The opening round of the AHL playoffs start this weekend with our Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins vs. the Binghamton Senators. We have games 3 & 4 at home next Monday and Wednesday. The other first round playoff is the Philadelphia Phanthoms vs. the Norfolk Admirals. These teams play within the East division of the Eastern Conference. The best of Seven series should be interesting. The Sens are picked to go deep into the playoffs. The Eastern conference is very physical and there is no love loss between all four teams. I'm hoping that W-B gets to play Philly. The games are action packed and the checking is ferocious. It's a New season. "25 for 60." Let's go Pens. Hopefully Marc-Andre- Fluery and the rest of the team are ready for Jason Spezza and the Sens.

http://www.amerks.com/img/logos/Rochester.gif

Amerks :thumb:

Go Hartford!!!

Calder Cup here we come to get ya!

Go Phantoms!!!

Game 1 tommorow night in Binghamton. Lets go PENS!!!!!

Sens 5- Pens 2. Sens played their game. They are a good team. Only down 1. Gotta play hard tonight and come home with a split.

Amerks 2 Bulldogs 1

Rochester up 2 games to 0 over Hamilton :thumb:

:bounce: :bounce:

Fan apathy: The first round of the Calder Cup playoffs continues to be an enigma for the entire AHL.

Friday's crowd of 5,817 at the War Memorial was the largest so far in the league. The Amerks, whose crowds always grow larger as they go deeper into the playoffs, drew 3,807 Wednesday.

Two other cities drew over 5,000 on Friday (Manchester with 5,337 and Philadelphia with 5,158).

The Chicago Wolves were regular-season attendance leaders at a 9,209 average but sold just 2,411 tickets for Game 1 against Houston on Tuesday and 3,021 for Game 2 on Thursday.

Milwaukee, the defending Calder Cup champions, played in front of 2,366 fans in the opener against Cincinnati on Wednesday.

Those Philly Phantoms up 2 games to 0 on those Norfolk Admirals. :)

There was an incident in the stands tonight involving a water bottle being thrown in the crowd by an Admiral player. That bottle allegedly hit a kid sitting in the stands, and some words were exchanged with the player and the kid's father, and security was involved. I don't believe the player was ejected or anything, so we'll see if the league will step in here.

Amerks 4 Bulldogs 3 :thumb:

Amerks up 3 game to 0 :thumb:
:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

Pens are down 2 games to 0. Tonight their at home. I'll be leaving shortly. Got the VH to get me going on the ride up to the arena. I wish they would play Unchained during pre-game. The Sens got one hell of a team. Expect around 7,000 for the game tonight. "White Out" conditions at the Arena. Let's go Pens!!

Last night the Pens and Sens played six periods of Hockey. 112 minutes worth. The longest game in W-B Scranton history and the ninth longest game in AHL history. They almost played two. The best part is the Pens won. The Sens have an excellent team. Spezza is one helluva player. But, unfortunately some of the Sens are cheap shot artists. They have NHL players getting away with stuff in front of AHL refs. If they played Hockey they would kick ass. The Pens finally wore them down and when the Sens had to skate the Pens got them with a goal at 11:59 p.m. Hey Sucka, if the Sens meet the Phanthoms go check it out. Of course I'm hoping the Pens make it. I might try to make it down the turnpike. I think it was the pregame VH that did it. Great Game. My Ass was dragging this morning.

Amerks 5 Bulldogs 4 :D

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

http://www.norkan.com/broom.jpg


Await winner of St Johns and Manitoba

Last night the Pens and Sens played six periods of Hockey. 112 minutes worth. The longest game in W-B Scranton history and the ninth longest game in AHL history. They almost played two. The best part is the Pens won. The Sens have an excellent team. Spezza is one helluva player. But, unfortunately some of the Sens are cheap shot artists. They have NHL players getting away with stuff in front of AHL refs. If they played Hockey they would kick ass. The Pens finally wore them down and when the Sens had to skate the Pens got them with a goal at 11:59 p.m. Hey Sucka, if the Sens meet the Phanthoms go check it out. Of course I'm hoping the Pens make it. I might try to make it down the turnpike. I think it was the pregame VH that did it. Great Game. My Ass was dragging this morning.

Will do. If you make it down here let me know.

The Pens did it again last night. Flawless game. Great Forechecking and goaltending. Pens win 2-0,. Series tied 2-2. Game in Binghamton friday. Back in W-B Sunday. Playoff Hockey is the best. The fans in Binghamton had the broom out. They put it away Tuesday morning.

Amerks 5 Bulldogs 4 :D

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

http://www.norkan.com/broom.jpg


Await winner of St Johns and Manitoba


Congrats. Saw Manitoba this year. Good skating and passing. Looks like you got a good one in Ryan Miller. I see he won the AHL "Baz" Bastien Memorial award. No wonder you had the broom out. Good luck in the next round.

Pens did it again last night. Won 3-2. Pens lead series 3-2. Game tomorrow at home 5:05 start. The house will be rockin, Time for a little "Unchained" for the ride to the Wachovia tomorrow night.

Pens couldn't do it last night against my boys though! 4-1 Phantoms, and Leverbe got his tail kicked by Gratton. :thumb:

Pens couldn't do it last night against my boys though! 4-1 Phantoms, and Leverbe got his tail kicked by Gratton. :thumb:


Yeah, They came out pretty flat. Armstrong didn't play. That's no excuse. Hopefully Friday will be better. Sorry I can't make it. Coaching soccer that night and missing my Softball opener. I'll be at the games on Saturday and Tuesday.

Pens Won one last night. 3-1. Good game. Plus there was a brawl in the parking lot after the game. There was also a little thing going on in the section below me during the game, Beer Muscles and telling people they were number one. The dude had a Flyers jersey on. He was 5'7 and about 150 pds. Of course other people got involved. In six years I have never seen this in the arena but I always say when you have something good,then the the assholes show up. One reason I like Hockey is the fans. Reminds me of race fans. Most are there to have fun and are respectful. I get out of the parking lot pretty quick so I didn't see the fireworks. We'll see what happens on Tuesday. Phanthoms lead the series 2-1.

Ah sorry I missed that one. I did read the box score this morning and it sounded like it was a solid win for the Pens. Hopefully the Phantoms can go up another game on tuesday night. I really think this is our strongest team since we won the cup back in 96.

Pens up 4-1 in Period 3. Phanthoms score 5 goals as Pens implode . Phanthoms win the series 4-1. Good luck to Philly on there run for the cup.

Good series bro, I just think it's our year. We're loaded with talent, and having the two young kids in Carter and Richards come up and play was BIG. The Cup is coming to Philly this year I think.

Amerks won game 1 then lost next 4 games.

So much for having the best record.

Phantoms beat Bruins to go up, 2 games to none

By Tim Panaccio

INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

Antero Niittymaki made it look easy. Thirty-three shots on net. Thirty-three turn backs.

The Flyers' goalie of the near future picked up his second playoff shutout tonight at the Wachovia Center as the Phantoms spanked the Providence Bruins, 3-0, to take a two-games-to-zilch lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference final.

The series continues Monday in Providence.

The 24-year-old Finnish keeper was a one-man force in the second period, when the Bruins fired 14 shots with the Phantoms nursing a 1-0 lead.

"They didn't have a lot of shots [Friday] night, so I knew they would shoot more," Niittymaki said of Bruiuns, who took 24 in Game 1. "It's easier to play when you get shots all the time rather than every 10 minutes."

These shots came in flurries during the middle period, when the Phantoms let up after Jeff Carter had given them a 1-0 lead early in the game.

Niittymaki came into play with a playoff goals-against average of 2.05. He made some splendid saves, starting with a pad block of Pat Leahy's wrister on a two-on-one break midway into the period after a Bruins' power play.

Minutes later, he had back-to-back saves on NHLer Andy Hilbert. The period ended with him making a pad save on Tomas Kurka's shot off a screen during an rush into the Phantoms zone.

"They really came at us," said Phantoms coach John Stevens. "He was huge there in the second period. He was aggressive on some of those cross-crease passes and made some saves for us to allow us to regroup. Certainly, he was difference in that period. He has been consistent performer. It's hard to find fault in any games he's in."

Niittymaki appeared in 58 games during the regular season with a 2.07 goals-against average.

"He was unbelievable [tonight]," Carter said. "He has been that way the whole playoffs. That is what we need from him if we want to make a push."

Carter's line, with Ryan Ready and Patrick Sharp, had a dominant opening period, with eight shots and the eventual game-winner. It was Carter's 10th goal in 13 playoff games. Sharp contained the puck in the zone and threw a pass to Ready, who fed Carter in the slot.

"I saw [Ready] coming out and the [defenseman] was just staring at me," Carter said. "So I wide on him, and he let me walk right past him."

Carter put the puck past Hannu Toivonen before the goalie could react.

Leading, 2-0, in the third period, Niiitymaki had one final crucial pad stop, this one on Kurka with both team skating with four players.

R.J. Umberger scored the Phantoms' second goal 29 seconds into the final period, scooping up a puck along the boards that Ben Eager had tied up, then going solo for a five-hole goal.

Phantoms win to earn chance at the Calder Cup

By Tim Panaccio

Inquirer Staff Writer

Even though the Stanley Cup won't be heading to Philadelphia or anywhere else this spring, the Calder Cup will be dropping by - perhaps to stay.

The Phantoms buried the Providence Bruins, 4-1, last night at the Wachovia Center, clinching the AHL's Eastern Conference finals in six games. They will travel to Chicago for Game 1 of the Calder Cup finals on Thursday against the Western Conference champion Wolves.

It will be the Phantoms' first trip to the finals since they won the Cup in 1998. Game 2 is set for Saturday in Chicago, with Games 3 and 4 in Philadelphia on June 8 and 10. Game 5, if necessary, also will be at the Wachovia Center on June 11.

"We were 0-2 the first weekend [of play] and weren't sure of anything," coach John Stevens said. "But when you win 17 games in a row, you have guys accepting different roles and guys stepping up at times.

"We seem to have a team that had a great affection for each other and was willing to do whatever it took to win. We finished the year strong and we carried that through the playoffs. That is encouraging and gratifying."

Stevens got a big game from his top line of Jeff Carter (goal, two assists), Patrick Sharp (goal), and Ryan Ready (goal). Carter has 13 points in his last 11 games (8 goals, 5 assists), and 12 playoff goals overall.

"I didn't expect this at all," Carter said. "It is obviously more than I thought would happen. Coach gave me an opportunity to play in every situation, and it has worked out for me."

His line produced the game's first goal. On the rush, Sharp made a terrific outlet pass. Carter backhanded the puck to Ready, who beat goalie Hannu Toivonen from the right circle for his second goal of the playoffs at 6 minutes, 1 second of the first period.

Carter scored his eighth power-play goal six minutes later, making it 2-0. Again, going into the zone with momentum, Josh Gratton muscled the puck across the slot past a diving Brent Thompson, to Carter, who had Toivonen committed to the opposite post when he scored.

Phantoms goalie Antero Niittymaki, who had played poorly in Game 5, made a nice kick save on Tomas Kurka on a two-on-one rush and got lucky when Brad Boyes' follow shot kissed the crossbar. That was an early test he passed.

"He was tremendous," Stevens said. "He made some key saves at key times." Niittymaki finished with 19 saves.

"They were going to come hard to score a few early," Niittymaki said. "I was pretty grumpy [after losing Game 5]. I told myself there were a couple of bad bounces in Providence that hit my glove. I said, 'I need to steady my glove because I am still the same goalie.' "

Jon Sim's seventh goal midway through the second period buried the Bruins, 3-0. After that goal, the Phantoms killed off a four-minute Bruins power play.

Loose pucks. Sharp's fourth goal early in the third period put it out of reach at 4-1. He has 15 points (four goals) in 17 playoff games... . Mike Richards' assist gives him 13 points (five goals) in 10 playoff games.

Hope Philly gets the Cup. Wish I had Comcast so I could watch the games. I know those former AHL teams like Chicago are tough. Bring it home Phantoms!

Yea, Chicago is a tough match up for us. I believe they're number one overall in defense and offense, and we're number two. So it's all gonna be about who wants it more, and gets the better goaltending. Should be a great series, and I think we'll pull it out. Too bad it's not Lord Stanley's cup that'll be coming to Philadelphia though.

Phantoms are up 2-0 in the series against the Chicago Wolves.

Calder Cup, here we come!!

http://www.ipass.net/rhodent/blf/teams/phi.gif