📝 With files from Patrick Williams
Here is a look at Sunday around the AHL:
HERSHEY 4, LAVAL 1
Zach Fucale made 25 saves against his former club and the Bears ran their winning streak to six games with their third victory of the weekend. Hendrix Lapierre and Bobby Nardella gave Hershey a 2-0 first-period lead, and Gabriel Carlsson and Mason Morelli had two assists apiece on the night as Hershey (8-2-2-0) moved into second place in the Atlantic Division. It was just the fifth time in the Bears’ 85-year franchise history that the team played three home games in a three-day span.
MANITOBA 4, CALGARY 3 (OT)
Leon Gawanke’s goal 33 seconds into overtime lifted the Moose (7-3-1-0) to a 4-3 win over the Wranglers. Gawanke’s goal came just after a Manitoba power play had expired, and gave the Moose their fourth consecutive split of a two-game home series. Arvid Holm stopped all 24 shots he faced after coming on relief after Calgary had taken a 3-1 lead early in the second period. Cole Schwindt, goal-less in his first 10 games of the season, had his second consecutive two-goal contest for the Wranglers (6-5-1-0).
PROVIDENCE 5, CHARLOTTE 3
The Bruins (10-1-1-1) won their fifth consecutive game, moved their point streak to eight games (7-0-0-1), and increased their lead on Toronto for first overall in the AHL to three points. Brandon Bussi stopped 39 of 42 shots to improve to 4-0-0 (1.84, .947) since his recall from ECHL Maine. Providence built a 3-0 lead on goals from Vinni Lettieri, Jakub Lauko and Oskar Steen before Chris Wagner scored twice. Goals from Anton Levtchi and Michael Del Zotto helped the Checkers (6-4-1-1) go 2-for-6 on the power play.
MILWAUKEE 6, CHICAGO 3
John Leonard and Tommy Novak scored late in the second period to break a 3-3 tie and send the Admirals (8-4-0-0) to their third win at Allstate Arena already this season. Egor Afanasyev led Milwaukee with a goal and two assists while Kiefer Sherwood and Jimmy Huntington each served up a goal and an assist. Yaroslav Askarov made 25 saves for the win as the Admirals ended a two-game slide.
COLORADO 3, SAN JOSE 1
A 28-save effort from Jonas Johansson along with goals from Ben Tardif, Charles Hudon and Anton Blidh enabled the Eagles (7-5-1-0) to defeat the Barracuda, 3-1. Johansson took a shutout bid into the final minute before Tristen Robins scored San Jose’s only goal. Colorado improved to 4-0-1-0 in its last five.
SAN DIEGO 4, ONTARIO 1
Benoit-Olivier Groulx had three assists and Rocco Grimaldi added a goal and an assist to carry the Gulls past the Reign, 4-1. Defenseman Luka Profaca scored his first pro goal on a breakaway coming out of the penalty box, and Lukas Dostal made 28 saves for San Diego (5-8-0-0).
A three-point night from David Gust helped the IceHogs (5-5-0-1) slip past the Stars, 5-4. Gust, who scored twice in the first 8:37 of the game, had his third two-goal game of the season. Luke Philp added a goal and two assists for Rockford, and Jaxson Stauber made 42 saves. Tanner Kero tallied two goals for Texas (6-5-2-1).
Patrick Williams has been on the American Hockey League beat for nearly two decades for outlets including NHL.com, Sportsnet, TSN, The Hockey News, SiriusXM NHL Network Radio and SLAM! Sports, and is currently the co-host of The Hockey News On The ‘A’ podcast. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his outstanding coverage of the league in 2016.
