It’s April, which means that the Calder Cup Playoff races are in full bloom.

FloSports will be breaking down the playoff races as the regular-season schedule counts down to its conclusion April 20. Who’s in? Who’s out. Who might be in? Who’s in trouble?

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The American Hockey League also publishes a handy Playoff Primer during the stretch drive to the Calder Cup Playoffs with all of the statistical breakdown, schedule, strength of schedule, and much more.

Who Is In

Eastern Conference

Laval Rocket

Hershey Bears

Charlotte Checkers

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Providence Bruins

Western Conference

Colorado Eagles

Texas Stars

Milwaukee Admirals

Grand Rapids Griffins

Who Can Clinch Tonight

Eastern Conference

Rochester Americans

Western Conference

Abbotsford Canucks

Chicago Wolves

Ontario Reign

In The Hunt

Eastern Conference

Belleville Senators

Cleveland Monsters

Lehigh Valley Phantoms

Springfield Thunderbirds

Syracuse Crunch

Toronto Marlies

Western Conference

Bakersfield Condors

Calgary Wranglers

Coachella Valley Firebirds

Rockford IceHogs

San Diego Gulls

San Jose Barracuda

In Trouble

Eastern Conference

Hartford Wolf Pack

Utica Comets

Western Conference

Henderson Silver Knights

Iowa Wild

Manitoba Moose

Eliminated

Eastern Conference

Bridgeport Islanders

Tonight's Games With Key Playoff Implications

Syracuse Crunch at Belleville Senators – 7:00 p.m. ET

If it’s April, then the B-Sens are probably in a playoff race. Last season they took their chase down to the final weekend of the regular season before finally putting away the Laval Rocket and securing a playoff berth. They have another fight this year as they are sixth in the North Division, three points below the divisional playoff line at 69 points.

Holding the fifth spot in the North Division with 72 points, Syracuse is coming off a split in a home-and-home series with Rochester this past weekend. The B-Sens have the Amerks coming to town Friday and Saturday. And in between is this match-up at CAA Arena. A regulation loss to Syracuse would leave Belleville four points out of a playoff spot. For the Crunch, a win would vault them into fourth place, one point ahead of the idle Cleveland Monsters.

Calgary Wranglers at Tucson Roadrunners – 8:30 p.m. ET

Go back to Jan. 20. That’s when the Wranglers held an eight-point lead on first place in the Pacific Division. For that matter, they sat first overall in the AHL. Since then, however, the season has started to unravel in Calgary. Recalls have depleted the roster. Trent Cull is still with the parent Calgary Flames as their interim assistant coach. Goaltender Devin Cooley, an AHL All-Star who had a dominant first half, has allowed 44 goals in his past 10 outings. All of that, and more, add up to five wins in their past 25 games since that day in January (5-14-3-3).

So now a team that once looked like a top Calder Cup contender is fighting just to lock down a playoff berth. Tucson is four points behind them. Bakersfield, a team that the Wranglers led by 18 points back on Jan. 20, is within five points.  

Calgary dropped a 3-2 decision to the Roadrunners on Tuesday night. They cannot afford to be swept, especially with a two-game home series against Ontario coming up this weekend.

What's At Stake

In the Atlantic Division, the first- and second-place finishers will receive a first-round bye and avoid a best-of-three series.

In the North Division and Central Division, the first-place finisher will receive a first-round bye and avoid a best-of-three series. The second- and third-place finishers advance to a best-of-five match-up. The fourth- and fifth-place finishers will stage a best-of-three series for the right to face the first-place finisher in a best-of-five match-up.

And in the Pacific Division, the first-place finisher will also receive a first-round bye and avoid a best-of-three series. However, the second- through seventh-place finishers will all play a best-of-three series (second versus seventh, third versus sixth, fourth versus fifth). The winners of those series will advance to the next round to play best-of-five series.

The Hershey Bears are attempting to become the first team to win three consecutive Calder Cup championships since Springfield did it between 1960-62. They defeated the Coachella Valley Firebirds in each of the past two Calder Cup Finals.

If The Calder Cup Playoffs Started Today

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins – Lehigh Valley Phantoms

Providence Bruins – Springfield Thunderbirds

Cleveland Monsters – Syracuse Crunch

Chicago Wolves – Rockford IceHogs

Ontario Reign – Tucson Roadrunners

Abbotsford Canucks – Calgary Wranglers

Coachella Valley Firebirds – San Jose Barracuda

all series best-of-three

Hershey Bears – TBD

Charlotte Checkers – TBD

Laval Rocket – TBD

Rochester Americans – Toronto Marlies

Milwaukee Admirals – Grand Rapids Griffins

Colorado Eagles – TBD

all series best-of-five

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