MANCHESTER 3, WORCESTER 2 (OT)
Manchester center Gabe Gauthier scored two goals in the third period and netted the overtime game-winner as the visiting Monarchs rallied past Worcester, 3-2, on Saturday at the DCU Center.
Gauthier tied the game with just 21 seconds left in regulation and completed his first professional hat trick at 4:19 of overtime.
With the win, Manchester moved over the .500 mark on the season at 14-13-4-1.
Lukas Kaspar gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead with a power play goal in the opening period, and Josh Prudden made it 2-0 in the closing minute of the second.
With his team less than four minutes from being blanked – which would have been Worcester’s first shutout in franchise history – Gauthier netted his 10th goal of the season at 16:49 of the third period, making it a one-goal game.
He scored again at 19:39 of the third period, sending the contest to overtime, and the second-year pro finished the comeback late in the extra session.
Monarchs goaltender Erik Ersberg made 21 saves in the win, while Sharks netminder Thomas Greiss took the loss despite stopping 42 of 45 shots.
ALBANY 3, PHILDELPHIA 1
Jerome Samson and Brandon Nolan netted power play goals 1:02 apart in the third period to lift Albany past visiting Philadelphia, 3-1, at the Times Union Center.
Nicolas Blanchard scored in the first period for the River Rats, and goaltender Michael Leighton improved to 12-14-0 on the season with 19 saves on 20 shots.
Philadelphia received its lone goal from Jesse Boulerice, who scored for the second time in three games with the Phantoms (2-1-3).
Albany pulled within five points of the Phantoms for first place in the East Division, but Philadelphia has played four fewer games.
BRIDGEPORT 2, HARTFORD 0
Bridgeport tallied a pair of third period goals and goaltender Mike Morrison turned in a 35-save shutout performance as Bridgeport downed visiting Hartford, 2-0, at the Arena at Harbor Yard.
After the teams played a scoreless first and second periods, Jeremy Colliton netted his fifth goal of the season on the power play at 5:38 of the third.
Jeff Tambellini added an empty-netter with nine seconds remaining, giving Bridgeport’s leading scorer 11 goals in his last eight games (11-3-14).
Morrison secured his third shutout of the season, all at home.
LOWELL 2, SPRINGFIELD 0
Lowell scored twice in the third period to secure its season-high third straight victory, a 2-0 decision over host Springfield at the MassMutual Center.
Benoit Mondou and Barry Tallackson netted goals for the Devils, who also won for the first time in five tries against the division-rival Falcons this season (1-4-0-0).
Devils goaltender Frank Doyle stopped all 23 shots he faced, securing his first shutout of the season and eighth victory (8-11-1).
With the loss, Springfield fell to 0-5-1-0 in its last six contests.
PROVIDENCE 4, PORTLAND 3 (OT)
Providence converted all four of its shootout attempts to take a 4-3 win over host Portland at the Cumberland County Civic Center.
The Pirates took a 2-0 lead on first-period goals by Jason King and Brendan Mikkelson, but the Bruins’ Pascal Pelletier made it 2-1 with his league-leading 21st goal of the season at 14:54.
After Geoff Platt gave the Pirates a 3-1 edge just 47 seconds into the second period, Byron Bitz brought the Bruins within a goal once again at 13:37.
Jeff Hoggan finally tallied the equalizer with a shorthanded goal of the third period, setting up the Bruins’ perfect shootout performance.
Providence goaltender Tuukka Rask made 26 saves through regulation and overtime and denied two of three Portland attempts in the shootout. He improved to 12-3-0 on the campaign.
HERSHEY 6, NORFOLK 1
Joe Motzko notched a game-high four points (1-3-4) as Hershey defeated visiting Norfolk, 6-1, before a crowd of 10,697 at the Giant Center on Saturday.
Ben Clymer tallied a pair of goals for Hershey, and Scott Barney added a goal and an assist.
Bears goaltender Daren Machesney improved to 8-2-1 on the season with 31 saves on 32 shots.
Justin Keller netted a goal for the Admirals, who lost their eighth straight game.
WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON 5, BINGHAMTON 2
Three goals in the third period lifted Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to its seventh straight win, a 5-2 decision over visiting Binghamton at the Wachovia Arena.
Chris Minard, Jonathan Filewich, and Tim Brent all netted goals in the final stanza. Brent’s goal was his second of the night and went into an empty net.
Penguins goaltender John Curry made 16 saves on 18 shots, as his club outshot the Senators by a final margin of 38-18.
Binghamton received goals from Lawrence Nycholat and Matt Carkner in the losing effort.
TORONTO 4, HAMILTON 3
Toronto scored three times in the third period and held on for a 4-3 road win over division-rival Hamilton at the Copps Coliseum. The Marlies extended their season-high winning streak to six games.
Kris Newbury and Alex Foster each tallied a goal and an assist for the Marlies, while Robbie Earl and John Mitchell also scored.
Bryan Muir contributed three assists, and Toronto goaltender Justin Pogge made 23 saves and improved to 8-0-2 in his last 10 decisions.
Eric Manlow, Corey Locke, and defenseman Marvin Degon netted goals for the Bulldogs.
Locke’s second-period goal made him Hamilton’s all-time leading scorer with 180 points (63-117-180) in 265 career games over four seasons.
GRAND RAPIDS 4, MILWAUKEE 2
Grand Rapids erased a 2-1 deficit with three third-period goals and took a 4-2 win over visiting Milwaukee at the Van Andel Arena.
Jamie Tardif initially gave the Griffins a 1-0 lead just 27 seconds after the opening face-off.
But Milwaukee took a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes on goals by Josh Langfeld and Cody Franson.
After a scoreless second period, Grand Rapids winger Carl Corazzini tallied the equalizer on the power play at 2:31 of the third period.
Brett Engelhardt netted the eventual game-winning goal at 4:32, and Tardif added an empty-net goal at 19:07.
Griffins goaltender Jimmy Howard earned the win with 25 saves on 27 shots.
SYRACUSE 3, MANITOBA 2
Zenon Konopka tallied the game-winning goal and added an assist as host Syracuse edged Manitoba by a 3-2 final at the War Memorial at Oncenter.
Tom Sestito and Adam Pineault scored first-period goals for the Crunch, and goaltender Craig Kowalski earned his first AHL victory of the season with 29 saves.
Manitoba received goals from Jimmy Sharrow and Michael Grabner in the losing effort.
The Moose finished 1-2-0-0 on a three-game divisional road trip. They open a two-game home set against Lake Erie on Monday.
LAKE ERIE 3, ROCHESTER 0
In his first start since Dec. 8, Lake Erie goaltender Tyler Weiman made 36 saves as the Monsters blanked visiting Rochester, 3-0, at the Quicken Loans Arena.
Brent Kelly netted a goal and an assist for Lake Erie, and J.D. Corbin and Jamie Lundmark also scored.
It marked Lake Erie’s second shutout as a team this season, while the Americans fell to 1-11-0-0 in their last 12 outings.
QUAD CITY 5, CHICAGO 2
Krys Kolanos netted a hat trick and Quad City used a 38-19 advantage in shot to defeat host Chicago by a 5-2 final at the Allstate Arena.
Kris Chucko and Brandon Prust also scored for the Flames and goaltender Brent Krahn picked up the win with 17 saves.
The Wolves received goals from Brian Fahey and Jason Krog, but Chicago saw its five-game winning streak come to an end.
SAN ANTONIO 6, HOUSTON 1
San Antonio received goals from six different players on its way to a 6-1 win over visiting Houston at the AT&T Center.
Matt Murley tallied a game-high three points (1-2-3) for the Rampage, who received a goal and an assist each from Cam Paddock, Nate DiCasmirro, David Spina, and Josh Gratton.
Rampage goaltender Josh Tordjman secured the win with 30 saves on 31 shots.
The Aeros, who had a four-game winning streak snapped, received their lone goal from Joel Ward in the first period.
ROCKFORD 4, PEORIA 2
Rockford scored three times in the first 2:47 of the game and held on for a 4-2 road win over Peoria at the Carver Arena.
Troy Brouwer started the game’s scoring just 40 seconds after the opening faceoff, and Derek Nesbitt and rookie Ross Carlson followed at 1:20 and 2:47, respectively.
Carlson’s goal was the first of his AHL career, and it turned out to be the game-winner.
Yan Stastny and Julian Talbot netted goals for the Rivermen.
IceHogs goaltender Mike Brodeur picked up the win with 40 saves in his first AHL game of the season.
Rockford, which is 11-0-1-4 in its last 16 games, has not lost in regulation since dropping an 8-3 decision at Chicago on Nov. 24.
