2018 Calder Cup Conference Finals

[JMCx4]

From: The American Hockey League > News

Conference finals schedules set

May 12, 2018

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League today announced the schedule for the third round of the 2018 Calder Cup Playoffs.

In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Toronto Marlies (top development team of the Toronto Maple Leafs) will face the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia Flyers) beginning next Saturday in Toronto. The Marlies and Phantoms were the top two teams in the American Hockey League during the 2017-18 regular season; Toronto is making its fifth appearance in the conference finals in the last 11 years, while the Phantoms franchise has reached the conference finals for the first time since winning the Calder Cup in 2005.

In the Western Conference Finals, the Texas Stars (Dallas Stars) are set to take on the Rockford IceHogs (Chicago Blackhawks) beginning Friday in Cedar Park, Texas. The Stars are in the conference finals for the third time in their nine-year history (2010, 2014), while Rockford is heading to the third round for the first time since joining the AHL in 2007.

Scores Updated 5/28/2018

Eastern Conference Finals – Series “M” (best-of-7)
N1-Toronto Marlies vs. A1-Lehigh Valley Phantoms ... Toronto wins series 4-0

Game 1 – Sat., May 19 – Lehigh Valley (3) at Toronto (4) ... Marlies prevail in see-saw Game 1

Game 2 – Sun., May 20 – Lehigh Valley (2) at Toronto (3) (1OT) ... Miro the hero as Marlies go up 2-0

Game 3 – Wed., May 23 – Toronto (5) at Lehigh Valley (0) ... Marlies stifle Phantoms to take 3-0 series lead

Game 4 – Fri., May 25 – Toronto (3) at Lehigh Valley (1) ... Marlies sweep way into Calder Cup Finals

*Game 5 – Sat., May 26 – Toronto at Lehigh Valley, 7:05
*Game 6 – Mon., May 28 – Lehigh Valley at Toronto, 7:00
*Game 7 – Wed., May 30 – Lehigh Valley at Toronto, 7:00

*if necessary… All times Eastern


Western Conference Finals – Series “N” (best-of-7)
P2-Texas Stars vs. C4-Rockford IceHogs ... Texas wins series 4-2

Game 1 – Fri., May 18 – Rockford (2) at Texas (4) ... Texas hands Rockford its first playoff loss

Game 2 – Sun., May 20 – Rockford (2) at Texas (3) (1OT) ... Stars shine on with another OT win

Game 3 – Tue., May 22 – Texas (6) at Rockford (5) (1OT) ... Captain clutch again as Stars take command

Game 4 – Thu., May 24 – Texas (2) at Rockford (3) (1OT) ... Hogs save their bacon, extend series to Game 5

... Game 5 – Fri., May 25 – Texas (1) at Rockford (3) ... Stayin’ alive… again

... Game 6 – Mon., May 28 – Rockford (1) at Texas (2) (1OT) ... Texas two-steps into Calder Cup Finals

*Game 7 – Tue., May 29 – Rockford at Texas, 8:00

*if necessary… All times Eastern

Click to read more...

 

[PanniniClaus]

Fair to say Toronto and Rockford should be favorites?

 

[JMCx4]

Fair to say Toronto and Rockford should be favorites?

Probably so. But the Phantoms may have been divinely inspired by their 5OT Game 4 win, and Texas has done very well in close games so far. Both series look like Must-See Hockey to me.

 

[JMCx4]

A little team news while we wait for the Conference Finals to begin ...

• Toronto Sun: Marlies battle boredom awaiting next round
• Philadelphia Inquirer: Since stint with Flyers, goalie Alex Lyon has taken off
  
• NHL.com-Stars: What has made Texas Stars so impressive this postseason?
• Rockford Register Star: Hogs powering through playoffs with perfect mark

 

[JMCx4]

From: The American Hockey League > News > Latest Headlines

Series Snapshots: 2018 Conference Finals

 

[JMCx4]

Western Conference Finals Game 1 is tonight in Austin.

The Eastern Conference Finals start on Saturday night in Toronto and will be aired in Canada on TSN2.

 

[JMCx4]

Texas stopped Rockford's 7-0 playoff winning streak with a 4-2 victory on Friday night. Game 2 will be on Sunday in Austin.

 

[JMCx4]

A back-and-forth affair in Toronto on Saturday afternoon, but the Marlies hold their final forth on a 3rd period goal by Adam Brooks to defeat the Phantoms 4-3 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals series. Game 2 will be Sunday afternoon on Ricoh ice.

 

[JMCx4]

TO's Miro Aaltonen adds to his 2-goal performance in Game 1 by scoring the OT winner in Game 2 on Sunday night. Final score: Phantoms 2 - Marlies 3. Toronto now leads the Eastern Conference Finals series 2 games to none, with the teams moving to the Lehigh Valley for Game 3 on Wednesday.

 

[JMCx4]

Nearly the same script in Austin on Sunday night: Western Conference Finals Game 2 goes to OT, and the home team scores the GWG (in this case, Texas captain Curtis McKenzie with a power play goal) for a 3-2 victory & a 2-0 series lead. The Stars & IceHogs will play Game 3 in Rockford on Tuesday night.

 

[PanniniClaus]

Pretty awesome couple of games in Toronto...great hockey

 

[JMCx4]

Preview of tonight's Texas @ Rockford Game 3 matchup from TheAHL.com's Morning Skate feature ...

@

Game 3 – Tonight, 8:00 ET, AHL Live
(TEX leads series, 2-0)

Rockford faces a steep climb as it hosts Texas in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals tonight… The Stars own a 2-0 series lead following Sunday evening’s 3-2 overtime victory, Texas’s fifth OT win already this postseason… Curtis McKenzie (4-6-10) scored the decisive goal on a power play at 10:46 of the extra session… McKenzie, who also picked up an assist in Game 2, now has a four-game scoring streak (3-2-5)… Mike McKenna (9-2, 1.69, .949) made 24 saves for his sixth consecutive win, improving to 17-2 in 19 starts at home over the last two playoffs with Texas and Syracuse… Brent Regner (1-6-7) scored in Game 2, becoming the 15th different Texas skater to record a goal this postseason… John Hayden (2-0-2) and Chris DiDomenico (6-8-14) scored for Rockford on Sunday… The IceHogs’ trio of DiDomenico, Adam Clendening (1-11-12) and Cody Franson (4-5-9) has combined for 30 power-play points this postseason, but has been held to a combined five points at even strength… After scoring five goals on just seven shots through the first two rounds, Victor Ejdsell (5-3-8) is scoreless on four shots vs. Texas… Collin Delia (7-2, 1.99, .936), who was 17-1-2 in his previous 20 decisions before losing Games 1 and 2 of this series, has not lost at BMO Harris Bank Center since Feb. 9 (8-0-0)… The IceHogs have scored a power-play goal in 11 consecutive games overall, and are now 17-for-49 (34.7 percent) with the man advantage in nine playoff contests… Texas is 3-for-11 on the power play in the series after Rockford had allowed only two goals on 28 chances over the first two rounds… Dating back to the regular season, 12 of the Stars’ last 20 games have required overtime… Teams leading a best-of-seven Calder Cup Playoff series 2-0 have won the series 90.1 percent of the time (219-24). ...

 

[JMCx4]

End of one period in Rockford, Texas leads 3-2. The IceHogs took the early lead to keep the home crowd amped, but then sent two players to the box & allowed the Stars to tie things up with a 5-on-3 goal. More seesaw after that, with Texas scoring their second & third goals just over a minute apart. Two more periods for Rockford to get their act together, or Thursday night could end their run.

 

[JMCx4]

So the Hogs listened to my locker room speech above, and scored two in the 2nd period to take a 4-3 lead into the 3rd period. They tightened up their D and brought more offensive pressure in the middle stanza ... that was all THEIR idea.

 

[JMCx4]

3rd period in Rockford is a nailbiter.

 

[JMCx4]

The IceHogs could not hold off the Stars in Period 3. Texas rookie Sheldon Dries tied the score with his second goal of the game, then Austin Fyten scored to put the visitors up 5-4. Rockford pulled their goalie with over 2 minutes left, and it paid off with a tying goal by Cody Franson with 50 seconds to go in regulation. Going to OT for the second game in a row, with the score tied 5-5.

 

[JMCx4]

Texas wins Game 3 in OT, 6-5. Went in off Rockford D-man Adam Clendening, credited to Texas captain Curtis McKenzie. The Stars now lead the Western Conference Finals 3-0, with the IceHogs facing elimination on Thursday night.

 

[JMCx4]

From Wednesday's AHL Morning Skate ...

@

Game 3 – Tonight, 7:05 ET, AHL Live
TV: TSN2, NBC Sports Philadelphia+, Leafs Nation Network, Service Electric TV2
(TOR leads series, 2-0)

The Eastern Conference Finals resume in Lehigh Valley tonight as the Phantoms host Toronto in Game 3… The Marlies extended their winning streak to seven games with a 3-2 overtime victory on Sunday evening, taking a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series… Miro Aaltonen (4-4-8) netted the winning goal in Game 2, his third goal of the series for Toronto… Andreas Johnsson (3-8-11) has three assists in the series and 2-5-7 during a four-game scoring streak… Chris Mueller (2-7-9) also has points in four straight for the Marlies (1-4-5)… Garret Sparks (8-2, 2.24, .921) Lehigh Valley is home tonight for the first time since May 5, a 6-0 loss to Charlotte in Game 2 of the Atlantic Division Finals… Chris Conner (5-4-9) leads the Phantoms in goals and points this postseason… Alex Lyon (6-3, 1.84, .949) has lost back-to-back decisions for the first time since an 0-2-1 slide from Dec. 30 to Jan. 12… With a goal and an assist both in Game 1, defenseman Philippe Myers (3-4-7) is the only Phantoms skater with more than one point in the series… Lehigh Valley has held three separate one-goal leads in the series, but only for a total of 5 minutes, 30 seconds… Toronto has led for 30:33, while the teams have played tied for 94:56… Lehigh Valley is 20-2-1-1 in its last 24 games at PPL Center since Jan. 13… Toronto is now 41-9-2-2 overall since Dec. 31… The Phantoms led the AHL in home wins during the regular season (27); the Marlies set a league record for road wins (30)… Toronto is 5-0 in one-goal games this postseason… Teams leading a best-of-seven Calder Cup Playoff series 2-0 have won the series 90.1 percent of the time (219-24).

 

[JMCx4]

The Marlies continued their dominant playoff display on Wednesday night with a 5-0 shutout of the Phantoms in Allentown. Toronto now leads the Eastern Conference Finals 3 games to none, with Lehigh Valley hosting Game 4 on Friday.

 

[JMCx4]

The IceHogs pull off an amazing comeback in Game 4 against the Stars, tying the game 2-2 in the 3rd period then winning it early in OT on a power play. Final Score = Texas 2 - Rockford 3. Game 5 will be played in Rockford on Friday night.

 

[JMCx4]

From: The American Hockey League > News
-------------------------------------------
AHL MORNING SKATE: 5.25.18

MAY 25, 2018

TORONTO MARLIES @ LEHIGH VALLEY PHANTOMS
Game 4 – Tonight, 7:05 ET, AHL Live
TV: TSN2, NHL Network, NBC Sports Philadelphia+, Leafs Nation Network, Service Electric TV2
(TOR leads series, 3-0)

The Toronto Marlies can wrap up the Eastern Conference championship tonight as they take a 3-0 series lead into Game 4 at Lehigh Valley… Since being pushed to the brink of elimination by Utica in the opening round, Toronto has reeled off eight straight wins — most recently a convincing 5-0 victory at PPL Center on Wednesday night… Carl Grundstrom (6-3-9) and Andreas Johnsson (4-9-13) tallied a goal and an assist each for the Marlies, Ben Smith (5-6-11) scored two power-play goals in the third period and Toronto allowed only 16 shots in the game, including nine over the first 40 minutes… Garret Sparks (9-2, 2.04, .925) recorded his second shutout of the postseason… Johnsson (3-6-9) and Smith (4-2-6) both carry five-game scoring streaks into tonight’s contest… The Marlies improved their record to 42-9-2-2 since New Year’s Eve… Following a 20-1-1-1 stretch on home ice, the Phantoms have lost their last two home games by a combined score of 11-0… Alex Lyon (6-4, 1.97, .945) stopped 23 of 26 shots in Game 3; Dustin Tokarski (1-1, 4.17, .859) allowed two goals on eight shots in relief… Toronto is 4-for-12 on the power play (33.3 percent) in the series; Lehigh Valley is 2-for-8 (25.0 percent)… The Marlies have trailed for a total of 22:57 during their eight-game winning streak, including 5:30 in this series… The Phantoms are 3-0 following shutout losses this season, outscoring opponents 15-5 in those bounce-back wins… Toronto leads the entire playoff field in both goals for (3.75) and goals against (2.17) per game… Three teams in AHL history have won a series after losing the first three games: the 1960 Rochester Americans (vs. Cleveland), the 1989 Adirondack Red Wings (vs. Hershey) and the 2013 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (vs. Providence). ...

TEXAS STARS @ ROCKFORD ICEHOGS
Game 5 – Tonight, 8:00 ET, AHL Live
(TEX leads series, 3-1)

The Western Conference Finals continue tonight after a season-saving effort by Rockford in yesterday’s Game 4… Victor Ejdsell (7-4-11) scored his second goal of the game with 2:32 gone in overtime last night to give the IceHogs a 3-2 victory, ending the Stars’ seven-game winning streak and thwarting their bid to sweep the series… Texas still holds a 3-1 series lead heading into Game 5… Ejdsell’s decisive goal was his second OT marker of the postseason, his fourth game-winner and his league-leading seventh goal overall… Luke Johnson (3-4-7) scored with 6:58 to play in regulation as Rockford forced overtime with a late goal for the second consecutive game… Jeff Glass (1-0, 1.92, .933) made his Calder Cup Playoff debut for the IceHogs and stopped 28 shots in his first game action since Apr. 13… Travis Morin (4-4-8) and Matt Mangene (1-5-6) scored power-play goals in Game 4 as the Stars went 2-for-5; Texas is 6-for-19 (31.6 percent) in the series after Rockford had allowed only two goals in 28 shorthanded chances through its first two rounds… With his Game 4 goal, Mangene has points in five straight games for the Stars (1-4-5)… Curtis McKenzie (6-8-14) extended his scoring streak to six games (5-4-9) with an assist last night… The IceHogs are 3-for-13 (23.1 percent) on the power play in the series… Mike McKenna (10-3, 2.00, .940) turned aside 33 shots in Game 4… Texas has lost in regulation only once in its last 20 games since Mar. 31… Texas and Rockford are the first teams to play three straight OT playoff games against each other since Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Providence in 2016; there has never been a series that featured four consecutive overtime games… The IceHogs’ Game 4 victory was their first-ever win when facing elimination from the Calder Cup Playoffs (1-5)… Of the 135 teams that have trailed 0-3 in a best-of-seven series, only 18 have even extended the series to a Game 6 (13.3 percent). ...

Read more at: AHL Morning Skate: 5.25.18 | TheAHL.com | The American Hockey League

 

[JMCx4]

Matching scores in the Conference Finals series on Friday night. The Marlies swept The Phantoms in the East with a 3-1 victory in Game 4 played on Lehigh Valley ice. And the IceHogs avoided elimination again with a 3-1 home ice win in Game 5 of the Western series. So Toronto moves on to represent the Eastern Conference in the Calder Cup Finals, while Rockford & Texas return to Austin for Game 6 - and hopefully Game 7.

 

[JMCx4]

From: The American Hockey League > News

@

Game 6 – Tonight, 8:00 ET, AHL Live
(TEX leads series, 3-2)

The Western Conference Finals return to Cedar Park as Texas hosts Rockford in Game 6 tonight… The Stars’ 3-0 series lead has been whittled down to 3-2 thanks to IceHogs wins in Game 4 on Thursday and Game 5 on Friday… Jeff Glass (2-0, 1.47, .958), who made his Calder Cup Playoff debut in Game 4, is coming off a 40-save effort in a 3-1 victory in Game 5 and has stopped 68 of the 71 shots he faced… Luke Johnson (4-4-8) scored the game-winner for Rockford in Game 5, his third straight contest with a goal… The IceHogs won the last two games without a point from Chris DiDomenico (6-11-17), who is still the AHL’s leading postseason scorer… Rockford’s defensemen have contributed 46 points on offense in the playoffs, led by Adam Clendening (1-12-13), Cody Franson (6-6-12) and Carl Dahlstrom (3-6-9)…

Texas’s Curtis McKenzie (6-8-14) leads all scorers in the series with 4-3-7… Roope Hintz (3-7-10) scored the Stars’ only goal in Game 5 on Friday… Brian Flynn (6-6-12) has gone seven games without a goal after scoring six times in the Stars’ first seven playoff outings… Mike McKenna (10-4, 2.08, .937) has lost consecutive decisions for the first time in more than three months (Feb. 2-10)… Texas is 6-for-21 (28.6 percent) on the power play in the series, while Rockford is 3-for-16 (18.8 percent)…

Of the 137 teams in AHL history who have trailed a best-of-seven series 3-0, the IceHogs are just the 19th to extend as far as a Game 6; only four teams have forced a Game 7. ...

Read more at: AHL Morning Skate: 5.28.18

 

[JMCx4]

While everyone else was watching Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals, the IceHogs & Stars were playing hockey in Texas. Rockford continues to be in a do-or-die situation, which they've at least delayed the last two games. Now halfway through regulation in Game 6, they are tied @ zeroes.

 

[JMCx4]

Western Conference Finals Game 6 starting overtime in Austin, tied 1-1.