Take a game-day spin around the AHL ice with latest news and notes from the 2018 Calder Cup Playoffs in today’s AHL Morning Skate.

Playoff Brackets | Today’s Scoreboard | League Stats | Series Infographics

vs.

(TOR wins series, 4-0)

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The Toronto Marlies won the Eastern Conference championship with a four-game sweep of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms… The Marlies dominated the matchup of the AHL’s top two regular-season teams, outscoring the Phantoms 15-6 in the four games… Toronto will enter the Calder Cup Finals with a nine-game winning streak, coinciding with the returns of Andreas Johnsson and Travis Dermott to the lineup after the parent Maple Leafs’ season ended… Johnsson (6-9-15) leads the Marlies in playoff scoring, including seven points during the conference finals… Game 1 of the Calder Cup Finals will be Saturday at Ricoh Coliseum (4 p.m. ET).

Eastern Conference Finals – Series “M” (best-of-7)

N1-Toronto Marlies vs. A1-Lehigh Valley Phantoms

Game 1 – Sat., May 19 – TORONTO 4, Lehigh Valley 3 | Recap/Highlights

Game 2 – Sun., May 20 – TORONTO 3, Lehigh Valley 2 (OT) | Recap/Highlights

Game 3 – Wed., May 23 – Toronto 5, LEHIGH VALLEY 0 | Recap/Highlights

Game 4 – Fri., May 25 – Toronto 3, LEHIGH VALLEY 1 | Recap/Highlights

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Game 6 – Tonight, 8:00 ET, AHL Live

(TEX leads series, 3-2)

Follow @TexasStars Follow @goicehogs Tweet #TEXvsRFD

The Western Conference Finals return to Cedar Park as Texas hosts Rockford in Game 6 tonight… The Stars’ 3-0 series lead has been whittled down to 3-2 thanks to IceHogs wins in Game 4 on Thursday and Game 5 on Friday… Jeff Glass (2-0, 1.47, .958), who made his Calder Cup Playoff debut in Game 4, is coming off a 40-save effort in a 3-1 victory in Game 5 and has stopped 68 of the 71 shots he faced… Luke Johnson (4-4-8) scored the game-winner for Rockford in Game 5, his third straight contest with a goal… The IceHogs won the last two games without a point from Chris DiDomenico (6-11-17), who is still the AHL’s leading postseason scorer… Rockford’s defensemen have contributed 46 points on offense in the playoffs, led by Adam Clendening (1-12-13), Cody Franson (6-6-12) and Carl Dahlstrom (3-6-9)… Texas’s Curtis McKenzie (6-8-14) leads all scorers in the series with 4-3-7… Roope Hintz (3-7-10) scored the Stars’ only goal in Game 5 on Friday… Brian Flynn (6-6-12) has gone seven games without a goal after scoring six times in the Stars’ first seven playoff outings… Mike McKenna (10-4, 2.08, .937) has lost consecutive decisions for the first time in more than three months (Feb. 2-10)… Texas is 6-for-21 (28.6 percent) on the power play in the series, while Rockford is 3-for-16 (18.8 percent)… Of the 137 teams in AHL history who have trailed a best-of-seven series 3-0, the IceHogs are just the 19th to extend as far as a Game 6; only four teams have forced a Game 7.

Western Conference Finals – Series “N” (best-of-7)

P2-Texas Stars vs. C4-Rockford IceHogs

Game 1 – Fri., May 18 – TEXAS 4, Rockford 2 | Recap/Highlights

Game 2 – Sun., May 20 – TEXAS 3, Rockford 2 (OT) | Recap/Highlights

Game 3 – Tue., May 22 – Texas 6, ROCKFORD 5 (OT) | Recap/Highlights

Game 4 – Thu., May 24 – ROCKFORD 3, Texas 2 (OT) | Recap/Highlights

Game 5 – Fri., May 25 – ROCKFORD 3, Texas 1 | Recap/Highlights

Game 6 – Mon., May 28 – Rockford at Texas, 8:00

*Game 7 – Tue., May 29 – Rockford at Texas, 8:00

*if necessary… All times Eastern

Eastern Conference Finals History

The Richard F. Canning Trophy is presented each season to the playoff champions of the AHL’s Eastern Conference… Here are the results of the Eastern Conference Finals since the league split into two conferences in 1995-96:

2018 – Toronto Marlies 4, Lehigh Valley Phantoms 0

2017 – Syracuse Crunch 4, Providence Bruins 1

2016 – Hershey Bears 4, Toronto Marlies 1

2015 – Manchester Monarchs 4, Hartford Wolf Pack 0

2014 – St. John’s IceCaps 4, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 2

2013 – Syracuse Crunch 4, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 1

2012 – Norfolk Admirals 4, St. John’s IceCaps 0

2011 – Binghamton Senators 4, Charlotte Checkers 0

2010 – Hershey Bears 4, Manchester Monarchs 2

2009 – Hershey Bears 4, Providence Bruins 1

2008 – W-B/Scranton Penguins 4, Portland Pirates 3

2007 – Hershey Bears 4, Manchester Monarchs 0

2006 – Hershey Bears 4, Portland Pirates 3

2005 – Philadelphia Phantoms 4, Providence Bruins 2

2004 – W-B/Scranton Penguins 4, Hartford Wolf Pack 3

2003 – Hamilton Bulldogs 4, Binghamton Senators 1

2002 – Bridgeport Sound Tigers 4, Hamilton Bulldogs 3

2001 – Saint John Flames 4, Providence Bruins 1

2000 – Hartford Wolf Pack 4, Providence Bruins 3

1999 – Providence Bruins 4, Fredericton Canadiens 2

1998 – Saint John Flames 4, Hartford Wolf Pack 1

*1997 – Hamilton Bulldogs 4, Albany River Rats 1

*1996 – Portland Pirates 4, Saint John Flames 3

*known as Northern Conference

Western Conference Finals History

The Robert W. Clarke Trophy is presented each season to the playoff champions of the AHL’s Western Conference… Here are the results of the Western Conference Finals since the league split into two conferences in 1995-96:

2017 – Grand Rapids Griffins 4, San Jose Barracuda 1

2016 – Lake Erie Monsters 4, Ontario Reign 0

2015 – Utica Comets 4, Grand Rapids Griffins 2

2014 – Texas Stars 4, Toronto Marlies 3

2013 – Grand Rapids Griffins 4, Oklahoma City Barons 3

2012 – Toronto Marlies 4, Oklahoma City Barons 1

2011 – Houston Aeros 4, Hamilton Bulldogs 3

2010 – Texas Stars 4, Hamilton Bulldogs 3

2009 – Manitoba Moose 4, Houston Aeros 2

2008 – Chicago Wolves 4, Toronto Marlies 1

2007 – Hamilton Bulldogs 4, Chicago Wolves 1

2006 – Milwaukee Admirals 4, Grand Rapids Griffins 0

2005 – Chicago Wolves 4, Manitoba Moose 0

2004 – Milwaukee Admirals 4, Rochester Americans 1

2003 – Houston Aeros 4, Grand Rapids Griffins 3

2002 – Chicago Wolves 4, Houston Aeros 1

2001 – W-B/Scranton Penguins 4, Hershey Bears 0

2000 – Rochester Americans 4, Hershey Bears 0

1999 – Rochester Americans 4, Philadelphia Phantoms 2

1998 – Philadelphia Phantoms 4, Albany River Rats 2

*1997 – Hershey Bears 4, Springfield Falcons 3

*1996 – Rochester Americans 4, Syracuse Crunch 1

*known as Southern Conference

Alumni Watch

The 2018 Stanley Cup Final gets underway tonight as Vegas hosts Washington in Game 1… The conference champions’ rosters are stocked with AHL All-Stars, Calder Cup winners and other American Hockey League alumni — 84 percent of the players who have dressed for the Golden Knights or Capitals this postseason developed in the AHL.

Working Overtime

There have been 15 overtime games played in the 2018 Calder Cup Playoffs so far:

On This Date

May 28, 2015 – Jacob Markstrom makes 40 saves and Sven Baertschi records a natural hat trick in Utica’s 4-1 win over Grand Rapids in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals.

May 28, 2011 – Jim O’Brien scores 7:54 into overtime as the Binghamton Senators defeat Houston, 2-1, in Game 2 of the Calder Cup Finals.

May 28, 2001 – At a sold-out Harbour Station, the Saint John Flames win the Calder Cup with a 1-0 victory over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton… Darrel Scoville scores the only goal and Martin Brochu earns the shutout.