It Happens Every Spring: Wednesday notes

There are some amazing things happening in the AHL — coaches getting promoted, players going up and scoring big goals — but there’s an impressive amount of postseason futility, too. We mentioned that Bridgeport’s 14 year without a series win ties a record. With tonight’s loss 10 minutes into overtime, Milwaukee has lost 11 playoff games in a row, one short of the AHL record set by Buffalo in the 1950s. On the bright side, the Admirals can’t tie that record for at least a year.

Lehigh Valley dodged that fate with their first playoff win since 2008, getting a Chris Conner goal on a breakaway early in overtime. Andy Miele blocked a shot and directed it out to Conner, heading up the middle with Hubert Labrie chasing him. Colin McDonald tied it in the opening seconds of the third period on a goal from the neutral zone. So that series continues Saturday.

Tage Thompson plays on (and hopefully the injured Scooter Vaughan can return): Chicago holds on to eliminate Charlotte in Game 5 and move on to face the Griffins.

Albany and St. John’s slipped to the brink. Colin Greening scored 45 seconds into overtime, and Toronto topped the Devils. The Marlies can finish it Friday, as can Syracuse, which blew a two-goal lead but got a Byron Froese goal late in the second to go up 2-1 on the IceCaps.

Vancouver made Travis Green official, so we’ve got a chart:

TEAM Old New
RCK Ted Dent (4/25) 
UTI Travis Green (4/26) 

Sickening to see the tweets come all day from ESPN staffers, though a little consolation to see the respect from their colleagues. Good luck to all of them.

RIP, Jonathan Demme.

And I know it’s been 11 years of this crap, but: Upper-body injuries suck, PSA1, PSA2, etc. Thanks.

Michael Fornabaio