HARTFORD 7, PROVIDENCE 5
Hartford tallied five power play goals in a span of 4:52 during the second period and held on for a 7-5 road victory over league-leading Providence on Friday at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.
Wolf Pack captain Andrew Hutchinson notched a hat trick, scoring all three of his goals on the man advantage as part of the second period outburst.
The Wolf Pack took a 2-1 lead into the second period on the strength of markers by Greg Moore and Jake Taylor. Moore, a 2008 AHL All-Star, finished with a game-high four points (1-3-4) for the Wolf Pack.
In the second, Hutchinson scored 30 seconds apart at 1:29 and 1:59 to begin the power play surge. It was then Dane Byers’ turn to net two in a row, as he did the trick at 3:12 and 5:06. Hutchinson rounded out the onslaught at 6:21, making it a 7-1 Hartford lead.
But the B’s clawed back into the game. Rookie Aaron Slattengren tallied a pair of goals, while Matt Lashoff and Brett Skinner lit the lamp in the final 10 minutes of the contest.
Providence outshot the Pack by a whopping 28-3 in the 3rd period, marking the most shots Hartford has allowed in any period over its 11-year franchise history.
The final margin was 49-23 in favor of the Bruins.
Wolf Pack goaltender Al Montoya earned the win, making 44 saves on the night.
WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON 3, PORTLAND 0
Rookie goaltender John Curry made 23 saves for his second shutout of the season as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton blanked visiting Portland 3-0 before 7,812 fans at the Wachovia Arena.
Kurtis McLean, Chris Minard, and Tyler Kennedy all scored for the Penguins.
It was Minard’s team-leading 21st tally of the season, while Kennedy scored in a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton uniform for the first time since Oct. 6.
The Pirates have now dropped three of their last four games (1-3-0-0).
NORFOLK 5, BINGHAMTON 0
Norfolk scored four times in the second period on its way to a 5-0 blanking of visiting Binghamton at the Scope.
Rob Klinkhammer, Paul Szczechura, Karl Stewart, Adam Henrich, and Blair Jones all netted goals for the Admirals.
Norfolk goaltender Jonathan Boutin stopped all 27 shots sent his way, earning his second shutout of the season.
The Admirals matched a season high with their fourth straight victory and moved to 6-0-1-1 in their last eight contests.
BRIDGEPORT 3, LOWELL 2
Trevor Smith broke a 2-2 tie with just 1:03 left in regulation to propel Bridgeport past visiting Lowell by a 3-2 final at the Arena at Harbor Yard.
Steve Regier and rookie Kyle Okposo also scored for the Sound Tigers, and goaltender Mike Morrison made 23 saves in net.
Pierre-Luc Leblond and Barry Tallackson had goals for the Devils, who are now winless in 11 straight games (0-8-2-1).
SPRINGFIELD 4, PHILADELPHIA 2
Marc Pouliot scored a pair of goals as Springfield doubled up visiting Philadelphia, 4-2, at the MassMutual Center.
The Falcons jumped to an early 2-0 lead on a pair of power play goals in the first period. Patrick Thoresen netted one and assisted on the other, scored by Pouliot.
Theo Peckham lit the lamp late in the second for Springfield, and Pouliot added an empty-netter in the closing seconds. Pouliot has a team-high 15 goals on the season.
Falcons goaltender Jeff Deslauriers picked up the win with 28 saves on 30 shots.
2008 AHL All-Star Alexandre Picard and Denis Tolpeko netted goals for the Phantoms.
GRAND RAPIDS 4, LAKE ERIE 1
Mark Cullen tallied two goals and added an assist to lead Grand Rapids past host Lake Erie by a 4-1 count at the Quicken Loans Arena.
Mark Hartigan scored his team-leading 22nd goal of the season for the Griffins, who also received a goal and an assist from Carl Corazzini.
Grand Rapids goaltender Jimmy Howard picked up the win with 29 saves, helping his team remain five points out of a guaranteed playoff spot in the North Division.
Jamie Lundmark scored for the Monsters, who lost in regulation for the first time in their last nine contests (4-1-3-1).
HAMILTON 5, SAN ANTONIO 2
2008 AHL All-Star Corey Locke had two goals and an assist as Hamilton won its fourth straight, a 5-2 final over visiting San Antonio at Copps Coliseum.
Daniel Corso also had a three-point night (1-2-3) for the Bulldogs. Kyle Chipchura and Matt D’Agostini contributed a goal apiece.
Hamilton goaltender Yann Danis made 29 saves in the victory.
The Bulldogs maintained third place in the North Division, the last guaranteed playoff position.
Travis Roche posted a goal and an assist for the Rampage, who also received a goal from Jon DiSalvatore
MANITOBA 3, MILWAUKEE 2
Manitoba netted a pair of third-period goals and held on for a 3-2 victory over host Milwaukee at the Bradley Center.
Jannik Hansen and Shaun Heshka scored in the final stanza for the Moose, who moved to 3-0-0-0 on a four-game road swing through the West Division.
Moose forward Colby Genoway scored in the second period, and rookie goaltender Cory Schneider secured the win with 27 saves on 29 shots.
John Vigilante and Janne Niskala scored in the losing effort for the Admirals, who have lost three straight games.
QUAD CITY 2, PEORIA 1
Carsen Germyn’s second goal of the game at 14:28 of the third period lifted Quad City to a 2-1 victory over visiting Peoria at the I Wireless Center.
Nicholas Drazenovic initially gave the Rivermen a 1-0 lead with his ninth of the season in the first period.
But Germyn tallied the equalizer on the power play in the middle stanza, and his third period winner came unassisted.
Germyn’s offensive effort made a winner out of Flames goaltender Curtis McElhinney, who stopped 27 of 28 shots in net.
Peoria has lost three straight games outright and is 0-3-0-1 in its last four contests.
CHICAGO 3, IOWA 0
Chicago goaltender Ondrej Pavelec turned in a 31-save shutout performance as the visiting Wolves blanked Iowa 3-0 at the Wells Fargo Arena.
Joel Kwiatkowski, Alexandre Giroux, and Steve Martins all scored for Chicago. The first two goals came on the power play, and Martins added an empty-net tally.
On the other side, the Wolves’ penalty kill was successful on all nine of its shorthanded situations.
Pavelec earned the first shutout of his professional career and improved his season record to 17-8-0.
HOUSTON 6, ROCKFORD 1
Houston notched four third-period goals to break a tight game wide open on its way to a 6-1 victory over host Rockford at the MetroCentre.
Six different Aeros found the back of the net. Cal Clutterbuck led with a goal and an assist, while Ryan Hamilton, Adrian Foster, Peter Olvecky, John Scott, and Joel Ward all scored as well.
Defenseman and leading scorer Erik Reitz chipped in three assists. Steve Kelly and Brandon Rogers contributed two helpers apiece.
Aeros goaltender Anton Khudobin, making his second career AHL appearance, turned aside 21 of 22 shots and earned the win.
Troy Brouwer notched his team-leading 24th goal for the struggling IceHogs, who are winless in a season-high four straight games (0-3-1-0), the last three at home.
