The Western Conference Finals get started tonight in Loveland as the Colorado Eagles host the Chicago Wolves in Game 1 of their best-of-seven series (9:05 ET, 
).
The Eagles are making their first-ever appearance in a Calder Cup conference final, and the first by a Colorado Avalanche affiliate since the Hershey Bears reached the final four in 2001. The Wolves are among the AHL’s final four for the first time since winning their third Calder Cup in 2022.
Colorado has won eight of its first 10 playoff games, eliminating San Diego, Henderson and Coachella Valley while outscoring their opponents 33-14. Ivan Ivan (1-9-10) leads the Eagles in playoff scoring; Tristen Nielsen (6-3-9), a Calder Cup champion with Abbotsford last season, has scored a team-best six goals.
And Trent Miner (8-2, 1.26, .947) continues to excel in the Colorado crease, allowing 13 goals on 247 shots. Miner has registered three Game 1 shutouts this postseason.
Chicago eliminated the Central Division champions from Grand Rapids in four games to reach the conference finals. Felix Unger Sörum (3-5-8) enters tonight’s contest with a five-game scoring streak, and it tied with Ryan Suzuki (4-4-8) and Bradly Nadeau (1-7-8) for the Wolves’ playoff scoring lead.
Cayden Primeau (6-3, 2.31, .924), who helped Laval get to the conference finals last spring, has started all nine playoff games for the Wolves.
The teams met four times in the regular season – all in a 10-day span in early February. Chicago won three of the four games, two of them on overtime goals by Unger Sörum.
“He (Unger Sörum) is our most improved player, not just on the ice but off the ice as well,” Wolves head coach Spiros Anastas told Tom Ray of the Stormtracker podcast earlier this week. “I give a lot of credit to our strength and conditioning staff. The work they’ve done with him has been amazing... When he’s feeling his best, he’s a force to be reckoned with. And what’s amazing is he’s only 20, and he still has a lot of muscle growth left in him.”
A2-Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins vs. N4-Toronto Marlies
Game 2 – Friday, 7:05 ET,
(Toronto leads series, 1-0)
Game 1 – Toronto 4, W-B/SCRANTON 2 | Recap | Highlights
Game 2 – Fri., May 29 – Toronto at W-B/Scranton, 7:05
Game 3 – Mon., June 1 – W-B/Scranton at Toronto, 7:00
Game 4 – Wed., June 3 – W-B/Scranton at Toronto, 7:00
*Game 5 – Fri., June 5 – W-B/Scranton at Toronto, 7:00
*Game 6 – Sun., June 7 – Toronto at W-B/Scranton, 6:05
*Game 7 – Tue., June 9 – Toronto at W-B/Scranton, 7:05
*if necessary… All times Eastern
P2-Colorado Eagles vs. C2-Chicago Wolves
Game 1 – Tonight, 9:05 ET,
Game 1 – Thu., May 28 – Chicago at Colorado, 9:05
Game 2 – Sat., May 30 – Chicago at Colorado, 8:05
Game 3 – Tue., June 2 – Colorado at Chicago, 8:00
Game 4 – Wed., June 3 – Colorado at Chicago, 8:00
*Game 5 – Fri., June 5 – Colorado at Chicago, 8:00
*Game 6 – Sun., June 7 – Chicago at Colorado, 8:05
*Game 7 – Mon., June 8 – Chicago at Colorado, 9:05
*if necessary… All times Eastern
In the Stanley Cup Playoffs last night, Logan Stankoven scored his eighth goal of the playoffs and Frederik Andersen made 18 saves for his third shutout as Carolina took a 3-1 series lead with a 4-0 win over Montreal.
