CHICAGO, Ill. – With a full slate of games played on Tuesday, the Houston Aeros became the first team to advance to the next round after sweeping the Peoria Rivermen in four games. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, who are the regular season league leader in points, avoided embarrassment in finally winning a game in their series. And also in the Eastern Conference, the Manchester Monarchs can advance if they win Wednesday night in Binghamton. Altogether there will be five games scheduled for Wednesday.
FIRST ROUND Atlantic Division Semifinals PORTLAND vs. CONNECTICUT series tied 2 – 2
After losing the first two games of the series the Connecticut Whale have come back to win two games themselves to tie the series. The score was identical as their previous win. The Whale outshot the Pirates 30-20 with a goal in each frame.
Center Chad Kolarik started the scoring late in the first with helpers from Jeremy Williams and Mats Zuccarello on the power play at 16:32. With his third goal of the playoffs John Mitchell scored 4:45 into the second. Kolarik then in the third paid Zuccarello back with a helper to give the Whale a 3-0 lead. The Pirates finally got on the board as center Mark Voakes finished the scoring in the game.
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 Connecticut at Portland 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 – 1
The Manchester Monarchs have a chance to wrap up the series against the Binghamton Senators on Wednesday after a huge four goal outburst put the game away for the 6-4 victory.
Ten minutes into the game, defenseman Viatcheslav Voynov scores on the power play for the first tally of the game. Fellow defenseman David Kolomatis added to the score in the second.
Binghamton Ryan Potulny did all he could do to keep his team in the game with the hattrick. The Senator center scored two goals a minute apart in the second.
Brayden Schenn broke up the triple with a score at the 7:05 mark. Potulny’s third came at 9:34, the goal was his fifth of the playoffs. Manchester followed with three goals scored every which way. Center Justin Azevedo score short-handed at 13:56, David Meckler then followed that up for his first of the series, and Corey Elkins finshed the scoring on the power play.
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 Manchester at Binghamton Game 6 – Fri Apr 22 7:00 PM * Binghamton at Manchester Game 7 – Sat Apr 23 7:00 PM * Binghamton at Manchester East Division Semifinals W-B/SCRANTON vs. NORFOLK Norfolk leads series 2 – 1
The Admirals and the Penguins have decided to keep the game defensively as neither team has scored more than two goals to win a game in this East Division Semifinal series. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has come back to cut Norfolk’s series lead in half 2-1.
The Penguins started the scoring in the first as center Keven Veilleux scored unassisted with 2:02 left in the first. The Admirals got that one late in the second as Mathieu Roy and Mike Vernace assisted on left wing Stefano Giliati’s power play goal. The you score this period, I score that period ended in the third as the Penguins rolled on the power play as forward Bryan Lerg scored the game-winner.
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 at Norfolk Game 5 – Fri Apr 22 7:30 PM W-B/Scranton at Norfolk 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 Hershey leads series 2 – 1
The Hershey Bears held on the beat the Charlotte Checkers to take a 2-1 series lead in the East Division Semifinals.
Hershey scored three unanswered goals in the first period. Right wing Francois Bouchard scored at 8:44 unassisted. Kevin Aucoin followed that with his second of the playoffs who then assisted on left wing Kyle Greentree’s goal late in the first at the 18:48 mark.
Then the Checkers started to chip away at the lead. Center Nick Dodge scored early in the first at 5:20 for the only goal scored in the second. Zach Boychuk also scored early in the third 2:21 into the period but that was all that was wrote as the Hershey Bears won 3-2.
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 Hershey at Charlotte Game 5 – Fri Apr 22 7:00 PM Hershey at Charlotte 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 2 – 1
Hamilton Bulldog goaltender Drew MacIntyre was on his toes throughout the game as he was pummeled for 46 shots keeping the Oklahoma City Barons at bay for over 48 minutes. Unfortunately for him he wasn’t the best goaltender in the game.
NHL Veteran Martin Gerber shined in the Baron’s win tonight as he stopped all 36 shots he faced in the shutout win 2-0.
Right wing Colin McDonald scored the first goal of the game in the third at 8:38 with assists from Brad Moran and Alexandre Giroux. Giroux then capped off the night scoring unassisted with 4:01 left in the game.
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 Hamilton 0, OKLAHOMA CITY 2 Game 4 – Wed Apr 20 7:05 PM Hamilton at Oklahoma City Game 5 – Fri Apr 22 7:05 PM Hamilton at Oklahoma City 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 2 – 1
In another game where goaltending was key, John Grahame scored the win allowing only one goal on 40 shots as Lake Erie defeated Manitoba 2-1. Tyler Weiman suffered the loss stopping 17 of only 19 shots for the Moose.
Manitoba got on the score-sheet first as right wing Sergei Shirokov scored right after the first minute of play. But all it took was two quick goals in the second to finish the scoring. Thirty-eight seconds in, it was right wing David Van der Gulik getting the talley. Almost two and a half minutes later, team captain Ben Walter score the game-winning goal.
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 at Manitoba Game 5 – Fri Apr 22 7:30 PM Lake Erie at Manitoba 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 Texas leads 2 – 1
With the 3-2 victory on Tuesday night, the Texas Stars now have a two games to one lead in the West Division Semifinals against the regular season Western Conference Champion Milwaukee Admirals.
As the Admirals outshot the Stars in the first 12-6, that lead to the only goal scored in the first two periods as right wing Chris Mueller scored at 3:36 into the game. Milwaukee added to that with a marker from Gabriel Bourque in the third.
The Stars added pressure late in the game as they crawled out of the goose egg that was on the scoreboard. On the power play, defenseman Philip Larsen scored 15:51 into the last frame. But with time running out, Captain Brad Lukowich scored with 21 seconds left on the clock sending the game into overtime.
Center Travis Morin, who assisted on both goals previously, go the game-winner in overtime 8:44 in.
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 Milwaukee 2, Texas 3 OT Game 4 – Wed Apr 20 7:30 PM Milwaukee at Texas Game 5 – Fri Apr 22 7:30 PM Milwaukee at Texas 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 win series 4 – 0
The Houston Aeros became the first team in the Calder Cup Playoff to advance to the next round after sweeping the Peoria Rivermen four games to none.
It was a tough defensive game for both teams as winning goaltender Matt Hackett allowed only one goal on the 24 shots he faced. That goal came early as defenseman Nathan Oystrick scored on the power play 8:03 into the game.
Ben Bishop, who was in goal for the Riverman, didn’t face that many shots either in having 19 fired at him. But of those shots, two got past him and both came in the second. Eight minutes and twenty-two seconds in, defenseman Drew Bagnall tied the game at one. Patrick O’Sullivan scored the game-winner with 8:56 left in the period.
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 PEORIA 1, Houston 2 (* if necessary)
Contact the author at matt.chin@prohockeynews.com
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