AHL Morning Skate: The Cup is in the house tonight

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.

WEDNESDAY’S SCORES:

Game 3 – Chicago 6, W-B/SCRANTON 1 (CHI leads, 3-0)

WEDNESDAY’S THREE STARS:

1. Jesse Schultz scored twice in Chicago’s five-goal second-period outburst as the Wolves took a 6-1 win over the Pens in Game 3.

2. Joel Kwiatkowski lit the lamp for a seventh straight game, tying the AHL’s all-time record for a defenseman.

3. Wolves goaltender Ondrej Pavelec made 11 of his 24 saves in the first period to set the stage for his team’s offensive onslaught.

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE (all times ET):

Game 4 – Chicago at W-B/Scranton, 7:35 (CHI leads, 3-0)

2008 CALDER CUP PLAYOFFS:

Complete Results || Scoring Leaders || Goaltending Leaders

 

2008 Calder Cup Finals – Series “O” (best-of-7)

W1-Chicago Wolves vs. E1-Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Game 1 – Thu., May 29 – CHICAGO 5, W-B/Scranton 4

Game 2 – Sun., June 1 – CHICAGO 4, W-B/Scranton 2

Game 3 – Wed., June 4 – Chicago 6, W-B/SCRANTON 1

Game 4 – Fri., June 6 – Chicago at W-B/Scranton, 7:35

*Game 5 – Sat., June 7 – Chicago at W-B/Scranton, 7:35

*Game 6 – Tue., June 10 – W-B/Scranton at Chicago, 8:00

*Game 7 – Thu., June 12 – W-B/Scranton at Chicago, 8:00

 

*if necessary… All times Eastern 

GAME NOTES (all times ET):

Game 4 – Chicago at W-B/Scranton, 7:35

TV: NHL Network, Comcast Channel 100 (Chicago)

Video Webcast: B2 Networks
Official Media Notes (PDF – 503 KB)
Chicago gets four cracks at winning its second Calder Cup as it takes a 3-0 series lead into Game 4 at the Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre tonight… The Wolves have won nine of their last 10 games overall and own a 3-0 series lead over the Penguins, an advantage that has never been squandered in Calder Cup Finals history… Only Rochester (1960 vs. Cleveland) and Adirondack (1989 vs. Hershey) have rallied to win any AHL playoff series from a three-games-to-none deficit… The Wolves erupted for five goals in the second period and rolled to a 6-1 win in Game 3 on Wednesday… Kurtis McLean’s first-period goal gave the Penguins the lead for the first time in the series, but Chicago answered with five goals – all at even strength – in 10:59… Joel Kwiatkowski began the flurry by scoring in his seventh consecutive game, tying the all-time AHL record for defensemen set by Springfield’s Brian Chapman during the 1992-93 regular season… Jesse Schultz scored twice to make it 3-1, his first multiple-point game of these playoffs and his second and third goals of the series… Jordan LaVallee’s Game 3 goal gives him four points (2-2-4) in the series… Matt Anderson added his first playoff goal of this spring, and rookie Mike Hamilton notched his first career AHL goal to cap the scoring… Joey Crabb registered two assists for Chicago… Jason Krog (12 games, 9-13-22) and Darren Haydar (11 games, 4-15-19) extended their scoring streaks with an assist apiece… Krog’s streak is the longest in an AHL postseason since Haydar’s 14-game run with Milwaukee in 2006… Chicago was 0-for-2 on the power play in Game 3, ending its streak of nine straight games with at least one PPG… Ondrej Pavelec made 24 saves and improved to 15-6 in the playoffs (2.18, .926)… With his assist on Wednesday, Alex Goligoski has now figured into the scoring on all seven of the Penguins’ goals during the Calder Cup Finals (1-6-7), and his 27 overall points (4-23-27) are second in the AHL this year and one shy of the league record for a rookie (Mike Sillinger, 1992)… Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is 2-0 in elimination games this postseason after winning Games 6 and 7 of the conference finals against Portland… The Pens have dropped nine straight Calder Cup Finals games since a 6-4 victory over Saint John in Game 4 of the 2001 championship season… Chicago is 15-5 all-time with a chance to close out a Calder Cup Playoff series, but 0-3 in Game 4’s in 2008.

 

 

2008 CALDER CUP FINALS LIVE ON NHL NETWORK:

The American Hockey League has announced that the entire the 2008 Calder Cup Finals series between the Chicago Wolves and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins will be televised live on NHL Network in the United States and Canada. The Wolves’ broadcast team of veteran play-by-play announcer Pat Foley, analyst Bill Gardner and rinkside reporter Judd Sirott will handle the call.

https://theahl.com/news/league/index.html?article_id=8748

MORNING HEADLINES:

 

WOLVES NEED FIRE TO ICE IT TONIGHT

Tim Gall, Chicago Sun-Times

Captain Darren Haydar expects the Wolves to come out fired up tonight as they try to sweep their way to the Calder Cup championship. They lead the series with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 3-0, and with one more victory, they’ll capture their second American Hockey League title since joining the league in 2001. “The hardest game to win is the game to send a team home for the summer,” Haydar said. “We just have to come out and match their intensity. If we think they’re going to hand it to us, then we’re in real trouble.” Coach John Anderson said it’s important not to let the Penguins gain momentum. “Whenever you have a chance to close a team out, you don’t want to let it go by,” he said. “You want to take advantage as soon as you can. We’re going to put our pedal to the metal and hopefully come out and win it.”

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/hockey/wolves/991241,CST-SPT-wolves06.article

 

RICHARDS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT WINNING

Tom Venesky, Wilkes-Barre Times Leader

Use all the clichés you want. The task faced by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to come back from a 3-0 deficit in the Calder Cup finals is a difficult one. It’s a steep mountain to climb. An uphill battle, if you will. Just don’t tell head coach Todd Richards it’s insurmountable. Richards and the Penguins face the Chicago Wolves in Game 4 of the Calder Cup finals at 7:35 p.m. today at Wachovia Arena. The Wolves can clinch the championship of the best-of-seven series with a win. A Penguins win would force Game 5 on Saturday in Wilkes-Barre Township. Richards was a key member of a team that did come back from a 3-0 deficit in the playoffs.

http://www.timesleader.com/sports/Richards_optimistic_about_winning_06-06-2008.html

 

BONVIE: FIGHT’S NOT OVER

Jonathan Bombulie, The Citizen’s Voice

Dennis Bonvie said farewell to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton fans in an emotional ceremony after the Penguins closed out the regular season against the Norfolk Admirals on April 12. Now, 20 games and almost two months later, here Bonvie is, still alive and kicking. That could change tonight, of course, when the Chicago Wolves look to complete a sweep in Game 4 of the Calder Cup finals at the Wachovia Arena. And given the way the first three games of the series have gone, it would be a major upset if Bonvie were able to postpone his ride off into the sunset for even a few more days. But that’s precisely what he aims to do.

http://www.citizensvoice.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19751846&BRD=2259&PAG=461&dept_id=460522&rfi=6

 

EVEN WITHOUT HERSHEY, CHOCOLATE FLOWS IN CUP

Tim Leone, Harrisburg Patriot-News

For the past two seasons, Joe Motzko’s had a knack for being in the right place at the right time. An in-season trade delivered the right winger to the Anaheim organization in 2006-07, and he got his name on the Stanley Cup. In 2007-08, Motzko went from the Hershey Bears to the Chicago Wolves in exchange for Alex Giroux in a trade deadline deal. And after Wednesday night’s 6-1 victory over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at the Wachovia Arena, the Wolves are one triumph away from clinching the Calder Cup. “It’s pretty unbelievable,” Motzko said. “Some guys go their whole careers and don’t get a chance to play for a title. I’ve gotten to for two years in a row. I’m enjoying the ride, that’s for sure.”

http://www.pennlive.com/hersheybears/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/sports/1212639909286460.xml&coll=1<