PORTLAND 3, WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON 2
Bobby Ryan netted a pair of goals, including the game-winner on the power play in the third period, to help Portland take a 3-2 road win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday at the Wachovia Arena.
The Pirates evened the best-of-7 series at one game apiece and will host the next three tilts, beginning with Game 3 on Sunday afternoon.
After a scoreless opening stanza, Andrew Ebbett tallied a power play goal at 9:49 of the second to give Portland a 1-0 advantage.
Ryan made it 2-0 just 4:04 later with an unassisted marker, but the Penguins’ Nathan Smith cut the deficit in half at 17:11 of the second.
The Pirates’ regained their two-goal lead 15:23 into the third period on Ryan’s second tally of the night and team-leading seventh of the playoffs.
Smith potted his second goal of the contest at 17:11 to make it a one-score game again, but Portland held on for the victory. All nine of the Pirates’ wins this postseason have come by one goal.
Pirates goaltender Jean-Sebastien Aubin stopped 26 of 28 shots in net and Brian Salcido chipped in a pair of assists, helping to end Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s winning streak at five games.
