Game Night Results

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  • AHL Playoff Game Day: 4/19/11 Penguins at Admirals
    6 years 26 weeks ago

    A brave effort by the Admirals comes an eyelash short.

    WBS-2
    NOR-1

    Norfolk Leads the Series 2-1

    Dustin Tokarski allowed 2 goals on 25 shots for the loss.

    First Period
    WBS Veilleux, (2) , 17:58

    Second Period
    NOR Giliati, (1) (Roy, Vernace), 15:40 (PP)

    Third Period
    WBS Lerg, (1) (Hutchinson, Thiessen), 10:20 (PP)

    Stefano Giliati and Tokarski were the game's second and third stars. Giliati played a heck of a game and was arguably the team's most dangerous forward.

    Due to injuries, the Admirals were already without the services of Alex Berry and Mike Angelidis going into the week. They lost 2/3 of arguably the best line in the AHL to recall when Mattias Ritola and Blair Jones were moved up to Tampa Bay earlier in the day. Captain Chris Durno then went out very early in the game with an injury and never returned, and was soon followed to the locker room by Paul Szczechura, who was injured by Brian Strait after the whistle in a very questionable play. So, the Admirals played the Penguins to a stalemate with no less than 6 of their best forwards out of the lineup until a Pierre-Cedric Labrie double minor for high-sticking gave the Pens the opportunity to get the go-ahead goal.

    The difficulty for the Admirals now is that Ritola and Jones won't return for Game Four tomorrow night, and Durno and Szczechura's injuries are obviously serious to have missed the remainder of the game when the team was so shorthanded. The Admirals do have a healthy Alex Hutchings on the roster, but Hutchings was not listed on the team's Clear Day roster as a player in residence. So the team may be very shorthanded again in Game Four. Tonight might have been the Admirals' best chance to get to a third win before Friday. You knew things were dire when Admirals radio voice Pete Michaud let a Freudian slip that the Pens were about to tie up the series if they could hold off Norfolk in the final few minutes of the game.

    Box score from TheAHL.com.

  • NHL Playoff Game Night: 4/18/11 Penguins at Lightning
    6 years 27 weeks ago

    It always seems to happen: a soft goal ends up being the margin of loss.

    PIT-3
    TB-2

    Pittsburgh Leads the Series 2-1

    Dwayne Roloson allowed 3 goals on 30 shots for the loss. The first goal he allowed was Charminy soft to Talbot and the third goal was off a rebound where we was caught in a funny position trying to squeeze his pads behind him on a puck that wasn't between his legs. As good as he was in Game One and Two in Pittsburgh, he wasn't tonight. He struggled with his rebound control and looked to be fighting it all night long, and you can't allow soft goals in the playoffs. It can't happen.

    First Period
    05:46 PIT Talbot (1), Lovejoy (1)
    06:31 PIT Asham (2), Rupp (1), Letang (2)
    15:19 TB St Louis (2), Gagne (4), Stamkos (1)(PP)

    Second Period
    NO SCORING

    Third Period
    02:12 TB St Louis (3), Lecavalier (1), Brewer (3)(PP)
    02:43 PIT Kennedy (1), Letang (3), Orpik (3)

    Martin St. Louis was the game's second star.

    Good:
    Martin St. Louis is so money on the power play. The guy had an instinct for the rebounds Fleury was leaving tonight. Honorable mention to the heroic effort by an obviously winged Ryan Malone. He almost scored a goal in the second period and drew a penalty in the third that could've tied it at third if the Lightning power play could've clicked. I don't see how the guy can continue in the series playing one armed, but there was no quit in him tonight.

    Bad:
    Gap control at the Lightning's blueline was awful tonight and there was nothing resembling a forecheck for long stretches of the second and third periods. It's like they forgot everything that led them to blow the Pens out in Game Two the moment Roli allowed that softie.

    Ugly:
    Seriously, that first goal was horrible. You can't do that to your team if you're a veteran netminder. It kills your momentum and gets you out of your game in a moment's notice. And, sure enough, that was the margin. Terrible. Can't happen.

    Steven Stamkos is showing signs of getting his picture off the milk carton, but I'm still waiting for Vincent Lecavalier to put together the big forechecking shifts to get some goals I expected based on his play down the stretch of the regular season. With a desperation moment coming up in Game Four, one of those two need to step up and contribute, especially if Malone is out.

    Box score and extended statistics from NHL.com.

  • North American Juniors Game Night: 4/17/11
    6 years 27 weeks ago

    QMJHL Quarterfinals

    No.4 Drummondville Voltigeurs 3 @ No.5 Gatineau Olympiques 6
    Gatineau wins best of seven series 4-2

    D Adam Janosik, GAT: 1-0-1, E, 0 PIM, 1 SOG, 0 Hits
    Season Totals: 60 GP, 7-25-32, +17, 37 PIM
    Playoff Totals: 10 GP, 2-3-5, E, 10 PIM

    Gatineau won their fourth game in a row and eliminated the higher seeded Volts in the process. Adam Janosik’s second goal of the playoffs gave the Olympiques a brief 3-2 lead in the third period. Gatineau, who scored five times in the final stanza, moves on to the league semifinals to face the winner of Game 7 between No.3 Quebec and No.7 Shawinigan.

    QMJHL Quarterfinals

    No.2 Montreal Juniors 3 @ No.8 Lewiston MAINEiacs 6
    Lewiston wins best of seven series 4-2

    D Charles Landry, MTL: 0-0-0, -1, 0 PIM, 2 SOG, 0 Hits
    Season Totals: 57 GP, 11-29-40, +26, 30 PIM
    Playoff Totals: 10 GP, 1-2-3, +5, 12 PIM

    Eighth-seeded Lewiston broke a 2-2 tie late in the second period and held on to defeat the second-seeded Montreal Juniors in Game 6 and advance to the league semifinals. Lightning prospect Charles Landry finished the playoffs with three points. He already holds an NHL contract, which will officially begin next year. He could join AHL Norfolk in some capacity in the coming days should the Lightning organization choose to extend his season.

    WHL

    Western Conference Semifinals

    No.2 Spokane Chiefs 4 @ No.4 Tri-City Americans 3 (OT)
    Spokane leads best of seven series 3-2

    C Tyler Johnson, SPO: 0-1-1, -1, 0 PIM
    Season Totals: 71 GP, 53-62-115, +27, 48 PIM
    Playoff Totals: 8 GP, 5-4-9, -1, 2 PIM
    RW Carter Ashton, TC: 1-0-1, +1, 0 PIM
    Season Totals: 62 GP, 33-38-71, -6, 106 PIM
    Playoff Totals: 9 GP, 3-4-7, +1, 4 PIM

    Lightning prospect Carter Ashton scored with just over a minute left in regulation after a timeout call to tie the game for Tri-City and send the game to overtime. Spokane’s Blake Gal came out of the penalty box in overtime and scored the game winner to give the Chiefs a 3-2 series lead. Tyler Johnson had an assist for the Chiefs. Game 6 will be in Spokane Tuesday. The winner of the series will take on Portland in the West Finals. Kootenay and Medicine Hat will battle in the East Finals.

  • North American Juniors Game Night: 4/16/11
    6 years 27 weeks ago

    USHL Qualifying Round

    No.5 Lincoln Stars 2 @ No.4 Fargo Force 4
    Fargo wins best of three series 2-0

    C Jimmy Mullin, FGO: 0-0-0, -1, 0 PIM, 4 SOG
    Season Totals: 52 GP, 23-37-60, +29, 26 PIM
    Playoff Totals: 2 GP, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM

    Fargo was not going to let Lincoln back into this series as they outshot the Stars 44-22 in Game 2 and outscored them 4-2 to complete the sweep. Fargo’s regular season leading scorer, Lightning prospect Jimmy Mullin, was scoreless in the series and one of only two players to finish on the negative side of zero in plus/minus for Game 2. If Sioux City beats Sioux Falls Sunday Fargo will play No.2 Omaha. If Sioux Falls wins that game, the Force will get top-seeded Dubuque in the USHL quarterfinals.

  • AHL Playoff Game Night: 4/16/11 Admirals at Penguins
    6 years 27 weeks ago

    Shock and awe in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

    NOR-2
    WBS-0

    Norfolk Leads the Series 2-0

    Dustin Tokarski stopped all 27 shots he faced for the shutout victory. That's a man who has only allowed 1 goal so far in this series. He had a reputation of being a big game, money goaltender in the playoffs as a junior, and it's translated so far in his first playoff run as a pro. He's 59/60 so far, for a .983 save percentage.

    First Period
    NO SCORING

    Second Period
    NOR Szczechura, (1) (Labrie, Fornataro), 19:52

    Third Period
    NOR Pouliot, (2) (Mihalik), 19:56 (EN)

    Tokarski and Paul Szczechura were the game's first and second stars.

    That just happened. Norfolk followed the road game script to perfection en route to a big win that now makes them the prohibitive favorite to make it out of this round to face the winner of the Hershey/Charlotte series. The AHL follows a 2-3-2 playoff format, so Norfolk now just needs to win 2 out of 3 at Scope to close out the series. As with tonight, though, they need to be prepared for a surging, desperate Penguins team during the first 20 minutes of Game Three on Tuesday night. The Admirals probably wish they could play Game Three tomorrow night so the Penguins would have less time to regroup, because right now Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is in stunned disbelief of what has happened in the series so far.

    Box score from TheAHL.com.

  • NHL Playoff Game Night: 4/15/11 Lightning at Penguins
    6 years 27 weeks ago

    A 1-1 series tie feels a lot like a Lightning lead heading back to Tampa Bay.

    TB-5
    PIT-1

    Series Tied 1-1

    Dwayne Roloson allowed 1 goal on 36 shots for the victory. I don't think it's close in terms of who the better goaltender has been in this series. Fleury has not been impressive, shutout or no, and of the 3 goals Roloson has allowed, 2 have pretty much been self-inflicted. People need to be talking about the Roloson mystique more-so than the "Flower" mystique, in my opinion.

    "Flower" allowed Brewer to look like Bobby Hull going high glove tonight on the first goal, kicked a rebound that would make Donald Igwebuike proud onto Thompson's stick for the third goal, and allowed St. Louis to bury the nail-in-the-coffin from below the goal line on the fourth goal. Combine that with the first period near-softie to Moore in Game One and his puck handling gaffe in the third period of that game that he miraculously didn't pay for and he's not painting a picture of brilliance so far. I've always been of the opinion, going back to when he was a junior, that Fleury is very streaky. At times he's a good player, but he's not a great player. I don't think Fleury can steal this series from the Lightning by himself, and the Lightning should not fear him. Tonight was case in point why.

    First Period
    02:02 TB Brewer (1), Gagne (1), Hedman (1)
    06:53 TB Lecavalier (1), Gagne (2), St Louis (1)(PP)
    17:02 TB Thompson (1), Downie (1), Brewer (1)

    Second Period
    09:08 PIT Adams (1), Asham (1)
    19:46 TB St Louis (1), Gagne (3), Brewer (2)(PP)

    Third Period
    17:55 TB Ohlund (1), unassisted (SH)(EN)

    Eric Brewer, Simon Gagne, and Martin St. Louis were the game's three stars.

    So what changed between Game One and Game Two? I thought the Lightning played their nastiest, most physical period of the season to open the game, and the Pens looked completely stunned by it. Whereas in Game One the Pens were knocking the Lightning horizontal in the first period, the Lightning put several Pens down to the ice in the first in Game Two. And, it wasn't just the usual suspects like Ohlund. It was guys like Bergenheim and Hedman. The Pens were not prepared to face a Lightning team that was willing to play with that much aggression and edge, and if the Lightning continue to play with that much aggression and edge, I don't see how the Pens win this series without Crosby coming back. That's why I would not be surprised to see Sid back for Game Three.

    The Pens need a game changer, because the Lightning just showed Pittsburgh the director's cut of what the rest of this series could be like, and it ain't pretty for the boys from the Steel City. Remember when the Russian mob catches up to Denzel Washington at the end of Training Day? Yeah, a lot like that. The Pens have only managed 3 non-empty net goals on Dwayne Roloson through 2 games and their power play has been laughably shambolic. The Pens are getting shots, and trying to play a meat and potatoes game, but that won't get them to the pay window with the way Roloson is performing. They need more skill to win this series.

    The Lightning have figured out how to crack the Pens defense to get scoring opportunities and Fleury is mortal now that the Lightning have calibrated their bomb sights in Game Two and are actually hitting the net on the chances they get. The Pens don't look like a team with the firepower to score goals in their current configuration and they don't look like they can hold the Lightning down to 1-2 goals a game, either. They need Crosby back, and if he comes back, the Lightning better be ready to put him horizontal, too. Sure, the refs will try to protect him, but they can't let him settle into the series if he returns. He can't be in top conditioning and timing, and the Lightning must physically rattle him to exploit it. Put him on the ice and have your penalty killers ready to go when the refs break out their whistles.

    Crosby or no, though, I expect Tampa to be rocking for Game Three and Game Four. Nothing in sports galvanizes a city like playoff hockey when its club looks like a legitimate threat to go deep in the postseason, and the Lightning darned sure looked like a threat tonight.

    Heaven help the Pens if Guy Boucher can manage to get Stamkos' face off the side of the milk carton.

    Box score and extended statistics from NHL.com.

  • AHL Playoff Game Night: 4/15/11 Admirals at Penguins
    6 years 27 weeks ago

    Norfolk stuns Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Now they have a tiger by the tail.

    NOR-2
    WBS-1

    Norfolk Leads the Series 1-0

    Dustin Tokarski allowed just 1 goal on 33 shots for the victory in his first professional playoff game. For Norfolk, if they get goaltending, they're capable of beating anyone, and they got goaltending from Tic tonight.

    First Period
    NO SCORING

    Second Period
    NOR Ritola, (1) (Milam), 5:23
    NOR Pouliot, (1) (Ritola), 18:27

    Third Period
    WBS Veilleux, (1) (Walker, Potter), 17:13

    Tokarski, Mattias Ritola, and Marc-Antoine Pouliot were the game's three stars. The like of Ritola/Pouliot/Jones is as good as any in the AHL right now, and there isn't a hotter player in the league than Mattias Ritola. Mind you, the rest of the Admirals forwards haven't been as stellar over the past month, but that line gives the Admirals enough firepower to win games with competent defense and goaltending. The Penguins learned that tonight.

    So, Norfolk has accomplished what they set out to accomplish in the first two games of the series, which was to steal home ice before heading back to Norfolk in the 2-3-2 format. However, the challenge becomes very different in Game Two. The Admirals now need to recognize they've got a tiger by the tail. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is now going to be desperate to win Game Two, because a loss may be a death sentence for the Penguins. So, Norfolk is going to face a higher level of intensity than they've seen all year, particularly in the first 20 minutes of Game Two. If they're not careful, they'll be blown out and momentum will reside on the Penguins' bus headed down to Virginia. However, if they handle the surge from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton early and can keep the game within a goal heading into the final frame, the Ritola line and special teams can deliver the big time upset. Make no mistake, WBS should be favored heavily in Game Two, but Norfolk has enough, on paper, to pull the stunner off again. At the very least, if Norfolk is competitive in Game Two, momentum will still be on the Admirals' side going into Game Three, Four, and Five, having already accomplished what they needed to in Pennsylvania.

    Box score from TheAHL.com.

  • North American Juniors Game Night: 4/15/11
    6 years 27 weeks ago

    USHL Qualifying Round

    No.5 Lincoln Stars 0 @ No.4 Fargo Force 2
    Fargo leads best of three series 1-0

    C Jimmy Mullin, FGO: 0-0-0, +1, 0 PIM, 0 SOG
    Season Totals: 52 GP, 23-37-60, +29, 26 PIM
    Playoff Totals: 1 GP, 0-0-0, +1, 0 PIM

    Fargo scored at 16:05 of the third period to break a 0-0 tie and added an empty net breakaway goal late to defeat Lincoln 2-0 in Game 1 of their opening round best of three series. Mullin, surprisingly, did not register a shot on net. Ryan Massa, a Nebraska-Omaha commit, made 23 saves for the shutout. Fargo can clinch the series in Game 2 Saturday night.

    QMJHL Quarterfinals

    No.5 Gatineau Olympiques 5 @ No.4 Drummondville Voltigeurs 1
    Best of seven series tied 2-2

    D Adam Janosik, GAT: 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM, 2 SOG, 0 Hits
    Season Totals: 60 GP, 7-25-32, +17, 37 PIM
    Playoff Totals: 9 GP, 1-3-4, E, 10 PIM

    Gatineau won their third game in a row to take a 3-2 series lead on the road. Adam Janosik was scoreless for Gatineau, who will host Game 6 Sunday.

    QMJHL Quarterfinals

    No.8 Lewiston MAINEiacs 4 @ No.2 Montreal Juniors 5 (2OT)
    Lewiston leads best of seven series 3-2

    D Charles Landry, MTL: 0-0-0, -1, 0 PIM, 1 SOG, 0 Hits
    Season Totals: 57 GP, 11-29-40, +26, 30 PIM
    Playoff Totals: 9 GP, 1-2-3, +6, 12 PIM

    Second-seeded Montreal got a double overtime winner by Dylan Anderson (undrafted), his first of the playoffs, and the Juniors live to play another day. Lewiston, who had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in the game and tied it with 1:15 left in regulation, holds a 3-2 series lead. After putting up only two shots in the first period, Montreal came out flying in the second, peppering the MAINEiacs with 19 shots. Game 6 will be back in Maine on Sunday.

  • North American Juniors Game Night: 4/14/11
    6 years 27 weeks ago

    WHL

    Western Conference Semifinals

    No.2 Spokane Chiefs 3 @ No.4 Tri-City Americans 4 (2OT)
    Best of seven series tied 2-2

    C Tyler Johnson, SPO: 2-0-2, +1, 0 PIM, *Second Star*
    Season Totals: 71 GP, 53-62-115, +27, 48 PIM
    Playoff Totals: 7 GP, 5-3-8, E, 2 PIM
    RW Carter Ashton, TC: 0-1-1, +1, 0 PIM
    Season Totals: 62 GP, 33-38-71, -6, 106 PIM
    Playoff Totals: 8 GP, 2-4-6, E, 4 PIM

    Lightning prospect Tyler Johnson scored at the 12-minute mark of the third period to tie the game, but Ams defenseman Tyler Schmidt (undrafted) scored his first of the playoffs in the second overtime to give Tri-City the win and tie the series at 2. Johnson had a shorthanded goal early in the second period that gave Spokane a brief 2-0 lead. Carter Ashton had an assist for Tri-City. Game 5 will be Sunday in Spokane.

  • North American Juniors Game Night: 4/13/11
    6 years 27 weeks ago

    QMJHL Quarterfinals

    No.4 Drummondville Voltigeurs 1 @ No.5 Gatineau Olympiques 6
    Best of seven series tied 2-2

    D Adam Janosik, GAT: 0-1-1, +2, 2 PIM (roughing), 0 SOG, 2 Hits
    Season Totals: 60 GP, 7-25-32, +17, 37 PIM
    Playoff Totals: 8 GP, 1-3-4, E, 10 PIM

    Gatineau held serve at home, winning games three and four by a combined 10-2 score. The Olympiques scored once in the first and three times in the second period to be up comfortably entering the third period. They were up 6-0 under three minutes into the final period. Adam Janosik notched his fourth point of the playoffs in the win. This game, as is to be expected with a lopsided score in the third period, got chippy late with a hoard of roughing penalties. Game 5 is Friday at the home of the Volts.

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