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AHL Quick Hits

Published on April 30, 2004 under American Hockey League (AHL) News Release


Hamilton took a 3-1 series lead over Cleveland, squeaking out a 4-3 win at Gund Arena last night and setting up a possible clincher at home in Game 5 tonight (7:00 ET). The Bulldogs, who have never lost a first-round playoff series in their six previous postseason trips, got the win in Game 4 behind 41 saves from J.F. Damphousse and a three-goal third period, capped by Marcel Hossa's winning score with 4:24 remaining. Five 'Dogs recorded two points each in the win, including Tomas Plekanec and Francois Beauchemin, whose goals 24 seconds apart turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead early in the third.

Cincinnati can close out one of the biggest upsets in Calder Cup Playoff history with a Game 6 win in Milwaukee tonight (7:00 CT, 8:00 ET). Only four teams have ever won a playoff series over a team which finished 30 or more points ahead of them in the regular season. The Admirals' Darren Haydar leads all scorers in the series with seven points, including six in the two games at the Bradley Center. Tony Martensson of the Mighty Ducks continues to pace the AHL in playoff scoring with nine assists and 12 points.

After a triple-overtime victory on Wednesday, Philadelphia can finish off Norfolk in Game 5 tonight (7:30 ET). The Phantoms, who haven't won a best-of-seven playoff series since 1999, have held the Admirals to just five goals in the first four games, with Antero Niittymaki stopping 110 of 115 shots in the equivalent of 15-plus periods of work. Norfolk is 0-3 all-time when facing elimination, but has never been ousted from a playoff series at Scope.

Hartford and Worcester open their Atlantic Division final tonight at the Hartford Civic Center (7:05 ET), kicking off the teams' third postseason meeting in seven seasons. The IceCats owned a 5-1-1-1 record against the conference-leading Wolf Pack in 2003-04, and have won their last six road games overall, including all three in Manchester in their first-round series. League MVP Jason LaBarbera has posted two consecutive shutouts on home ice, his 14th and 15th zeroes of the season.



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TODAY'S GAMES
Game 5 – Cleveland at Hamilton, 7:00
Game 1 – Worcester at Hartford, 7:05
Game 5 – Philadelphia at Norfolk, 7:30
Game 6 – Cincinnati at Milwaukee, 8:00

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SERIES SCHEDULES
Atlantic Division Final
1-Hartford vs. 3-Worcester
Game 1 – Fri 4/30 at Hartford, 7:05
Game 2 – Sat 5/1 at Worcester, 7:05
Game 3 – Sun 5/2 at Worcester, 6:05
Game 4 – Wed 5/5 at Hartford, 7:05
*Game 5 – Fri 5/7 at Hartford, 7:05
*Game 6 – Sat 5/8 at Hartford, 7:05
*Game 7 – Thu 5/13 at Worcester, 7:05

Atlantic Division Semifinals
1-Hartford def. 5-Portland, 4-1
3-Worcester def. 2-Marnchester, 4-2

East Division Semifinals
1-Philadelphia vs. 5-Norfolk
$Game 1 – PHILADELPHIA 2, Norfolk 1
$Game 2 – Norfolk 2, PHILADELPHIA 1 (OT)
Game 3 – Philadelphia 3, NORFOLK 1
Game 4 – Philadelphia 2, NORFOLK 1 (3OT)
Game 5 – Fri 4/30 at Norfolk, 7:30
*$Game 6 – Sat 5/1 at Philadelphia, 7:05
*$Game 7 – Mon 5/3 at Philadelphia, 7:05
$at Wachovia Center

2-Bridgeport vs. 3-Wilkes-Barre
Game 1 – BRIDGEPORT 5, Wilkes-Barre 4 (OT)
Game 2 – BRIDGEPORT 5, Wilkes-Barre 4 (OT)
Game 3 – WILKES-BARRE 3, Bridgeport 2 (OT)
Game 4 – Bridgeport 4, WILKES-BARRE 2
Game 5 – Wilkes-Barre 2, BRIDGEPORT 1 (OT)
Game 6 – WILKES-BARRE 5, Bridgeport 0
Game 7 – Wilkes-Barre 3, BRIDGEPORT 2 (OT)

North Division Semifinals
1-Hamilton vs. 4-Cleveland
Game 1 – HAMILTON 4, Cleveland 0
Game 2 – Cleveland 4, HAMILTON 3 (OT)
Game 3 – Hamilton 5, CLEVELAND 3
Game 4 – Hamilton 4, CLEVELAND 3
Game 5 – Fri 4/30 at Hamilton, 7:00
*Game 6 – Sun 5/2 at Cleveland, 4:00
*Game 7 – Mon 5/3 at Hamilton, 7:00

2-Syracuse vs. 3-Rochester
Game 1 – SYRACUSE 3, Rochester 2
Game 2 – Rochester 6, SYRACUSE 0
Game 3 – Syracuse 3, ROCHESTER 2
Game 4 – Syracuse 3, ROCHESTER 2
Game 5 – Rochester 6, SYRACUSE 0
Game 6 – ROCHESTER 7, Syracuse 5
Game 7 – Sat 5/1 at Syracuse, 7:30

West Division Semifinals
1-Milwaukee vs. 5-Cincinnati
Game 1 – Cincinnati 5, MILWAUKEE 4 (OT)
Game 2 – MILWAUKEE 6, Cincinnati 0
Game 3 – CINCINNATI 1, Milwaukee 0
Game 4 – Milwaukee 4, CINCINNATI 3 (OT)
Game 5 – CINCINNATI 3, Milwaukee 1
Game 6 – Fri 4/30 at Milwaukee, 8:00
*Game 7 – Sat 5/1 at Milwaukee, 8:00

2-Grand Rapids vs. 3-Chicago
Game 1 – Chicago 4, GRAND RAPIDS 3 (OT)
Game 2 – Chicago 1, GRAND RAPIDS 0
Game 3 – CHICAGO 4, Grand Rapids 1
Game 4 – CHICAGO 8, Grand Rapids 2

*if necessary... All times Eastern



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BY THE NUMBERS:
15 -- Players in AHL history to win back-to-back Calder Cup titles with two different teams... Candidates to join the list this season are Milwaukee's Curtis Murphy and Jay Henderson and Rochester's David Cullen.


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FROM CALDER TO STANLEY:
Kirk Maltby, a 1993 Calder Cup champion, scored a goal and was named the game's third star in Detroit's 4-2 victory over Calgary last night, evening their series at two wins apiece.


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ON THIS DATE (APRIL 30):
1997 – Sheldon Souray scores the winning goal in Albany's 3-2 overtime victory at Rochester in Game 1 of their conference semifinal series... 1989 – Adam Graves scores 10:31 into overtime as Adirondack beats Hershey, 2-1, to become the second team in AHL history to come back from an 0-3 series deficit and advance; the Bears had won 19 of their previous 20 playoff games before dropping four straight to the Red Wings... 1967 – The Hornets win their final AHL game in Pittsburgh, as Billy Harris scores in overtime to defeat Rochester, 4-3, and sweep the Calder Cup final in four straight; the NHL's Penguins will move into the Civic Arena in the fall.

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American Hockey League Stories from April 30, 2004


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