AHL Quick Hits is now the Morning Skate… Every morning, take 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.
FRIDAY’S SCORES:
Game 6 – W-B/SCRANTON 4, Portland 3 (OT) (Series tied, 3-3)
Game 5 – CHICAGO 4, Toronto 2 (CHI wins, 4-1)
FRIDAY’S THREE STARS:
1. Connor James capped off a two-goal night with the game-winner 20 seconds into overtime as the Penguins rallied for a 4-3 win over
2. Darren Haydar tied an AHL record with his 51st career Calder Cup Playoff goal as
3. Chris Minard scored twice in the third period to complete Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s rally from a 3-0 deficit en route to forcing Game 7.
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE (all times ET):
Game 7 –
2008 CALDER CUP PLAYOFFS:
Complete Results || Scoring Leaders || Goaltending Leaders
Eastern Conference Finals – Series “M” (best-of-7)
E1-Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins vs. A3-Portland Pirates || Preview
Game 1 – Wed., May 14 – W-B/SCRANTON 2, Portland 0
Game 2 – Thu., May 15 – Portland 3, W-B/SCRANTON 2
Game 3 – Sun., May 18 – PORTLAND 5, W-B/Scranton 2
Game 4 – Tue., May 20 – W-B/Scranton 4, PORTLAND 3
Game 5 – Wed., May 21 – PORTLAND 2, W-B/Scranton 1
Game 6 – Fri., May 23 – W-B/SCRANTON 4, Portland 3 (OT)
Game 7 – Sat., May 24 –
Western Conference Finals – Series “N” (best-of-7)
W1-Chicago Wolves vs. N1-Toronto Marlies || Preview
Game 1 – Fri., May 16 – CHICAGO 4, Toronto 1
Game 2 – Sun., May 18 – CHICAGO 5, Toronto 0
Game 3 – Tue., May 20 – Chicago 4, TORONTO 1
Game 4 – Wed., May 21 – TORONTO 6, Chicago 1
Game 5 – Fri., May 23 – CHICAGO 4, Toronto 2
*if necessary… All times Eastern
GAME NOTES (all times ET):
Game 7 –
The Eastern Conference championship comes down to a Game 7 for the fifth time in nine years as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton hosts Portland for the Richard F. Canning Trophy at the Wachovia Arena tonight… The Penguins are home for Game 7 thanks to finishing two points better than the Pirates in the regular season… Wilkes-Barre stunned Portland, 4-3, in Game 6 last night, scoring three goals in the final 20:12 of regulation before Connor James’ second goal of the night won it just 20 seconds into the extra session… After the game was scoreless for nearly 34 minutes,
GAME 7 BY THE NUMBERS:
40-31 – Home teams’ record all-time in AHL Game 7’s (.563), including 4-0 this spring and 10-1 since 2006.
14 – Calder Cup Playoff Game 7’s that have gone into overtime… The Penguins are 2-0 in such games, while the Pirates are 0-1.
5 – Consecutive even-numbered years in which the Eastern Conference Finals have gone the full seven games… Game 7 in 2000 (
MORNING HEADLINES:
BACK FROM THE GRAVE
Jonathan Bombulie, The Citizen’s Voice
As Jonathan Filewich lunged forward to get a stick on a puck, hoping to knock it down the ice in the first minutes of overtime Friday night, he caught a black-and-gold blur out of the corner of his right eye. Was it a bird? A plane? No, it was Connor James, there to save the season for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. James picked up the puck Filewich nudged, raced past his man down the right wing and fired a shot over goalie Mike McKenna’s right shoulder 20 seconds into overtime to give the Penguins a 4-3 win over the Portland Pirates in Game 6 of the AHL’s Eastern Conference finals at the Wachovia Arena. The teams will play a winner-take-all Game 7 tonight at the arena.
http://www.citizensvoice.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19717723&BRD=2259&PAG=461&dept_id=460522&rfi=6
PENS FORCE GAME 7
Tom Venesky,
Speed kills. Whether it’s a blistering slap shot from Chris Minard or a race down the ice with Connor James, the faster the better. The former tied the game and the latter won it as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins beat the Portland Pirates 4-3 in overtime of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday. The win saved the Penguins’ season and tied the series at 3-3, with the decisive Game 7 coming at
http://www.timesleader.com/sports/Pens_force_Game_7_05-24-2008.html
PIRATES BLOW BIG
Paul Betit,
The Portland Pirates put the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins into a 3-0 hole Friday night, but it wasn’t enough. The Penguins found a way to pull out their third overtime win in the playoffs and even the American Hockey League’s best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals at three games each. Connor James scored his second goal of the game 20 seconds into overtime to lift the Penguins to a 4-3 win. The teams will play the deciding game tonight, with the winner advancing to the Calder Cup finals. “We didn’t play well with the lead,” said Andrew Ebbett, who scored two goals. “We kind of sat back and let them come at us. We’ve got to keep doing what we were doing to get up 3-0 in the first place.”
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=189754&ac=PHspt
WOLVES ERASE MARLIES; CUP FINALS NEXT
David Brown, Daily Herald
Their opponent took a stand, but the Chicago Wolves finally made the Toronto Marlies take a seat in the AHL’s Western Conference finals. Responding to a 2-goal deficit and killing a five-minute penalty, the Wolves made good on a second opportunity to advance to the Calder Cup Finals with a 4-2 victory in Game 5 Friday night at the Allstate Arena. “The pressure was on us tonight,” Wolves coach John Anderson said. “We wanted to win so we didn’t have to go back to their building.” The Wolves advanced to their sixth championship berth in franchise history and third Calder Cup Finals since joining the AHL in 2001-02.
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=197068&src=163
MARLIES THROWN TO WOLVES
Mark Zwolinski,
The Toronto Marlies’ stirring run through the American Hockey League playoffs ended last night, but the effect of the club’s successful season will be felt in the Leafs’ organization next fall.
http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/429562
2009 ALL-STAR DATES, TICKET INFO ANNOUNCED:
The American Hockey League announced on Wednesday that the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic will take place on Sunday, January 25 and Monday, January 26, at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass. Tickets for the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic are priced at $40 and $32, granting admission to both the AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Jan. 25 at 4:00 p.m. (ET) and the AHL All-Star Game on Jan. 26 at 7:00 p.m. (ET). Beginning June 1, season-ticket holders from throughout the AHL will have the opportunity to purchase ticket packages before they go on sale to the general public in October.
https://theahl.com/news/league/index.html?article_id=8720
FROM CALDER TO
Nearly 75 percent of the participants in the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals – which get underway tonight in
ON THIS DATE:
ON THE AIR:
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