MILWAUKEE 4, PEORIA 0
Milwaukee goaltender Mark Dekanich turned aside 34 shots for his second shutout in five appearances, and the Admirals rolled to a 4-0 road win over Peoria on Sunday at Carver Arena, improving to 4-1-0-0 in their last five games.
Dekanich, who posted a 25-save shutout of Houston on Feb. 19, stopped 14 shots in the first period on Sunday and 10 apiece in the second and third frames. The second-year pro is now 20-11-3 with three shutouts on the season.
After a scoreless first period, defenseman Reid Cashman provided all the offense Milwaukee would need when he netted his fourth goal of the season – and second in as many nights – 2:46 into the second period.
Mark Santorelli extended the Admirals’ advantage to 2-0 late in the second frame and then assisted on a power play goal by Nick Spaling midway through the third. Ryan Maki closed the scoring with seven minutes to play.
Triston Grant chipped in two assists for the Admirals, who moved to 3-1-0-3 vs. Peoria on the season. The division rivals will meet three more times, all in Milwaukee.
The Rivermen suffered their fourth shutout of the season and first since a 5-0 setback at Texas on Feb. 6.
HERSHEY 2, WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON 1 (SO)
Hershey converted on three of its four shootout tries to pull out a 2-1 shootout win over host Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Sunday before 7,025 fans at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Mark Letestu and Wyatt Smith scored on the Penguins’ first two shootout tries, but after Kyle Wilson was denied in the opening round, the Bears received successive goals from Keith Aucoin, Alexandre Giroux, and Mathieu Perreault to take the victory.
Bears goaltender Semyon Varlamov closed the door with three straight saves to end the shootout after making 30 saves on 31 shots through the first 65 minutes.
Defenseman Ben Lovejoy gave Wilkes-Barre a 1-0 lead with 1:33 to play in the first period, but Wilson’s 20th goal of the season tied it for Hershey midway through the second frame.
Hershey improved to 4-2 in shootouts this season and moved to 17-3-0-0 in its last 20 games overall.
LAKE ERIE 6, GRAND RAPIDS 5 (SO)
Lake Erie coughed up a 5-1 lead in the third period but came back to take a 6-5 shootout win over visiting Grand Rapids before 7,395 fans at Quicken Loans Arena in the back end of a two-game set.
Ryan Stoa, Ray Macias, and captain Brian Willsie notched shootout goals for the Monsters, while goaltender Chris Whitley – making his AHL debut – turned aside three of five attempts in the shootout.
Ex-Griffin Darren Haydar racked up a game-high four points (1-3-4) in regulation for Lake Erie, while T.J. Hensick (1-1-2), Philippe Dupuis, and defenseman Tom Preissing also scored. Ryan Stoa and Brian Fahey each posted two assists.
The Monsters took a 5-1 lead into the third period, but Patrick Rissmiller’s second goal of the game just 35 seconds into the third frame began the Griffins’ rally.
Jamie Tardif, Kris Newbury, and Justin Abdelkader followed with goals to preserve a point for Grand Rapids. Nonetheless, the Griffins dropped to 0-3-0-1 in their last four contests.
With the victory, Lake Erie moved within three points of idle Manitoba for the North Division’s fourth and final playoff spot.
NORFOLK 3, SYRACUSE 2
Juraj Simek broke a 2-2 tie with 4:06 to play in regulation, and Norfolk held on for a 3-2 road win over Syracuse at the Onondaga County War Memorial.
Simek’s second goal of the night was assisted by Paul Szczechura and defenseman Vladimir Mihalik, and it improved the Admirals to 16-3-1-1 in their last 21 games. Norfolk moved into a second-place tie with Albany in the East Division race.
Simek also put Norfolk on top 1-0 with a power play goal 4:21 into the contest, and Dana Tyrell made it 2-0 with just 20 seconds to play in the first period. Defenseman Matt Lashoff assisted on both markers.
But the Crunch battled back in the second frame, as Brendan Bell tallied a power play goal early and Jordan LaVallee-Smotherman netted the equalizer in the closing minute.
Norfolk rookie goaltender Dustin Tokarski earned the victory with 20 saves on 22 shots, while Syracuse’s Kevin Lalande stopped 39 of 42 shots in the losing effort.
PORTLAND 4, ALBANY 2
Portland took over first place in the Atlantic Division on Sunday with a 4-2 win over visiting Albany at the Cumberland County Civic Center.
The Pirates, who were 5-10-0-0 and in last place 15 games this season, improved to 30-8-5-3 since and moved one point up on Worcester for the division’s top spot.
Derek Whitmore scored twice for Portland, registering the eventual game-winning goal on the power play late in the second period and adding an insurance marker in the third.
Kyle Rank and Brad Larsen also tallied goals in the victory, and goaltender J.P. Lamoureux earned the victory with 28 saves on 30 shots between the pipes.
Trailing 3-0 entering the third period, the River Rats pulled to within 3-2 on goals by Jerome Samson and Chris Terry. But Albany was not able to find the tying marker and finished 2-2-0-0 on a four-game road swing.
CHICAGO 4, ROCKFORD 2
Second-year pro Spencer Machacek tallied a pair of goals as Chicago doubled up visiting Rockford by a 4-2 count on Sunday before 11,329 fans at Allstate Arena.
Machacek, who poured a game-high eight shots on goal, began the scoring 5:02 into the first period and wrapped it up with a shorthanded, unassisted insurance goal at 11:53 of the third frame.
Defenseman Jamie Hunt and forward Anthony Stewart notched second-period goals for the Wolves, and blueliner Paul Postma chipped in with a trio of assists on the afternoon.
Wolves goaltender Peter Mannino (19-3-0) earned the win with 25 saves on 27 shots, helping his club snap a brief two-game winless skid (0-1-1-0) and move four points up on the IceHogs for first place in the West Division.
Jack Skille and Bryan Bickell potted goals for the IceHogs, and defenseman Brian Connelly earned a pair of helpers.
LOWELL 4, HARTFORD 3
A three-goal second period proved to be the difference as Lowell eked out a 4-3 win over visiting Hartford before 5,119 fans at Tsongas Arena on Sunday.
Matt Halischuk, Michael Swift, and Ben Walter (1-1-2) all notched second-period goals for the Devils, who had previously received a first-period strike from rookie Nick Palmieri.
Rookie defenseman Matt Taormina finished with two assists on the afternoon, and Lowell goaltender Jeff Frazee made 27 saves to pick up his first victory since Jan. 31, snapping a three-game losing skid.
Wolf Pack forward Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau netted a hat trick, his first goals in a Hartford uniform since scoring on Jan. 16 vs. Providence.
Defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti and forward Corey Locke each had two assists for the Wolf Pack, who fell to 1-7-2-0 in their last 10 contests.
ROCHESTER 4, BINGHAMTON 3 (OT)
Jeff Taffe scored with 1:20 left in overtime to lift Rochester to a 4-3 win over visiting Binghamton on Sunday at the Blue Cross Arena.
Defenseman Jason Garrison earned an assist on the game-winner, and Mike York picked up his fourth assists of the night on the play.
Taffe finished with two goals and an assist in the victory, while Rochester also got goals in regulation from Jamie Johnson (1-1-2) and defenseman Jordan Henry.
Amerks goaltender Alexander Salak earned the win with 29 saves between the pipes, helping Rochester move back into a second-place tie with idle Abbotsford in the North Division race.
Defenseman Derek Smith posted a goal and an assist for the Senators, who also received markers from Josh Hennessy and Jonathan Cheechoo. Cheechoo scored at 19:18 of the third period to tie the contest at 3-3 and send it to the extra session.
Binghamton is now winless in seven straight outings (0-5-1-1).
SAN AMNTONIO 5, TEXAS 3
San Antonio built a 3-0 lead before the game was eight minutes and then held on for a 5-3 road win over Texas at the Cedar Park Center on Sunday.
Former first-round draft pick Sasha Pokulok began the Rampage’s scoring just 1:45 into the game, tallying his first AHL goal since the 2007-08 campaign as a member of Hershey.
Shaun Heshka made it 2-0 49 seconds later, and Kyle Turris 17th goal of the season extended San Antonio’s lead to 3-0 at the 7:48 mark.
The Stars closed to within 3-2 before the first period was out on goals by Mathieu Beaudoin and Aaron Gagnon, and neither team scored in the second frame. San Antonio’s Joel Perrault and Texas’s Travis Morin traded goals in the third before Gavin Morgan sealed the Rampage win with an empty-netter.
Brett MacLean and Kevin Porter each had two assists for San Antonio, and goaltender Justin Pogge earned the win with 28 saves in net.
HAMILTON 5, TORONTO 1
Hamilton surrendered the game’s first goal but then scored five unanswered markers to pull away with a 5-1 win over visiting Toronto at Copps Coliseum on Sunday.
Mike Glumac registered the game-winning goal and added an assist for the Bulldogs, while David Desharnais and rookie defenseman P.K. Subban also had a goal and a helper in the victory.
Ben Maxwell and Ryan White rounded out Hamilton’s offense, and both Brock Trotter and defenseman Andre Benoit contributed two assists on the night.
Bulldogs goaltender Curtis Sanford (17-10-3) earned the win with 28 saves on 29 shots. Hamilton, which has now won five straight games overall, has surrendered just four goals in its last four contests.
Tim Brent notched an unassisted goal for the Marlies, who fell to 3-5-0-0 against their provincial rival Bulldogs this season.
