BRIDGEPORT 3, LOWELL 0
Bridgeport scored once in each period and goaltender Scott Munroe made 39 saves for his first shutout of the season as Bridgeport collected a 3-0 win over visiting Lowell on Friday night at the Arena at Harbor Yard.
The Sound Tigers won for the fourth time in their last five outings (4-1-0-0) and extended their points streak to seven games (5-1-0-1).
James Sixsmith provided all the offense Bridgeport would need when he scored his first AHL goal of the season just 2:14 after the opening face-off.
Sixsmith then picked up an assist on a Matt Martin second-period goal to make it a 2-0 game, and Sean Bentivoglio added his eighth goal of the year – tying him for the club lead – late in the third frame.
Munroe was perfect between the pipes, stuffing a Lowell squad which entered the night with the AHL’s second-ranked offense (3.50 goals per game). He improved to 3-0-1 in his last four decisions and moved over .500 for the season at 6-5-1.
The Devils, who suffered their first shutout of the campaign, have totaled only one goal in dropping back-to-back contests in regulation for the first time since Oct. 24-25.
TORONTO 5, BINGHAMTON 4
Toronto tallied four goals in the third period to climb out of a 4-1 deficit and emerge with a 5-4 win over visiting Binghamton at Ricoh Coliseum.
Ben Ondrus scored twice – including a third-period shorthanded marker – and added an assist to pace the Marlies’ offense.
Ryan Hamilton registered a goal and an assist, and Toronto also received scores from Jiri Tlusy and Troy Bodie, who picked up his second consecutive game-winner.
Andre Deveaux chipped in three helpers, and goaltender Adam Munro stopped all nine shots he faced in relief to pick up the victory. The Marlies matched a season high with their third straight win.
Josh Hennessy potted a goal and an assist for the Senators, while Martin St. Pierre, Kaspars Daugavins, and defenseman Derek Smith also found the back of the net.
ROCKFORD 4, GRAND RAPIDS 3
Rockford staked itself to a 4-1 lead early in the third period and then had to hold on for a 4-3 road win over Grand Rapids before 8,985 fans at Van Andel Arena.
Nathan Davis and Pete MacArthur each posted a goal and an assist for the IceHogs, and Kyle Greentree and Akim Aliu also scored.
Davis’ second goal put Rockford on top 3-1 at 3:54 of the third period, but Grand Rapids climbed back into it on goals by Mattias Ritola (5:57) and rookie Tomas Tatar (11:52.)
But the Griffins were unable to tie it and lost at home for just the second time all season (9-2-0-0). Evan McGrath also scored for Grand Rapids.
IceHogs goaltender Alec Richards emerged with his first career AHL win after making 27 saves in net.
HARTFORD 4, PORTLAND 3 (OT)
Dane Byers’ goal 1:22 into overtime capped off a wild finish for the home team as Hartford prevailed over Portland by a 4-3 count at the XL Center.
The Wolf Pack entered the third period holding a 2-0 lead but surrendered three goals in less than seven minutes to fall behind 3-2. Felix Schutz, Tyler Ennis, and Nathan Gerbe did the honors for Portland, which entered the night 1-9-1-0 when trailing after two periods.
The Pirates then seemed poised for a regulation win before Hartford forward Andres Ambuhl scored just his second goal of the season at 19:47 of the third frame, sending the tilt to overtime.
Byers’ overtime goal was assisted by Mathieu Dandenault and made a winner of rookie goaltender Chad Johnson, who stopped 26 shots in net.
Corey Potter and Dale Weise also netted goals for the Wolf Pack, who improved to 8-1-0-1 on home ice this season.
ROCHESTER 4, WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON 3
Rochester burst out of the gate with a quartet of first-period goals and held off a late charge to beat Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 4-3, in front of 7,424 fans at the Blue Cross Arena.
It marked the first meeting between the teams since Mar. 14, 2007.
Mike York, ex-Penguin Jeff Taffe, and defenseman Clay Wilson each registered a goal and a helper for the Amerks in the first period, and rearguard Jordan Henry also found the back of the net. York and Taffe each scored on the power play.
After a scoreless second period, the Penguins attempted a comeback in the third frame. Defenseman Alex Grant scored his first career AHL goal at 1:52, Mark Letestu followed at 15:36, and Luca Caputi made it 4-3 at 19:36.
Amerks rookie goaltender Alexander Salak held on for the victory, making 41 saves to improve his season mark to 13-1-0.
WORCESTER 2, PROVIDENCE 1
Kevin Henderson’s first professional goal broke a 1-1 tie and sent Worcester to a 2-1 road win over Providence at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center on Friday.
Defenseman Dean Strong picked up the lone assist on Henderson’s tally, which came at 8:16 of the third period.
Zach Hamill gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead 7:16 into the contest, but Worcester’s Dan DaSilva potted the equalizer at the 15:39 mark. The teams played a scoreless second frame.
Sharks rookie goaltender Alex Stalock earned the victory with 24 saves on 25 shots between the pipes. Worcester has now won a season-high four straight games on the heels of a franchise-record seven-game losing skid.
NORFOLK 4, ALBANY 3 (OT)
Defenseman Ty Wishart lit the lamp 3:50 into overtime as Norfolk returned home to post a 4-3 win over visiting Norfolk on Friday at the Scope.
The Admirals, just back from a season-high eight-game road swing, halted a four-game slide and won for the first time since a 2-1 shootout triumph on Nov. 18 in Manchester.
Adam Hall, Blair Jones, and Matt Syroczynski notched regulation goals for the Admirals, while Ryan Craig chipped in two assists and fired seven shots on goal.
Norfolk rookie goaltender Dustin Tokarski stopped 27 of 30 shots in net to pick up the victory.
River Rats forward Mike Angelidis sent the game to overtime with the tying goal at 8:48 of the third period. Angelidis added an assist on the night, and Albany also got goals from Jacob Micflikier and Nick Dodge.
MANCHESTER 4, SPRINGFIELD 2
A four-goal opening period was more than enough as Manchester doubled up visiting Springfield by a 4-2 count on Friday at the Verizon Wireless Arena.
The Monarchs moved to 9-1-0-1 at home this season but earned back-to-back victories overall for the first time since their six-game winning streak from Oct. 17-31.
Rookie Mark Mullen began the night’s scoring with his first professional goal on the power play 10:40 into the contest, and Drew Bagnall made it 2-0 just 20 seconds later.
Marc-Andre Cliche picked up an assist on Bagnall’s marker and scored one of his own at 16:57, and Gabe Gauthier wrapped up Manchester’s onslaught at the 19:21 mark.
After a scoreless second period, the Falcons made it interesting in the third on goals by Bryan Lerg (7:41) and Viacheslav Trukhno (14:58). But Springfield has now dropped consecutive games in regulation for the first time since a three-game skid from Oct. 4-10.
Monarchs goaltender Jonathan Bernier earned the victory with 29 saves on 31 shots between the pipes.
HAMILTON 4, LAKE ERIE 0
Hamilton bounced back from a tough 1-0 loss to Houston on Wednesday by posting a shutout of its own in a 4-0 road win over Lake Erie before 9,066 fans at Quicken Loans Arena on Friday.
Ben Maxwell and defenseman Frederic St. Denis tallied first-period goals for the Bulldogs, with St. Denis registering his first of the season.
Mathieu Carle extended Hamilton’s edge to 3-0 just 22 seconds into the second period and then picked up an assist on Mike Glumac’s fifth goal of the year at the 16:19 mark. Neither side scored in the third period.
Bulldogs starting goaltender Curtis Sanford stopped all 16 shots he faced over the first 40 minutes, and Cedrick Desjardins made eight saves after taking over for the third period.
The Monsters are now winless in four straight games (0-3-0-1) and are just 1-7-0-2 in their last 10 contests.
SYRACUSE 4, HOUSTON 3 (SO)
Bates Battaglia and Jared Aulin converted shootout attempts as Syracuse eked out a 4-3 win over visiting Houston on Friday at the Onondaga County War Memorial.
Syracuse goaltender Kevin Lalande stopped all four shootout tries against him as the Crunch improved to 2-2 in the tiebreaker this season.
A back-and-forth regulation featured three lead changes between the teams. Defenseman David Liffiton paced the Crunch with a goal and a helper, and Syracuse also got goals from Tom Sestito and Jordan LaVallee-Smotherman.
Carson McMillan registered his first professional goal for the Aeros, and Jean-Michel Daoust and Petr Kalus also found the back of the net.
Lalande made 21 saves on 24 shots through the first 65 minutes, helping Syracuse improve to 6-1-1-1 on home ice this season versus a 1-9-1-1 road mark.
HERSHEY 5, ADIRONDACK 1
Hershey avoided what would have been a season-high three-game winless skid by posting a 5-1 road victory over Adirondack on Friday before 5,148 fans at the Glens Falls Civic Center.
After a scoreless first period, the Bears received second-period markers from Michael Dubuc – his first in the AHL – Boyd Gordon, and Kyle Wilson, with a Phantoms goal by Krys Kolanos mixed in between.
Boyd Kane then scored twice in the third frame to further pad Hershey’s lead, including a shorthanded marker with 1:27 to play.
Rookie defenseman John Carlson (0-3-3) and veteran forward Keith Aucoin (0-2-2) each chipped in two assists for the Bears, and goaltender Michal Neuvirth earned the win with 20 saves between the pipes.
Adirondack has now dropped three straight games by a combined score of 15-2.
PEORIA 2, MANITOBA 1 (OT)
Defenseman Steve Wagner’s first goal of the season came 36 seconds into overtime as Peoria emerged from a defensive battle with a 2-1 win over visiting Manitoba at Carver Arena on Friday.
The game was scoreless through the first two periods before Nicholas Drazenovic put the Rivermen on top just 33 seconds after the opening drop of the third frame. Adam Cracknell picked up the lone assist.
But the Moose pulled back even on a Marty Murray goal at the 10:39 mark, with Matt Pettinger earning a helper.
Wagner’s overtime marker, which was his first regular-season goal since Feb. 28, 2009, was assisted by Cam Paddock and Jonas Junland.
Rivermen goaltender Hannu Toivonen earned the victory with 21 saves on 22 shots, helping his club snap a brief two-game slide.
MILWAUKEE 2, TEXAS 0
Milwaukee turned the tables on the AHL’s stingiest defensive team with a 2-0 road win over Texas on Friday before 6,422 fans at the Cedar Park Center.
Admirals rookie goaltender Chet Pickard, a first-round draft pick (18th overall) by parent-club Nashville in 2008, turned aside 31 shots to earn his first professional shutout.
Pickard has been between the pipes for each game of Milwaukee’s current five-game points streak and improved to 5-2-1 for the season.
Hugh Jessiman and Wacey Rabbit scored for the Admirals, who exacted revenge for a 2-1 shootout loss to Texas on Wednesday night.
The Stars, who entered the night boasting five shutouts and surrendering a league-low 1.87 goals per game, had not been blanked themselves since a 4-0 loss to Lake Erie on Oct. 20.
ABBOTSFORD 3, CHICAGO 1
Abbotsford struck for a pair of third-period goals to cool off Chicago with a 3-1 road win over the Wolves on Friday at Allstate Arena.
Heat forward Jason Jaffray broke a 1-1 deadlock with his 10th goal of the season at 9:32 of the third frame, and Kris Chucko sealed the victory with an empty-netter in the closing minute of regulation.
Defenseman Keith Seabrook also scored for Abbotsford, and second-year goaltender Leland Irving (10-7-1) earned the win with 21 saves on 22 shots.
Abbotsford improved to 2-0-0-0 on its four-game road swing, which continues on Saturday in Rockford before wrapping up on Tuesday at Toronto.
Johnny Pohl netted a goal for the Wolves, whose three-game winning streak and six-game home winning streak both came to an end. Chicago will conclude a five-game homestand on Saturday when Manitoba pays a visit.
