Major Junior
Carter Sanderson Helps Muskegon Lumberjacks Advance In Clark Cup Playoffs
Carter Sanderson and the Muskegon Lumberjacks punched a ticket to the Eastern Conference Final in the Clark Cup Playoffs with a 6-1 win over the Dubuque Fighting Saints in a deciding Game 5 last Tuesday. Sanderson tied the game 1-1 in the first period and added a secondary assist to give Muskegon a 3-1 lead in the second period in the win. The Lumberjacks opened the series against the Madison Capitols over the weekend, splitting two games. Madison won 2-1 on Friday night. The next night, Sanderson scored the eventual game winner late in the third period in a 5-3 Muskegon win. The series continues on Friday.
Bill Zonnon Helps Blainville-Boisbriand Armada Force Game 7 In QMJHL Playoffs
After going without a point in consecutive games, Bill Zonnon helped keep the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada alive with a pair of assists late in Game 6 in the semifinals of the QMJHL Playoffs. Trailing the Moncton Wildcats 2-1 in the game and 3-2 in the series, Zonnon picked up a secondary assist on a tying goal with 48 seconds remaining in regulation, and, 47 seconds later, won a faceoff directly to Justin Carbonneau for the game winner with only 0.5 seconds remaining in the game to force a deciding Game 7. Zonnon added another assist in Game 7, but the Armada fell flat in a 6-2 loss, ending a promising season with high expectations.
Europe
Vasily Ponomarev Scores Twice For Avangard Omsk In KHL Semifinal Series
Vasily Ponomarev scored for Avangard Omsk in a 2-0 win in Game 4 to give the team a 3-1 series lead in the semifinals of KHL Playoffs, went without a point in a 4-0 loss in Game 5, and scored again in Game 6 before Lokomotiv Yaroslavl scored twice with under a minute remaining in regulation and in overtime to force Game 7. Ponomarev added a helper in Game 7, but Avangard Omsk fell in overtime again. After scoring only one goal through the first two rounds of the playoffs, Ponomarev scored four goals and finished with five points in the semifinals.
AHL
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Take 2-1 Series Lead Over Hershey Bears In AHL Playoffs
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins hold a 2-1 series lead in the Atlantic Division semifinals against the Hershey Bears, opening the series with a 4-1 win in Game 1. Atley Calvert, Aidan McDonough, Owen Pickering, and Avery Hayes scored. Alex Alexeyev recorded two helpers. Gabe Klassen, Mikail Ilyin, Ville Koivunen, and Rutger McGroarty all finished with assists. Sergei Murashov stopped 31 shots in the win.
In Game 2, despite outshooting the Bears 37-26, the Penguins lost 2-1. McDonough scored the lone Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goal off assists from Rafael Harvey-Pinard and Alexeyev. Murashov stopped 24 shots in the loss.
A hot start and a strong finish helped the Penguins take Game 3, 4-3 in overtime. Phil Kemp and Mikhail Ilyin scored early in the first period. The Bears battled back to even the score before intermission and took a 3-2 lead 37 second into the second period. With the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton net empty, Hayes scored with under three minutes remaining in regulation to force overtime. McGroarty scored in overtime to give the Penguins the win and the series lead. Tristan Broz recorded three assists. Koivunen recorded a pair of helpers. Harrison Brunicke and Sebastian Aho both finished with assists. Murashov stopped 26 shots in the win.
The series continues on Thursday night with the Penguins looking to advance to the Atlantic Division Finals.
ECHL
Wheeling Nailers Advance In ECHL Playoffs After Performance From Taylor Gauthier
The Wheeling Nailers nearly swept the Reading Royals in the North Division Semifinals in the Kelly Cup Playoffs, taking a 3-0 series lead in Game 3 before losing in overtime in Game 4 and winning in overtime in Game 5. Taylor Gauthier recorded a shutout in three of five games in the series and finished with a .974 save percentage and 0.71 goals against average.
In a 2-0 win in Game 3, Ryan McAllister and Blake Bennett scored. Emil Pieniniemi, Brayden Edwards, Logan Pietila, and Matthew Quercia all recorded assists. Gauthier stopped 27 shots.
The Nailers held a 2-1 lead late in Game 4, but the Royals scored with 27 seconds remaining in regulation and in overtime to avoid the series sweep. Mike Posma scored and added a helper for the Nailers. Nolan Renwick scored the other Wheeling goal. Tiernan Shoudy recorded two assists. Daniel Laatsch finished with a helper. Gauthier stopped 28 shots in the loss.
The Nailers needed 55 shots on goal and double overtime to finally beat Reading goaltender Yaniv Perets in a 1-0 win in Game 5 on Saturday night. Renwick scored the winner off assists from Zach Urdahl and Laatsch. Gauthier stopped 41 shots.
The Nailers take on the Maine Mariners in the next round. The series kicks off Friday.