Dave Gove banged home a loose puck with 6:57 left in regulation, snapping a scoreless deadlock and sending Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to a 2-0 win over Portland in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday night.
John Curry made 18 saves for his first playoff shutout and his fifth consecutive victory. It was Curry’s second shutout in as many starts against the Pirates this season.
Jean-Sebastien Aubin stopped 21 of 22 shots in net for Portland, but saw his personal eight-game winning streak come to an end.
Ryan Lannon’s clearing attempt found its way into the vacated net for an insurance goal with 13 seconds remaining.
Game 2 will be Thursday in Wilkes-Barre.
