The AHL's Eastern Conference final between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and the Toronto Marlies begins here in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. tonight at 7:08 p.m.
After the last two rounds were best-of-five, the conference finals and Calder Cup Final both shift to best-of-seven series. Wilkes-Barre has home-ice advantage -- they would in the Final, too, regardless of whether Chicago or Colorado win the West -- but the series format makes these first two games pretty important for the home team. To minimize travel, the AHL follows a 2-3-2 format, with the higher seed playing the first two and last two games of the series at home, and the lower seed playing the middle three games at home. So, if the teams split these first two games in Wilkes-Barre, there's a risk of the series ending in Toronto without the opportunity for Wilkes-Barre to return home again.
Here's the schedule:
Game 1: May 27, 7:05 p.m., Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Game 2: May 29, 7:05 p.m., Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Game 3: June 1, 7 p.m., Toronto Game 4: June 3, 7 p.m., Toronto Game 5: June 5, 7 p.m., Toronto Game 6: June 7, 6:05 p.m., Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Game 7: June 9, 7:05 p.m., Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
These two teams only played each other twice in the regular-season, months apart, but the games themselves were pretty similar.
The first meeting was on Nov. 5 in Wilkes-Barre, and the Penguins got off to a good start -- Tristan Broz scored 16 seconds into the game, and Atley Calvert and Boko Imama made it a three-goal lead in the second. But the Marlies scored three goals in the third to force overtime, and capped off the win with a fourth straight goal in overtime. Filip Larsson, who has since gotten out of his contract to return to Sweden, was in net for that one. Wilkes-Barre was also pretty depleted due to injuries and recalls at the time, so it was a much different lineup than the one currently playing.
Wilkes-Barre didn't play the Marlies again until March 22 in Toronto, and they again got off to a good start with goals from Avery Hayes, Rafael Harvey-Pinard and Aidan McDonough in the first period, and then another from Harvey-Pinard in the second. And then ... the Marlies started storming back again. They answered quickly in the second period, then Alex Nylander scored twice for Toronto in the third, but the rally ended there. Joel Blomqvist was in net for that one, having stopped 17 of 20.
Sergei Murashov has started every game of these playoffs, and will surely be in net for Game 1 today, and that'll be the first time he sees the Marlies this season.
The biggest lineup question for Wilkes-Barre heading into Game 1 surrounds the health of Owen Pickering, who missed Saturday's Game 5 win with a lower-body injury and was deemed day-to-day. Should get an update on his availability at the morning skate today.
THE ASYLUM
AHL Eastern Conference final begins today
The AHL's Eastern Conference final between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and the Toronto Marlies begins here in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. tonight at 7:08 p.m.
After the last two rounds were best-of-five, the conference finals and Calder Cup Final both shift to best-of-seven series. Wilkes-Barre has home-ice advantage -- they would in the Final, too, regardless of whether Chicago or Colorado win the West -- but the series format makes these first two games pretty important for the home team. To minimize travel, the AHL follows a 2-3-2 format, with the higher seed playing the first two and last two games of the series at home, and the lower seed playing the middle three games at home. So, if the teams split these first two games in Wilkes-Barre, there's a risk of the series ending in Toronto without the opportunity for Wilkes-Barre to return home again.
Here's the schedule:
Game 1: May 27, 7:05 p.m., Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Game 2: May 29, 7:05 p.m., Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Game 3: June 1, 7 p.m., Toronto
Game 4: June 3, 7 p.m., Toronto
Game 5: June 5, 7 p.m., Toronto
Game 6: June 7, 6:05 p.m., Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Game 7: June 9, 7:05 p.m., Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
These two teams only played each other twice in the regular-season, months apart, but the games themselves were pretty similar.
The first meeting was on Nov. 5 in Wilkes-Barre, and the Penguins got off to a good start -- Tristan Broz scored 16 seconds into the game, and Atley Calvert and Boko Imama made it a three-goal lead in the second. But the Marlies scored three goals in the third to force overtime, and capped off the win with a fourth straight goal in overtime. Filip Larsson, who has since gotten out of his contract to return to Sweden, was in net for that one. Wilkes-Barre was also pretty depleted due to injuries and recalls at the time, so it was a much different lineup than the one currently playing.
Wilkes-Barre didn't play the Marlies again until March 22 in Toronto, and they again got off to a good start with goals from Avery Hayes, Rafael Harvey-Pinard and Aidan McDonough in the first period, and then another from Harvey-Pinard in the second. And then ... the Marlies started storming back again. They answered quickly in the second period, then Alex Nylander scored twice for Toronto in the third, but the rally ended there. Joel Blomqvist was in net for that one, having stopped 17 of 20.
Sergei Murashov has started every game of these playoffs, and will surely be in net for Game 1 today, and that'll be the first time he sees the Marlies this season.
The biggest lineup question for Wilkes-Barre heading into Game 1 surrounds the health of Owen Pickering, who missed Saturday's Game 5 win with a lower-body injury and was deemed day-to-day. Should get an update on his availability at the morning skate today.
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits!
We’d love to have you!