Chalk holds in the East for the first time in nine years… but just barely. Top-seeded Manchester survived, twice, with a 5-3 Game-5 win over Portland for its first series win in five years. The Monarchs led 3-0 early in the second, but the Pirates came back with three in the period, the last beating the buzzer by Brendan Shinnimin after leaving the penalty box. But Michael Mersch’s second goal (both assisted by Sean Backman) broke the tie at 1:16 of the third, Adrian Kempe scored 20 seconds later, and Manchester moves on.
The Monarchs face Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Hartford draws Hershey, but the Wolf Pack will have to get to Game 6 or the next round to play in Hartford again. With the circus at the XL Center May 6-10, the Pack will play Games 3 and 4 at the DCU Center in Worcester. (AHL back to Worcester… briefly.) Believe Bridgeport was asked about taking a game, like what happened for similar reasons in the second round in 2012. This time, though, the ice was already out. Webster Bank Arena was already breaking it down soon after the last game of the season.
The top four seeds hadn’t won in the Eastern Conference since the AHL returned to this format in 2012. (They did in the West last year.) Before that, under the old division-based format, the last time the top two seeds in each division won was 2006, when the Penguins survived Bridgeport in seven games.
The top seed in the West this year also just barely got through. Brendan Gaunce had two goals, both of which put Utica ahead; the second one put the Comets ahead for good in a 4-2 win over Chicago. Brandon DeFazio scored 18 seconds into the second period, the first of five goals in under 15 minutes. Sven Baertschi got the only goal of the third, into an empty net.
The Western Conference matchups still aren’t set: Second-seeded Grand Rapids forced a fifth game against Toronto — theme of the night, barely — with a 5-4 win. It looked easier. Andreas Athanasiou put the Griffins ahead 3-2 early in the third, and Teemu Pulkkinen got another a little over three minutes later. They decide the series tomorrow in the early evening in Michigan.
At Worlds, it wasn’t easy — spoiler alert: Never is at this tournament for the United States — but the Americans came from behind to beat Norway 2-1. Brock Nelson niftily deflected in a Torey Krug shot for the game-winner in the second period.
The U.S. plays Monday morning at 10 against Russia (NBCSN). In their pool today, Belarus beat Slovenia, and Slovakia beat Denmark in overtime. In the other pool, Austria (in a shootout over the Swiss), the host Czechs (coming from behind against Latvia — ho hum, Jaromir Jagr, winning goal at, what is he, 40-what) and Germany (over France) were winners.
There’s also NHL, NBA, boxing, ponies… high school lacrosse. More tomorrow.