Starting Wednesday night, the Belleville Senators and Toronto Marlies will meet in the first round of the playoffs.
When we last checked in with winger Angus Crookshank, he was trying to establish himself as a full-time NHL player in Ottawa. But in a game against the Minnesota Wild on April 2nd, he suffered a lower-body injury and hasn't played since.
To Ottawa, it meant the loss of a good supporting cast member. To Belleville, which is in the playoffs for only the second time in its seven-year history, it meant the loss of their best player.
But it looks like Crookshank may be in the AHL playoff mix after all.
The Senators reassigned Crookshank to Belleville this morning, signalling that he's likely ready to play again. He was the club's all star this season, finishing second in scoring behind Garrett Pilon. Crookshank was the club's points per game leader with 24 goals and 46 points in 50 games.
Crookshank is an RFA this summer and likely to contend for a bottom six forward job in Ottawa this fall.
His arrival in Belleville comes at a perfect time for the B-Sens, who don't have much room for error in round one. While the NHL's first round might be the best round of all, the AHL has very little time for theirs, settling things quickly with a best-of-three format.
AHL Playoff Format: Image credit TheAHL.comThe winner of the best-of-three series between Belleville and Toronto will face Cleveland in the division semifinals. Rochester and Syracuse start their North semi on Friday. This is the first time the top AHL clubs of the Senators and Leafs will meet in a playoff series and the second tier of the Battle of Ontario.
Game 1 of the series is on Wednesday in Belleville. Game 2 is Friday in Toronto. And Game 3, if necessary, is Sunday afternoon in Belleville. The B-Sens have never won a playoff game in their seven year history.