AHL Quick Hits is now the Morning Skate… Every morning, take a spin around the AHL ice with recaps and previews, news and notes, facts and figures, and the top headlines from around the American Hockey League.
THURSDAY’S SCORES:
No games scheduled
WEDNESDAY’S SCORES:
Game 1 – HERSHEY 4, W-B/Scranton 3 (HER leads, 1-0)
Game 2 – MANCHESTER 4, Providence 1 (Series tied, 1-1)
Game 1 – CHICAGO 7, Iowa 0 (CHI leads, 1-0)
WEDNESDAY’S THREE STARS:
1. Colin Stuart records a goal and three assists to lead Chicago to a Game 1 rout of Iowa.
2. Two goals and an assist from Marty Murray helps Manchester even its series with Providence.
3. Michael Garnett improves his career AHL playoff record to 7-0 by shutting out the Stars.
FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE (all times ET):
Game 2 – W-B/Scranton at Hershey, 7:00 (HER leads, 1-0)
Game 2 – Iowa at Chicago, 8:30 (CHI leads, 1-0)
2007 CALDER CUP PLAYOFFS:
Atlantic Division Final – Series "I" (best-of-7)
A1-Manchester Monarchs vs. A3-Providence Bruins || Preview
Game 1 – Tue., May 1 – Providence 6, MANCHESTER 3
Game 2 – Wed., May 2 – MANCHESTER 4, Providence 1
Game 3 – Tue., May 8 – Manchester at Providence, 7:05
Game 4 – Wed., May 9 – Manchester at Providence, 7:05
Game 5 – Sat., May 12 – Providence at Manchester, 7:35
*Game 6 – Mon., May 14 – Manchester at Providence, 7:05
*Game 7 – Wed., May 16 – Providence at Manchester, 7:05
East Division Final – Series "J" (best-of-7)
E1-Hershey Bears vs. E2-W-B/Scranton Penguins || Preview
Game 1 – Wed., May 2 – HERSHEY 4, W-B/Scranton 3
Game 2 – Fri., May 4 – W-B/Scranton at Hershey, 7:00
Game 3 – Sat., May 5 – Hershey at W-B/Scranton, 7:05
Game 4 – Wed., May 9 – Hershey at W-B/Scranton, 7:05
*Game 5 – Fri., May 11 – W-B/Scranton at Hershey, 7:00
*Game 6 – Sat., May 12 – Hershey at W-B/Scranton, 7:05
*Game 7 – Mon., May 14 – W-B/Scranton at Hershey, 7:00
North Division Final – Series "K" (best-of-7)
N1-Manitoba Moose vs. N3-Hamilton Bulldogs || Preview
Game 1 – Sat., May 5 – Hamilton at Manitoba, 8:30
Game 2 – Sun., May 6 – Hamilton at Manitoba, 8:30
Game 3 – Tue., May 8 – Manitoba at Hamilton, 7:30
Game 4 – Sat., May 12 – Manitoba at Hamilton, 7:00
*Game 5 – Sun., May 13 – Manitoba at Hamilton, 3:00
*Game 6 – Mon., May 14 – Hamilton at Manitoba, 8:30
*Game 7 – Wed., May 16 – Hamilton at Manitoba, 8:30
West Division Final – Series "L" (best-of-7)
W2-Chicago Wolves vs. W4-Iowa Stars || Preview
Game 1 – Wed., May 2 – CHICAGO 7, Iowa 0
Game 2 – Fri., May 4 – Iowa at Chicago, 8:30
Game 3 – Sun., May 6 – Chicago at Iowa, 6:05
Game 4 – Tue., May 8 – Chicago at Iowa, 8:05
*Game 5 – Thu., May 10 – Chicago at Iowa, 8:05
*Game 6 – Sat., May 12 – Iowa at Chicago, 8:00
*Game 7 – Mon., May 14 – Iowa at Chicago, 8:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern
GAME NOTES (all times ET):
Game 2 – W-B/Scranton at Hershey, 7:00 (HER leads, 1-0)
Hershey extended its winning streak to four games with a 4-3 win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the series opener on Wednesday… The Bears have won six of the last seven meetings between the teams going back to the regular season, and five straight postseason games against the Penguins including last year’s four-game sweep… After being held scoreless in five first-round games vs. Albany, Quintin Laing recorded a goal and an assist in the win… Joey Teunte scored his team-leading fourth playoff goal for Hershey… Robert Nilsson notched two assists in defeat, giving him seven points in the Penguins’ last three contests… It was the Penguins’ seventh straight Game 1 loss.
Game 2 – Iowa at Chicago, 8:30 (CHI leads, 1-0)
Chicago continued its season-long offensive mastery of Iowa with a 7-0 win in Game 1 on Wednesday… The Wolves have scored 55 goals in 11 meetings this season and have scored at least seven goals in a game vs. the Stars four times… Iowa held Darren Haydar and Brett Sterling without a point and Jason Krog managed just an empty-net goal, but Colin Stuart picked up the slack with a four-point night (1g, 3a) and Jordan LaVallee scored twice… Stuart and Brian Fahey were each a plus-4 on the night… Michael Garnett made 26 saves for the shutout and improved to 7-0 (1.39, .952) in his AHL playoff career… The Stars have been outscored 12-0 in their last two games at Allstate Arena.
MORNING HEADLINES:
WITHIN THE CIRCLE
Jason Rademan, DallasStars.com
Everywhere you look in the Iowa Stars’ dressing room, you see the slogan, "Within The Circle". Each member of the team wears a cap that bears that inscription, and on a large poster in the dressing room, each player’s signature is scrawled within a large circle. Those signatures and that circle are, to a man, how the Iowa Stars feel they are going to bounce back from [Wednesday] night’s disappointing Game One to the Chicago Wolves in the AHL West Division Finals. "We were looking for something to call our own to give us focus for this playoff run," said goaltender Dan Ellis. "’Within The Circle’ means everyone getting on the same ship, going forward and focusing on our tasks at hand. Once you signed that circle, you are held accountable. If you step out of the circle and don’t abide by what you signed, you have to answer for it." … Link
JAFFRAY LOOKS FOR OWN BLING
Kirk Penton, Winnipeg Sun
The top two snipers in the upcoming Manitoba Moose-Hamilton Bulldogs series have some history. Manitoba’s Jason Jaffray and Hamilton’s Duncan Milroy were traded for each other in a December 2001 WHL trade. What happened next still eats at Jaffray. "I was captain of that team, I got traded at Christmas, they ended up winning the Memorial Cup, and he was MVP of the playoffs," Jaffray said. "So it was a little tough to swallow knowing that could have been me." The best part for Jaffray was going back to Kootenay’s charity golf tournaments in the summer and seeing Milroy flashing his bling. And don’t think Milroy didn’t forget who was involved in the trade. "We joke about it, and he gives me a hard time," Jaffray said. "But he’s a good guy that I’ll definitely talk to throughout the series." … Link
WINGS GM PLEASED WITH GRIFFINS
Joe Conklin, Grand Rapids Press
They fell short of a championship for the 11th consecutive year. Their streak of 40-win seasons was snapped at seven. They lost in the first round of the playoffs. At first glance, it would appear the Grand Rapids Griffins had a poor season. But Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland has some advice: Look beyond the wins and losses. "Success is measured in different ways," Holland said. "Look at the number of players who have come to us from Grand Rapids over the last two years and how they’re contributing to our team in Detroit. Do we want to win a championship in Grand Rapids? Of course, we do. But player development is just as important and we’ve had that with the Griffins." … Link
TAKING STOCK OF FRANCHISE
Dave Eminian, Peoria Journal Star
Bruce Saurs saved professional hockey’s life in central Illinois when he rescued the Peoria Rivermen franchise in 1989, purchasing it from the Civic Center. Now he’d like to make sure the game, and his franchise, live on long after he’s gone. Saurs is opening the team to investors for the first time since welcoming Anne Griffith as a co-owner in 1996. Saurs says his sons, Mike, Tim and Scott, all have their own business ventures and are not likely to be owners of the team after he passes on. "It’s time for a couple of younger partners to come in with Anne and I, prepare to be the ownership for the next generation of this team. It will cost a lot less for multiple partners to buy my half, than for Anne to go it alone. It’s better this way for the team, for the fans and the game." … Link
READY TO ROCK
Derek Van Diest, Edmonton Sun
Andrew Cogliano figured it was time to move on. That’s why the Toronto native chose to forgo his last two years of school and sign with the Edmonton Oilers. Cogliano, 19, signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Oilers earlier this week. The Oilers first pick – 25th overall – in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft will attend training camp this fall. Cogliano leaves the University of Michigan with two years of eligibility remaining. Last season he scored 24 goals and added 26 assists in 38 games with the Wolverines. He finished the season ranked eighth in the NCAA in points and seventh in goals. Next year the five-foot-10, 185-pound centre will most likely play with the Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Springfield. … Link
ALUMNI WATCH:
Roberto Luongo and Dany Sabourin combined for 61 saves and Brandon Reid had an assist in his first game after being recalled from Manitoba, but Vancouver dropped a 2-1 double-overtime decision to Anaheim in Game 5 last night.
Shane Doan recorded a hat trick in Canada’s 6-3 win over Belarus at the 2007 World Championships in Russia earlier today.
BY THE NUMBERS:
76.3 – Percent (58 of 76) of Game 1 winners who have gone on to win their series, since 2003… In 2007, three teams (Providence, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Iowa) came back after dropping their first-round openers.
ON THIS DATE:
May 4, 1989 – Randy McKay scores 3:05 into the second overtime period to give Adirondack a 7-6 win over New Haven in Game 1 of the Calder Cup Final.
May 4, 1973 – Cincinnati defeats Nova Scotia, 7-3, in Game 1 of the Calder Cup Final, snapping the Voyageurs’ 12-game postseason winning streak.
May 4, 1968 – Rochester wins the Calder Cup for the third time in four years, finishing off Quebec with a 4-2 win in Game 6.
ON THE AIR:
B2 Networks brings AHL action to your computer, web-enabled cell phone or PDA throughout the Calder Cup Playoffs with live video webcasts of nearly every AHL game… Visit caldercup.com for details.
