Triton
05-09-2006, 09:30 AM
The AHL's Calder Cup playoffs are heating up and two of the eight teams remaining are already on the verge of qualifying for the conference finals.
The Milwaukee Admirals' potent offensive attack continued as they scored seven goals for the second straight game to take a 3-0 stranglehold over the Houston Aeros in the West Division final.
In the East Division final, the Hershey Bears pushed the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to the brink of elimination with a 4-1 win on Sunday.
Both the Admirals and Bears have received solid contributions from Manitoba products this round.
After spending most of the first round of the post-season with the Nashville Predators, former Brandon Wheat Kings forward Jordin Tootoo is making an impact in his return to the Admirals.
Tootoo had a goal in Game 7 of the opening round against the Iowa Stars, scored the game-winner with 14 seconds left in the opener of Round 2, scored his first professional hat trick (a natural hat trick, in fact) in Game 2, then scored his sixth of the playoffs in Sunday's 7-4 triumph.
Tootoo has impressed Admirals head coach Claude Noel with both his production and discipline.
"It's maturity. If you look at the Jordin Tootoo of last year compared to him now, it's like night and day," Noel told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "He makes plays, he has an impact on the game, you can see him thinking out there.
"He's really grown as a person and as a player."
Tootoo, born in Churchill but raised in Nunavut, has made a concerted effort not to retaliate.
"I think I frustrated them there by showing my composure," he told the Journal-Sentinel. "They know I will battle them. They were trying to take me out of my game, but by not retaliating I used reverse psychology on them and frustrated them."
Winkler product Eric Fehr has been hot for the Bears, who took a 2-0 lead going into yesterday's Game 3.
Fehr had the game-winner in the opening game and had two goals in a 5-0 victory on Saturday but was kept off the board on Sunday.
The former Wheat Kings sniper has four goals and six points in seven games as the Bears have gone 7-0 to start the post-season.
The Manitoba connection of Nigel Dawes (Winnipeg) and Colby Genoway (Morden) was pointless on Sunday, but the Hartford Wolf Pack earned a 4-2 victory to even the Atlantic Division final at two games apiece.
It's been a quiet series thus far for the two rookies, but Genoway continues to sit second on the team in scoring with 10 points and Dawes is tied for third with nine points.
The Milwaukee Admirals' potent offensive attack continued as they scored seven goals for the second straight game to take a 3-0 stranglehold over the Houston Aeros in the West Division final.
In the East Division final, the Hershey Bears pushed the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to the brink of elimination with a 4-1 win on Sunday.
Both the Admirals and Bears have received solid contributions from Manitoba products this round.
After spending most of the first round of the post-season with the Nashville Predators, former Brandon Wheat Kings forward Jordin Tootoo is making an impact in his return to the Admirals.
Tootoo had a goal in Game 7 of the opening round against the Iowa Stars, scored the game-winner with 14 seconds left in the opener of Round 2, scored his first professional hat trick (a natural hat trick, in fact) in Game 2, then scored his sixth of the playoffs in Sunday's 7-4 triumph.
Tootoo has impressed Admirals head coach Claude Noel with both his production and discipline.
"It's maturity. If you look at the Jordin Tootoo of last year compared to him now, it's like night and day," Noel told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "He makes plays, he has an impact on the game, you can see him thinking out there.
"He's really grown as a person and as a player."
Tootoo, born in Churchill but raised in Nunavut, has made a concerted effort not to retaliate.
"I think I frustrated them there by showing my composure," he told the Journal-Sentinel. "They know I will battle them. They were trying to take me out of my game, but by not retaliating I used reverse psychology on them and frustrated them."
Winkler product Eric Fehr has been hot for the Bears, who took a 2-0 lead going into yesterday's Game 3.
Fehr had the game-winner in the opening game and had two goals in a 5-0 victory on Saturday but was kept off the board on Sunday.
The former Wheat Kings sniper has four goals and six points in seven games as the Bears have gone 7-0 to start the post-season.
The Manitoba connection of Nigel Dawes (Winnipeg) and Colby Genoway (Morden) was pointless on Sunday, but the Hartford Wolf Pack earned a 4-2 victory to even the Atlantic Division final at two games apiece.
It's been a quiet series thus far for the two rookies, but Genoway continues to sit second on the team in scoring with 10 points and Dawes is tied for third with nine points.