Major Junior
Sanderson, Muskegon Lumberjacks To Play For USHL Championship
Carter Sanderson and the Muskegon Lumberjacks advanced to the Clark Cup Final in the USHL Playoffs with a 3-2 series win over the Madison Capitols on Monday. The Lumberjacks lost Game 3 4-1 but won the next two game 4-1 and 6-2, respectively, to win the series. Sanderson scored a goal and added a helper in Game 5.
The series against the Sioux Falls Stampede kicks off on Friday evening. The Stampede finished second in the USHL during the regular season with a 43-16-3 record and split a series against Muskegon in January.
A cool connection to look at headed into the series, Sanderson, the first and so far only South Dakota native to be selected in the NHL Draft, played amateur hockey for the Sioux Falls Power U16 AAA team during the 2023-24 season.
AHL
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Advances, Splits First Two Games In Atlantic Division Semifinals
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton beat the Hershey Bears 4-1 last Thursday night to win the Atlantic Division Semifinal 3-1 and advance to the Atlantic Division Final. Gabe Klassen scored and added a helper. Joona Koppanen, Harrison Brunicke, and Ville Koivunen scored the other Wilkes-Barre-Scranton goals. Tanner Howe, Aidan McDonough, Mikhail Ilyin, Tristan Broz, and Owen Pickering all finished with assists. Sergei Murashov stopped 37 shots in the win.
The Penguins kicked off the next round with a 2-0 win over the red hot Springfield Falcons in Game 1. Murashov stopped 24 shots in the shutout win. Bill Zonnon slotted into the lineup after joining the team over the weekend and scored the opening goal off Atley Calvert and Alex Alexeyev assists. Tanner Howe scored the other Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goal.
On Thursday, the Penguins held a 3-0 lead in the third period off goals from Zonnon, Broz, and Avery Hayes. Ilyin recorded a pair of assists. Pickering, McGroarty, and Brunicke all finished with assists. However, the Thunderbirds scored three goals in the third period, including two 6-on-5, to force overtime and completed the comeback in overtime. Murashov still managed 41 saves in the loss.
The series heads to Springfield for Games 3 and 4 next week.
ECHL
Wheeling Nailers Take 2-0 Series Lead, Drop Three In Maine And Face Elimination
The Wheeling Nailers opened the North Division Final in the ECHL Playoffs with a 4-3 win in overtime over the Maine Mariners despite never holding the lead in regulation. Tristan Thompson scored and added a helper. Blake Bennett and Mike Posma scored the other Wheeling goals. Logan Pietila recorded two assists. Mathieu De St. Phalle, Matthew Quercia, and Brent Johnson all finished with assists. Taylor Gauthier stopped 27 shots in the win.
The Nailers took a 2-0 series lead over the Mariners with a 4-1 win on Saturday. Quercia, Brayden Edwards, Zach Urdahl, and Pietila scored. McAllister recorded two assists. Bennett, Alexander Kuqali, De St. Phalle, and Craig Armstrong all finished with assists. Gauthier stopped 32 shots in the win.
The Nailers cooled in a 6-3 loss in Game 3. The Mariners took a 3-0 lead in the first period and held a 5-0 lead by the midway point before the Nailers finally responded late in the second period. Pietila, Urdahl, and Bennett scored. De St. Phalle, Johnson, David Breazeale, McAllister, and Edwards all recorded assists. Gauthier surrendered five goals on 18 shots. Gabriel D’Aigle stopped 11 of 12 shots in relief.
The Nailers played better on Tuesday night, but lost 2-1 in double overtime. Edwards scored the lone Wheeling goal late in the first period off McAllister and Emil Pinieniemi assists. Gauthier stopped 33 shots in the loss.
The dropped all three games in Maine with a 5-3 loss on Wednesday to go down 3-2 in the series. McAllister, Edwards, and De St. Phalle all scored and finished with two points. Johnson, Max Graham, and Pieniniemi all recorded assists. Gauthier stopped 31 shots in the loss.
The series returns to Wheeling on Saturday with the Nailers looking to force a Game 7, also in Wheeling, on Monday.