Springfield, Chicago face off in first Calder Cup Final in three years
Hurricanes, Blues affiliates open series for AHL title Sunday
By
Patrick Williams
NHL.com Independent Correspondent
The Calder Cup Playoffs were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of concerns surrounding COVID-19. A revamped playoff format this season for the American Hockey League, the NHL's top developmental league, has the Carolina Hurricanes organization pursuing its second consecutive Calder Cup championship.
Game 1 is at Chicago on Sunday.
The 2019 Cup was won by Charlotte, which was Carolina's affiliate at the time. That five-game series win came against Chicago, then affiliated with the Vegas Golden Knights. The Hurricanes have since affiliated with Chicago, the AHL regular-season champion with a 50-16-5-5 record.
Chicago beat Rockford (Chicago Blackhawks) and Milwaukee (Nashville Predators) before eliminating Stockton (Calgary Flames) in a six-game Western Conference Final.
Springfield has been a steadily good team that hit its stride in the Calder Cup Playoffs. In the first season of an affiliation with the Blues, Springfield swept Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Pittsburgh Penguins) and Charlotte (Florida Panthers and Seattle Kraken), the regular-season Atlantic Division champion.
Springfield earned its trip to the Calder Cup Finals by defeating Laval (Montreal Canadiens) in six games to win the Eastern Conference Final.
Each team features a blend of NHL prospects, high-end AHL veterans, and coaches who are on the radars of NHL teams.
Chicago forward Andrew Poturalski led the AHL in scoring for the second consecutive season, scoring 101 points (28 goals, 73 assists) in 73 games. Poturalski became the first AHL player to reach 100 points in a season since Hershey teammates Keith Aucoin (106) and Alexandre Giroux (103) did so in 2009-10. and finished with 101 points (28 goals, 73 assists) in 73 games. He also had a league-high 43 points (nine goals, 34 assists) in 44 games with San Diego (Anaheim Ducks) in the abbreviated 2020-21 AHL season.
Chicago forward Stefan Noesen had a league-leading 48 goals in this regular season and had 37 assists in 70 games to finish third in scoring.
Forward Josh Leivo, in his first season with the Carolina organization, leads the AHL in playoff goals (11) and points (20) in 13 games. Ranking third in playoff scoring is forward prospect Jack Drury, a second-round pick (No. 42) by Carolina in the 2018 NHL Draft. The 22-year-old is tied with Noesen for third in AHL playoff scoring; each player has 16 playoff points (seven goals, nine assists) in 13 games.
Chicago also has gone with a veteran-prospect goaltending combination. Top prospect Pyotr Kochetkov (6-3, 205), a second-round pick (No. 36) by Carolina in the 2019 NHL Draft, returned to Chicago following the Hurricanes' 6-2 loss to the New York Rangers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Second Round. Kochetkov played Games 2, 4, and 6 against Stockton in a rotation with veteran Alex Lyon.
Kochetkov, who will turn 23 on June 25, is 2-1 in three playoff games with a 1.94 goals-against average (third among AHL playoff goalies) and .941 save percentage (also third overall). Lyon is 8-2 in 10 playoff games with a 1.96 GAA (fourth among AHL playoff goalies) and .924 save percentage.
Springfield plays a grinding, heavy style that contrasts with Chicago's aggressive, transition-oriented game.
Forward Will Bitten is second in AHL playoff scoring with 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 13 games. Bitten has played on a standout line with Dakota Joshua and Mackenzie MacEachern. Joshua has 12 points (seven goals, five assists) in 13 games while MacEachern also has 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 13 games.
Springfield forwards Sam Anas and Matthew Peca provide further offensive experience along with NHL veteran forward James Neal. The 34-year-old Neal scored the overtime goal in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final against Laval and has nine points (three goals, six assists) in 12 playoff games.
Defensively, Springfield has a deep group that features Calle Rosen and captain Tommy Cross. Rosen won the Calder Cup with Toronto (Toronto Maple Leafs) and returned to Springfield after playing nine Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Blues.
Like Chicago, Springfield has utilized a goaltending rotation. Prospect Joel Hofer has teamed with veteran Charlie Lindgren. The 21-year-old Hofer, a fourth-round (No. 107) selection by the Blues in the 2018 draft, is 6-2 in eight playoff games with a 2.08 GAA (fifth-best among AHL playoff goalies) and .947 save percentage (second overall). Lindgren is 4-1 in five playoff games with a 2.47 GAA and .924 save percentage.
Chicago coach Ryan Warsofsky was an assistant coach for the Charlotte championship team in 2019. He is in his second season as Chicago coach.
Drew Bannister is in his fourth season as an AHL coach for the St. Louis organization.
