Saturday's Morning Skate 5/9

The Monarchs look to put the Penguins on the brink of elimination tonight in Game Three.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have returned home and play a pivotal Game Three tonight at 7:05 p.m. ET after the Manchester Monarchs took care of things on home ice and bring a 2-0 series lead to the Mohegan Sun Arena.

I'll be live for Game Three tonight with all the latest in-game updates and news/info on Twitter -> @H_P_Hockey. Stay tuned here online for a post-game recap of the action complete with player and coach's reactions from the visiting Manchester Monarchs shortly after the game goes final.

To get caught up with this AHL Eastern Conference Semifinal series, recaps of the two games below.

GAME ONE: Monarchs Open Series With Triple Overtime Win

GAME TWO: Top Line Powers Monarchs Past Penguins
Hartford - 4 at Hershey - 6 (Series tied 1-1)

In Hershey, the Bears rallied for four straight goals in Game Two to even the series as it shifts to Hartford for three games.

Nate Schmidt tallied a game-high three points (1G-2A) to lead the Bears, while Tim Kennedy and Jim O'Brien tallied two goals each in the win. Philipp Grubauer was pulled from action after allowing our goals on 17 shots, but rookie Pheonix Copley stopped all 9 shots he faced in the final 31:03 of regulation to secure the win.

Ex-Bears forward Chris Bourque and defenseman Mat Bodie tallied a goal and an assist each in the loss for the WolfPack, while Yann Danis stopped 23 of the 28 shots that came his way.

Rockford - 1 at Grand Rapids - 5 (GRG leads 2-0)

It was the Teemu Pulkkinen show again in Game Two for the Griffins. After tallying a hat trick in Game One, Pulkkinen followed it up with two goals and an assist in a big Game Two win for the home team. Pulkkinen now has 34 goals in his last 28 AHL games and is simply a force to be reckoned with at this level.

Rockford went ahead 1-0 early in the first period on a goal by Brandon Mashinter, but the Grand Rapids offensive attack was too much for the IceHogs - who head back home down 2 games to none in the best-of-seven series.

Oklahoma City - 1 at Utica - 2 (OT) (Series tied 1-1)

After a quadruple overtime marathon went the Barons' way in Game One, it was the Comets evening the series with an overtime win of their own last night in Game Two - and it only took about three and a half minutes this time.

OKC went up 1-0 in the first period on Connor Jones' third of the postseason and it wasn't until the opening minutes of the third period that Utica tied it up when former IceHog defenseman Adam Clendening lit the lamp. Clendening also set up the overtime game-winner by Alexandre Grenier to send the home crowd at the Utica Memorial Auditorium in a frenzy.

Saturday's Schedule

GAME 3 - Manchester @ W-B/Scranton, 7:05 p.m. ET (MCH leads 2-0)