AHL Morning Skate: June 1, 2025

GAME NOTES:
The Eastern Conference Finals shift to Bojangles Coliseum where the host Checkers bring a 2-0 series lead into this afternoon’s Game 3... Charlotte left Place Bell with a pair of wins earlier this week, convincing 5-1 and 5-2 decisions over the regular-season champion Rocket... The Checkers bring a six-game winning streak into today’s contest, and are leading the league in both goals scored (3.70 per game) and goals allowed (1.80 per game) this postseason... Charlotte’s penalty kill continues to be dominant; the Checkers have scored more goals (5) than they have allowed (3) in 38 times shorthanded this postseason... The AHL record for shorthanded goals in a single playoff year is seven, set by the Milwaukee Admirals over 21 games in 2006... Charlotte forward John Leonard (5-4-9) has four shorthanded goals himself after tying for the AHL lead with five during the regular season... Trevor Carrick (1-4-5) had a goal and two assists in Thursday’s Game 2 victory, ending a drought of six games without a point... Nine different skaters have scored for the Checkers already in the series... Kaapo Kähkönen (8-2, 1.78, .925) has stopped 53 of 56 Laval shots over the first two games, and has won 15 of his last 19 starts since Mar. 21... David Reinbacher (2-4-6) recorded a goal and an assist for the Rocket in Game 2, and Oliver Kapanen (3-3-6) extended his scoring streak to four games with an assist... Laval is 3-1 on the road this postseason, and 11-2-0-1 away from home going back to Feb. 26... The Rocket have never won in Charlotte, dropping all four of their regular-season visits all-time... Eight teams in AHL history have won a best-of-seven series after losing the first two games at home, most recently Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (vs. Norfolk) in 2011.

P2-Abbotsford Canucks vs. C2-Texas Stars
Game 3 – Monday, 8:00 ET,
(Abbotsford leads series, 2-0)

Game 1 – Thu., May 29 – ABBOTSFORD 3, Texas 2 (OT) | Recap/Highlights
Game 2 – Sat., May 31 – ABBOTSFORD 1, Texas 0 | Recap/Highlights
Game 3 – Mon., June 2 – Abbotsford at Texas, 8:00
Game 4 – Wed., June 4 – Abbotsford at Texas, 8:00
*Game 5 – Fri., June 6 – Abbotsford at Texas, 8:00
*Game 6 – Sun., June 8 – Texas at Abbotsford, 9:00
*Game 7 – Mon., June 9 – Texas at Abbotsford, 10:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern

The Checkers have not seen much of Bojangles Coliseum lately. Starting today, they can settle back in at home for a spell.

This afternoon’s game is their first in front of the home fans in 15 days, since Game 2 of the division finals against Hershey. Charlotte finished off the Bears on the road before traveling to Laval for the first two games of this series.

Including a three-game New England swing to end the regular season, the Checkers have played just five home games in the last seven weeks.

Isolated as the southernmost team in the Eastern Conference, the Checkers are used to long stretches away from home. They typically have road trips in three- or four-game blocks, return to Charlotte for an extended homestand, and then repeat the process throughout the season.

While the Checkers have been outstanding on the road with a 10-game winning streak that goes back to April 5, they have also been strong at home. Bojangles Coliseum is where the Checkers staged one of the most dominant performances anywhere in the league this postseason, limiting an experienced and talented Providence team to eight shots on goal in a winner-take-all Game 5 in the division semifinals.

In all, Charlotte is 3-2 at home in the postseason and posted a 21-13-2-0 regular-season record at Bojangles Coliseum.

Win or lose, the Calder Cup Playoffs always provide information and feedback for coaches and management at both the NHL and AHL levels.

Having to win at least two out of three games this week in Charlotte to keep their season alive is not how the Rocket had envisioned this series unfolding. It’s only been a week since the emotional high of a 5-0 series-clinching win over Rochester in the division finals, but they followed it up with 5-1 and 5-2 home-ice losses to the Checkers.

For Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent, this trip to Charlotte – however long it may be – will prove to be instructive.

“It’s an opportunity to see the character of our players,” Vincent said following Game 2. “Obviously we don’t like the results, but what’s happening now are experiences that will be very valuable in the long term.”

Vincent has plenty of decisions to settle before Game 3 starts. Does he stick with Cayden Primeau as his starter? Or does he turn back to Jacob Fowler, who finished Game 2 in relief. The Checkers have beaten Primeau eight times on 37 shots through two games, while Fowler struggled against Rochester last round but was solid in the division semifinals vs. Cleveland.

And how do the Rocket solve their special-teams issues? They are 1-for-12 on the power play in the series and have been burned by Charlotte’s John Leonard for two shorthanded goals. The Checkers’ speed, ability to close plays and aggressiveness have left Laval scrambling to counter.

In addition, forward Laurent Dauphin, whose five goals lead the team this postseason, left Game 2 and did not return. His status for Game 3 was still undetermined as of Saturday.

― with files from Patrick Williams

In the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Thursday night, Corey Perry, Mattias Janmark and Kasperi Kapanen scored to help Edmonton to a 6-3 win over Dallas, clinching the Clarence Campbell Bowl as the NHL’s Western Conference champions... Mattias Ekholm recorded an assist in his first game of the postseason... The Oilers will face Florida in a Stanley Cup Final rematch beginning Wednesday in Edmonton.