Checkmate - Phantoms Advance AHL Eastern Conference Finals
For the first time in 13 years, the Philadelphia Flyers' top minor league affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL) is back in the league's final four - the conference finals.
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms defeated the Charlotte Checkers (Carolina Hurricanes) 5-1 in Game 5 of the Atlantic Division Finals Saturday night in downtown Charlotte, NC to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since the then-Philadelphia Phantoms did in the 2005 Calder Cup Playoffs on their way to winning the AHL's championship.
One major sticking point head coach Scott Gordon told Inside AHL Hockey after the Phantoms' historic five-overtime win early Thursday morning came to fruition again Saturday night in Game 5.
"Every night, somebody has been a different hero for us," Gordon said after Alex Krushelnyski scored in the fifth overtime in the AHL's longest game in league history. "A different line, a goalie, whatever it might be - it's huge for us to have all these guys step in and play well."
The Phantoms got goals from five different scorers Saturday night to finish off the Checkers, getting tallies from Corban Knight, Chris Conner, Tyrell Goulbourne, Phil Myers and Colin McDonald in route to the series-clinching win. Alex Lyon went 4-0 against Charlotte in the series (Dustin Tokarski was in net during Game 2's loss), and it goes without saying that Lyon really stole the show - as he stopped 184 of 188 shots (.979 SV%, 0.73 GAA, 0 SO) in the series including 94 of 95 in the epic 5OT decision in Game 4.
With the win, the Phantoms will advance the Eastern Conference Finals and will face the Toronto Marlies beginning next Saturday night in Toronto, Canada with Game 1 at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Here's the full schedule for Toronto vs. Lehigh Valley:
Eastern Conference Finals schedule for #LVPhantoms/@TorontoMarlies:
Game 1: Lehigh Valley at Toronto - Saturday, May 19 (4:00 PM ET) Game 2: Lehigh Valley at Toronto - Sunday, May 20 (4:00 PM ET) Game 3: Toronto at Lehigh Valley - Wednesday, May 23 (7:05 PM ET) Game 4: Toronto at Lehigh Valley - Friday, May 25 (7:05 PM ET) * Game 5: Toronto at Lehigh Valley - Saturday, May 26 (7:05 PM ET) * Game 6: Lehigh Valley at Toronto - Monday, May 28 (7:00 PM ET) * Game 7: Lehigh Valley at Toronto - Wednesday, May 30 (7:00 PM ET)
