Series Preview: The Defending Champs

The Port Huron Prowlers have gotten over the hump of winning a playoff series for the first time since 2018. Their reward? A date with the defending Commissioner’s Cup champion Binghamton Black Bears in the division finals.

The third-seeded Prowlers took on the second-seeded Danbury Hat Tricks in the first round of the playoffs. The Hat Tricks took a 2-0 lead in the second period of Game 1 in Port Huron before the Prowlers took over with six-unanswered goals en route to a 6-3 win. Danbury staved off elimination at home the next night, however, taking advantage of an overturned goal that would have put Port Huron up 3-2 in the second. Instead, Aleksandr Vasilyev gave the Hat Tricks a 3-2 lead in the third and they held on to force a winner-take-all Game 3 on Sunday. Danbury went up 2-0 early in the series finale but the Prowlers fought back. A goal that would have made it 3-1 Hat Tricks early in the second was called back and Port Huron scored the next three tallies of the game to eventually win 5-3 behind 50 saves from Reid Cooper. The team that scored first lost each game of the series.

The top-seeded Black Bears faced off with the fourth-seeded Watertown Wolves, who won the four vs five play in game three nights before this series began. Binghamton grabbed a 2-0 lead after the first period of Game 1 but a pair of power play goals by Watertown drew the game even by the early stages of the third. The Wolves got another man advantage midway through the frame, but that’s when CJ Stubbs scored the game winner shorthanded to give the Black Bears a 3-2 victory and a chance to sweep at home. Binghamton suffocated Watertown in Game 2, holding the Wolves to 15 shots on net, including just one in the second period. The offense did all it had to do to support Connor McAnanama’s shutout and move on to continue the title defense.

REGULAR SEASON SERIES (BIN WON 4-2)

Oct. 26 @ Binghamton: Black Bears 5, Prowlers 4 (OT)

Nov. 9 @ Binghamton: Black Bears 2, Prowlers 0

Dec. 6 @ Binghamton: Prowlers 5, Black Bears 3

Dec. 7 @ Binghamton: Black Bears 5, Prowlers 2

Jan. 3 @ Port Huron: Black Bears 7, Prowlers 3

Jan. 4 @Port Huron: Prowlers 8, Black Bears 6

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Prowlers - Bobby Price (F) - The collegiate signing scored three times in Port Huron’s first-round series and all three were big goals. He started his team’s run of six unanswered goals in Game 1 and scored the series winner and late insurance marker in Game 3. 

Black Bears - CJ Stubbs (F) - The only Black Bear with multiple goals in the playoffs so far and both of his tallies were game winners. He has scored on both the power play and shorthanded.

STAT CENTRAL

The Prowlers are the only team with two regulation wins over the Black Bears this season…The Black Bears’ 49 wins are tied for the most in a season in FPHL history with the 2018-19 Carolina Thunderbirds (CAR played 58 games that season)…With 4 assists and 5 points in the first round, Matt Graham (PHP) has become the Prowlers all-time playoffs leader in both categories…The Black Bears currently have 15 players on their roster that were on their postseason roster when they won the Commissioner’s Cup last season

SERIES SCHEDULE

Apr. 25, 7:05 P.M. at McMorran Place (Port Huron, MI)

Apr. 26, 7:00 P.M. at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena (Binghamton, NY)

Apr. 27, 6:00 P.M. at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena (Binghamton, NY)*

*if necessary

Tickets to game one at McMorran Place are on sale now at phprowlers.com/playoffs.