The American Hockey League playoffs are down to eight teams and the Division Final Round. So, let’s look at the matchups and the teams fighting for spots in the Eastern and Western Conference Finals.
Then there were eight American Hockey League teams. The Calder Cup Playoffs have hit the Division Final round, and it’s when the playoffs hit a new level of intensity. This is the final best-of-five round as the playoffs head to seven-game matchups after this.
After a thrilling round of 16, this round is sure to deliver. Some teams are Cinderella stories, while others look like teams of destiny. So, let’s dive right into the matchups and what to watch out for.
Springfield - Wilkes-Barre Scranton
- The Springfield Thunderbirds have become the Cinderella darlings of the playoffs. They stunned the Charlotte Checkers and then upset the top-seeded Providence Bruins.
- But the Thunderbirds aren’t getting overlooked, anyone. They’ve been a great team for a while, with Steve Ott getting the most out of them as the head coach, while Georgi Romanov has been red hot in the net.
- The Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, meanwhile, are a complete team with minimal weaknesses. They have veterans and prospects with their prospect pool only getting better as Mikhail Ilyin and Harrison Brunicke join a group that has Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty.
- The player to watch in this series is Sergei Murashov. The Penguins' goaltender is poised to join the NHL team soon enough and is playing some of his best hockey in the playoffs, including a 37-save performance to clinch a spot in the Atlantic Division Final.
Cleveland - Toronto
- The Cleveland Monsters turned things around midseason to become one of the best teams in the AHL. It’s a credit to great coaching and the emergence of two great centers.
- One of those centers is Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Luca Del Bel Belluz, who had 58 points in 55 games with the Monsters and leads the team with four points in the playoffs.
- The Toronto Marlies upset the Laval Rocket with their mix of veterans and prospects stepping up. Vinni Lettieri has five goals and four assists, while defenseman William Villaveuve has seven assists to open things up from the point, and rookie forward Easton Cowan has two goals and four assists.
- The coaching matchup is just as intriguing in this series. The Monsters are led by the up-and-coming Trent Vogelhuber, while the Marlies have long-time assistant John Gruden getting the most out of the group. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if both coaches are behind NHL benches next season.
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Chicago - Grand Rapids
- The Grand Rapids Griffins have been the class of the Central Division all season. They had the best record and took care of the Manitoba Moose in their first matchup with three straight wins to take the series in four games.
- But if there’s any team that can knock off the Griffins, it’s the Chicago Wolves. They had the second-best record in the division and have a great roster from the top down.
- The Wolves saw Bradly Nadeau emerge as a star at the AHL level, as the Carolina Hurricanes prospect has five points in five games.
- The Griffins, meanwhile, are led by lights-out goaltending from Michal Postava as he has a .945 save percentage (SV%) and a 1.25 goals-against average (GAA) in the playoffs. It speaks to the goaltending depth they have, considering Sebastian Cossa was the starter for most of the season, and Trey Augustine is also in the Detroit Red Wings pipeline.
Coachella Valley - Colorado
- It took double overtime in Game Five but the Coachella Valley Firebirds are in the Pacific Division Final.
- This time around, they have a youth movement leading the way. Tyson Jugnauth is a talented two-way defenseman, while rookie forward Oscar Fisker Molgaard has 10 points in eight playoff games, leading all skaters.
- The Colorado Eagles, however, have been a top team all season and proved they can win in multiple ways. They have a high-flying offense but their defense and elite goaltending stood out against the Henderson Silver Knights as they limited an offense that averaged 3.6 goals per game to only six goals in four games.
- It’s a credit mostly to the great goaltending of Trent Minor, who put together shutouts in Game One and Game Three.