Sports: Griffins Start Playoffs; Wings at 2-2 in Toledo; Blackhawks done

Round 1 in a best of 5 gets Calder Cup Playoffs get  underway tonight as the Milwaukee Admirals play at the Grand Rapids Griffins.  Three players on the squad were there three years ago when the Griffins won the championship.  Mitch Callahan,  Brian Lashoff and Nathan Paetsch are the remaining players on the team from the franchise's lone AHL championship.

ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs – Round 1

The Kalamazoo Wings and Toledo Walleye play in Toledo tonight, with their best of seven series tied at two.   The Wings are playing without captain Ben Wilson, after the league indefinitely suspended him for multiple cross checks against Simon Denis in Game 2 last Saturday.

NHL Playoffs

Nashville beat Chicago 4-1 to sweep the Blackhawks in four straight.

Pittsburgh moves on after beating Columbus 5-2.

The New York Rangers have a 3-2 series lead after beating Montreal 3-2 in overtime.

The Anaheim Ducks are already in next round.

The Capitals and Maple Leafs are tied at two games apiece.  Game 5 is tonight in Washington.

The Senators lead Boston three-games-to-one.  Ottawa can win the series with a home win tonight.

St. Louis leads Minnesota 3-1.  The Blues can clinch the series on Saturday in Minnesota.

NBA Playoffs

The Cleveland Cavs came back from being 25 down and beat Indiana 119-114  to take a 3-0 series lead.  LeBron James had 41.

Memphis beat San Antonio 105-94.   The Spurs lead 2-1.

Milwaukee 104, Toronto 77.  The Bucks are up 2-1.

The Rockets have a two-games-to-none lead in the NBA first-round series over the Thunder.

The Golden State Warriors and Washington Wizards have 2-0 leads over Portland and Atlanta.

Golf

Jason Knutzon of the United States shot a 2-under 69 to keep a two-stroke lead in Japan’s Panasonic Open.

Girls’ Soccer

Harper Creek at Lawton, 6:00 p.m.

Tigers

The Tigers were swept by the Rays in Tampa, as they lose 8-1 on Thursday afternoon. Second baseman Ian Kinsler‘s lead-off homer was the only spark for the Tigers. The squad would only manage four more hits the rest of the day.  Nick Castellanos had two hits.  Dixon Machado and James McCann provided singles in the loss. Pitcher Daniel Norris (1-1) allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits in just 4 2/3 innings to take the loss for the Tigers.   It was a second straight game with sloppy defense for the Tigers. Warwick Saupold would allow three more runs in relief, all from solo homers.   The final stop on the Tigers road trip takes them to Minneapolis as they take on the Minnesota Twins in the first of three.  Justin Verlander starts for Detroit.   Catch the action at 7:45pm on 95.3 WBCK!