CHICAGO, Ill. –Tonight we saw five teams trying to get back into the race. Four of those teams tied their series at two games, and with the fifth we saw the Binghamton Senators stave off playoff elimination against the Manchester Monarchs to come within one game with a 5-4 win. As for Thursday, we have two games on the plate. The Connecticut Whale travels to Portland as they try to break the 2-2 series tie, while the Lake Erie Monsters can extend their lead over the Manitoba Moose as their series is 2-1. FIRST ROUND Atlantic Division Semifinals PORTLAND vs. CONNECTICUT series tied 2 – 2
Three goals are all it takes to win a game in this series it seems. Can the Pirates harpoon the Whale at home?
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 – 2
On the verge of elimination, the Binghamton Senators fought back four times to win in overtime by the score of 5-4. The series now finishes up in Manchester.
The Senators started the scoring in the first at the 5:52 mark as center Cody Bass scored his first goal of the series. Late in the period, defenseman Viatcheslav Voynov evened up the score after Andre Benoit was sent to the penalty box. Manchester took their first and second lead in the game as left wing Ray Kaunisto scored the Monarch’s next two goals but the Senator’s Bobby Butler was able to wedge one in between.
One of the hottest players in the playoffs is Binghamton’s Ryan Potulny who had two goals in the third that bookended Manchester’s David Mecklers as the game ended in regulation at four goals apiece.
In the overtime period, Voynov was sent off for a slashing call. A minute into the penalty Kaspars Daugavins scored the winner for Binghamton to end the game 6:38 into the period.
The two goals by Potulny had given the center seven goals for nine points in five games played in the playoffs.
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 at Manchester Game 7 – Sat Apr 23 7:00 PM * Binghamton at Manchester East Division Semifinals W-B/SCRANTON vs. NORFOLK series tied 2 – 2
Just like that, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have come back to tie the series at two games after almost crashing in the playoffs as the number one seed after losing the first two games to Norfolk.
The two teams exchanged for most of the first two periods. The Penguins got on the score-sheet first as defenseman Corey Potter initiated the game with a goal past Dustin Tokarski. Johan Harju returned the favor with a puck in the net to end the first.
It was the defense again as Brian Strait scored early in the second. We then see-sawed at 13:25 as center Marc-Antoine Pouliot knotted up the score at two.
But a late period penalty sank the Admirals as center Ryan Craig scored to give the Penguins the lead. Joe Vitale added the insurance goal in the third to give his team the 4-2 victory with Game Four coming up on Friday.
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 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 series tied 2 – 2
The Charlotte Checkers got two goals in the third from forwards Oskar Osala and Nick Dodge and held on to win and tie the series against the Hershey Bears by the score of 3-2.
Hershey’s Mathieu Perreault was the only offense in the game for the Bears as he got his team within one goal with two minutes left in the game. The scoring started in the game in the second period as Charlotte’s Nicolas Blanchard scored on the power play.
Charlotte netminder Mike Murphy stopped 35 of 37 shots for the win.
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 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 series tied 2 – 2
The Oklahoma City Barons finally broke a 0-15 streak on the power play in the series as Mark Arcobello scored late in the second with 26 seconds left. This goal gave the Barons the lead which they did not give back as the team defeated the Hamilton Bulldogs 5-2 to tie the series at two games apiece.
The two teams exchanged goals in the first and second periods with Hunter Tremblay and Zack Stortini tallying for the Barons and Ian Schultz and Paul Zanette for the Bulldogs.
Linus Omark scored in the third and Chris Vandevelde fired the empty-netter to end the scoring. All seven players scored their first goals tonight in the series.
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 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
These two teams are so evenly matches against each other that you cannot tell them apart.
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 series 2 – 2
The Milwaukee Admirals got just enough tonight to win 3-2 to tie the series up with the Texas Stars. Gabriel Bourque got the Admirals on the board first with his fourth goal of the playoffs in the first period on the power play.
The two teams then exchanged goals in the second as Scott Glennie tied the score at one. But Taylor Beck got that one back in the middle frame at 12:37 on the power play. The Admirals added to their lead as Mark Van Guilder scored with an assist from Ryan Thang. Texas comeback fell short but Greg Rallo was able to bring his team back within one goal but Jeremy Smith and his Milwaukee Admirals came out on top as he saved 30 of his 32 shots on goal.
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 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 wins series 4 – 0
The Aeros have awhile as the wait for their next opponent after sweeping Peoria out of the playoffs.
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
You must be logged in to post a comment.