Around the League: OKC and Utica Head to Game 7, Mueller Thru to East Finals

Chris Mueller (Credit: Mark Newman)

Welcome to the offseason. Throughout the summer, I'll be doing around the league posts once again, summarizing some of the goings on around the league.

• OKC and Utica have taken their series to the limit after last night's 2-1 win by the Barons in New York. Former Star Richard Bachman was the first star of the game with 33 saves. Tomorrow's Game 7 could be the final game of the OKC Barons' time in the AHL, or they could take it to the Comets and face the Griffins in the Western Conference Finals. [OKC Barons]
• Speaking of the Griffins, they smoked the IceHogs in five games and now have some time off waiting for their next opponent. Teemu Pulkkinen came back for the playoffs and has 13 goals and 2 assists in ten games. So, you know, he's pretty good and stuff. [TheAHL]
• Out east, Chris Mueller and the Hartford Wolf Pack polished off the Hershey Bears in six to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. For Mueller, he's having a better postseason than last year, somehow. He's already racked up 9 points in 11 games, compared to 11 in 19 games last postseason. [TheAHL]
• The Coyotes are not renewing the contract of former San Antonio coach Ray Edwards as they move from Portland to Springfield next year. [WCSH 6 Portland]
• Yet again, the All-Star game will take place in the Eastern time zone. While, yes, the West did claim last year's with Utica as host, it wasn't really the same as having a Chicago or a San Antonio host. To be honest, how long will it be until the All-Star game finds its way to sunny California? Average February high of 70 degrees in Ontario, CA? All those Northeastern teams are bound to say, "Yes, please."