AHL Morning Skate: 6.7.18

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 4 – Tonight, 8:00 ET, AHL Live | Series Infographic
TV: TSN2, Leafs Nation Network, Fox Sports Southwest Plus
(TOR leads series, 2-1)

Texas hosts Toronto in Game 4 of the 2018 Calder Cup Finals tonight… The Marlies retook the series lead on Tuesday with a 2-1 victory in Game 3, their fifth consecutive road win… Former Star Chris Mueller (4-10-14) and defenseman Calle Rosen (2-5-7) scored for Toronto, while Garret Sparks (12-3, 2.10, .921) made 19 saves… Andreas Johnsson (6-10-16) picked up an assist in Game 3, his first point of the Finals… Sheldon Dries (8-0-8) scored the only Texas goal on Tuesday, tying teammate Curtis McKenzie (8-9-17) for the AHL lead with eight goals on the postseason… Mike McKenna (12-6, 2.13, .933) turned away 22 of 24 shots in the loss, the Stars’ fourth defeat in the last six games… McKenna made his 63rd career Calder Cup Playoff appearance in Game 3, tying Gil Mayer for seventh on the all-time list among goaltenders; 40 of those games have come over the last two postseasons… Texas saw a six-game home winning streak end on Tuesday… Thirteen of the Stars’ 18 playoff games have been decided by a single goal… The Marlies have allowed two goals or fewer 11 times in 16 postseason outings… Toronto is 1-for-9 on the power play in the series, while Texas is 3-for-8… Toronto and Texas were a combined 17-0 when scoring the game’s first goal this postseason entering the Finals; the team scoring first is 0-3 in the series… After putting up 71 shots on goal in Game 1, the two teams have totaled 90 shots in Games 2 and 3 combined… This is the ninth time in AHL history that the first three games of a Calder Cup Finals series have all ended in one-goal margins (see below)… Each of the first three games of the series have been sold out… Tonight’s Game 4 is airing live on TSN2, Leafs Nation Network and Fox Sports Southwest Plus, and can be seen on NHL Network tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET.

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 – 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


Keeping It Close
For just the ninth time in AHL history, the first three games of the Calder Cup Finals have all ended in one-goal margins:

2018 Game 1 – TORONTO 6, Texas 5
2018 Game 2 – Texas 2, TORONTO 1
2018 Game 3 – Toronto 2, TEXAS 1

2015 Game 1 – MANCHESTER 3, Utica 2 (OT)
2015 Game 2 – MANCHESTER 2, Utica 1 (OT)
2015 Game 3 – UTICA 3, Manchester 2

2005 Game 1 – Philadelphia 1, CHICAGO 0
2005 Game 2 – Philadelphia 2, CHICAGO 1 (2OT)
2005 Game 3 – PHILADELPHIA 2, Chicago 1

1998 Game 1 – PHILADELPHIA 3, Saint John 2 (2OT)
1998 Game 2 – Saint John 3, PHILADELPHIA 2 (OT)
1998 Game 3 – Philadelphia 4, SAINT JOHN 3 (OT)

1981 Game 1 – MAINE 3, Adirondack 2
1981 Game 2 – Adirondack 4, MAINE 3
1981 Game 2 – ADIRONDACK 1, Maine 0

1974 Game 1 – HERSHEY 4, Providence 3 (OT)
1974 Game 2 – HERSHEY 3, Providence 2
1974 Game 3 – Hershey 4, PROVIDENCE 3 (OT)

1942 Game 1 – INDIANAPOLIS 5, Hershey 4
1942 Game 2 – Hershey 5, INDIANAPOLIS 4 (OT)
1942 Game 3 – Indianapolis 2, HERSHEY 1

1940 Game 1 – PROVIDENCE 4, Pittsburgh 3
1940 Game 2 – PROVIDENCE 4, Pittsburgh 3
1940 Game 3 – Providence 4, PITTSBURGH 3

1938 Game 1 – PROVIDENCE 5, Syracuse 4 (OT)
1938 Game 2 – PROVIDENCE 2, Syracuse 1 (OT)
1938 Game 3 – SYRACUSE 4, Providence 3 (OT)


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 2018 Stanley Cup Final continues tonight with Game 5 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas… On Monday, Washington moved to within one win of its first championship with a 6-2 victory in Game 4… The Capitals’ Barry Trotz is looking to become just the seventh head coach in history to win both a Stanley Cup and a Calder Cup (Portland Pirates, 1994).


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 7, 2017 – Syracuse defeats Grand Rapids, 5-3, to cut their series deficit to 2-1 in the Calder Cup Finals.

June 7, 2015 – Manchester wins its second consecutive overtime game to take a 2-0 lead over Utica in the Calder Cup Finals as Nic Dowd scores 5:36 into the extra session.

June 7, 2012 – Michael Kostka is credited with the winning goal 9:09 into overtime when his dump-in hits a stanchion and caroms into the Toronto net, giving Norfolk a 1-0 win and a 3-0 series lead in the Calder Cup Finals.

June 7, 2011 – The Binghamton Senators win the Calder Cup — the first in 29 seasons of AHL hockey in the city — with a 3-2 victory over Houston in Game 6 of the Calder Cup Finals.

June 7, 2010 – Already trailing 0-2 in the series, Hershey rallies from two goals down and defeats Texas, 6-3, behind two goals each from Mathieu Perreault and Andrew Gordon.

June 7, 2009 – Michal Neuvirth stops 30 of 31 shots as Hershey takes a 3-1 series lead in the Calder Cup Finals with a 2-1 win over Manitoba in Game 4.

June 7, 2008 – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton scores five unanswered goals over the game’s final 28 minutes, staving off elimination for a second straight night with a 5-1 victory over Chicago in Game 5 of the Calder Cup Finals.

June 7, 2007 – In front of 14,205 fans at Copps Coliseum, Ajay Baines’ shorthanded goal midway through the third period lifts Hamilton to a 2-1 win over Hershey and the Bulldogs’ first Calder Cup championship.

June 7, 2003 – Houston grabs a 3-2 series lead in the Calder Cup Finals with a 6-4 win over Hamilton in the last game ever played at the Compaq Center.

June 7, 1998 – Martin St. Louis records three assists as Saint John avoids elimination with a 6-1 home win over Philadelphia in Game 5 of the Calder Cup Finals.

June 7, 1997 – After a wild third period that saw five goals scored in the final 12:12 of regulation, Mike McHugh scores 56 seconds into overtime to give Hershey a 6-5 win over Hamilton and a 2-0 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.