Jani Hurme made 33 saves and Bruno St. Jacques’s shot through traffic found the back of the net 2:54 into overtime as Portland pulled out a 4-3 win over visiting Hartford in Game 3 of the Atlantic Division Finals on Saturday night.
The Pirates take a 2-1 series lead into Sunday’s Game 4.
Hurme shined in net, allowing three power-play goals but shutting the door the rest of the way.
Curtis Glencross had a goal and an assist for Portland, which had been 0-3 in overtime games this postseason, including Thursday’s loss in Game 2.
AHL All-Rookie forward Ryan Shannon added his fifth goal of the series and seventh of the playoffs for the Pirates. Zenon Konopka assisted on the game-winning goal, extending his scoring streak to 21 games.
Alexandre Giroux scored twice for the Wolf Pack, but was also denied on no fewer than three breakaway attempts by Hurme during the game.
Daniel Girardi, also a member of the AHL All-Rookie team, picked up a goal and two assists for Hartford.
GRAND RAPIDS 3, MANITOBA 2 | Boxscore
Jiri Hudler and Valtteri Filppula scored power-play goals 79 seconds apart early in the third period to propel Grand Rapids to a 3-2 victory over Manitoba in Game 2 of the North Division Finals at Van Andel Arena on Saturday night.
The series is even at one game apiece as the scene shifts to Winnipeg for the next three games beginning Tuesday.
The Griffins scored all three of their goals with the man advantage after going 0-for-13 over the last two games.
Hudler and Filppula recorded a goal and an assist each, Terry Virtue tallied two assists and Kent McDonell added his third goal of the postseason.
Jimmy Howard made 28 saves to help end the Moose’s winning streak at five.
Jason Jaffray and Mike Keane scored for Manitoba.
HERSHEY 5, WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON 0 | Boxscore
Eric Fehr scored twice and Frederic Cassivi made 19 saves as Hershey posted a 5-0 victory over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Saturday night.
For the second series in a row, the Penguins have lost the first two games at home and hit the road facing an 0-2 deficit. Game 3 is Sunday in Hershey.
Wilkes-Barre could not stay out of the penalty box in Game 2, racking up 47 minutes in penalties to the Bears’ eight. Hershey scored three times on the power play, with AHL All-Rookie defenseman Mike Green assisting on all three.
Boyd Kane, Kris Beech and Tomas Fleischmann also scored for Hershey, which has scored exactly five goals in each of its last five games.
The Bears improved to 6-0 in the postseason and won for the eighth straight time overall.
Dany Sabourin stopped 34 shots in the loss, as the Penguins were outshot by a 39-19 margin for the game.
MILWAUKEE 7, HOUSTON 0 | Boxscore
Rookie defenseman Shea Weber picked up two goals and an assist and Jordin Tootoo continued to chug along with a hat trick as Milwaukee handed Houston a 7-0 loss and grabbed a 2-0 lead in the West Division Finals on Saturday night.
The teams head down to Texas for Game 3 at the Toyota Center on Sunday evening.
The first six Admirals goals on the night were all scored by players who began the postseason in the NHL with the parent Nashville Predators.
Scottie Upshall opened the scoring with 5:26 gone in the first period, followed just 76 seconds later by Weber’s first AHL playoff goal and third overall this spring. The 20-year-old blueliner scored two goals in the Predators’ Stanley Cup Playoff series vs. San Jose.
Tootoo, who has five goals in three games since rejoining Milwaukee, scored twice late in the second period and once early in the third.
Fourteen different Admirals found the scoresheet on the night, and Pekka Rinne made 32 saves for the shutout. Rinne also returned from a playoff stint in Nashville earlier in the week.
