore tallies a goal and two assists and Manchester doubles up Utica, 6-3, to take a 3-1 series lead in the Calder Cup Finals.

June 12, 2013 – Jan Mursak scores the go-ahead goal with 4:49 left in regulation and Grand Rapids takes a 3-0 Finals series lead with a 4-2 win over Syracuse.

June 12, 2009 – In front of 15,003 fans at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, the Hershey Bears wrap up their 10th Calder Cup championship with a 4-1 win over Manitoba in Game 6 of the Finals… Rookie goaltender Michal Neuvirth is named playoffs MVP.

June 12, 2003 – Johan Holmqvist makes 31 saves and Houston shuts out Hamilton, 3-0, to win the Calder Cup in Game 7 in front of 17,428 fans at Copps Coliseum — at the time the largest playoff crowd in AHL history.


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.