Griffin Reinhart and Jake Bischoff are on to the conference final: Chicago finished off Iowa in six games. Waiting will be San Diego, which also finished off Bakersfield in six, not even needing one overtime period tonight. Boring. Both series start Friday.
We can update the playoff explainer now:
LAST BEST-OF-7 WINS
1. San Antonio* (as Adirondack Red Wings) 1994. 2. Tucson* (as Springfield Falcons) 1997. 3. Bridgeport 2002. 4. Rochester, Binghamton Devils* (as Lowell Lock Monsters – none in Albany) 2005. 6. Stockton* (as Abbotsford – none in Adirondack) 2010. 7. Iowa* (as Houston), Milwaukee, Laval*^ (as Hamilton), Springfield Thunderbirds* (as Portland), Belleville* (as Binghamton) 2011. 12. Bakersfield* (as Oklahoma City) 2013. 13. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Manitoba^ (as St. John’s) 2014. 15. Hartford, Utica 2015. 17. Ontario, Hershey, Cleveland 2016. 20. San Jose, Providence, Syracuse, Grand Rapids 2017. 24. Rockford, Lehigh Valley, Texas 2018. 27. Colorado never (joined 2018). 28. Toronto, Charlotte, Chicago, San Diego 2019.
Charlotte and Chicago won their first best-of-7s since the first round became a best-of-5 again, so that makes 19 franchises that have won a best-of-7 in eight years/32 chances.
Back here, Brian Lockhart on how the City plans to ease traffic around the arena and soon-to-be amphitheater.
Retweeted but link-neglected the other day, and oh my gosh yes you should click: Li’l Dono hard at work at his summer job.
And RIP, Doris Day.