AHL American Hockey League

AHL Morning Skate

Published on April 28, 2007 under American Hockey League (AHL) News Release


FRIDAY'S SCORES:

Game 5 - GRAND RAPIDS 4, Manitoba 3 (OT) (GRA leads, 3-2)

Game 5 - W-B/Scranton 8, NORFOLK 1 (WBS leads, 3-2)

Game 5 - Worcester 4, MANCHESTER 1 (MCH leads, 3-2)

Game 5 - OMAHA 3, Iowa 2 (OT) (IOW leads, 3-2)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FRIDAY'S THREE STARS:

1. Tony Voce caps a three-point night with the game-winning overtime goal as Grand Rapids takes a 3-2 series lead.

2. Tomi Maki keeps Omaha's season alive with the OT winner vs. Iowa.

3. Micki DuPont records three points and a plus-3 rating as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton dumps Norfolk, 8-1.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE (all times ET):

Game 6 - Rochester at Hamilton, 7:00 (HAM leads, 3-2)

Game 6 - Providence at Hartford, 7:00 (HFD leads, 3-2)

Game 6 - Manchester at Worcester, 7:00 (MCH leads, 3-2)

Game 6 - Omaha at Iowa, 8:05 (IOW leads, 3-2)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2007 CALDER CUP PLAYOFFS:

Atlantic Division Semifinal -- Series "A" (best-of-7)

A1-Manchester Monarchs vs. A4-Worcester Sharks || Preview

Game 1 - Wed., Apr. 18 - MANCHESTER 5, Worcester 2

Game 2 - Fri., Apr. 20 - MANCHESTER 4, Worcester 3 (2OT)

Game 3 - Sat., Apr. 21 - Manchester 5, WORCESTER 0

Game 4 - Wed., Apr. 25 - WORCESTER 3, Manchester 2

Game 5 - Fri., Apr. 27 - Worcester 4, MANCHESTER 1

Game 6 - Sat., Apr. 28 - Manchester at Worcester, 7:00

*Game 7 - Mon., Apr. 30 - Worcester at Manchester, 7:05

Atlantic Division Semifinal -- Series "B" (best-of-7)

A2-Hartford Wolf Pack vs. A3-Providence Bruins || Preview

Game 1 - Wed., Apr. 18 - HARTFORD 5, Providence 1

Game 2 - Fri., Apr. 20 - Providence 4, HARTFORD 2

Game 3 - Sat., Apr. 21 - Hartford 5, PROVIDENCE 2

Game 4 - Tue., Apr. 24 - PROVIDENCE 5, Hartford 1

Game 5 - Thu., Apr. 26 - Hartford 1, PROVIDENCE 0

Game 6 - Sat., Apr. 28 - Providence at Hartford, 7:00

*Game 7 - Sun., Apr. 29 - Providence at Hartford, 7:00

East Division Semifinal -- Series "C" (best-of-7)

E1-Hershey Bears vs. E4-Albany River Rats || Preview

Game 1 - Wed., Apr. 18 - HERSHEY 3, Albany 2

Game 2 - Thu., Apr. 19 - Albany 3, HERSHEY 2 (OT)

Game 3 - Sun., Apr. 22 - Hershey 6, ALBANY 5 (GF)

Game 4 - Mon., Apr. 23 - Hershey 3, ALBANY 1 (GF)

Game 5 - Wed., Apr. 25 - Hershey 4, ALBANY 2 (GF)

East Division Semifinal -- Series "D" (best-of-7)

E2-W-B/Scranton Penguins vs. E3-Norfolk Admirals || Preview

Game 1 - Fri., Apr. 20 - Norfolk 5, W-B/SCRANTON 2

Game 2 - Sat., Apr. 21 - W-B/SCRANTON 5, Norfolk 2

Game 3 - Mon., Apr. 23 - W-B/Scranton 3, NORFOLK 2 (OT)

Game 4 - Wed., Apr. 25 - NORFOLK 4, W-B/Scranton 1

Game 5 - Fri., Apr. 27 - W-B/Scranton 8, NORFOLK 1

Game 6 - Sun., Apr. 29 - Norfolk at W-B/Scranton, 5:05

*Game 7 - Tue., May 1 - Norfolk at W-B/Scranton, 7:05

North Division Semifinal -- Series "E" (best-of-7)

N1-Manitoba Moose vs. N4-Grand Rapids Griffins || Preview

Game 1 - Thu., Apr. 19 - MANITOBA 1, Grand Rapids 0

Game 2 - Sat., Apr. 21 - Grand Rapids 4, MANITOBA 1

Game 3 - Mon., Apr. 23 - GRAND RAPIDS 2, Manitoba 1 (OT)

Game 4 - Wed., Apr. 25 - Manitoba 4, GRAND RAPIDS 1

Game 5 - Fri., Apr. 27 - GRAND RAPIDS 4, Manitoba 3 (OT)

Game 6 - Sun., Apr. 29 - Grand Rapids at Manitoba, 8:30

*Game 7 - Tue., May 1 - Grand Rapids at Manitoba, 8:30

North Division Semifinal -- Series "F" (best-of-7)

N2-Rochester Americans vs. N3-Hamilton Bulldogs || Preview

Game 1 - Thu., Apr. 19 - Hamilton 2, ROCHESTER 0

Game 2 - Sat., Apr. 21 - ROCHESTER 3, Hamilton 1

Game 3 - Sun., Apr. 22 - HAMILTON 5, Rochester 4 (2OT)

Game 4 - Tue., Apr. 24 - Rochester 4, HAMILTON 3

Game 5 - Thu., Apr. 26 - Hamilton 4, ROCHESTER 2

Game 6 - Sat., Apr. 28 - Rochester at Hamilton, 7:00

*Game 7 - Mon., Apr. 30 - Hamilton at Rochester, 7:05

West Division Semifinal -- Series "G" (best-of-7)

W1-Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights vs. W4-Iowa Stars || Preview

Game 1 - Fri., Apr. 20 - OMAHA 4, Iowa 2

Game 2 - Sat., Apr. 21 - Iowa 2, OMAHA 1 (OT)

Game 3 - Mon., Apr. 23 - IOWA 2, Omaha 1

Game 4 - Wed., Apr. 25 - IOWA 3, Omaha 2

Game 5 - Fri., Apr. 27 - OMAHA 3, Iowa 2 (OT)

Game 6 - Sat., Apr. 28 - Omaha at Iowa, 8:05

*Game 7 - Tue., May 1 - Iowa at Omaha, 8:00

West Division Semifinal -- Series "H" (best-of-7)

W2-Chicago Wolves vs. W3-Milwaukee Admirals || Preview

Game 1 - Fri., Apr. 20 - CHICAGO 3, Milwaukee 2

Game 2 - Sun., Apr. 22 - CHICAGO 4, Milwaukee 1

Game 3 - Tue., Apr. 24 - Chicago 3, MILWAUKEE 2

Game 4 - Wed., Apr. 25 - Chicago 3, MILWAUKEE 2 (OT)

*if necessary... All times Eastern

(GF) at Glens Falls, N.Y.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GAME NOTES (all times ET):

Game 6 - Rochester at Hamilton, 7:00 (HAM leads, 3-2)

Hamilton scored the final three goals in Thursday's 4-2 win in Game 5, giving the Bulldogs a chance to wrap up the series on home ice tonight... Eric Manlow scored the winning goal in Game 5, his 16th career Calder Cup Playoff goal... Seventeen of Hamilton's 20 skaters have registered at least one point in the series... Carey Price made 30 saves... Mark Mancari had a goal and an assist for the Amerks in Game 5... Michael Ryan is tied for the league lead with four goals this postseason... Rochester is 1-for-15 on the power play in its three losses, and 3-for-6 in its two wins.

Game 6 - Providence at Hartford, 7:00 (HFD leads, 3-2)

Hartford is one win away from the second round after Thursday's 1-0 win in Providence... It was the Wolf Pack's third 1-0 playoff victory in team history (2000 vs. Rochester, 2004 vs. Portland)... Al Montoya made 26 shots for his second career playoff shutout, and Nigel Dawes scored for his league-leading fourth goal and ninth point of the postseason... Hannu Toivonen, whose contract extension with the Boston Bruins was announced on Thursday, stopped 23 of 24 shots for the second straight game... Providence is trying to become just the third team in AHL history to win both Games 6 and 7 of a series on the road.

Game 6 - Manchester at Worcester, 7:00 (MCH leads, 3-2)

Among the 103 teams ever to be down 0-3 in a best-of-seven series, Worcester is just the 12th to extend the series to a Game 6... Only two - the 1960 Rochester Americans (vs. Cleveland) and the 1989 Adirondack Red Wings (vs. Hershey) got as far as a Game 7, and both won the finale as well to complete the comeback... The Sharks got a goal and an assist from defenseman Justin Kurtz and 14 saves from Dimitri Patzold in last night's 4-1 victory in Game 5... Ashton Rome and Torrey Mitchell scored their first career playoff goals for Worcester... Manchester has fallen to 0-6 all-time with a chance to win a series... John Zeiler scored the Monarchs' only goal in Game 5, his third of the series... Manchester is 0-for-11 on the power play in the Sharks' two wins.

Game 6 - Omaha at Iowa, 8:05 (IOW leads, 3-2)

Tomi Maki scored at 9:45 of overtime to give Omaha a 3-2 win in Game 5 last night... Iowa returns home for another chance to close out the series in Game 6... Knights defenseman Chris Lee scored his third goal of the series last night, tying the game with 2:24 left in regulation... Joel Lundqvist had a pair of assists in Game 5, giving him a team-leading four points in the series in just two games played... Each of the last four games in the series has been decided by one goal... Iowa has been held to single digits in shots in every period of the series.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MORNING HEADLINES:

KNIGHT MOVES

Jean LeFebvre, Calgary Herald

You wouldn't know it from their playoff results so far, but the Omaha Knights are having a swell season. While the Calgary Flames' American Hockey League finishing academy is facing premature elimination tonight at the hands of the Iowa Stars, Omaha had a wonderful regular campaign, featuring 49 victories and 104 points, tops in both the West Division and the Western Conference. Wonderful news for the good folks of Nebraska, of course, but all the fans 2,300 kilometres away at the Pengrowth Saddledome want to know is: What's in it for us? How many of those strapping farm lads will make the jump to The Show next season and how large of a role will they play as the Flames try to elevate themselves from "OK" to "A-OK?" ... Link

DOGS CAN SILENCE AMERKS

Garry McKay, Hamilton Spectator

If Don Lever gets his way the Hamilton Bulldogs will take a vow of silence tonight. The Dogs bench boss convinced his charges prior to Game 5 against the Rochester Americans Thursday night that the gamesmanship had gone way too far. In other words it was time to just shut up and play the game. The Dogs did just that, taking a page in fact out of the Amerks book, and won 4-2 in Rochester to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven AHL North Division semi-final. ... Link

GRIFFINS BAG A MOOSE IN OVERTIME

Joe Conklin, Grand Rapids Press

If a playoff game goes to overtime, the Grand Rapids Griffins like their chances. Tony Voce scored his second goal of the game at 4:20 of overtime Friday night to give the Griffins a comeback 4-3 victory over the Manitoba Moose at Van Andel Arena and a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven American Hockey League series. The Griffins' Eric Himelfarb scored with 49 seconds left in regulation time to make it 3-3. Voce then pinballed a shot from behind the net off Manitoba goalie Drew MacIntyre to give the Griffins their second overtime win of the series and fifth in a row over the past two seasons. ... Link

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BY THE NUMBERS:

48.7 - Percentage of games (19 of 39) that have been decided by a single goal this postseason.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ON THIS DATE:

April 28, 2006 - Matt Ellis scores 11 seconds into the second overtime to give Grand Rapids a series-clinching 2-1 win in Game 5 at Toronto.

April 28, 2004 - B.J. Abel ends the eighth-longest game in AHL history, scoring at 13:02 of the third overtime to give Philadelphia a 2-1 win over Norfolk.

April 28, 1997 - Dennis Bonvie records a goal and an assist as Hamilton wraps up its best-of-five first-round series with a 3-1 win at Saint John in Game 5.

April 28, 1976 - Paul Woods' goal at 2:20 of overtime gives Nova Scotia a 5-4 win over Hershey and its second Calder Cup championship in five years.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ON THE AIR:

B2 Networks brings AHL action to your computer, web-enabled cell phone or PDA throughout the Calder Cup Playoffs with live video webcasts of nearly every AHL game... Visit caldercup.com for details.

Check out the American Hockey League Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



American Hockey League Stories from April 28, 2007


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central