Pirates answer bell, stay alive

2011 Calder Cup Playoffs

PORTLAND 6, BINGHAMTON 2
Portland stormed out to a 4-0 lead before the game was 15 minutes old and staved off playoff elimination with a convincing 6-2 road win over Binghamton on Tuesday night at the Broome County Arena, just one night after suffering a 6-1 loss.

The Pirates cut the B-Sens’ series lead in the Atlantic Division Finals to 3-2 and forced the series back to Portland, where Game 6 will take place on Friday. Another Pirates victory would lead to a Game 7 on Saturday.

First Team AHL All-Star Mark Mancari (pictured) led the Pirates with a playoff-high four points, tallying a pair of goals and assisting on two others. The two-time AHL All-Star recorded a goal and two helpers as part of Portland’s first-period onslaught and scored again in the second frame.

Colin Stuart got the Pirates rolling with a power play goal 4:59 after the opening face-off, and Luke Adam converted another man-advantage opportunity only 1:10 later. Both power plays resulted from delay of game penalties taken by Binghamton.

Mancari stretched the lead to 3-0 at 11:40 on a shorthanded goal, Portland’s first of the postseason, and Mark Parrish made it 4-0 less than three minutes after that.

Parrish’s goal chased Senators goaltender Robin Lehner from the game after the rookie made 10 saves on 14 shots. Barry Brust took the crease for the first time since Game 4 of the B-Sens’ opening-round series vs. Manchester and stopped 25 of 27 shots in relief.

Rookie Mark Voakes rounded out the Pirates’ offense, Stuart finished with a goal and a helper, and captain Matt Ellis chipped in two assists in the winning effort.

Portland goaltender Jhonas Enroth turned aside 35 of 27 shots to pick up his first Calder Cup Playoff victory since Apr. 15, 2009, at Providence.

Jim O’Brien and Bobby Butler scored for the Senators, who fell to 2-4 on home ice this postseason, compared with a 5-1 mark on the road.

Atlantic Division Finals – Series “I” (best-of-7)
A1-Portland Pirates vs. E5-Binghamton Senators || Preview
Game 1 – Wed., Apr. 27 – Binghamton 3, PORTLAND 2
Game 2 – Thu., Apr. 28 – Binghamton 5, PORTLAND 3
Game 3 – Sat., Apr. 30 – Portland 3, BINGHAMTON 2
Game 4 – Mon., May 2 – BINGHAMTON 6, Portland 1
Game 5 – Tue., May 3 – Portland 6, BINGHAMTON 2
Game 6 – Fri., May 6 – Binghamton at Portland, 7:00
*Game 7 – Sat., May 7 – Binghamton at Portland, 7:00