Every game day from now until the end of the Calder Cup Playoffs, the AHL Morning Skate takes 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.
SUNDAY’S SCORES:
Game 6 – CHICAGO 2, Texas 0 (Series tied, 3-3)
SUNDAY’S THREE STARS:
1. Goaltender Drew MacIntyre made his first start of the postseason count, posting a 28-save shutout as Chicago took a 2-0 win over Texas to force Game 7 in the West Division Finals.
2. Anthony Stewart scored twice for the Wolves, including his league-leading sixth power play goal of the playoffs.
3. Matt Anderson assisted on both Chicago goals in the winning effort.
TONIGHT’S SCHEDULE (all times ET):
Game 6 – Abbotsford at Hamilton, 7:30 (HAM leads series, 3-2)
2010 CALDER CUP PLAYOFFS:
Complete Results II Scoring Leaders II Goaltending Leaders
Atlantic Division Finals – Series “I” (best-of-7)
A1-Worcester Sharks vs. A3-Manchester Monarchs
Game 1 – Sun., Apr. 25 – WORCESTER 4, Manchester 3
Game 2 – Wed., Apr. 28 – Manchester 3, WORCESTER 2 (OT)
Game 3 – Fri., Apr. 30 – MANCHESTER 5, Worcester 0
Game 4 – Sat., May 1 – Worcester 3, MANCHESTER 2
Game 5 – Wed., May 5 – Manchester 1, WORCESTER 0
Game 6 – Fri., May 7 – MANCHESTER 2, Worcester 1 (OT)
East Division Finals – Series “J” (best-of-7)
E1-Hershey Bears vs. E2-Albany River Rats
Game 1 – Sat., Apr. 24 – HERSHEY 4, Albany 3 (OT)
Game 2 – Sun., Apr. 25 – HERSHEY 6, Albany 3
Game 3 – Tue., Apr. 27 – Hershey 6, ALBANY 5 (OT)
Game 4 – Thu., Apr. 29 – Hershey 5, ALBANY 4 (OT)
North Division Finals – Series “K” (best-of-7)
N1-Hamilton Bulldogs vs. vs. N3-Abbotsford Heat
Game 1 – Thu., Apr. 29 – Abbotsford 3, HAMILTON 2
Game 2 – Sun., May 2 – HAMILTON 3, Abbotsford 1
Game 3 – Tue., May 4 – Hamilton 3, ABBOTSFORD 2
Game 4 – Thu., May 6 – ABBOTSFORD 4, Hamilton 1
Game 5 – Sat., May 8 – Hamilton 5, ABBOTSFORD 2
Game 6 – Mon., May 10 – Abbotsford at Hamilton, 7:30
*Game 7 – Tue., May 11 – Abbotsford at Hamilton, 7:30
West Division Finals – Series “L” (best-of-7)
W1-Chicago Wolves vs. W2-Texas Stars
Game 1 – Fri., Apr. 30 – Texas 4, CHICAGO 3 (OT)
Game 2 – Sun., May 2 – CHICAGO 4, Texas 3 (2OT)
Game 3 – Tue., May 4 – Chicago 5, TEXAS 3
Game 4 – Wed., May 5 – TEXAS 3, Chicago 2
Game 5 – Fri., May 7 – TEXAS 5, Chicago 3
Game 6 – Sun., May 9 – CHICAGO 2, Texas 0
Game 7 – Tue., May 11 – Texas at Chicago, 8:00
Eastern Conference Finals – Series “M” (best-of-7)
E1-Hershey Bears vs. A3-Manchester Monarchs
Game 1 – Wed., May 12 – Manchester at Hershey, 7:00
Game 2 – Sat., May 15 – Manchester at Hershey, 7:00
Game 3 – Mon., May 17 – Hershey at Manchester, 7:00
Game 4 – Tue., May 18 – Hershey at Manchester, 7:00
*Game 5 – Thu., May 20 – Hershey at Manchester, 7:00
*Game 6 – Sat., May 22 – Manchester at Hershey, 7:00
*Game 7 – Sun., May 23 – Manchester at Hershey, 5:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern
GAME NOTES (all times ET):
Game 6 – Abbotsford at Hamilton, 7:30 (HAM leads series, 3-2)
Returning home with a 3-2 series lead, Hamilton can eliminate Abbotsford and move on to the third round with a win tonight at Copps Coliseum in Game 6 of the North Division Finals… The Bulldogs won two of three on the road last week after heading to Abbotsford with the series tied at a game apiece… In Saturday’s Game 5, Hamilton fell behind 2-0 before rallying with five unanswered goals – including four in the third period alone – to emerge with a 5-2 triumph… Mike Glumac scored twice for his second multiple-goal performance of the postseason, giving him a team-high seven goals in 11 outings overall (7-2-9)… Bulldogs defenseman Andre Benoit notched the eventual game-winning tally with 3:23 to play in regulation, and Ryan Russell and David Desharnais tacked on empty-netters in the closing minute… Desharnais continues to lead all Hamilton scorers with 11 points (5-6-11) this postseason, while Glumac, Brock Trotter (4-5-9), Benoit (3-6-9), and the recalled P.K. Subban (3-6-9) all have nine points apiece… Ryan White posted two assists on Saturday for Hamilton, and goaltender Curtis Sanford returned from injury and stopped 30 of 32 shots in his first appearance since Mar. 27 at Abbotsford… The Bulldogs’ four third-period goals tied an AHL postseason high for goals in the third frame, initially accomplished by Hershey on Apr. 25 vs. Albany… Abbotsford tallied the game’s first goal on Saturday for the 10th time in 12 playoff games thus far but fell to 6-4 in those contests… Gaelan Patterson netted his first professional goal in the first period, and Cam Cunning, who ranked second on the Heat with 19 goals during the regular season, scored his first of the playoffs to make it a 2-0 game in the second stanza… Abbotsford has killed off 24 of 28 shorthanded situations during this series (85.7 percent), including all nine over the last two games combined… The Heat are a perfect 3-0 in elimination games this postseason, having rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to oust Rochester in the division semifinals… Abbotsford is looking to win Games 6 and 7 on the road for a second consecutive round… Hamilton is 17-12 all-time with a chance to eliminate an opponent, including 1-1 this spring.
MORNING HEADLINES:
DOGS SNIFFING TO END SERIES – Hamilton Spectator
Guy Boucher is keeping his cards very close to his vest. The Hamilton Bulldogs head coach isn’t saying who his goaltender will be tonight when the Dogs host the Abbotsford Heat in Game 6 of their American Hockey League North Division final. Boucher surprised more than a few people Saturday night when he started Curtis Sanford in place of Cedrick Desjardins in the team’s 5-2 win in Abbotsford.
http://www.thespec.com/Sports/article/766402
ST. DENIS NO LONGER HAMILTON’S HIDDEN GEM – NHL.com
Hamilton Bulldogs defenseman Frederic St. Denis has a talent for hiding in plain sight. While he’s easy to miss in stature and statistics, St. Denis is impossible to overlook with his burgeoning responsibility on the ice. “He’s kind of our hidden gem. He’s the man,” Bulldogs coach Guy Boucher puts it. “He can do so much. That’s the thing about St. Denis. Whatever you need, he’s got.”
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=528630
MACINTYRE MAKES MOST OF HIS SHOT – Chicago Sun-Times
Wolves backup goalie Drew MacIntyre got his first start since April 3 in Sunday’s Game 6 of the West Division best-of-seven series against the Texas Stars in Allstate Arena. “Give him a lot of credit,” Wolves coach Don Lever said after MacIntyre stopped all 28 shots in a 2-0 victory. “He had to sit and watch for a long time until he got his chance.”
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/hockey/wolves/2253750,CST-SPT-wolves10.article
WOLVES STAY ALIVE BEHIND MACINTYRE’S SHUTOUT – Chicago Tribune
Drew MacIntyre admitted things haven’t gone as planned for him in his first season with the Wolves. If he carried any bitterness, Sunday’s performance likely washed it away. MacIntyre made 28 saves in his first start of the playoffs, backstopping the Wolves to a 2-0 victory over the Texas Stars at Allstate Arena. The victory evened the AHL West Division final and set up Game 7 Tuesday.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-05-09/sports/ct-spt-0510-wolves-stars–20100509_1
STARS SHUT OUT 2-0; GAME 7 IS TUESDAY – Austin American-Statesman
Most of the players on both sides of the AHL West Division finals thought it could be a long series. And they were right. Chicago’s 2-0 win over the Texas Stars on Sunday forced a deciding Game 7 on Tuesday night, on the Wolves’ home ice. The Stars had some scoring chances in Game 6 but couldn’t put one by Drew MacIntyre, who stopped all 28 shots he faced. Meanwhile, Chicago got a couple of bounces that went its way for goals.
http://www.statesman.com/sports/pro/stars-shut-out-2-0-game-7-is-679375.html
MACINTYRE HELPS WOLVES FORCE GAME 7 – Daily Herald
Chicago Wolves goalie Drew MacIntyre took advantage of his first start in the series, stopping all 28 shots he faced Sunday for his third career playoff shutout. And no one was happier than coach Don Lever. “Thank God,” he said. “His experience kept us in the game early on.”
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=379529
87-88 BEARS ALSO HAD A LONG BREAK – Harrisburg Patriot-News
Former Hershey Bears head coach John Paddock knows the challenge current head coach Mark French has faced during a lengthy break between playoff games. Rest is welcome. The battle against rust isn’t. “You’ve just sort of got to live with it,” said Paddock, now assistant GM of the Philadelphia Flyers, “because you can’t do anything about it.”
http://blog.pennlive.com/patriotnewssports/2010/05/1987-88_hershey_bears_also_had.html
BRUINS’ RASK POSITIONED FOR SUCCESS – ESPN.com
Bruins rookie goaltender Tuukka Rask is the most popular sports figure in Boston right now. The 23-year-old native of Finland is leading the Black and Gold through the Stanley Cup playoffs. If he continues to perform brilliantly and helps Boston win one more game in its Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Philadelphia Flyers, the Bruins will reach the conference finals for the first time in 18 years.
http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nhl/columns/story?columnist=mcdonald_joe&id=5176190
FROM CALDER TO STANLEY:
Kevin Bieksa tallied two goals and an assist and 2005 AHL All-Star Kyle Wellwood chipped in with two helpers as Vancouver kept its season alive with a 4-1 win at Chicago on Sunday in Game 5 of the teams’ Western Conference semifinal… Goaltender Roberto Luongo stopped 29 of 30 shots in net for the Canucks.
Jiri Novotny registered three points (1-2-3) and 2006 Calder Cup champion Jakub Klepis contributed two helpers to lead the Czech Republic to a 6-2 win over France on Sunday at the IIHF World Championships in Germany… Maxim Afinogenov tallied a goal in Russia’s 3-1 triumph over Slovakia… Mattias Weinhandl notched a hat trick and Erik Karlsson also scored as Sweden downed Norway, 5-2; Patrick Thoresen had a goal and an assist for Norway.
BY THE NUMBERS:
4 – Third-period goals scored by Hamilton in Saturday’s 5-2 win at Abbotsford in Game 5 of the North Division Finals.
7 – Third-period goals scored by Hamilton in its 10 Calder Cup Playoff games prior to Saturday night.
ON THIS DATE:
May 10, 2009 – Michal Neuvirth makes 30 saves as Hershey pushes the East Division Finals to the limit with a 3-0 win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in Game 6.
May 10, 2005 – Mike Richards, R.J. Umberger, Joni Pitkanen, Patrick Sharp and Jon Sim all score for Philadelphia in a 5-3 win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton as the Phantoms take a 3-1 series lead in the East Division Finals.
May 10, 1994 – Jeff Sirkka scores 4:52 into overtime, sending Portland to the Calder Cup Finals with a 4-3 win in Game 6 at Adirondack.
May 10, 1986 – Brian Dobbin gets the overtime winner as Hershey defeats Adirondack, 5-4, in Game 1 of the Calder Cup Finals.
May 10, 1982 – The New Brunswick Hawks, led by rookies Steve Larmer and Steve Ludzik, win the Calder Cup with a 4-2 win over the Binghamton Whalers.
May 10, 1966 – At Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Mike Walton’s hat trick in Game 5 of the Calder Cup Finals leads Rochester to a 7-0 win over Cleveland and a 3-2 series lead.
AHL LIVE:
Don’t miss a step on the road to the 2010 Calder Cup championship. AHL Live brings AHL action to your computer all season long with live video webcasts and highlights of every AHL game, as well as behind-the-scenes features and interviews in the Video On Demand section… Visit theahl.com or ahllive.com for details.