Tim Kennedy netted his second straight overtime game-winning goal against the Pirates on a power-play, only 24 seconds into the extra period to lead his Connecticut Whale to a 5-4 victory over the Portland Pirates in an American Hockey League game played this evening in front of 6,733 at the Cumberland County Civic Center. This evening’s attendance marked the second sellout of the season for the Pirates, joining the November 5th matchup against the Adirondack Phantoms.
NHL veterans Todd White and Jason Williams each earned a goal and an assist, and Wade Redden tallied three assists to help the Whale improve to 17-12-2-5 on the season and move them into a tie with Portland for second place in the Atlantic Division.
Paul Byron led the Pirates with a goal and an assist, extending his goal scoring streak to three games, while they dropped to 18-10-4-1 on the year.
In the first period, the Pirates matched their total offensive output from the previous matchup on Mark Mancari’s team-leading 14th goal of the season.
However, the Whale would rebound quickly in the second with consecutive goals by Chad Kolarik and White to give them a brief 2-1 lead. A few minutes later with five minutes left in the period, Byron extended his goal scoring streak to three games on a penalty shot, beating Connecticut goaltender Chad Johnson for the first successful Pirates penalty shot since February 13, 2009 when Felix Schutz beat Taylor Dakers of Worcester. The two teams would see-saw back and forth throughout the third as Newbury started the fireworks by registering the first shorthanded goal of the season for Connecticut (previously the only AHL team without a shorthanded goal) only 0:23 into the period. Exactly five minutes later, Portland’s Justin Bowers scored his first goal as a Pirate in his second stint with the team and Williams would chip in with his first goal as a member of the Whale at the 7:20 mark to give them their third lead of the game at 4-3. The Pirates again tied the game midway through the third on Colin Stuart’s seventh goal of the season and 150th career AHL point. The score would remain the same through the rest of the period as the teams headed to extra time for the second straight game. Kennedy once again one-upped his former team, 12 seconds sooner than Wednesday night, sending the Whale to their third straight victory.
The Connecticut out-shot Portland 31-28 for the night and Enroth took the loss, dropping his record to 9-10-1.
The Allied Home Mortgage Three Stars of the game were 1. Kennedy, 2. Byron and 3. Wade Redden.
The Pirates will be on the road for their next game this Sunday, January 2nd at 3:00 p.m. as they travel to Worcester to take on the Sharks in game four of the UNUM Challenge. Fans can tune-in to 95.5 News Talk WLOB to listen to the game live from the DCU Center, with the pregame show starting at 2:45 p.m. The next Pirates home game will take place on Friday, January 7th when the Springfield Falcons come to town. The first 1,500 fans through the gates will receive thundersticks courtesy of Goodwill. It will also be Camp Bow Wow Adopt-a-Dog Night as Almost Home Rescue will have dogs at the game for fans to adopt. Fans can receive two free tickets to a future Pirates game with a donation to Goodwill or by donating a dog toy or a dog or cat food item. All donations and proceeds for Camp Bow Wow Adopt-a-Dog Night will go to the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland, the Animal Welfare Society of Kennebunk, the Planet Dog Foundation, and the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation. Tickets for the game, as well as each of the remaining Pirates home games, are on sale now by calling 207-775-3458, visiting the Cumberland County Civic Center Box Office or on-line at ticketmaster.com.
Marc-Antoine Pouliot scored the only goal of the shootout as the Norfolk Admirals came-from-behind to top the Portland Pirates 4-3 in an American Hockey League game played tonight in front of 5,154 at the Cumberland County Civic Center.
Chris Durno and Mike Angelidis scored in the final four minutes of regulation for the Admirals to erase a 3-1 deficit and force overtime. Angelidis’ goal came with 33 seconds left in regulation. Blair Jones netted the other goal for Norfolk, who improved to 14-6-3-1 with the win.
Paul Byron paced the Pirates with two goals. T.J. Brennan had the other while Corey Tropp collected two assists. The Pirates dropped to 14-6-1-1 with the loss.
Byron brought the Portland fans to their feet early and often in the opening period, netting the first of his two goals at the 9:25 mark of the first period. Brennan scored his third goal of the season, beating Norfolk goaltender Cedrick Desjardins to his stick side, followed by Byron’s second goal of the game two minutes later to give Portland a 3-0 advantage heading into the first intermission. The second period played at a calmer pace as Norfolk’s Pouliot scored his seventh goal of the season, pulling the Admirals within two only 33 seconds into the period. Norfolk blitzed Portland at the end of the third period, with Durno scoring with just over three minutes left and Angelidis netting the tying goal with goaltender Desjardins pulled for the extra attacker.
The Admirals out-shot the Pirates 46-39 in the game as Jhonas Enroth stopped four of five in the shootout but took the loss.
The Allied Home Mortgage Three Stars of the Game were 1. Pouliot, 2. Byron and 3. Gragnani.
The Pirates close out the weekend with a trip to Worcester to take on the Sharks in the second matchup of the UNUM Challenge at 3 p.m. The game can be heard live on News Talk 95.5 WLOB and on line at portlandpirates.com beginning with the pre-game show 15 minutes prior to the opening face-off.
The next Pirates home game takes place Tuesday (December 7th) when the Sharks visit the Civic Center for the third out of 12 games in the UNUM Challenge in a 6:30 p.m. faceoff. Tuesday will be the first of three Mini Bobblehead Collectible nights this season. Sponsored by UniFirst, the first 2,000 fans into the game receive a bobblehead of Pirates goaltender Jhonas Enroth. Come to the game right after work and enjoy great food and beverage specials in the Civic Center’s Penalty Box Grill, which will open at 4:30 p.m., as well as the following Pirates partners: Rivalries, Siano’s, Gritty’s, Nosh Kitchen Bar, Binga’s Stadium, Dogfish Café, Walters and Yosaku. Also, make a donation of $5 or more to the Bruce Roberts Toy Fund or donate an unwrapped toy (to be distributed among Toys for Tots and WGME’s Joy of Sharing) to receive two free tickets to a future Pirates game. Tickets for the game, as well as each of the remaining Pirates home games, are on sale now by calling 207-775-3458, visiting the Cumberland County Civic Center Box Office or on-line at ticketmaster.com.
Luke Adam gets 2 more goals for the Pirates in 5 - 4 loss. (Photo Jeff Schools)
Nick Dodge scored a goal and an assist to lead the Charlotte Checkers to a 5-4 win over the Portland Pirates in an American Hockey League game played tonight in front of 3,689 at the Time Warner Cable Arena.
Oskar Osala, Nicolas Blanchard, Jerome Samson and Chris Terry also replied for the Checkers, who posted their first home victory of the season to improve to 4-6-1-1.
Luke Adam paced the Pirates with two goals while Corey Tropp collected a goal and an assist. Travis Turnbull netted the other goal for Portland, who saw their four-game winning streak come to an end. The Pirates are now 9-3-0-0 on the season.
For the sixth straight game the Pirates scored first as Turnbull’s deflection gave Portland a 1-0 advantage six minutes into the game. The Pirates upped the count six-and-a-half minutes later as Tropp registered his first career AHL regulation goal (he has scored twice in shootouts) to give Portland a 2-0 lead after one. The Checkers exploded in the second scoring three times (Osala, Dodge and Blanchard) in 4:07 to surge into a 3-2 lead but midway through the period Adam silenced the uprising to even thing at three after two. Samson connected 90 seconds into the third to give the Checkers a one-goal lead and Terry upped the advantage to 5-3 with 4:53 left in regulation. Adam scored his second of the game with 25 seconds left to make it close.
Alex Petizian, signed to a try-out contract earlier in the day, made his first career start for the Pirates and allowed five goals on 42 shots to take the loss.
The Checkers out shot the Pirates 42-28 in the game.
The Allied Home Mortgage Three Stars of the game were 1. Dodge, 2. Adam and 3. Terry.
The Pirates will be back in action at the Civic Center on Friday (November 5th) when the Adirondack Phantoms come to town for a 7:30 p.m. faceoff. All fans will receive two free tickets to a future Pirates game with a donation to Goodwill. It’s also United Way Night. As part of the pre-game, a check presentation will be made to the United Way of Greater Portland representing funds raised through the Pirates involvement in the current United Way Campaign. Saturday it’s a Bud Light Hockey Night in Portland when the Pirates host the Providence Bruins at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center.
Tickets for the games, as well as each of the remaining Pirates home games, are on sale now by calling 207-775-3458, visiting the Cumberland County Civic Center Box Office or on-line at ticketmaster.com.
There’s still plenty of time to cash in on great savings by purchasing discounted ticket plans and advance tickets for the Pirates 2010-11 season. Ticket packages are available to meet all budgets and schedules. Call a Pirates Ticket representative today at 207-828-4665 ext. 350 to see what you’ve been missing!
Corey Tropp before his shootout tying goal earlier this season. (Photo Jeff Schools)
Corey Tropp didn't leave the chad hanging, putting home a shootout goal to give the Pirates a 4-3 win in Charlotte against the Checkers.
Tropp netted an equalizer in the late rounds at the Civic Center in mid October, this time, he got the game winner for the Pirates completing the win.
Luke Adam, fresh of being named AHL Player of the Month, opened the scoring for the Pirates just 2 minutes in for the 1 - 0 lead. The Checkers evened things up just 4 m,inutes later, and the period ended with the score tied at 1.
The Checkers took the lead early in the 2nd as Nick Dodge put one past Pirates goalie David Leggio for the 2 - 1 advantage.
Mark Parrish tied the score at 2 just 5 minutes later, putting one past Checkers goalie Mike Murphy.
Derek Whitmore lit the lamp next for the Pirates with less then 1 minute to go in the 2nd, to put the Pirates on top 3 - 2.
The Pirates seemed to hold the Checkers off, but entirely to often this season, they have had trouble closing out the last minute. Tuesday night would be no different, with Murphy off for the extra attacker, and the Pirates Alex Biega off for holding, Chris Terry put one past Leggio with one second left on the clock, setting overtime.
The two teams totaled only 5 shots on goal in the extra frame, before Tropp sent the Pirates away with a 4 - 3 win in the shootout.
Derek Whitmore finds the back of the net in the 9th round of Shootout for the win. Photo Jeff Schools
POST GAME AUDIO AND PHOTO GALLERY BELOW
On a night when the Pirates orginatztion tried to get folks in for an early start time (6:30 PM), the team on the ice didn't co-operate, going 9 rounds deep in a shootout with Manchester before Derek Whitmore put home the game winner. Whitmore sent the early arriving crowd home happy with the 3 - 2 win.
Coach Kevin Dineen said "it was a fun way to finish it..but I was running out of bodies." Dineen said "it may have been the longest one I have been part of since I've been here."
Pirates forward Derek Whimore said he ended a long run of futility with the shootout winner. "I was 0 - 5 in my pro career, so it was nice to get the first one"
This was a typical physical Manchester/Portland tilt right from the start. Defense was the name early and all the way through as both sides eliminated rebounds and didn't allow for many quality chances.
The Pirates decided to start David Leggio in net, for his 1st AHL start. Dineen said "Tough job he had..I made the decision today, so he didn't have that day in advance, but boy he put a heck of an effort in for us." Leggio said the pressure of a shootout didn't bother him "I regained my focus, it's on me to make the save(s)"
The Monarchs broke the scoring drought at the 15:32 mark of the 2nd, as Dwight Kings poked one past Leggio for the Monarchs 1 - 0 lead.
The Pirates got on the board in a way they hadn't all season, on the power play. The team mired in a 0 - 32
GAME STORY
Dennis McCauley expected a battle from the start, Bridgeport did not disappoint in the Pirates 3 -1 win in front of 3,003 at the Cumberland County Civic Center.
It was evident from the drop of the puck, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers would throw the body around, not totally unexpected. McCauley said "They are notorious for that...a tough team to play against. They didn't waste much time as the Pirates Tim Conboy and the Sound Tigers Michael Haley went toe to toe in a big scrap just 29 seconds in. Both got 5 minutes for fighting.
Bridgeport's intensity paid dividends on the scoreboard as they tallied the 1st goal a power play, at the 2:38 mark of the 1st. The Pirates were down a man as Corey Tropp was off for interference.
Portland matched Bridgeport's intensity hit for hit. The Pirates Marc Mancari said "We have a little bit of everything, look at Paul Byron, Byron is probably one of the smallest guys on the team, he can hit and take a hit. Everyone here is capable of taking a hit
or giving a hit..and sticking up for themselves."
Portland broke into the scoring column at the 8:35 mark of the 1st. Derek Whitmore gathered the puck at the blue line, streaked to the bottom of the right circle and somehow beat Sound Tigers' goalie Kevin Poulin through the 3 hole. The goal was Whitmores 3rd of the season. Game was tied at 1.
The score stayed at one apiece deep into the 2nd Period, when Mark Mancari unleashed a blast inside the blue line for a 2-1 lead with 16 seconds left in the 2nd. The Civic Center crowd hadn't settled down yet when Dennis McCauley tallied one some 13 seconds later for a Pirate 3-1 lead.
Coach Kevin Dineen was very happy with his teams play in the 3rd. 'I liked our game in the 2rd" said Coach Dineen, "i thought we were responsible, and did a lot of good things."
There was no scoring the rest of the way as the Portland Pirates took care of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers 3 - 1
MARK PARRISH SCORED A GOAL AND ADDED 2 ASSISTS IN THE PIRATES 5 - 1 WIN
The Portland Pirates did not need a game board to figure out the Charlotte Checkers today in a 5 - 1 win. On a rare matinee week game, the Pirates controlled the scoreboard, even though the Checkers controlled the shots on goal.
The main reason the Pirates were able to stay in the game, Jhonas Enroth and his 42 saves.
The Pirates got things going quickly, when Mark Parrish took a nifty pass from TJ Brennen, got behind the Checkers D, and put it past Charlotte goaltender Justin Pogge for the 1 - 0 lead.
Charlotte played tough transition defense, not allowing the Pirates clean entry into their offensive zone. The Checkers defense turned into many chances, getting 14 SOG in the 1st, but nothing to show for it as the score ended at 1-0 Pirates.
The Pirates got going again at 4:56 of the 2nd, as Parrish lead defenseman Nick Crawford, who wristed it past Pogge for a 2 - 0 lead for the Pirates. The goal was Crawfords pro goal.
The Pirates scored 8 minutes later on a shorthanded opportunity. With Tim Conboy off for a questionable roughing penalty, Paul Byron knocked a deflected puck out of mid air, and put it over Pogges right shoulder for a Pirates 3 -0 lead.
The scored stayed that way until just 43 seconds into the 3rd. Mark Mancari was off at 18:33 of the 2nd for another questionable interference call leading to a 27 second power play for Charlotte to start the 3rd. Charlotte could not capitalize, but the Pirates did as Colin Stuart send Mancari, just out of the penalty box, in on a breakaway. Mancari beat Pogge glove side for a Pirates 4 - 0 lead.
Maxime Legault finished off the scoring for the Pirates at the 5:43 mark of the third as Parrish and Brian Roloff assisted.
Enroth lost his shutout bid as Jerome Samson, who had 12 SOG for the Checkers, scored with 10.1 seconds left.
- JEFF SCHOOLS -
GAME NOTES - The Pirates were again dismal on the Power Play going 0 - 3 and not looking good in the process, mustering only 1 quality scoring chance. Shorthanded is a totally different story, as the Pirates scored their second SH goal in as many games. The Pirates return home Friday Night to face the Bridgeport Sound Tigers
The American Hockey League announced today that Portland Pirates center Luke Adam has been named the Reebok/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Oct. 10, 2010.
Adam, making his regular-season professional debut, notched four points to pace Portland to a 6-5 win over Manchester on Saturday night. He assisted on two first-period goals to help stake the Pirates to 1-0 and 2-1
Two press releases, one from the Pirates, one from the Sabres. Hit it!
Sabres:
Buffalo Sabres GM Darcy Regier announced today that goaltender Jhonas Enroth and defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani have been assigned to Portland of the American Hockey League. This leaves the Sabres with 23 players on the roster: 13 forwards, 8 defensemen and two goaltenders.
The Sabres have also signed forward Mark Parrish, and loaned him to Portland. The 33-year-old Parrish has 387 points (216+171) in 720 career NHL games with Florida, NY Islanders, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Dallas and Tampa Bay.
Pirates
Buffalo Sabres Head Coach Lindy Ruff reported today that goaltender Jhonas Enroth and forward Matt Ellis are on their way to join the Portland Pirates.
Enroth was reassigned to the Pirates while Ellis cleared waivers allowing him to join the team.
Enroth, selected 46th overall by the Sabres in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, returns for his third season in Portland. The 22 year-old Stockholm, Sweden native has appeared in 108 games between the pipes for the Pirates over the past two seasons. Last season he went 28-18-1 with five shutouts and 2.37 goals against average before ending the season on the injury list.
Ellis returns for his second stint with the Pirates after having played 12 games during the 2008-09 season. The 29 year-old Welland, Ontario native is a veteran of 187 NHL games with Buffalo, Detroit and Los Angeles. Last season with the Sabres the 6-foot-1 forward has three goals and 10 assists for 13 points in 72 games with the Sabres.
In other Pirates roster news, Rob Ricci was released from his training camp tryout.
Even though is was a small group of players, the Portland Pirates got in a little ice time before their 1st Pre Season game in Manchester, NH. Here are some photos and interviews from practice.
Buffalo Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier announced today the team has returned the following nine players to their respective junior clubs: forwards Riley Boychuk (Portland, WHL), Cedrick Henley (Val d’Or, QMJHL), Steven Shipley (Niagara, OHL), Kevin Sundher (Chilliwack, WHL), Gregg Sutch (Mississauga, OHL); defensemen Corey Fienhage (Kamloops, WHL), Jerome Gauthier-Leduc (Rimouski, QMJHL), Matt MacKenzie (Calgary, WHL) and Mark Pysyk (Edmonton, WHL)
The Sabres also released G Zane Kalemba from his amateur tryout. This leaves the Sabres with 49 players still in training camp.
You can see Cedrick Henley, brother of MAINEiacs Sam Henley, play for Val d'Or in Lewiston against the MAINEiacs Friday and Saturday November 5th and 6th.
Check out Jerome Gautier-Leduc with Rimouski Friday January 28th in Lewiston versus the MAINEiacs
