WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON 6, HERSHEY 2
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton netted four unanswered goals to take a 6-2 win over Hershey in Game 2 of their East Division semifinal on Saturday at the Wachovia Arena.
Tim Brent tallied two goals and added an assist for the Penguins, and Chris Minard posted a goal and a helper. The Penguins took a 2-0 series lead and will host Game 3 on Sunday afternoon.
The teams traded goals early on, as Brent and Minard scored for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and Andrew Gordon netted a pair of goals for the Bears.
AHL All-Rookie defenseman Alex Goligoski gave the Penguins the lead for good at 9:27 of the second. Dave Gove, Brent, and Ryan Stone all netted goals in a span of 2:15 in the third period to break the game open.
Kurtis McLean chipped in three assists for the Penguins, and goaltender John Curry secured the victory with 26 saves on 28 shots.
HOUSTON 1, ROCKFORD 0 (2OT)
Rookie Ryan Jones scored his first pro goal at 6:57 of the second overtime to give Houston the victory in the longest 1-0 game in American Hockey League history.
It was the first time a Calder Cup Playoff game was scoreless entering overtime since an Apr. 27, 1997 tilt between Portland and Springfield, eventually won by the Falcons.
The game-winner came 26:57 into overtime, breaking the previous mark for a 1-0 game of 26:04, set in a Hershey victory over Buffalo on Mar. 17, 1943.
Danny Irmen and Serge Payer picked up assists on the goal, and Barry Brust made 30 saves to earn the shutout victory.
Tied at 1-1, the series now shifts to Houston for the next three games, beginning on Tuesday.
PROVIDENCE 3, MANCHESTER 2 (OT)
Jeff Hoggan tipped the puck off Manchester goaltender Jonathan Bernier’s pads and into the net at 5:34 of overtime to give the Bruins a 3-2 victory in Game 3 of their Atlantic Division semifinal at the Verizon Wireless Arena.
The goal came shorthanded and allowed the B’s to take a commanding 3-0 series lead. Providence can close out the Monarchs on Monday in Manchester.
T.J. Trevelyan netted a first-period goal for the Bruins, and Wacey Rabbit made it 2-0 at 9:21 of the third stanza.
But just 42 seconds after that goal, Manchester’s Troy Milam lit the lamp to cut the deficit in half. Matt Moulson then tallied the equalizer on the power play at 13:41. Teddy Purcell assisted on both Monarchs goals.
Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask secured the victory with 33 saves on 35 shots.
PORTLAND 3, HARTFORD 2
Jason King’s goal at 14:11 of the second period held up to be the game-winner as Portland edged Hartford by a 3-2 score at the Cumberland County Civic Center.
The victory allowed the Pirates to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven division semifinal series, with Game 3 set for Sunday evening, also in Portland.
Portland took a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes on goals by Geoff Platt and AHL All-Rookie forward Bobby Ryan, playing his first game after being reassigned by the parent Anaheim Ducks.
But the Wolf Pack came right back with a pair of goals of their own in the second period. Rookie Artem Anisimov and Greg Moore did the honors.
That set the stage for King’s game-winner, which was assisted by Joe Callahan and Andrew Ebbett.
Pirates goaltender picked up the victory with 20 saves on 22 shots
MANITOBA 3, SYRACUSE 2 (OT)
Mike Brown scored at 14:50 of overtime to propel Manitoba to a 3-2 victory over Syracuse and a split of the first two games of their North Division semifinal at the Onondaga County War Memorial.
The Moose took a 2-0 lead into the third period, as Michael Grabner scored in the opening stanza and Danny Groulx in the second period.
Syracuse fought back, as Andrei Plekhanov netted a power play goal at 6:43 of the third, and Duvie Westcott tied it at 13:58.
Brown’s game-winner was assisted by Nathan McIver.
Dating back to the regular season, the Crunch suffered their first loss since Mar. 8, snapping a 16-game winning streak.
Manitoba will host the next three games in the series, beginning with Game 3 on Tuesday.
