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AHL Morning Skate: 6.4.17

Photo: Sam Iannamico

Take a game-day spin around the AHL ice with latest news and notes from the 2017 Calder Cup Playoffs in today’s AHL Morning Skate.

Playoff Brackets | Today’s Scoreboard | League Stats


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Game 3 – Wednesday, 7:00 ET – AHL Live free-view, SiriusXM 91
(GR leads series, 2-0)
 

Ben Street scored 7:02 into the second overtime period to lift Grand Rapids to a 6-5 win in a roller-coaster Game 2 of the Calder Cup Finals last night… The Griffins take a 2-0 series lead to Syracuse for Game 3 on Wednesday… The Crunch erased four separate one-goal deficits in Game 2, including two in the third period after falling behind 4-3 and 5-4… It was the first double-OT game in the Finals since 2005 (Game 2, Philadelphia vs. Chicago), and the highest-scoring Finals game since 2004 (Game 2, Milwaukee vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton).

2017 Calder Cup Finals – Series “O” (best-of-7)
Grand Rapids Griffins vs. Syracuse Crunch | Finals Infographic
Game 1 – Fri., June 2 – GRAND RAPIDS 3, Syracuse 2 | Recap/Highlights
Game 2 – Sat., June 3 – GRAND RAPIDS 6, Syracuse 5 (2OT) | Recap/Highlights
Game 3 – Wed., June 7 – Grand Rapids at Syracuse, 7:00
Game 4 – Fri., June 9 – Grand Rapids at Syracuse, 7:00
*Game 5 – Sat., June 10 – Grand Rapids at Syracuse, 7:00
*Game 6 – Tue., June 13 – Syracuse at Grand Rapids, 7:00
*Game 7 – Wed., June 14 – Syracuse at Grand Rapids, 7:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern


Reading List
Griffins thrill in double overtime to take 2-0 lead (Grand Rapids Press)
Crunch dig deeper hole with double OT loss to Grand Rapids In Game 2 (Syracuse.com)
Street provides better double-OT finish for himself and Griffins (Grand Rapids Press)
Syracuse turns to home ice, short memories to salvage season (Syracuse.com)
Griffins win in double overtime, lead Calder Cup Finals 2-0 (Detroit News)


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 60 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.


Alumni Watch
In Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final last night, Roman Josi had a goal and two assists, Mattias Ekholm notched a goal and an assist and Nashville defeated Pittsburgh, 5-1… Milwaukee Admirals alumni accounted for four goals and eight assists in the game… Pekka Rinne, a two-time AHL All-Star who backstopped Milwaukee to the 2006 Calder Cup Finals, made 27 saves in the win… 2016-17 AHL All-Rookie forward Jake Guentzel scored for the Penguins, his NHL-leading 13th goal of the playoffs.


On This Date
June 4, 2011 – Zack Smith scores twice and Robin Lehner makes 41 saves in Binghamton’s 4-2 win over Houston, giving the Senators a 3-2 series lead in the Calder Cup Finals.

June 4, 2007Carey Price stops 38 shots and defensemen account for all five goals in Hamilton’s 5-2 win over Hershey in Game 3 of the Calder Cup Finals.

June 4, 2005Antero Niittymaki makes 48 saves and Patrick Sharp scores 3:50 into the second overtime as Philadelphia takes a 2-0 series lead with a 2-1 win at Chicago in Game 2 of the Calder Cup Finals.

June 4, 2004Darren Haydar scores at 8:54 of OT to give Milwaukee a 2-1 win at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and a commanding 3-0 lead in the Calder Cup Finals.

June 4, 2001 – The American Hockey League awards membership to six former International Hockey League franchises – the Chicago Wolves, Grand Rapids Griffins, Houston Aeros, Manitoba Moose, Milwaukee Admirals and Utah Grizzlies – as the AHL becomes the sole top development league for the NHL.

June 4, 2000Derek Armstrong finishes with a goal and two assists and claims the Jack Butterfield Trophy as MVP of the playoffs as Hartford wins its first Calder Cup championship with a 4-1 win over Rochester in Game 6.


Calder Cup Finals on AHL Live
The American Hockey League and NeuLion, Inc., are making video streaming of all seven games of the 2017 Calder Cup Finals available for viewing at no charge from AHL Live via desktop, laptop, mobile device or tablet… To watch free on AHL Live, simply visit ahllive.com from any desktop computer, log in with your AHL Live account (or create a new one), select the Finals All-Access Pass and enter the promo code FINALS17 to access all of the action of the AHL’s championship series featuring the calls of the Griffins’ Bob Kaser and the Crunch’s Dan D’Uva… You can watch on your desktop or laptop through ahllive.com, or download the official AHL Live app from iTunes or Google Play to watch on your mobile device or tablet.