Tim Brent scored twice and Jani Hurme made 34 saves as the Portland Pirates successfully pushed the Eastern Conference Finals to the limit with a 5-3 victory over the Hershey Bears in Game 6 on Wednesday night.
Due to issues with building availabilities, the teams now get five days off before playing the deciding Game 7 at the Giant Center in Hershey on Tuesday, May 30.
Portland lost the first two games of the series on home ice, but erased two-goal deficits to win Game 3 and Game 5, then surrendered the first goal in Game 6 before storming back again.
Brent, who hadn’t scored since Dec. 31 before netting the game-winner in Tuesday’s Game 5, picked up a pair of goals in the third period of Game 6. Bobby Ryan, the second overall pick in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, recorded his first career professional goal and added two assists for the Pirates.
Kris Beech scored two goals and Graham Mink had a goal and two assists for the Bears, who trimmed the deficit to one with a pair of late goals before Ryan Shannon deposited his team-leading 11th goal of the postseason into an empty net. Shannon also had two assists for a three-point night.
Hurme held the Bears at bay to win for the fifth time in his last six starts.
A1-Portland Pirates vs. E2-Hershey Bears
Game 1 – Wed., May 17 – Hershey 5, PORTLAND 0
Game 2 – Thu., May 18 – Hershey 2, PORTLAND 1 (OT)
Game 3 – Sat., May 20 – Portland 6, HERSHEY 5 (2OT)
Game 4 – Sun., May 21 – HERSHEY 4, Portland 0
Game 5 – Tue., May 23 – PORTLAND 3, Hershey 2
Game 6 – Wed., May 24 – PORTLAND 5, Hershey 3
Game 7 – Tue., May 30 – at Hershey, 7:00
