AHL Morning Skate: 6.5.18

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 3 – Tonight, 8:00 ET, AHL Live | Series Infographic
TV: TSN2, NHL Network, Leafs Nation Network, Fox Sports Southwest Plus
Satellite Radio: NHL Network Radio (SiriusXM 91)
Follow @TorontoMarlies Follow @TexasStars Tweet #TORvsTEX

The 2018 Calder Cup Finals resume tonight as the Texas Stars host the Toronto Marlies in Game 3 at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, where Texas has won six straight home games… The Stars earned a split of the first two games of the Finals with a 2-1 win in Toronto on Sunday afternoon… Gavin Bayreuther (2-5-7) scored the winning goal early in the third period of Game 2… Curtis McKenzie (8-9-17) netted his league-leading eighth goal of the playoffs… Travis Morin (6-6-12) picked up an assist in Game 2, giving him 8-6-14 in 13 career Calder Cup Finals contests… Mike McKenna (12-5, 2.14, .933), who made 21 saves in Game 2, is 18-2 on home ice over the last two postseasons with Texas and Syracuse… Ben Smith (6-7-13) scored the Marlies’ only goal on Sunday, his fifth goal in the last six games… Garret Sparks (11-3, 2.18, .920) stopped 22 of 24 shots in Game 2… Toronto had a 10-game winning streak snapped on Sunday, tied for the second-longest ever in a single AHL postseason… After combining for 16 points in four conference finals games vs. Lehigh Valley, Toronto’s trio of Andreas Johnsson (6-9-15), Miro Aaltonen (4-6-10) and Carl Grundstrom (6-4-10) has been held scoreless by Texas through Games 1 and 2 of the Finals… Toronto won an AHL-record 30 road games during the regular season… The Stars are 8-1 this postseason when scoring the game’s first goal; the Marlies are 9-1… In Calder Cup Finals history, when a series is tied 1-1, the Game 3 winner has gone on to win the Cup 24 of 34 times (70.6 percent)… Tonight’s Game 3 is airing live on TSN2, NHL Network, Leafs Nation Network and Fox Sports Southwest Plus, as well as 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 at Texas, 8:00, TSN2, NHLN, LNN, FSSW+
Game 4 – Thu., June 7 – Toronto at Texas, 8:00, TSN2, LNN, FSSW+
Game 5 – Sat., June 9 – Toronto at Texas, 8:00, TSN2, NHLN, LNN, FSSW, FSSW+
*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

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
In the 2018 Stanley Cup Final last night, Washington moved to within one win of a Stanley Cup championship with a 6-2 victory in Game 4 last night… Former AHL All-Stars John Carlson and Brett Connolly were among six different goal-scorers for the Capitals, and Braden Holtby made 28 saves.

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

On This Date
June 5, 2013 – Tomas Jurco scores the winning goal with 6:12 remaining as Grand Rapids defeats Oklahoma City, 5-4, to advance to the Calder Cup Finals.

June 5, 2010 – Travis Morin‘s goal with 45.3 seconds left in regulation gives Texas a 4-3 win at Hershey and a 2-0 lead in the Calder Cup Finals… The Stars beat the Bears twice to open the series after Hershey had won 37 of its previous 38 home games.

June 5, 1998 – Jim Montgomery’s hat trick leads the Philadelphia Phantoms to a 6-4 win over the Saint John Flames and a 3-1 series lead in 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.