CHICAGO, Ill. – Friday night was dominated mainly by games of a defensive nature where goaltenders stood on their heads. There were two shutouts, three games that ended by the score of 2-1, and one that went 5-3 as the first year AHL Charlotte Checkers beat the two-time defending Calder Cup Champion Hershey Bears. No teams were eliminated Friday, but the next game in each of the remaining series can end the season for the losing team.
FIRST ROUND Atlantic Division Semifinals PORTLAND vs. CONNECTICUT Portland leads series 3 – 2
We return back to Hartford as the Portland Pirate visit the Connecticut Whale. Can the Pirates clinch the series away? So far every home team has won their game; can the Whale tie up the series to send it to Portland for a deciding Game 7 on Monday?
Game 1 – Thu Apr 14 7:00 PM PORTLAND 3, Connecticut 2 Game 2 – Sat Apr 16 7:00 PM PORTLAND 3, Connecticut 2 OT Game 3 – Sun Apr 17 6:00 PM CONNECTICUT 3, Portland 1 Game 4 – Tue Apr 19 7:00 PM CONNECTICUT 3, Portland 1 Game 5 – Thu Apr 21 7:00 PM PORTLAND 5, Connecticut 4 Game 6 – Sat Apr 23 7:00 PM Portland at Connecticut Game 7 – Mon Apr 25 7:00 PM * Connecticut at Portland Atlantic Division Semifinals MANCHESTER vs. BINGHAMTON Manchester leads series 3 – 3
The Binghamton Senators have come back down three games to one to tie the series against the Manchester Monarchs. On Saturday night one of these two teams will advance to the next round in the playoffs in the seventh and final game.
For the fourth time in the series, the winner was decided in the extra session. Friday night it went even longer as the two teams pitched up a defensive battle through the whole game. Binghamton Senator defenseman Geoff Kinrade finally scored the game winner at 10:01 in the second overtime period. He was assisted by forwards Jim O’Brien and Erik Condra who also assisted on the Senators only other goal when right winger Bobby Butler tied the score at 10:26 of the third.
The Monarchs scored earlier in the first as center Justin Azevedo got his team’s only goal past Senator netminder Robin Lehner at 9:02 in the period. Lehner stopped an amazing 51 shots of the 52 he faced. His counterpart across the ice did well to, Martin Jones was 43 of 45 in the save department.
Game 1 – Thu Apr 14 7:00 PM MANCHESTER 2, Binghamton 1 Game 2 – Fri Apr 15 7:00 PM Binghamton 4, MANCHESTER 3 OT Game 3 – Sun Apr 17 5:05 PM Manchester 5, BINGHAMTON 4 OT Game 4 – Tue Apr 19 7:05 PM Manchester 6, BINGHAMTON 3 Game 5 – Wed Apr 20 7:05 PM BINGHAMTON 5, Manchester 4 OT Game 6 – Fri Apr 22 7:00 PM Binghamton 2, MANCHESTER 1 OT2 Game 7 – Sat Apr 23 7:00 PM * Binghamton at Manchester East Division Semifinals W-B/SCRANTON vs. NORFOLK W-B/Scranton leads series 3 – 2
This series will be one of the biggest dominating comebacks ever. After losing the first two games in the series to the Norfolk Admirals, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins can win their fourth game in a row and clinch the East Division Semifinals on Saturday night.
As throughout the series, Friday night’s game was another defensive gem as the Penguins took and early two goal lead in the first to win 2-1. It was a sense of deja vu in the two goals as the participants were the same with both on the power play. Right wing Nick Petersen scored at 8:06 and 19:13 in the period where both were assisted by defensemen Brett Sterling and Andrew Hutchinson.
Defenseman Mark Barberio scored the Admirals on goal in the third which was also on the power play. Penguin’s goalie Brad Thiessen got his third straight win in the series as he only missed one of the 24 shots he faced. Dustin Tokarski suffered the loss going 23 of 25 shots.
Game 1 – Fri Apr 15 7:05 PM Norfolk 2, W-B/SCRANTON 1 Game 2 – Sat Apr 16 7:05 PM Norfolk 2, W-B/SCRANTON 0 Game 3 – Tue Apr 19 7:15 PM W-B/Scranton 2, NORFOLK 1 Game 4 – Wed Apr 20 7:15 PM W-B/Scranton 4, NORFOLK 2 Game 5 – Fri Apr 22 7:30 PM W-B/Scranton 2, NORFOLK 1 Game 6 – Sat Apr 23 7:05 PM Norfolk at W-B/Scranton Game 7 – Mon Apr 25 7:05 PM * Norfolk at W-B/Scranton East Division Semifinals HERSHEY vs. CHARLOTTE Charlotte leads series 3 – 2
After being down two games to one in the series, the Charlotte Checkers have a chance to eliminate the two-time defending Calder Cup Champion Hershey Bears on Sunday afternoon.
The first year AHL Checkers high-flying offensive was at it again on Friday in dramatic fashion as they were down 3-0 with 17:14 left in the second. This is when center Brett Sutter scored the first of five goals for Charlotte to win 5-3.
Hershey’s goals came from forwards Steve Pinizzotto, Mathieu Perreault, and Andrew Carroll. But after that goaltender Mike Murphy shut them down. Unfortunately this was not the case for Braden Holtby who gave up five goals to five different players. Zach Boychuk scored one minute into the third with the man-advantage, this was followed by goals from Oskar Osala and Nick Dodge. Finally as the Checkers scored on the first minute of the period they wrapped it up scoring at the 19:00 mark with an empty netter from Drayson Bowman, his second of the series.
Game 1 – Thu Apr 14 7:00 PM Charlotte 5, HERSHEY 4 Game 2 – Sun Apr 17 5:00 PM HERSHEY 4, Charlotte 2 Game 3 – Tue Apr 19 7:00 PM Hershey 3, CHARLOTTE 2 Game 4 – Wed Apr 20 7:00 PM CHARLOTTE 3, Hershey 2 Game 5 – Fri Apr 22 7:00 PM CHARLOTTE 5, Hershey 3 Game 6 – Sun Apr 24 5:00 PM Charlotte at Hershey Game 7 – Mon Apr 25 7:00 PM * Charlotte at Hershey North Division Semifinals HAMILTON vs. OKLAHOMA CITY Hamilton leads series 3 – 2
Two players, who were with the Chicago Wolves earlier in the season, starred in tonight’s game as the Hamilton Bulldogs won 2-0. They now have a chance to win the series at home in Game 6 against the Oklahoma City Barons. This was the first game that the home team has lost in the series.
Drew Macintyre, who was 12-6-1-2 in the regular season with the Bulldogs, was amazing as he shutout the Barons. The Charlottetown, PEI native, who has a goal against average hovering around 1.80 in the regular season and playoffs, stopped all twenty of the shots he faced.
Offensively, Hamilton got on the board as Aaron Palushaj on the power play 7:31 into the game. Nigel Dawes, who assisted on Palushaj’s goal, got his own late in the second with 1:27 left in the period.
Game 1 – Thu Apr 14 7:30 PM HAMILTON 5, Oklahoma City 2 Game 2 – Sat Apr 16 4:00 PM HAMILTON 2, Oklahoma City 1 Game 3 – Tue Apr 19 7:05 PM OKLAHOMA CITY 2, Hamilton 0 Game 4 – Wed Apr 20 7:05 PM OKLAHOMA CITY 5, Hamilton 2 Game 5 – Fri Apr 22 7:05 PM Hamilton 2, OKLAHOMA CITY 0 Game 6 – Sun Apr 24 4:00 PM Oklahoma City at Hamilton Game 7 – Mon Apr 25 7:30 PM * Oklahoma City at Hamilton North Division Semifinals LAKE ERIE vs. MANITOBA Lake Erie leads series 3 – 2
The Manitoba Moose showed signs of life and got a step closer as they fought off elimination by shutting out the Lake Erie Monsters 2-0. This was the first shutout of the Monsters since January 7th against Houston.
There was no scoring until the third as AHL All Star Sergei Shirokov scored his third goal of the playoffs 6:35 into the period. Left wing Jason Jaffray then shut down the Monsters on the empty netter with 10 seconds left. Jaffray and center Marco Rosa both had two points in tonight’s contest.
Eddie Lack got the win for Manitoba stopping all 26 shots while veteran Jason Bacashihua did not get any offensive help in the loss stopping all but one of the 30 shots he faced.
The series now goes to Lake Erie.
Game 1 – Sat Apr 16 12:00 PM LAKE ERIE 6, Manitoba 4 Game 2 – Sun Apr 17 3:00 PM Manitoba 3, LAKE ERIE 2 OT Game 3 – Tue Apr 19 7:30 PM Lake Erie 2, MANITOBA 1 Game 4 – Thu Apr 21 7:30 PM Lake Erie 6, MANITOBA 3 Game 5 – Fri Apr 22 7:30 PM MANITOBA 2, Lake Erie 0 Game 6 – Sun Apr 24 4:00 PM Manitoba at Lake Erie Game 7 – Tue Apr 26 7:00 PM * Manitoba at Lake Erie West Division Semifinals MILWAUKEE vs. TEXAS series tied 3 – 2
The Texas Stars got one step closer as they defeated the Milwaukee Admirals late in the overtime period by the score of 2-1.
This game was low in scoring but high in shots as the two teams fired 79 shots combined with 41 coming from Texas. Right wing Raymond Sawada of the Stars got his first goal of the playoffs on the power play at 10:20 into the first period. It was all quiet for the rest of the game until we got to five seconds left in the game and that is when Gabriel Bourque tallied his fifth goal of the playoffs to send the game into overtime.
It was a good THING for the Admirals late in the overtime, as left wing Ryan Thang scored with a helper from Mark Van Guilder the end the game at 16:29 of the period.
Jeremy Smith got the win for Milwaukee with Richard Bachman taking the loss. The series will now finish in Milwaukee.
Game 1 – Thu Apr 14 7:00 PM MILWAUKEE 5, Texas 2 Game 2 – Sat Apr 16 7:00 PM Texas 3, MILWAUKEE 1 Game 3 – Tue Apr 19 7:30 PM TEXAS 3, Milwaukee 2 OT Game 4 – Wed Apr 20 7:30 PM Milwaukee 3, TEXAS 2 Game 5 – Fri Apr 22 7:30 PM TEXAS 2, Milwaukee 1 OT Game 6 – Mon Apr 25 7:00 PM Texas at Milwaukee Game 7 – Tue Apr 26 7:00 PM * Texas at Milwaukee West Division Semifinals HOUSTON vs. PEORIA Houston wins series 4 – 0
The Houston Aeros are still waiting in the warmth of Texas for their next opponent.
Game 1 – Wed Apr 13 7:05 PM HOUSTON 4, Peoria 1 Game 2 – Fri Apr 15 7:35 PM HOUSTON 3, Peoria 2 OT Game 3 – Mon Apr 18 7:05 PM Houston 5, PEORIA 3 Game 4 – Tue Apr 19 7:05 PM Houston 2, PEORIA 1 (* if necessary)
Contact the author at matt.chin@prohockeynews.com
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