AHL ECF GAME ONE: Binghamton @ Charlotte, Thursday, May 12,

1. They're giant-killers

Charlotte and Binghamton got here by knocking off higher-seeded opponents.

The East Division's third-seeded Checkers took down the two-time defending AHL champion Hershey Bears four games to two, then eliminated the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the league's best regular-season team with 58 wins, 4-2.

The Senators, seeded fifth in the East Division, defeated the Manchester Monarchs 4-3 and the Portland Pirates 4-2, the second-best and top teams from the Atlantic Division.

2. They're dramatic

The Checkers twice have won playoff games with four-goal third periods, once during each series.

The Senators and Manchester went to overtime five times, with Binghamton winning four.

3. They've been tested

Charlotte and Binghamton were in the eight-team East Division. Fifth-place Binghamton got a playoff berth because its record was better than fourth-place Worcester in the Atlantic Division.

4. They score when it counts

Charlotte has outscored its opponents 17-8 in the third period or overtime.

The Senators have scored 46 goals in the playoffs, more than any other team.

5. They have stars ...

... with the puck: Center Zac Dalpe leads the Checkers in playoff scoring with 12 points (five goals, seven assists). Senators center Ryan Potulny leads all AHL playoff scorers with 10 goals and 19 points.

... and in goal: Charlotte's Mike Murphy leads all goalies in save percentage (.944), ranks third with a 1.79 goals-against average and holds a 7-3 record. Senators goalie Robin Lehner is 7-2, .926 save percentage and 2.59 GAA.

Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/05/10/2287338/5-things-to-know-on-checkers-senators.html#ixzz1M8Z0boZh

SpezDispenser wrote:SD's Red Line Report:


Colin Greening and Jim O'Brien...

Both have played the game well, but neither has found their scoring touch yet (3 points for Greening, 4 for O'Brien). If the B-Sens are to advance, they need these two guys to step up offensively and really rattle the cage of Murphy, who's put up superlative numbers as the Checkers' netminder.

With the addition of Corey Locke and his 6 assists in 6 games, it's time for everyone on the B-Sens to get themselves into the scoring and make life as difficult as possible on Charlotte. It'll never come to a moment where the B-Sens can ride Potulny and Keller and Z.Smith for the entire post-season and now's as good a time as any to start firing on all cylinders with the lethal depth that the B-Sens possess up front.

GO B-SENS!!!!!

wprager wrote:B-Sens are the highest scoring team in the AHL playoffs (playing 13 games probably doesn't hurt). And I believe Charlotte's goalie has the best SV%. Just checked, yes, he does -- .944. Lehner is a bit behind there at .926, but if you look at the difference in GAA you begin to see the real story here.

Lehner is 7th of 20 goalies in SV%, but 12th in GAA. The discrepancy is mainly due to injuries on the back end, where the Sens played the entire 1st round with 5 defensemen, including a NCAA callup who played 5 minutes in the double-OT game. In other words, they were pretty much playing with 4D.

By the 2nd round Borowiecki was playing more minutes and they were able to bring in Turner/Sloane to play a few shifts. Basically they went from 4 regulars plus a low-minutes guy, to 5 regular plus a low-minutes guy. And it showed as they only lost twice and avoided OT.

Then Cowen came in for Game 6 (essentially replacing Wiercioch) and they got a shutout. Now with Gryba back as well, I think we'll see Lehner's GAA going down. Maybe even his SV% (he's 1.000 since Cowen arrived )

SpezDispenser wrote:Gryba is ready to go, Wiercioch is not skating this morning. Diddle me, that's incredible! Go Gryba!