The Portland Pirates finished off a five-game homestand with a 6-3 win over the Providence Bruins at the Cumberland County Civic Center Wednesday night. It was only the Pirates second victory in their last 6 games.
Brett MacLean started off the scoring 8 minutes into the game with his 12th goal of the season. MacLean would push it to 2-0 later in the period on a power play goal. That would be the first of three goals in two minutes, as Carter Camper scored for the P-Bruins and Dean Arsene would tally his 2nd goal of the season as the Pirates led 3-1 after 1 period.
The 2 teams would trade goals in the second period, as Ethan Werek scored early in the period for the Pirates, and Kevin Miller scored late for the P-Bruins.
Josh Hennessy scored a power play just 2:18 into the third period to cut the Portland lead to 4-3. Matt Watkins scored with 7:27 left to give the Pirates some breathing room, and Brock Trotter scored an empty-netter to finish off the scoring.
MacLean and Trotter each had 3 points for the Pirates, while Justin Pogge stopped 26 of 29 shots in net.
The Pirates take a short road trip to face the Adirondack Phantoms on Friday before coming back home for their annual New Year's Eve game on Saturday, against Worcester Sharks. That game has a special start time of 5:30.
The Phoenix Coyotes announces players assigned to Portland Pirates Train Camp are as follows;
Goaltender: Marc Cheverie Forwards: Mathieu Beaudoin, Spencer Bennett, Evan Bloodoff, Alexandre Bolduc, Marc Cheverie, Darian Dziurzynski, Brett Hextall, Ryan Hollweg, Colin Long, Donny Maloney, Brendan Shinnimin, Jordan Szwarz, Matt Watkins and Ethan Werek Defensemen: Mathieu Brodeur, Nick Ross, Garrett Stafford, Michael Stone
The Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League in conjunction with their AHL affiliate, the Portland Pirates, announced today that they have signed forward Ryan Duncan to an AHL deal.
Duncan (7/14/85, 5’8” 175 lbs.) spent the previous two seasons competing in the Austrian Elite League for EC Red Bull Salzburg where he compiled 111 points (43-68-111) in 99 games. Following a four-year collegiate career at the University of North Dakota, Duncan made his American Hockey League debut during the 2008-2009 season, skating in two games for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. At the conclusion of his sophomore season at North Dakota in 2006-2007, where he totaled 57 points (31-26-57) in 43 games, the Calgary, Alberta native was rewarded with the Hobey Baker Award, joining fellow Coyotes prospect Andy Miele (2011) as a recipient of the top honor in collegiate hockey.
The Pirates will open their 19th season of competition on the road against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Saturday, October 8th at 7 p.m. The high-flying action will open at home for the 34th season of AHL action at the Cumberland County Civic Center, on Saturday, October 15th when the Manchester Monarchs visit in a 7 p.m. start.
American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews announced that the league’s Board of Governors, convening this week for its Annual Meeting in Hilton Head Island, S.C., has approved the following division alignment for the 2011-12 AHL season (NHL affiliates in parentheses):
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division Manchester Monarchs (LA) Portland Pirates (PHX) Providence Bruins (BOS) St. John’s (WPG) Worcester Sharks (SJ)
WESTERN CONFERENCE North Division Grand Rapids Griffins (DET) Hamilton Bulldogs (MTL) Lake Erie Monsters (COL) Rochester Americans (BUF) Toronto Marlies (TOR)
Midwest Division Charlotte Checkers (CAR) Chicago Wolves (VAN) Milwaukee Admirals (NSH) Peoria Rivermen (STL) Rockford IceHogs (CHI)
West Division Abbotsford Heat (CGY) Houston Aeros (MIN) Oklahoma City Barons (EDM) San Antonio Rampage (FLA) Texas Stars (DAL)
The format for the 2012 Calder Cup Playoffs was also approved by the Board of Governors. Eight teams in each conference will qualify for the postseason, with the three division winners earning the top three seeds and the next five best teams in order of regular-season points seeded fourth through eighth.
"The approved divisional and conference alignment for the league adds an exciting, new competitive component within our division which we feel Pirates' fans will appreciate," said Pirates Managing Owner/CEO, Brian Petrovek. "Portland's traditional, regional rivalries with Manchester, Worcester, and Providence continue along with the exciting addition of a Canadian competitor, the St. John's franchise in Newfoundland, which will provide our fans with a new element to the on-ice experience over the course of the regular season and throughout the playoffs."
The conference quarterfinals will be best-of-five series; the conference semifinals, conference finals and Calder Cup Finals will be best-of-seven series. Teams will be re-ordered after the first round so that the highest-remaining seed plays the lowest-remaining seed.
The regular-season schedule format is still to be determined, and the complete playing schedule for the 2011-12 regular season, which begins Oct. 7, will be announced later this summer.
In operation since 1936, the AHL continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. More than 87 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and for the 10th year in a row, more than 6 million fans attended AHL games across North America in 2010-11.
The Maine Sports Network was LIVE at the Cumberland County Civic Center for the Portland Pirates announcement of its new NHL affiliation with the Phoenix Coyotes.
Listen to Brian Petrovek's full press conference below:
Listen to Phoenix Coyotes full welcoming press conference. VP and GM Don Maloney, along with VP and Assistant GM Brad Treliving talked to the Portland media.
Portland Pirates CEO Brian Petrovek held a press conference this afternoon to react to the news that the Buffalo Sabres and Rochester Americans are reuniting. Our own Jeff Schools was on the scene. Petrovek said a new affiliate would be announced Monday afternoon. Audio Below
It could be nothing, it could be something, but a New York paper has some interesting quotes from Buffalo Sabres President Ted Black on the affiliation between the Sabres and Portland Pirates.
“We have a deal in place with Portland (and) it extends for two or three more years,” Black told the radio station AM 550. “But, I also know affiliations change.”
The CBC's Glenn Healy stated last night on Canadian television that Portland Pirates head coach Kevin Dineen will be in high demand this off-season (my children would say "duh" to this news), but also said the Sabres have given permission for him to seek other jobs already if he desires. Dineen was a candidate for jobs in Columbus and in Tampa Bay last season, and with the success Guy Boucher has had jumping from Hamilton to Tampa, it's possible a team takes chance on Dineen without NHL head-coaching experience.
Home cooking went sour again for the Pirates, as their season ended with a thud, losing 3-0 to the Binghamton Senators in a series-ending game 6. The Pirates failed to win a game at home in the series, and it cost them as a promising season came to a crashing halt. Jim O'Brien scored
25 seconds in, Zack Smith scored another goal in the series and Kaspars Daugavins scored an empty-netter for the Senators, who now head to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The excitement of the Pirates return to Portland to fight another day didn't last long in game 6, as Jim O'Brien scored on a broken play just 25 seconds into the game. Jared Cowen and Kaspars Daugavins picked up assists as the Pirates were in a very early hole in a must-win game. The Pirates would hold an 11-6 shot advantage after one period, but Senators goalie Robin Lehner was in tip-top shape in this one.
The Pirates had to weather an early storm in the second period, as Jeff Dimmen took a penalty less than three minutes in. Portland goalie Jhonas Enroth had to make a handful of tough saves on the penalty kill as the Senators looked to extend their slim lead. Enroth stood strong, however, and the Pirates were still standing. Portland looked to get the equalizer eight minutes in, but the goal was waved off as Daugavins was called for a hooking penalty. In the post-game press conference, Pirates coach Kevin Dineen said it was the right call, as the Senators touched the puck before Portland put in in the net. It was deflating for a team struggling to solve a hot goalie. What was more deflating was when the Pirates went on a 5-on-3 40 seconds later, and couldn't capitalize on the advantage. It may have been a turning point in the game, as the Pirates best chance to put one past Lehner was not good enough.
The Senators would go on the power play midway through the period, as Igor Gongalsky was called for delay of game for knocking the net out of place. Zack Smith took advantage of the power play halfway through, lighting the lamp as he beat Enroth up high on a pass from Ryan Keller. Mike Hoffman also picked up an assist on the goal. After two periods it was Binghamton with a 2-0 lead, and the Pirates with their backs against the wall.
The Pirates couldn't seem to put together a sustained attack in the game, with an advantage in shots on goal misleading. Lehner was the best player on the ice in game 6, and maybe for the whole series, finishing with 36 saves and causing the Pirates to wonder what could have been.
The players were emotional after the game, wondering where a season where everything was going right went wrong. Both Dineen and the players were frustrated that they couldn't take advantage of home-ice advantage in the series. A team that was near impossible to beat at home in the regular season, and 3-0 in the first round, was 0-fer for this series, and it all boiled over in the deciding game 6, when they failed to even score.
While things look bad right now, in time the team will have a chance to look back at this season and see all the positives. For Dineen, it might be his last season in Portland, as his name will surely be near the tops of many NHL team's lists for open head coaching positions.
Mancari was key in getting series back home (Photo Jeff Schools/MESN)
Mark Mancari scored twice and added two assists to lead the Portland Pirates to a 6-2 win over the Binghamton Senators in Game 5 of the Atlantic Division Finals played tonight in front of 3,152 at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.
The victory forced a sixth game in the best of seven series, which will be played Friday at the Cumberland County Civic Center. The Senators lead the series 3-2.
Colin Stuart added a goal and an assist for the Pirates while single goals went to Luke Adam, Mark Parrish and Mark Voakes.
Jim O’Brien and Bobby Butler scored for the Senators.
The Pirates jumped out to a quick start in this one scoring four times in the opening period to build a 4-0 lead after one. Stuart and Adam netted power-play goals in the first seven minutes, Mancari connected shorthanded and Parrish found the back of the net even strength to get the Pirates rolling and chase Binghamton starter Robin Lehner after the fourth goal, replaced by Barry Brust with five and a half minutes left in the first. Voakes scored early in the second to increase the Pirates lead to 5-0 before O’Brien got the home side on the board. Mancari, with his second of the game, and Butler traded goals in the second half of the second to send the game into the third with the Pirates ahead 6-2. There was no scoring in the third.
The Pirates out shot the Senators 41-37 in the game as Jhonas Enroth posted the victory.
The Allied Home Mortgage Three Stars of the game were all from the Pirates. Mancari was the first, Stuart the second and Enroth the third.
The series returns to Portland for Game 6 on Friday at 7 p.m. at the Cumberland County Civic Center. Fans in attendance will receive pom poms courtesy of Time Warner Cable. Tickets for the game are on sale at the Civic Center Box Office, by calling 207-775-3458 or on line at portlandpirates.com. Advance tickets are $18 for Adult Premium Main Deck, $17 for Adult Main Deck and $14 Adult Quarter Deck. Advance tickets for Youth/Senior/Student in the Premium Main Deck are $13 and $12 in the Main Deck or Quarter Deck. There is a $2 increase on all ticket prices when purchased the day of the game.
The game can be seen live on TWCTV Plus-Channel 1000 or when Boston Red Sox Overflow games are not occurring it will also be seen on TWCTV Channel 9, 21 or 22 (depending on location). The game can also be heard live on 95.5 News Talk WLOB and on line at portlandpirates.com beginning with the pre-game show at 6:45 p.m.
If necessary, Game 7 will take place at the Civic Center Saturday at 7 p.m. with fans in attendance receiving pom poms courtesy of Time Warner Cable.
-PORTLAND PIRATES-
Tim Conboy scored with 12.5 seconds remaining in regulation to lift the Portland Pirates to a 3-2 win over the Binghamton Senators in Game 3 of their Atlantic Division Finals series played tonight in front of 4,637 at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.
Binghamton now leads the best-of-seven series 2-1.
Derek Whitmore added a goal and an assist to the Pirates attack while Brian O’Hanley netted the other.
Ryan Keller and Kaspars Daugavins scored for the Senators, who saw a five-game playoff winning streak come to an end.
O’Hanley struck for the only goal of the first period five-and-a-half minutes into the game to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead after one for the third straight game in the series. Binghamton tied it early in the second as Keller found the back of the net followed by a power-play goal by Daugavins to give the Senators a 2-1 advantage heading into the third. Whitmore tied the game with just over five minutes remaining in regulation to set the stage for Conboy’s heroics.
The Senators out shot the Pirates 34-33 in the game as David Leggio posted the victory.
The Allied Home Mortgage Three Stars of the game were 1. Whitmore, 2. Conboy and 3. Keller.
The series remains in Binghamton for the next two games, Game 4 on Monday and Game 5 on Tuesday. Both games are 7:05 face-offs and both can be seen live on TWCTV Plus-Channel 1000 or when Boston Red Sox Overflow games are not occurring they will also be seen on TWCTV Channel 9, 21 or 22 (depending on location). Both games can also be heard live on 95.5 News Talk WLOB and on line at portlandpirates.com beginning with the pre-game show at 6:45 p.m.
Game 6 of the series, if necessary, will be played Friday at 7 p.m. at the Cumberland County Civic Center. Fans in attendance will receive pom poms courtesy of Time Warner Cable. Tickets for the game are on sale at the Civic Center Box Office, by calling 207-775-3458 or on line at portlandpirates.com. Advance tickets are $18 for Adult Premium Main Deck, $17 for Adult Main Deck and $14 Adult Quarter Deck. Advance tickets for Youth/Senior/Student in the Premium Main Deck are $13 and $12 in the Main Deck or Quarter Deck. There is a $2 increase on all ticket prices when purchased the day of the game. -PORTLAND PIRATES-
It was the call the wasn't made that was the difference, as the Binghamton Senatators defeated the Portland Pirates in Game 2 of the Atlantic Division Finals at the Cumberland County Civic Center. Bob Raymond scored the winning goal in transition late in the third period, after a linesman determined he was not offsides. Kaspars Daugavins scored his second goal into an empty
net with just seconds left as the Senators scored 5 of the last 6 goals of the game to take a 2-0 series lead.
For the second game in a row it was the Pirates taking a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. Derek Whitmore scored 13 minutes in to give the Pirates the early lead. Mark Voakes and Maxime Legault assisted on the goal, and the Pirates were determined to take control of the game early after last night's let dwown. Jhonas Enroth stopped all 10 shots he saw in the period, as he got the start over Dave Leggio after getting sent down from Buffalo when the Sabres were knocked out of the NHL playoffs.
The Pirates extended the lead just over a minute into the second period, as Mark Snapped took a pass from Luke Adam and fired it past Binghamton goalie Robin Lehner. The Pirates kept up the offensive pressure as they had a 5-0 shot advantage through the first 7 minutes of the period.
The Pirates went on the power play 7:32 into the period, hoping to improve on a weak part of their game. They found a way to make a ineffective power play even more so, as Daugavins scored a shorthanded goal midway through the man advantage, cutting the Pirate lead in half. The Senators took the momentum and ran with it, just as they did in Game 1, as they tied it 3 minutes later. Zack Smith took a feed from Corey Locke and fired it past Enroth for the equalizer. It was Smith's second goal in as many games, as he keeps finding ways to put daggers through the hearts of Pirates fans.
After scoring with a man down and even strength, the Senators finished the scoring trifecta as Bobby Butler scored on the power play with under 4 minutes to go in the second period. After such a great start to the game and the period, the Pirates found themselves down a goal heading into the locker rooms. Facing them was a 2-0 series deficit and 3 games away from home to try and extend their season.
The line of Mancari, Adam, and Matt Ellis had a strong start to the third period, as the Pirates were looking to go down swinging in the final 20 minutes. Mancari would smack the Senators right in the mouth midway through the period, taking a shot from between the circles that zoomed past Lehner into the back of the net. The Pirates had some solid chances to take back the lead, as Adam failed to light the lamp on a breakaway with 7 minutes to go, and they couldn't take advantage of Lehner without a stick a couple minutes later.
Raymond did take advantage of a linesman's controversial non-call, as he put the game-winner past Enroth with 4 minutes to go. Pirates coach Kevin Dineen and Mancari both were livid after the game, feeling that the linesman took the game out of their hands. Daugavins added an empty-netter with 3.1 seconds left much to the chagrin of the Civic Center crowd.
It is now a tall task for the Pirates, as they must win 2 out of 3 games on the road to bring the series back to Portland.
Zack Smith was named the #3 Star of the Game after scoring the game-tying goal in the second period.
Mancari was named the #2 Star after scoring twice for the Pirates and playing what he said was a much better game than last night.
Raymond was named the #1 Star after scoring the game-winning goal late in the third period. He won't be Portland Pubic Enemy #1, as that honor goes to the most hated linesman in the Dineen household.
The teams get a day off as the series shifts to Binghamton for Game 3 on Saturday
The Portland Pirates got off to a hot start in Game 1 of the series against the Binghamton Senators, taking a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. The next 40 minutes belonged to the Senators, however, as they outskated, outshot, and outlasted the Pirates, winning 3-2. Zack Smith and the game-winning goal and added an assist to lead Binghamton.
The Pirates camped out in the Binghamton zone for much of the first 4 minutes of the game, capped off by Maxime Legault's goal from the right side of the net, past Senators goalie Robin
Lehner. The play started with a pass from Matt Ellis on the left side to mark Voakes out in front, who took a shot that Legault put back. Legault would take a hooking penalty 8 minutes in that the Pirates killed off, but it seemed to finally give Binghamton some momentum. The Pirates would go on the power play 12 minutes in, but could only muster 2 shots, while giving Binghamton 2 short-handed chances. At the horn, it was 1-0 Portland, but momentum seemed to be swinging away from the Pirates.
The Pirates seemed to come out of the locker room with momentum, and 2 minutes in Colin Stuart and Mark Parrish had a solid chance in front of the net that Lehner denied. Portland was the much more physical team, trying to slow down Binghamton's fast-paced style. Mark Mancari had a breakaway chance 4:30 in, but his first attempt was stuffed, and he couldn't corral the rebound for another try.
That big save by Lehner energized the Senators, who finally lit the lamp 2 minutes later. Ryan Keller got a shot past Dave Leggio to even the score at 1-1. Ryan Potulny and Smith assisted on the goal. Binghamton would go on the power play less than a minute later, and would quickly take their first lead of the game. Bobby Butler netted the goal for the Senators, and he was assisted by Andre Benoit and Corey Locke.
The Pirates were lucky to be only a goal down, as Leggio faced many open shots throughout the period, making sprawling saves on many of them. Portland pulled the momentum back towards their side late in the period as Stuart raced down the ice in transition, collecting a lob pass from Corey Fienhage, and wristing it past Lehner from the right circle. The Pirates got a chance to take back the lead a minute later, going on the power play after Locke was called for interference. The sluggish-looking Pirates couldn't get a shot on net and it was 2-2 heading into the second intermission.
The Pirates fired a couple shots from the blue line early in the third period, trying to take back the lead and gain some positive momentum. The idea failed, and the Senators started teeing off on Leggio again. He stopped a wide open shot by Colin Greening 2:45 in, and had to jump on a puck in the crease a couple minutes later to keep the game tied.
The Senators finally got one past Leggio, as Smith ripped a shot in from a tough angle on the right side. Poltulny and Benoit notched assists on the goal. Binghamton kept up the pressure, pelting Leggio with open shot after open shot as the Pirates couldn't keep up with the Senators' puck movement.
Portland's best and last chance to net the equalizer came with 2 minutes to go as Paul Byron found Parrish for a shot in front of Lehner, but the Senators netminder turned the attempt away. The Pirates wouldn't get another good look as Binghamton picked up an important road win in Game 1.
Leggio stopped 40 of 43 shots that came his way, as it could have been a much more crooked number that Binghamton put up in this one.
The Pirates were out shot 34 to 24 in the final 2 periods, as Binghamton seemed to dictate the tempo for much of the game.
Zack Smith was named the #1 Star of the Game after picking up a goal and assist.
Ryan Potulny was named the #2 Star after assisting on 2 goals and getting 3 shots on net.
Maxime Legault was named the #3 Star after scoring the opening goal and showing some aggressive play throughout the game.
Game 2 will be tomorrow night at 7pm at the Cumberland County Civic Center, before the series shifts to Binghamton for games 3, 4, and 5 if necessary. -WIL KRAMLICH-
Paul Byron scored twice and added an assist to lead the Portland Pirates to a 6-4 win over the Connecticut Whale in Game 6 of their Atlantic Division Semifinal Series played tonight in front of 4,514 at the XL Center.
The won the best-of-seven series 4-2 and advance to the Atlantic Division Final to face either the Manchester Monarchs or the Binghamton Senators. Those two teams were heading into overtime in Game 7 at the time of writing tonight.
Mark Parrish added a goal and two assists in the Pirates win while Mark Mancari supplied a goal and an assist. Corey Tropp rounded out the scoring.
Jeremy Williams, Dale Weise, Carl Hagelin and Chad Kolarik scored for the Whale.
The Whale used the power play for the first two goals of the game as Williams and Weise connected on the man advantage to give Connecticut a 2-0 lead after one. The Pirates jumped out quickly in the second as they scored three times (Byron, Parrish and Mancari) in the opening nine-and-a-half minutes to grab a 3-2 lead. Hagelin tied it just over a minute after the Pirates surged ahead but Biega netted the go-ahead goal in the final three minutes of the second to give Portland a 4-3 lead heading into the third. Byron, with the eventual game winner, and Tropp built the Pirates lead to 6-3 before Kolarki completed the scoring with a last minute power-play goal. The Whale out shot the Pirates 34-30 in the game as David Leggio posted the victory. The Allied Home Mortgage Three Stars of the Game were 1. Byron, 2. Parrish and 3. Connecticut defenseman Wade Redden (two assists).
Tickets for the Atlantic Division Finals against the Binghamton Senators will go on sale Monday morning at 10 a.m. at the Cumberland County Civic Center Box Office,and can be ordered by calling 207-775-3458 or online at portlandpirates.com.
Atlantic Division Final A1-Portland Pirates vs. E5-Binghamton Senators Game 1 – Wed., Apr. 27 – Binghamton at Portland, 7:00 Game 2 – Thu., Apr. 28 – Binghamton at Portland, 7:00 Game 3 – Sat., Apr. 30 – Portland at Binghamton, 7:05 Game 4 – Mon., May 2 – Portland at Binghamton, 7:05 *Game 5 – Tue., May 3 – Portland at Binghamton, 7:05 *Game 6 – Fri., May 6 – Binghamton at Portland, 7:00 *Game 7 – Sat., May 7 – Binghamton at Portland, 7:00 * if necessary
It looked like the Pirates would run away in Game 5, taking a 3-0 lead just 45 seconds into the second period, and literally knocking out Whale goalie Dov Grumet-Morris. However, Grumet-Morris' injury ignited a fire in the rest of the Connecticut team, and they made a game out of it. Mark Parrish scored on the power play early in the third period to break a 4-4 tie, and Dave Leggio made an impossible save to preserve the win for the Pirates. Portland now has a 3-2 series lead, and will look to close out the series in Game 6.
Portland struck first in a fast-paced first period, as Mark Mancari sniped a slap shot from the blue line past Grumet-Morris for a power play goal. It was Mancari's second game back after
missing the first 3 games while playing with parent club Buffalo. Mark Voakes and Paul Byron assisted on the goal. The Pirates had all the offensive momentum after Connecticut started out with a flurry of shots. Travis Turnbull made it 2-0 Pirates on a goal late in the period, with Corey Tropp and Dennis Persson notching assists.
The start of the second period was a nightmare for the Whale. 18 seconds in Grumet-Morris went down after taking a hard shot off the body. He laid on the ice for a couple minutes until he was able to shake it off. Luke Adam would put a backhand shot past him less than 30 seconds later, and it was clear Dov was not right. Mancari and Persson assisted on Adam's goal. Grumet-Morris would be replaced by Cameron Talbot, and this invigorated the Whale players.
The play got physical in the period, and the Pirates found the worst times to show it. The Whale would get five power play chances, and would score twice. Kris Newbury scored his first goal on the power play 4 1/2 minutes into the period, cutting the Portland lead to 3-1. Dennis McAuley gave Portland some breathing room later in the period, scoring on a 2-on-1 with Corey Tropp feeding him the puck. Newbury would score again just 21 seconds later to make it 4-2 Pirates. Chad Kolarik would score the Whale's second power play goal with eight minutes to go in the second, after three players were sent to the box for roughing. The physicality was heating up, and the Whale had all the momentum. McAuley would go to the penalty box at the end of the period, and give Connecticut a man-advantage to start the third.
While the Whale didn't score on the power play, they did light the lamp only seconds later. Brodie Dupont would score with the Whale still attacking in the Portland zone, with Blake Parlett and Kelsey Tessier picking up assists. Dupont would go to the penalty box five seconds later for tripping, and after that his night was done. The Pirates took advantage of Dupont's untimely penalty, as Mark Parrish scored a minute into the power play, with Persson and Mancari picking up the assists.
The 17 minutes left to play seemed like an eternity for the Pirates. Dave Leggio had to stop Connecticut's best efforts time after time as they tried to net the equalizer. His best stop of the night came with only 2.8 seconds remaining, as he somehow stopped the puck between his skate and the left post. No one, including Leggio, knew if the puck had gone in, but after a few long moments, the refs ruled it was in fact a save. The Pirates won the faceoff, and as the buzzer sounded escaped with a hard-fought victory.
Mancari was named the #1 star after collecting a goal and 2 assists and taking 9 shots. Corey Tropp was named the #2 star after assisting on 2 of the goals and finishing with a +2 plus/minus rating. Connecticut's Newbury was named the #3 star after scoring the Whale's first 2 goals and later assisting on another.
The series heads back to Hartford for game 6 on Saturday, with the Pirates looking to close out the series, and the Whale looking to tie it up and extend their season.
Mats Zuccarello and Chad Kolarik each had a goal and an assist to lead the Connecticut Whale to a 3-1 win over the Portland Pirates in Game 4 of the their best-of-seven Atlantic Division Semifinal Series played tonight at the XL Center.
The series is now tied at 2-2.
John Mitchell netted the other Whale goal.
Mark Voakes scored the lone Pirates goal.
Kolarik, playing in his first game of the series after missing the first three due to an injury suffered in the regular season, gave the Whale a 1-0 lead after one when he connected on a five-on-three power play in the later stages of the opening period. Mitchell netted the lone goal of the second period to send the Whale into the third with a 2-0 advantage. Zuccarello, in his first game of the season after being returned from the New York Rangers, lifted the Whale into a 3-0 lead before Voakes got the Pirates on the board to complete the scoring.
The Whale out shot the Pirates 30-20 in the game as David Leggio took the loss.
The Allied Home Mortgage Three Stars of the Game were all from the Whale. Kolarik was the first, Zuccarello the second and Wade Redden the third.
Game 5 of the best-of-seven series will take place Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center. The first 2,000 fans into the game will receive thundersticks courtesy of Time Warner Cable. Plus, bring a non-winning Maine State Lottery ticket to the Cumberland County Civic Center Box Office either in advance or on the day of the game and receive a FREE Pirates playoff ticket with the purchase of a ticket of equal or greater value. Get your tickets at the Civic Center Box Office, by calling (207) 775-3458 or at portlandpirates.com. -PORTLAND PIRATES-
With the NHL and AHL Playoffs well underway, the coaching rumors start up in the back rooms. According to Elliotte Friedman of the CBC (buried deep in an article on Raffi Torres), Kevin Dineen and Craig MacTavish will be in the top tier of available coaching candidates.
"There are five coaching vacancies now, with the possibility of more. It sounds like the two men with the most options will be Kevin Dineen of the AHL's Portland Pirates and Craig MacTavish. Dineen's done good work for two different organizations - Anaheim and Buffalo. The Pirates have had the last three American(Hockey) League rookies of the year."
Looking around the league right now, there are vacancies in New Jersey, Florida, Dallas, Minnesota, and Ottawa. If the Canadiens knock out the Bruins in the first round, don't be surprised if the Bruins have a coaching vacancy. What Dineen has done with youngsters doesn't go unnoticed, and he may be the perfect coach to foster youngsters like Tuukka Rask, Tyler Seguin, Steve Kampfer, etc. With a family who has already established roots here in Maine, it also would be the closest NHL job to home.
Regardless, once the Pirates season comes to an end, the annual Kevin Dineen speculation should fire up quickly.
Derek Couture and John Mitchell each scored a goal and an assist to lead the Connecticut Whale to a 3-1 win over the Portland Pirates in Game 3 of their Atlantic Division Semifinal played tonight in front of 3,201 at the AL Center.
The Pirates lead the best-of-seven series 2-1.
Tommy Grant netted the other Whale goal while Wade Redden collected two assists.
Mark Voakes netted the lone goal for Portland. Mark Parrish was stopped on a penalty shot in the third with the Pirates trailing 3-1.
Grant opened scoring three minutes into the game to give the Whale the lead but Voakes answered with 53 seconds remaining in the opening period to send the two teams into the intermission tied at one. Couture scored the lone goal of the second to give the Whale a 2-1 lead heading into the third. Mitchell added an insurance goal in the third to complete the scoring.
The Pirates out shot the Whale 30-22 in the game as David Leggio took the loss.
The Allied Home Mortgage Three Stars of the Game were all from the Whale. Goaltender Dov Grumet-Morris was the first, Couture the second and Mitchell the third.
Pirates Playoff Hockey MISSION: 16W, powered by Time Warner Cable continues with Game 4 of the Atlantic Division Semifinal against the Whale Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the XL Center. The game can be heard live on 95.5 News Talk WLOB beginning with the pre-game show at 6:45 p.m.
Game 5 of the best-of-seven series will take place Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center. The first 2,000 fans into the game will receive thundersticks courtesy of Time Warner Cable. Get your tickets at the Civic Center Box Office, by calling (207) 775-3458 or at portlandpirates.com.
Derek Whitmore with a HUGE game for the Pirates (Photo Jason Gendron/MESN)
The Portland Pirates found many ways to lose Game 2 against the Connecticut Whale at home. Yet it was winger Derek Whitmore who found the way to win, giving the Pirates a 3-2 win and a 2-0 series lead. Whitmore scored the tying goal late in the third period to send the game to overtime, then won it for the Pirates on a 2-on-1 12 minutes into overtime.
The game started out well for the Pirates, as Matt Ellis scored five minutes in. Connecticut had just killed off a penalty, but couldn't get a clear, and Ellis made them pay. His goal was assisted by Whitmore and Corey Tropp. At that point, the Whale took over.
Francis Lemieux scored on a breakaway with under five minutes to go to tie it. After a scrum in front of the Portland net, Colin Stuart would go to the penalty box for roughing. The Whale took advantage of the power play, as John Mitchell got an unassisted goal to give Connecticut the lead. It was 2-1 Whale at the end of the first period, as they outshot Portland 16-8.
Physical play picked up in the second period, as offenses went cold. Portland got four chances on the power play in the period, and squandered every one of them. The Pirates seemed to look sluggish, and were probably lucky to be down only one goal after two periods. The Pirates outshot the Whale 7-3 in the period, but that was mostly due to the disparity in penalty box time.
The Crowd at the Civic Center came to life in the third period, trying to energize the home team. The Pirates battered Whale goalie Dov Grumet-Morris with quality shots, but the Dov was up to the task. He made a huge stop on a Portland power play midway through the period, and again when he kick-saved a shot by Jeff Dimmen a few minutes later.
Whitmore finally got through when Grumet-Morris was knocked off-balance and an opening was created. The crowd would not quiet as momentum had swung, and overtime was imminent. The Pirates outshot the Whale by a whopping 16-2 margin in the third period, as they had to find some way to get one past Dov.
Three minutes into overtime it looked like the Whale would even the series. Pirates goalie Dave Leggio had to make a sprawling save on his back, hoping the puck was underneath him. For the sake of Pirates fans, it was. The Whale again had a close call, as Dale Weise fired away at Leggio from close range, only to be denied, as was his rebound shot.
There would be no such break for Grumet-Morris, as he was caught with a 2-on-1 disadvantage coming at him, as Brian Roloff fed Whitmore with a perfect pass for the game winner.
Whitmore was named the #1 star after tallying 2 goals and an assist. Matt Ellis was the #2 star scoring the opening goal, and keeping the Pirates afloat early. Grumet-Morris was the #3 star after stopping 33 of 36 shots.
The Pirates hold a 2-0 series lead as the Atlantic Division Semifinals move to Hartford tomorrow night. If the first two games are any indication, we are in for a long, hard-fought series.
Game Note: Long-time Pirates videographer Dale Darling was inducted into the Pirates Hall of Fame in a pre-game ceremony. Darling is the 15th member inducted into the Hall after working in Maine hockey for the last 33 years. He was presented with a #33 Pirates uniform with his name on it.
Luke Adam scored a goal in Game 1 win (Photo Jason Gendron)
The Portland Pirates came out firing on all cylinders in the first period of Game 1 of the Atlantic Division Semifinals against the Connecticut Whale. They killed off an early Whale Power Play and barraged net-minder Dov Grumet-Morris with shot after shot. When Derek Couture went to the penalty box for goalie interference 12 minutes in, The Pirates saw an opportunity open. It took much of the power play, but Luke Adam finally found the back of the net with 18 seconds left on the power play. Adam's goal was assisted by Paul Byron and Dennis Persson.
It didn't take long for the Pirates to get on the board again. 58 seconds after the first goal Corey Tropp would light the lamp for Portland. Mark Voakes assisted on the goal. When it rains it pours, and it was a monsoon for the Pirates offense at the end of the first period. Colin Stuart scored on the power play with 3:20 remaining in the period to give the Pirates a commanding 3-0 lead. They hit the locker room at the first intermission feeling pretty good about themselves.
The Whale however, would not roll over in this opening game of the series. Connecticut came out with aggression in the second period, hell-bent on climbing back into the game. Things got chippy early on after Dennis Persson laid a big open-ice check on a hapless Whale player. Elbows and fists started flying, but the referees broke things up before things got out of hand. This gave some momentum to the Whale for the rest of the period. Five minutes into the period the Whale finally got on the board. Blake Parlett found a crack in the stone wall named Dave Leggio and breathed some life into the Connecticut cause. Parlett's goal was assisted by Francis Lemieux and Tommy Grant.
The Pirates had to kill off two penalties in the period, and Leggio had 8 saves as the Whale attack picked up. Connecticut had a solid scoring chance with under a minute to go that would have cut the deficit to one. For the Pirates, they went into the second intermission thankful to still have a two-goal lead.
Portland came out of the locker room in the third period with more purpose than they did in the second. Their aggression picked up on the offensive end, trying to extend their shrinking lead. They stymied an early Whale power play, keeping them without a shot for the first 1:30 of the advantage. Portland went on their own power play seven minutes in, and almost gave up a short-handed goal as it started. After that scare the Pirates pointed their ship in the right direction. They attacked Grumet-Morris with five shots on the advantage, and almost making him pay a couple times. Alas, the Whale goalie would keep the net clean, and the Pirates let a solid chance to slip away.
Killing off the penalty sung momentum back in Connecticut's favor, as they began to attack Leggio. With seven minutes to go, the Whale struck again. Dale Weise' slapshot was too quick for Leggio, and suddenly we had a real game. Grachev and Redden assisted on the goal. The next seven minutes seemed to drag on for the Pirates and their fans, as that insurmountable lead was now an afterthought. the Portland defense really picked up at the end of the game, not wanting to blow a hard-earned lead. The Whale had one final chance with 5.4 seconds to go, with a face-off in the Portland zone, but could not get a shot off to give themselves a chance. Tempers flared as the teams were bunched up after 60 minutes of intense hockey.
It was the Pirates with the win as the dust settled, and a 1-0 lead in the best of seven opening round series. Game 2 is Saturday night at 7pm at the Cumberland County Civic Center. -Wil Kramlich-
Came across an interesting article today in the Brighton Pittsford Post today about the future of the AHL's Rochester Americans. The Amerks, as they are affectionately known, are looking for a new parent club after their agreement with the Florida Panthers expired at the conclusion of this season. Here's some nuggets:
The Anaheim-Syracuse agreement has two years remaining, but reportedly has been a rocky relationship, which might bring about a change for next season.
The Buffalo Sabres have two years remaining on their current arrangement with the Portland Pirates.
Rochester club officials have said that they have talked with two of the 30 NHL teams, but they are not at liberty to say, at the present time, which two teams because the season is not over for all the teams.
The news here isn't about the length of the Pirates/Sabres agreement, it's the sentence above it involving Syracuse and Anaheim. Anaheim and the Pirates had a very successful relationship here earlier in the decade, and it makes one wonder if the Sabres wanted to renew their old relationship with Rochester if the Pirates would reunite with Anaheim, leaving Florida, Atlanta, Phoenix/Winnipeg/Quebec City for Syracuse.
"Styres could sign a one- or two-year agreement with a NHL team, then try to seek an agreement with Buffalo after their present term expires with Portland. It has been done in the past where an agreement was terminated early. The perception is that most Amerks fans want to see an eventual return to a working relationship with the Sabres."
This is not the first I have heard of the Buffalo-Rochester flirting, but this is the first time I have seen it speculated in print.
To read the full article by Craig Potter, click here.
