AHL Quick Hits
Published on May 13, 2003 under American Hockey League (AHL) News Release
Former Michigan State Spartan Tony Tuzzolino scored 5:29 into overtime to give visiting Houston a 3-2 victory over Grand Rapids in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final last night. Tuzzolino and linemates Marc Cavosie and Mark Cullen each recorded two points on the night, and Johan Holmqvist stopped 32 of 34 shots to run his playoff record to 8-2. The Griffins had tied the game on a goal by Ryan Barnes with 2:39 left in regulation, but still lost for the first time in nine trips to OT since Nov. 30. Stacy Roest added his league-leading 12th point of the playoffs with a goal in his fifth straight game for Grand Rapids.
Hamilton and Binghamton begin the Eastern Conference Final tonight at Copps Coliseum (7:00 ET), two days after the Bulldogs' Game 7 victory eliminated Manitoba. The 'Dogs owned a 2-1-1 edge in the regular season series, but dropped an 8-0 decision in Binghamton on Nov. 23, their worst loss of the year. Senators goaltender Ray Emery, a native of nearby Cayuga, Ont., returns to Hamilton with a 7-2 record and a 1.74 goals against average in nine playoff games, and a chance to put a Binghamton team in the Calder Cup championship series for the first time since 1982. The Bulldogs and B-Sens are a combined 7-for-101 (6.9%) on the power play in the postseason, including 4-for-62 in their conference semifinals.
TONIGHT'S GAMES
Game 1 â Binghamton at Hamilton, 7:00
SERIES SCHEDULES
Western Conference Final
1-Grand Rapids vs. 2-Houston
Game 1 â Houston 3, GRAND RAPIDS 2 (OT)
Game 2 â Wed 5/14 at Grand Rapids, 7:00
Game 3 â Fri 5/16 at Houston, 7:30
Game 4 â Sat 5/17 at Houston, 7:30
*Game 5 â Mon 5/19 at Houston, 7:00
*Game 6 â Wed 5/21 at Grand Rapids, 7:00
*Game 7 â Thu 5/22 at Grand Rapids, 7:00
(Houston leads series, 1-0)
Eastern Conference Final
1-Hamilton vs. 3-Binghamton
Game 1 â Tue 5/13 at Hamilton, 7:00
Game 2 â Thu 5/15 at Hamilton, 7:00
Game 3 â Mon 5/19 at Binghamton, 7:05
Game 4 â Tue 5/20 at Binghamton, 7:05
*Game 5 â Thu 5/22 at Hamilton, 7:00
*Game 6 â Fri 5/23 at Binghamton, 7:05
*Game 7 â Sun 5/25 at Hamilton, 4:00
Western Conference Semifinals
1-Grand Rapids def. 4-Chicago, 4-0
2-Houston def. 3-Norfolk, 4-2
Eastern Conference Semifinals
1-Hamilton def. 9-Manitoba, 4-3
3-Binghamton def. 5-Bridgeport, 4-2
*if necessary... All times local
BY THE NUMBERS:
8 -- Of the 17 Game 1's played in the 2003 AHL postseason, number that have gone into overtime... There have been a total of 11 OT games during these playoffs.
FROM CALDER TO STANLEY:
AHL graduate Jean-Sebastien Giguere extended his shutout streak to 153 minutes and 17 seconds with a 24-save effort in Anaheim's 2-0 win over Minnesota last night... Giguere, a 1998 Calder Cup finalist with Saint John, is 10-2 with a 1.32 goals against average this postseason for the Mighty Ducks, who are two wins away from the Stanley Cup Finals.
ON THIS DATE:
2000 â Rochester finishes a four-game sweep of Hershey with a 6-1 victory to become the first team in nine years to reach the Calder Cup Finals in successive seasons... The Amerks and Springfield Indians faced off for the AHL championship in 1990 and 1991... 1997 â In Game 7 at Memorial Stadium, Steve Passmore and the first-year Hamilton Bulldogs shut out St. John's, 3-0, to advance to the conference finals... 1970 â The Buffalo Bisons go out with a bang, defeating Springfield, 6-2, to win their fifth and final Calder Cup... The Bisons would give way to the NHL's Buffalo Sabres that fall.
CRASH THE 'NET:
Visit caldercup.com for links to the cybercasts of every Calder Cup Playoff game... Join Grand Rapids' Bob Kaser, Houston's Ken Double, Hamilton's Derek Wills or Binghamton's Grady Whittenburg as they call all the action of the race to the 67th American Hockey League championship.
American Hockey League Stories from May 13, 2003
- Hamilton Opens Series with 5-1 Victory - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Sonar on a "Roll" - Connecticut Whale
- AHL Quick Hits - AHL
- Admirals Update - Norfolk Admirals
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