Friday roundup: Devils drop Sharks again

Friday’s AHL Boxscores

LOWELL 5, WORCESTER 1
Lowell defenseman Tyler Eckford notched two power play goals and added an assist as the Devils stayed hot with a 5-1 win over Worcester at Tsongas Arena on Friday.

The Devils swept a home-and-home set from the Sharks this week – with Eckford totaling six points (2-4-6) in the two contests – and extended their overall winning streak to four games.

At 9-5-3-0 for the season, Lowell sits just one point out of first place in the Atlantic Division.

Vladimir Zharkov and Alexander Vasyunov each posted a goal and an assist for the Devils, and Ben Walter also found the back of the net. Lowell has now racked up 23 goals in four games against Worcester this season (3-1-0-0).

Goaltender Jeff Frazee picked up the victory with 20 saves on 21 shots in net for the Devils, who previously earned a 7-3 triumph in Worcester on Wednesday afternoon.

Defenseman Michael Wilson potted the lone goal for the Sharks, who have dropped three straight games overall and three in a row to the Devils since capturing a 5-4 victory on Oct. 10.

WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON 3, ALBANY 1
Luca Caputi netted a goal and assisted on the game-winner to lead Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to a 3-1 road win over Albany at the Times Union Center.

Caputi’s goal came on the power play 3:11 into the second period, after the teams played a scoreless opening period.

Albany defenseman Zack FitzGerald tied it at the 9:56 mark, but Eric Tangradi put the Penguins back on top just 2:14 later. Caputi and captain Wyatt Smith picked up assists on the eventual game-winning tally.

Ryan Bayda added an empty-net tally in the closing seconds for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and Dustin Jeffrey finished with two assists on the night. Rookie goaltender Brad Thiessen turned aside 38 of 39 shots to earn his first professional victory (1-2-0).

The Penguins have now won three straight games, surrendering a total of three goals over that span.

GRAND RAPIDS 3, MILWAUKEE 2 (OT)
Defenseman Doug Janik scored 1:21 into overtime as Grand Rapids continued its remarkable home-ice run with a 3-2 win over Milwaukee before 6,934 fans at Van Andel Arena.

The Griffins extended their overall winning streak to nine games – the longest current run in the AHL – and improved to 8-0-0-0 at home on the campaign.

Milwaukee grabbed leads of 1-0 and 2-1 on power play goals by Ryan Jones and Dave Scatchard in the first and second periods, respectively.

But Grand Rapids came back to tie it both times. Mattias Ritola registered a second-period power play goal for the Griffins, and Patrick Rissmiller knotted it at 2-2 with an even-strength marker at 7:42 of the third period, with Janik picking up an assist.

Logan Pyett and Cory Emmerton picked up helpers on Janik’s game-winner, which was his third goal of the season. Griffins goaltender Thomas McCollum earned the victory with 25 saves in net.

HARTFORD 2, MANCHESTER 0
Hartford tallied a pair of late third-period goals and skated off with a 2-0 win over visiting Manchester at the XL Center on Friday.

Derek Couture’s first goal of the season broke a scoreless deadlock at 16:54 of the third frame, and Dane Byers – reassigned to the Wolf Pack by the parent New York Rangers earlier in the day – followed with his third of the campaign just 38 seconds later.

Wolf Pack rookie goaltender Chad Johnson turned aside 26 shots to earn his second shutout of the season and up his record to 7-4-0.

Hartford avenged a 2-1 loss to the Monarchs in Manchester on Wednesday and moved to 5-1-0-0 in its last six contests.

HERSHEY 5, NORFOLK 3
Hershey parlayed a three-goal second period into a 5-3 win over visiting Norfolk on Friday before 8,014 fans at the Giant Center.

Top snipers Keith Aucoin and Alexandre Giroux each registered a goal and an assist for the Bears, who also received markers from Oskar Osala, Andrew Joudrey, and an empty-netter off the stick of Steve Pinizzotto.

The game was deadlocked at 1-1 after 20 minutes, but Giroux, Osala, and Joudrey all scored in the middle frame to give Hershey a 4-1 advantage.

Norfolk closed to 4-3 on third-period tallies from Matt Syroczynski and Juraj Simek before Pinizzotto sealed the Bears’ win with his empty-net tally.

Bears goaltender Michal Neuvirth stopped 26 of 29 shots in net, helping Hershey to its seventh win in eight games (7-1-0-0).

Blair Jones had a goal and a helper for the Admirals, whose five-game road winning streak came to an end.

BINGHAMTON 5, ADIRONDACK 0
Binghamton registered a trio of first-period goals and never looked back en route to a 5-0 road win over Adirondack at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

Denis Hamel and defenseman Derek Smith each tallied a pair of goals for the Senators, and Erik Condra chipped in a goal and an assist on the night.

Josh Hennessy and defenseman Erik Karlsson posted two helpers apiece in the victory, and goaltender Mike Brodeur (5-3-0) earned his second shutout of the season with 21 saves in net.

The Phantoms were shut out for the second time this year and fell to 2-4-0-0 in their last six contests.

MANITOBA 5, TORONTO 1
Manitoba’s dormant offense came to life in time to post a 5-1 win over Toronto before 7,592 fans at the MTS Centre on Friday night.

The Moose entered the night having managed just four goals during a five-game losing skid, and Manitoba had not scored more than four goals in regulation all season long.

Marco Rosa led the way with three points (1-2-3) for the Moose, who were buoyed by a three-goal second period. Marty Murray posted a goal and an assist, and Manitoba also received scores from Darryl Bootland, rookie Sergei Shirokov, and defenseman Neil Petruic.

Eric Walsky and defenseman Evan Oberg each chipped in two assists, and goaltender Cory Schneider earned the win with 18 saves in his first appearance for the Moose since Oct. 23 at Chicago.

Ryan Hamilton scored for the Marlies, who have dropped back-to-back contests on the heels of a three-game winning streak.

The North Division rivals will square off for a rematch on Saturday night in Winnipeg.

HOUSTON 6, LAKE ERIE 0
Six different Houston skaters found the back of the net as the Aeros ran away with a 6-0 road win over Lake Erie in the opener of the teams’ two-game set at Quicken Loans Arena.

Nathan Smith gave Houston a 1-0 lead with a power play goal late in the first period. The Aeros then exploded for four goals in the middle frame, receiving tallies from Danny Irmen (1:39), Clayton Stoner (5:46), defenseman Maxim Noreau (8:10), and a power play marker by Brandon Rogers (19:27).

Petr Kalus added an unassisted goal midway through the third period, and Jon DiSalvatore finished with three assists on the night.

Aeros goaltender Anton Khudobin (7-2-0) stopped all 17 shots he faced to earn his second shutout of the season.

Houston has totaled 15 goals during its current three-game winning streak after managing two goals in its previous three contests, all losses.

BRIDGEPORT 3, SPRINGFIELD 2 (OT)
Sean Bentivoglio scored unassisted 1:32 into overtime as Bridgeport emerged with a 3-2 road win over Springfield before 5,479 fans at the MassMutual Center.

Bentivoglio also began the night’s scoring with a power play tally at 4:59 of the second period, and Justin DiBenedetto made it 2-0 at the 11:03 mark.

But the Falcons battled back, as Charles Linglet lit the lamp with 15 seconds to play in the middle period and then assisted on the tying goal by Chad Wiseman at 7:01 of the third frame.

Bentivoglio’s overtime tally, which was his third game-winner of the season, allowed the Sound Tigers to snap a five-game losing skid and avenge a 5-2 loss to the Falcons a week ago.

Bridgeport goaltender Scott Munroe secured the victory with 21 saves on 23 shots.

PROVIDENCE 2, SYRACUSE 1 (SO)
Adam McQuaid and Jordan Knackstedt potted shootout goals as Providence began a busy weekend with a 2-1 win over Syracuse at the Onondaga County War Memorial.

The Bruins, who visit Lowell on Saturday and Worcester on Sunday, collected their first road victory of the season (1-5-0-0) and halted a three-game losing skid overall.

Providence’s Jeff LoVecchio put his club on top with a shorthanded goal at 13:26 of the opening period, but Crunch forward Tom Sestito registered a power play marker to tie it 1:35 later. Neither side scored for the remainder of regulation and overtime.

Bruins goaltender Dany Sabourin picked up the victory, stopping 22 shots through the first 65 minutes and four of five in the shootout. Defenseman Brent Regner beat Sabourin for Syracuse’s lone shootout conversion.

ABBOTSFORD 6, PEORIA 0
Abbotsford’s offense, which totaled two goals in its last two games, scored six times on Friday in a 6-0 road win over Peoria at Carver Arena.

Jason Jaffray led the way with two goals, an assist, and a game-high seven shots on goal for the Heat. Defenseman John Negrin picked up a goal and a helper, while Peter Vandermeer, David Van der Gulik, and Colin Stuart also found the back of the net.

Carsen Germyn chipped in two assists in the winning effort, and Heat goaltender David Shantz earned the shutout with 27 saves in net.

The Rivermen’s three-game winning streak came to an end.

TEXAS 4, ROCKFORD 0
Brent Krahn stopped 32 shots for his second shutout of the season – and Texas’ fourth as a team – as the Stars earned a 4-0 road win over Rockford at the MetroCentre.

Warren Peters and Scott McCulloch each posted a goal and an assist for the Stars, while rookies Colton Sceviour and Sergei Korostin added a goal apiece. Perttu Lindgren chipped in two assists to run his scoring streak to four games (2-4-6).

Krahn stopped 10 shots in the first period, 15 in the second, and seven in the third frame and improved his record to 7-1-0 on the campaign.

Texas has now earned a point in nine consecutive contests (7-0-1-1).

CHICAGO 4, SAN ANTONIO 2
Brett Sterling snapped a 2-2 tie with 5:43 to play in regulation, and Chicago went on to double up struggling San Antonio by a 4-2 count at the AT&T Center on Friday.

Johnny Pohl posted a goal and an assist for the Wolves, defenseman Steve McCarthy tallied his first AHL goal since the 2002-03 campaign, and Kevin Doell sealed the victory with a shorthanded empty-net goal, his first marker of the season.

Reassigned from parent-club Atlanta earlier in the day, second-year pro Spencer Machacek registered two assists in the winning effort.

Wolves goaltender Drew MacIntyre stopped 31 of 33 shots in net, helping his club move to 5-2-0-0 in its last seven contests.

Mikael Boedker and Joel Perrault netted goals for the Rampage, who are now winless in eight straight games (0-6-1-1) following a 6-1-1-0 start to the season.