Series Preview: The Rematch

For the second-straight postseason, the Port Huron Prowlers and Binghamton Black Bears will battle for the right to play in the Commissioner’s Cup Finals. Last year, Binghamton defeated Port Huron in three games.

In the first round this year, the second-seeded Prowlers faced the Blue Ridge Bobcats. Game 1 was a back-and-forth affair in Wytheville. Port Huron came back from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits to force overtime. With just over seven minutes remaining in the extra session, Nick Stuckless found the winner in the first playoff overtime in Bobcats history. The series shifted to Port Huron for Game 2. With the score tied 1-1 early in the second, Reggie Millette scored the eventual game-winning goal shorthanded, the first of three Prowler tallies in the middle frame. Port Huron took it 5-1. That set up a decisive Game 3 at McMorran Place and it was tied 1-1 heading into the third. There, Bobby Price and Ryan Alexander scored 1:38 apart to put Port Huron up 3-1 en route to a 4-2 win to take the series. 

The Black Bears are the Empire Division’s top seed for the third-straight year and they faced the Topeka Scarecrows in the first round. Game 1 in Topeka was the first ever meeting between the divisional opponents. 45 minutes into the game, Binghamton had a 4-0 lead thanks to three power-play goals, including two from CJ Stubbs. The Scarecrows tried to battle back and game’s final three tallies, but the comeback fell short and the Black Bears headed home with a 1-0 series lead. Stubbs scored the first two goals of Game 2 in Binghamton and his team went up 4-0 again, this time, early in the second. Topeka made it 4-2 in the third, but the Black Bears got two more to sweep the series after a 6-2 victory. 

REGULAR SEASON SERIES (BINGHAMTON WON 7-1)

Oct. 31 @ Port Huron: Black Bears 5, Prowlers 3

Nov. 1 @ Port Huron: Prowlers 4, Black Bears 1

Dec. 5 @ Binghamton: Black Bears 9, Prowlers 1

Dec. 6 @ Binghamton: Black Bears 3, Prowlers 1

Feb. 13 @ Port Huron: Black Bears 5, Prowlers 3

Feb. 14 @ Port Huron: Black Bears 6, Prowlers 5 (SO)

Mar. 13 @ Binghamton: Black Bears 4, Prowlers 0

Apr. 3 @ Port Huron: Black Bears 5, Prowlers 1

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Prowlers - Reid Cooper (G) - Arguably the most important player in this series, the Port Huron netminder was fantastic in the first round with a 2.18 GAA and .934 sv%. If the Prowlers win the series, he’ll likely be the MVP.

Black Bears - Ivan Bondaranko (F) - The shifty Russian led the FPHL with 77 assists in the regular season and is off to a hot start in the playoffs with four helpers in two games. He’s an offensive threat at even strength, on the power play and shorthanded.

STAT CENTRAL

The Prowlers scored 3 goals in 4 games at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena this season … The only game the Black Bears lost in the last 3 playoffs was Game 1 in Port Huron last year … The last time an FPHL team defeated the team that knocked them out of the playoffs the year before was 2014 when the Dayton Demonz avenged their 2013 finals loss to the Danbury Whalers

SERIES SCHEDULE

Apr. 23, 7:05 P.M. at McMorran Place (Port Huron, MI)

Apr. 25, 7:00 P.M. at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena (Binghamton, NY)

Apr. 26, 5:00 P.M. at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena (Binghamton, NY)

Tickets to Game 1 are available at phprowlers.com/tickets. The Prowlers will also be hosting a pregame party on McMorran Plaza starting at 4:30 P.M. The rest of the series can be seen on the PHP Network YouTube channel.

Photo courtesy of Delta Imaging