There are five Calder Cup Playoff games on Tuesday, May 5. So, let's look at what you need to know from the frenzy of games.
It's typical to have multiple games on a given night during the American Hockey League season. The weekends, especially Saturday, will often have all 32 teams in action. Usually, the playoffs will have one or two games.
Tonight, there are five. It's hard to keep track of them all and certainly tougher to follow the storylines from every game and every series. So, here's what you need to know from every matchup.
Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins at Hershey Bears
- The Pennsylvania rivals split the first two games, and the series is heading to Hershey for back-to-back games, starting with Game Three.
- This series has been a goaltending duel so far. Clay Stevenson has only allowed four goals in the two games and six goals in four playoff games. Sergei Murashov, who was part of the AHL All-Rookie Team, has only allowed three goals in two starts.
- The Hershey top line of Andrew Cristall, Ilya Protas, and Bogdan Trineyev has scored six of the team's 11 goals in this playoff run.
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Providence Bruins at Springfield Thunderbirds
- The Bruins had the best record in the AHL this season, yet the Thunderbirds are giving them all they can handle with a Game One 3-2 upset and a nailbiter 2-1 Game Two.
- The Thunderbirds have found their goaltender for the playoffs with Georgii Romanov, allowing only seven goals in four games.
- Lukas Reichel joined the Bruins for Game Two and provided an immediate jolt with a good checking presence while also setting up the offense. It's the spark they needed after dropping Game One.
Laval Rocket at Toronto Marlies
- The Marlies are on the verge of pulling off a major upset. They've won the last two games, and one more win knocks off the first-place team in the North Division in the Rocket.
- They've tilted this series with the help of veterans and prospects fueling the forward unit. Notably, Easton Cowan has four points in the past two games.
- The question for the Rocket is which goaltender they turn to. Kappo Kahkonen was their starter all season but was pulled from Game Three, and Hunter Shepard is a two-time Calder Cup winner. It makes for a tough decision for Pascal Vincent with his team on the brink of elimination.
Texas Stars at Chicago Wolves
- It all comes down to this. Game Five with the winner advancing to the Central Division Final. This series has been a war where either team can go on to win the Cup after winning this series.
- The Wolves have seen their prospects deliver on the big stage. Notably, Bradly Nadeau has a goal and two assists, while rookie Evan Vierling has a goal and an assist to add a spark to the offense.
- The Stars needed an overtime winner from Artem Shlaine to keep their season alive. He's the X-factor for Game Five as a 24-year-old veteran who has three goals in four playoff games.
Ontario Reign at Coachella Valley Firebirds
- The Reign are in for a tough series. The Firebirds were one of the hottest teams out west down the stretch and already split the first two games of this series.
- The Firebirds have seen 21-year-old forward Oscar Fisker Molgaard emerge as a star in the playoffs, with four goals and three assists in five games. The Seattle Kraken need scoring and the prospect from Denmark might provide that soon enough.
- The Reign can flip the momentum of this series with their forwards controlling the pace of play. They have the heavy lineup to overpower the Firebirds and can find the dirty-area goals to make a difference.