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Published on May 23, 2005 under American Hockey League (AHL) News Release


They're both trailing two games to none, both coming off 3-0 losses in Game 2 on Saturday night, and both returning home looking to keep alive their hopes for a conference championship... Providence and Manitoba find themselves facing critical tests as their playoff series resume with Game 3 tonight.

In the Eastern Conference, Philadelphia got a 33-save effort from Antero Niittymaki and goals from rookies Jeff Carter, R.J. Umberger and Mike Richards in Saturday's victory, the Phantoms' eighth in a row on home ice... Providence is 4-1 this postseason at the Dunkin' Donuts Center, site of tonight's Game 3 (7:05 ET); the Phantoms are 2-3 on the road this spring and have dropped seven of their last nine road playoff games... Richards is the leading scorer in the series with four points, including two empty-net goals...Carter is tied for the AHL lead with 10 playoff goals... Ryan Ready has registered an assist in nine of his last 10 games for the Phantoms (1g, 10a)... Hannu Toivonen made 22 saves in the Game 2 loss... Providence is 8-1 this postseason when Brad Boyes records a point, 0-4 when he is scoreless.

The Western Conference final shifts to Winnipeg for Game 3 tonight (8:30 ET), with the hometown Moose in a 2-0 hole to Chicago... Kari Lehtonen recorded his third career playoff shutout on Saturday, making 26 saves and lowering his goals-against average this postseason to 1.59... Lehtonen also improved to 23-4-0 since the All-Star break in February... Steve Maltais and Joe Corvo each picked up a goal and an assist, and the Wolves were a perfect 11-for-11 on the penalty kill... Chicago has won nine of its last 10 games overall and is 4-1 on the road this postseason... Manitoba is 6-0 at the MTS Centre during the Calder Cup Playoffs, outscoring the opposition, 24-11... Lee Goren, Jeff Heerema and Ryan Kesler have combined for 21 points (12g, 9a) and a plus-22 rating in the Moose's six postseason home games.

TONIGHT'S GAMES
Game 3 – Philadelphia at Providence, 7:05
Game 3 – Chicago at Manitoba, 8:30

SERIES SCHEDULES
Eastern Conference Final
E2-Philadelphia vs. A4-Providence
Game 1 – PHILADELPHIA 4, Providence 2
Game 2 – PHILADELPHIA 3, Providence 0
Game 3 – Mon 5/23 at Providence, 7:05
Game 4 – Wed 5/25 at Providence, 7:05
*Game 5 – Fri 5/27 at Providence, 7:05
§*Game 6 – Sun 5/29 at Philadelphia, 7:05
§*Game 7 – Tue 5/31 at Philadelphia, 7:05

Western Conference Final
W1-Chicago vs. N3-Manitoba
Game 1 – CHICAGO 4, Manitoba 3
Game 2 – CHICAGO 3, Manitoba 0
Game 3 – Mon 5/23 at Manitoba, 8:30
Game 4 – Wed 5/25 at Manitoba, 8:30
*Game 5 – Fri 5/27 at Manitoba, 8:30
*Game 6 – Sun 5/29 at Chicago, 4:00
*Game 7 – Tue 5/31 at Chicago, 8:00

All times Eastern... *if necessary
§at Wachovia Center, Philadelphia


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BY THE NUMBERS:
2.8% -- Manitoba's power-play efficiency (1-for-36) on the road this postseason after Saturday night's 0-for-11 in Chicago... The Moose owned the third-best road PP unit in the AHL during the regular season (17.8%).

55 -- Postseason games won by the Philadelphia Phantoms since 1997, the most in the AHL during that span... Hamilton is second on the list (53), followed by Rochester (48) and Providence (46).


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ON THIS DATE (May 23):
2004 – Kris Beech records two goals and an assist as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton beats Hartford, 5-4, to even the Eastern Conference final at two games apiece... 2001 – Chris Kelleher and Trent Cull score goals five seconds apart during the Penguins' 6-4 win over Saint John in Game 4 of the Calder Cup Final... 1999 – Jeremy Brown picks up a goal and two assists as Providence takes a 3-0 lead in its conference final series with a 5-3 win at Fredericton... 1997 – Chad Kilger scores midway through the third period, capping a four-goal rally and giving Springfield a 4-3 win over Hershey and a 3-1 lead in their conference final series... 1987 – Rochester becomes the first team in AHL history to win Game 7 of the Calder Cup Finals on the road, downing Sherbrooke, 4-2, for the championship.

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American Hockey League Stories from May 23, 2005


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