Link to Friday’s boxscores
PHILADELPHIA 3, BRIDGEPORT 2 (OT)
Philadelphia’s Ryan Potulny scored two goals in the final 1:43 of regulation to tie the score, then notched the game winner in overtime for a hat trick, as the Phantoms completed an improbable late comeback to defeat Bridgeport by a 3-2 final at the Wachovia Spectrum on Friday. The improved AHL-leading Philadelphia’s overall record to 11-1-1-0.
Steve Downie, Boyd Kane and Alexandre Picard each assisted on two of Potulny’s goals.
For much of the game, a Phantoms win looked unlikely. The Sound Tigers established a 2-0 lead after the first period on goals by Jamie Fraser and Steve Regier, with Jeff Tambellini earning assists on both.
The second period was scoreless, as was most of the final stanza.
At 18:17, Potulny got the comeback started with his third goal of the campaign.
With just 17.1 seconds left in regulation, and 1:25 after his first goal, Potulny connected again to send the game into overtime.
The second-year pro out of the University of Minnesota capped a memorable night with his third of the game at 2:11 of overtime. The game-winner came on the power play.
Phantoms goaltender Scott Munroe picked up the win, making 29 saves on 31 shots.
HARTFORD 5, MANCHESTER 4
Andrew Hutchinson scored a pair of goals and added an assist as visiting Hartford defeated Manchester, 5-4.
Greg Moore, Francis Lessard and Hugh Jessiman also scored for the Wolf Pack, who won for the first time in three visits already to the Granite State this season (1-1-0-1).
The Pack received two assists each from Corey Potter and Thomas Pock, and goaltender Al Montoya stopped 31 shots to secure the victory.
The Monarchs initially got out to a 2-0 first-period lead on goals by Kevin Westgarth and Teddy Purcell. Lauri Tukonen added a goal and an assist for Manchester, and David Meckler also scored.
SPRINGFIELD 4, LOWELL 2
Marc Pouliot netted two goals, including the game-winner, leading Springfield past Lowell by a 4-2 count at the MassMutual Center.
The win snapped a five-game winless skid (0-3-0-2) for the Falcons, who also had goals scored by Colin McDonald and Danny Syvret.
Jeff Deslauriers picked up the win for Springfield with 27 saves on 29 shots.
Noah Clarke scored both goals for Lowell, which is now winless in three straight (0-2-1-0).
WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON 3, BINGHAMTON 0
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton blanked Binghamton by a 3-0 final at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.
Nathan Smith, Mark Ardelan and Ryan Stone scored for the Penguins, and Ty Conklin earned the shutout with 22 saves in net.
In addition to their goals, Smith and Stone added an assist each to finish with multiple-point efforts.
HERSHEY 4, NORFOLK 2
Four different Hershey skaters lit the lamp as the Bears doubled up Norfolk, 4-2, at the Norfolk Scope, earning a split of the teams’ two-game set in Virginia.
Hershey received goals from Jason Morgan in the first period, Joe Motzko in the second, and Tyler Sloan and Quintin Laing in the third.
Motzko finished the two games against the Admirals with four goals and five points (4-1-5).
Bears goaltender Daren Machesney made 28 saves to improve to 2-0-0 on the campaign.
Norfolk’s goals were scored by Jay Leach and Kyle Wanvig.
ROCHESTER 5, HAMILTON 4 (SO)
Rochester scored three third-period goals to force overtime and eventually prevailed over Hamilton in a shootout by a 5-4 final.
Dylan Hunter, Stefan Meyer and Marek Zagrapan all scored in the final stanza, erasing what was a 4-1 deficit entering the period. Marc-Andre Gragnani got the Amerks on the board late in the second.
Duncan Milroy’s goal and three assists helped the Bulldogs build a 4-0 advantage.
Matt D’Agostini contributed a goal and an assist, while Cory Urquhart and Maxim Lapierre also scored.
Americans goaltender Adam Dennis stopped all four shootout attempts to preserve the win.
CHICAGO 5, SYRACUSE 2
Chicago scored five unanswered goals on its way to a 5-2 win over Syracuse in New York.
2006-07 AHL Rookie of the Year Brett Sterling scored twice, and Alexandre Giroux also tallied a pair of goals.
Andre Deveaux scored the initial goal for the Wolves, who remained unbeaten in regulation at 9-0-1-0.
Derick Brassard led the Crunch with a goal and a helper, and Derek MacKenzie also scored for Syracuse.
Chicago goaltender Fred Brathwaite made 38 saves, improving to 7-1-0 on the campaign.
IOWA 6, PEORIA 3
Iowa scored two goals in each period and posted a 6-3 road win over Peoria at Carver Arena.
Toby Petersen (2-1-3) and Joel Lundqvist (1-2-3) posted three-point nights for the Stars, who also received multiple-points showings from Janos Vas (1-1-2) and Marty Sertich (0-2-2).
Iowa goaltender Tobias Stephan made 20 saves to secure the win.
The Rivermen scored all three of their goals within a 4:45 span in the first period. Trent Whitfield, Jean-Guy Trudel, and Nikolay Lemtyugov each lit the lamp.
WORCESTER 5, SAN ANTONIO 4 (OT)
Tom Cavanagh’s power play goal at 4:42 of overtime, his second tally of the game, lifted Worcester to a 5-4 victory over San Antonio at the AT&T Center.
Cavanagh also scored on the power play in the third period for the Sharks, who received their other goals from Riley Armstrong, Mike Iggulden, and Graham Mink.
Tom Walsh notched three assists, and goaltender Thomas Greiss received credit for the win with 37 saves on 41 shots.
The Rampage, who saw their four-game winning streak come to an end, had goals from Brendan Bell, Jon DiSalvatore, Enver Lisin, and Joey Tenute.
QUAD CITY 4, HOUSTON 1
Four different Flames found the back of the net as Quad City snapped a seven-game winless skid (0-5-1-1) with a 4-1 victory over Houston at the I Wireless Center.
Derek Couture notched a goal and an assist for the Flames, while Grant Stevenson, Brandon Prust, and Warren Peters also scored. Peters’ goal was both shorthanded and into an empty net in the later stages of the third period.
Quad City goaltender Curtis McElhinney picked up his first victory of the season (1-5-1) by making 21 saves on 22 shots.
The Aeros’ lone goal was scored by Steve Kelly.
MILWAUKEE 2, MANITOBA 1
Rich Peverley’s goal at 4:57 of the third period turned out to be the game-winner as Milwaukee downed Manitoba by a 2-1 count at the MTS Centre.
Antti Pihlstrom scored for the Admirals in the opening stanza and then assisted on Peverley’s third-period goal.
Milwaukee received 22 saves on 23 shots from goaltender Maxime Daigneault.
Manitoba’s Mason Raymond made it a one-goal game at 6:32 of the third, but the Moose were unable to get the equalizer.
ROCKFORD 6, GRAND RAPIDS 5 (SO)
Rockford gave up a two-goal lead in the third period but wound up defeating Grand Rapids by a 6-5 final in a shootout at the Rockford MetroCentre.
The IceHogs were led in regulation by Jake Dowell, who netted a pair of goals. Michael Blunden, Jack Skille, and Cam Barker also lit the lamp for Rockford.
The Griffins’ Mark Hartigan completed a hat trick at 15:12 of the third period, evening the score at 5-5.
Mark Cullen provided Grand Rapids’ other two goals and also added an assist.
The IceHogs, who put 47 shots on goal in regulation, received successful shootout attempts from Kris Versteeg, Skille and Petri Kontiola to come away with the win.
