Calder Cup Finals Notebook: June 6

Philadelphia has a 2-0 lead over Chicago in the best-of-seven 2005 Calder Cup Finals, but the championship is far from won. The Phantoms and Wolves are recovering and regrouping, preparing for Wednesday night’s Game 3 at the Wachovia Center.

  • Patrick Sharp scored 3:50 into double overtime on Saturday night to give Philadelphia a 2-1 win and control of the series heading home for the next three contests.

  • Jeff Carter picked up two assists in the win, and is now tied for the AHL’s playoff scoring lead with 21 points (12g, 9a) in 19 games.

  • Steve Maltais ended the Wolves’ scoreless streak at 104:13 with a goal during a 5-on-3 advantage in the second period… Chicago still has still gone more than eight periods (163:11) without scoring at even strength.

  • Despite Maltais’s goal, the Wolves were 1-for-13 on the power play, and are now 10-for-109 (9.2%) in the postseason.

  • John Slaney answered for the Phantoms, also on a two-man advantage in the second period… Slaney and Maltais were junior teammates with the OHL’s Cornwall Royals (1988-89).

  • Antero Niittymaki made 48 saves in Game 2, and has now stopped 75 of 76 Chicago shots in the series (0.42, .987).

  • The Phantoms are 4-0 in Game 1 and 4-0 in Game 2 this postseason, but 0-3 in Game 3 so far.

  • Chicago is the only team to lose an overtime game at home during the 2005 Calder Cup Playoffs, dropping Game 2 to Philadelphia and Game 2 in the division semifinals against Houston… Overall, home teams have won seven of the nine OT games played this postseason.

  • The Wolves had only one previous two-game home losing streak this season (Nov. 27-Dec. 4), and had not lost back-to-back games played at the Allstate Arena in more than two years, since the 2003 playoffs against Grand Rapids.

  • Alexandre Picard made his professional debut for the Phantoms in Game 2… The 19-year-old defenseman, a third-round draft pick by Philadelphia in 2003, was named team MVP for Halifax (QMJHL) in 2004-05.

    QUOTABLE:

  • “Goals are going to be tough to come by. You get one goal, you’ve got a good chance to win.” — Philadelphia forward Patrick Sharp after Saturday night’s Game 2 win. The Phantoms and Wolves have combined for just four goals on 136 shots in more than seven periods of play in the series.

    ON THIS DATE:

  • June 6, 2004Simon Gamache records a goal and three assists as Milwaukee scores seven times in the first 26 minutes and cruises to a 7-2 win at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, clinching the franchise’s first Calder Cup championship in a four-game sweep.
  • June 6, 2003Stephane Veilleux scores with 1:46 left in regulation and again 2:22 into overtime as Houston beats Hamilton, 3-2, to even the Calder Cup Finals at two wins apiece.
  • June 6, 1999 — Providence takes a 2-0 series lead in the Calder Cup Final with a 6-0 rout of Rochester behind 27 saves by future Stanley Cup-winning goaltender John Grahame.

    2005 Calder Cup Finals schedule