Complete Schedule || Playoff Brackets || Scoreboard || League Leaders || Series Previews
Game 2 – 6:00 ET, AHL Live (STJ leads series, 1-0)
Two breakaway goals by Brock Trotter were the difference in Game 1 as St. John’s grabbed a 3-1 decision from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last night to take the early lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series… With Game 2 tonight, the Penguins will look to pull even before heading home for the next three games… Cal O’Reilly (4-0-4) opened the scoring just 4:42 into last night’s match, converting for his league-leading fourth power-play goal of the playoffs… O’Reilly has four goals in six games this postseason, matching his output from 31 playoff games with Milwaukee from 2006-09 (4-11-15)… Trotter (3-3-6) tied things up 7:25 into the second period, then gave St. John’s its first lead at 2:27 of the third… Garth Murray (1-2-3) converted off a Wilkes-Barre turnover with 1:54 left in regulation to provide the final margin, his fourth goal in 63 career Calder Cup Playoff games… Brad Thiessen (3-3, 2.33, .897) made 20 of his 34 saves in the first period, including one on a Jason King penalty shot, as his Penguins were outshot 20-4… Eddie Pasquale (4-1, 2.16, .935) finished with 19 saves on the night… Going back to the regular season, the IceCaps have now won four straight at home, while the Penguins have lost five in a row on the road.
Game 1 – 7:15 ET, AHL Live
Norfolk and Connecticut begin their Eastern Conference semifinal tonight at Scope… The Admirals ousted Manchester in four games in the first round, finishing up with a 4-3 overtime win in Game 4 on Friday night, while the Whale completed a three-game sweep of Bridgeport 10 days ago, also with a 4-3 OT decision… Alexandre Picard is Norfolk’s leading playoff scorer with 4-4-8 in four games, including a pair of power-play markers… The Admirals’ offense was powered by their corps of rookies during the regular season, but Alex Killorn (1-5-6) and Philip-Michael Devos (1-0-1) were the only first-year pros to find the net for Norfolk in the first round… Trevor Smith (2-4-6), Mark Barberio (2-1-3) and Brandon Segal (2-1-3) had two goals apiece for the Admirals… Marek Hrivik, signed to a tryout by Connecticut out of juniors on Mar. 30, led the Whale with 4-0-4 in the opening round, including two goals in the series-clinching Game 3 win… Ryan Bourque (2-1-3) was the only other Whale skater with more than one goal in the series… Cameron Talbot (3-0, 0.92, .977) stopped 127 of 130 shots vs. Bridgeport, including shutouts in Games 1 and 2… Norfolk has won 10 of the last 12 meetings between these teams, including all four in 2011-12.
From Calder to Stanley
David Clarkson scored the go-ahead goal with 8:33 remaining in regulation as New Jersey scored four times in the third period and defeated Philadelphia, 4-1, in Game 2 of their second-round NHL playoff series last night… Adam Henrique, Stephen Gionta and Peter Harrold, who all spent time in the AHL with Albany this season, recorded an assist apiece in the comeback… Matt Read, who had 7-6-13 in 11 AHL games with Adirondack at the end of the 2010-11 season, scored the only goal for the Flyers.
By the Numbers
4-0 – Abbotsford’s record all-time in Game 1’s, following last night’s 3-1 victory in Toronto… The Heat opened all four series on the road.
1,291 – Different players who have won the Calder Cup during its first 75 years of competition, from Dennis Abgrall to Rick Zombo.
On This Date
May 2, 2010 – Chicago gets a goal from Anthony Stewart at 12:21 of the second overtime to defeat Texas, 4-3, in Game 2 of their West Division final.
May 2, 2008 – Bobby Ryan ties the game with 57 seconds left in regulation and Brendan Mikkelson scores 5:20 into overtime as Portland stuns Providence, 4-3, to cut its series deficit in the Atlantic Division Finals to 2-1.
May 2, 2003 – Trent Hunter scores with 21.4 seconds left in regulation to give Bridgeport a 3-2 win over Binghamton and even their conference semifinal series at 2-2.
May 2, 2000 – Roberto Luongo makes 38 saves in a losing effort as Providence completes a four-game sweep of Lowell with a 6-3 victory.
May 2, 1999 – Evgeni Nabokov’s 19-save shutout propels Kentucky into the second round with a 2-0 victory in a decisive Game 5 vs. Hershey.
May 2, 1995 – Donald Brashear records a hat trick to lead Fredericton to a 7-2 win over the Prince Edward Island Senators.
AHL Live
Don’t miss a second on the road to the 2012 Calder Cup championship. AHL Live brings AHL action to your computer all season long with live video webcasts and highlights of every AHL game, as well as behind-the-scenes features and interviews in the Video On Demand section… Visit ahllive.com for details.
