ALBANY 3, HERSHEY 0
A pair of first-period goals was more than enough as Albany rolled to its fifth straight win, a 3-0 decision over visiting Hershey on Friday at the Times Union Center. River Rats goaltender Justin Peters made 36 saves for his first shutout of the season and improved to 10-5-2 on the campaign.
Peters stopped 31 shots over the second and third periods and stonewalled a Hershey offense which was coming off a 9-2 pounding of Hartford last Sunday.
Rookie Chris Terry provided all the offense the River Rats would need at 7:41 of the opening period and then picked up an assist on Nick Dodge’s goal at the 19:46 mark. Jacob Micflikier earned a helper on both markers and now has a point in five straight AHL games (3-4-7).
After a scoreless second period, Mike Angelidis capped Albany’s offense with an empty-net, power play goal at 19:38 of the third frame. Micflikier also assisted on that marker to finish with a three-point night.
With the win, the River Rats (15-10-1-2) pulled within three points of the Bears (17-8-0-2) for first place in the East Division.
The Bears were blanked for just the second time this season, having dropped a 5-0 decision at Portland on Nov. 6.
GRAND RAPIDS 4, LAKE ERIE 3 (SO)
Nineteen-year-old rookie Tomas Tatar converted in the sixth round of a shootout to lift Grand Rapids past visiting Lake Erie by a 4-3 count on Friday at Van Andel Arena.
Both teams were scoreless through the first four shootout rounds, but Lake Erie’s Ryan Stoa broke the deadlock with a fifth-round conversion. Evan McGrath answered for the Griffins, and after the Monsters’ Brandon Yip was denied, Tatar tallied the game-winner.
Jan Mursak, Jeremy Williams, and Francis Pare netted regulation goals for the Griffins, who captured their third straight victory.
Grand Rapids rookie goaltender Thomas McCollum stopped 40 shots through the first 65 minutes before denying five of Lake Erie’s six shootout attempts.
Stoa and Brock Bradford scored for Lake Erie in the first and second periods, respectively. After the Griffins grabbed a 3-2 third-period lead, Monsters defenseman Derek Peltier tied it at 17:48 with his first goal of the season.
PORTLAND 5, HARTFORD 2
Portland notched four goals in the third period to run away with a 5-2 road win over struggling Hartford on Friday at the XL Center.
Hartford initially grabbed a 1-0 lead when Ryan Garlock scored shorthanded late in the opening period, but Cody McCormick tied it for the Pirates at 15:05 of the second frame. McCormick then gave Portland a 2-1 lead just 57 seconds into the third, only to watch Brodie Dupont score the Wolf Pack’s league-leading 10th shorthanded goal of the season to tie it at 4:10.
The Pirates took command from that point, receiving the game-winning goal from rookie Tyler Ennis at 5:57 and an insurance marker from fellow rookie Philip Gogulla at 10:27. Brad Larsen sealed Portland’s victory with an empty-netter in the closing minute.
Kyle Wanvig and defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani each chipped in two assists for the Pirates, and goaltender Jhonas Enroth made 16 saves in the win. Portland snapped a three-game winless skid (0-1-0-2).
Hartford has now lost four straight games in regulation and is without a win in its last six outings (0-4-1-1).
PROVIDENCE 3, LOWELL 0
Providence continued its recent surge on Friday with a 3-0 win over visiting Lowell before 7,235 fans at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.
Bruins goaltender Dany Sabourin (13-7-0) made 35 saves to earn his first shutout of the season and help Providence to its fifth straight win and 10th in its last 13 outings (10-3-0-0).
The Bruins scored once in each period, receiving tallies from Craig Weller – his first of the season – Zach Hamill, and Kirk MacDonald. Hamill figured into all three goals (1-2-3), and MacDonald finished with a goal and a helper.
The Devils fell to 2-5-0-0 in their last seven contests since moving to a season-best 12-6-3-0 on Nov. 21.
ABBOTSFORD 2, ROCHESTER 1
Abbotsford goaltender Matt Keetley stood tall with 37 saves on 38 shots as the Heat edged first-place Rochester by a 2-1 count on Friday at the Blue Cross Arena.
Keetley improved his personal winning streak to three games since dropping his first three AHL decisions of the season, and Abbotsford moved to 2-1-0-0 against the Amerks this season.
Brett Sutter gave Abbotsford a 1-0 lead 9:21 into the contest, and Cam Cunning padded the lead at 3:11 of the third period. Cunning’s goal proved to be the game-winner when Rochester’s Graham Mink tallied an unassisted power play goal at 12:28 of the third stanza.
The Americans are in their first slump of the season, having dropped three of their last four games (1-3-0-0), including two to Abbotsford. Amerks rookie goaltender Alexander Salak lost for just the second time all season (15-2-0).
MANITOBA 4, NORFOLK 1
A three-goal third period propelled Manitoba to a 4-1 road win over Norfolk on Friday in the opener of the teams’ two-game set at the Scope.
The clubs traded goals through the first two periods, as Manitoba’s Aaron Rome scored 14:17 into the contest and Norfolk’s Radek Smolenak answered at 12:12 of the second frame.
Rome then gave the Moose the lead for good with a power play tally at 14:32 of the third period. Rome, on a conditioning stint from the parent Vancouver Canucks, has racked up six goals and seven points in six games with the Moose thus far.
Matt Pettinger and Marty Murray tacked on empty-net goals for Manitoba, and captain Mike Keane finished with two assists on the night.
Manitoba goaltender Cory Schneider secured the victory with 28 saves in net, helping the Moose earn their first win over the Admirals this season (1-2-0-0). The road team has won all three games in the series thus far.
The teams will square off for a rematch in Norfolk on Saturday night.
WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON 3, BINGHAMTON 2 (OT)
Dustin Jeffrey lit the lamp a mere 28 seconds into overtime as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton pulled out a 3-2 win over visiting Binghamton before 6,815 fans at the Wachovia Arena.
Defenseman Deryk Engelland and forward Joe Vitale both registered their first goals of the season in regulation for the Penguins. Vitale added an assist on Engelland’s marker for a multiple-point night.
The Pens appeared headed for a regulation win before Senators defenseman Craig Schira scored the equalizer at 19:35 of the third period, with ex-Pens goaltender Andy Chiodo pulled for an extra attacker. Martin St. Pierre also netted a goal for Binghamton.
Penguins goaltender John Curry (11-8-1) emerged with the victory, stopping 33 of 35 shots in net. It marked Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s first game that extended beyond regulation since a 2-1 shootout loss at Manitoba on Oct. 30.
TORONTO 5, CHICAGO 4 (SO)
Juraj Mikus beat Chicago goaltender Drew MacIntyre in the 10th shootout round to lift Toronto to a 5-4 win over the visiting Wolves on Friday at Ricoh Coliseum.
Rookies Tyler Bozak (3rd round) and Greg Scott (7th round) also netted shootout goals for the Marlies. Kevin Doell (4th round) and Anthony Stewart (7th round) countered for the Wolves.
After a scoreless first period, the teams combined for seven goals in the middle frame. Bozak finished with a goal and an assist on the night, and Toronto also received markers from Josh Engel, rookie Viktor Stalberg, and Jonas Frogren.
Chicago’s Jason Krog and Brett Sterling each registered a goal and a helper, while Doell and Stewart also found the back of the net in regulation. But the Wolves dropped to 1-4-0-1 in their last six contests.
Marlies goaltender Andrew Engelage stopped 18 shots through the first 65 minutes and earned the victory in net.
MANCHESTER 6, WORCESTER 3
Manchester’s red-hot offense continued to click on all cylinders as the Monarchs doubled up streaking Worcester by a 6-3 count at the Verizon Wireless Arena.
Marc-Andre Cliche led the way with two goals on two shots, an assist, and a plus-4 rating for the Monarchs. David Meckler also scored twice and was plus-4 in the winning effort.
Rookie Dwight King and Bud Holloway rounded out Manchester’s offense, and defenseman David Kolomatis chipped in two assists on the night.
The Atlantic Division-leading Monarchs (19-7-1-2) have won four straight games and outscored opponents 24-13 over that span. Manchester is 7-1-0-0 in its last eight contests overall and 12-2-0-1 on home ice this season.
Monarchs goaltender Jonathan Bernier earned the victory with 46 saves between the pipes.
Defenseman Jason Demers scored twice and Brandon Mashinter once for the Sharks, whose eight-game points streak (7-0-0-1) came to an end. Worcester fell to 1-2-0-1 against the Monarchs on the campaign.
BRIDGEPORT 6, SPRINGFIELD 2
Bridgeport scored six goals on just 21 shots and overwhelmed skidding Springfield by a 6-2 count on Friday at the MassMutual Center.
The Sound Tigers opened the game’s scoring when Trevor Smith converted a penalty shot at 16:08 of the first period for his 10th goal of the season. Springfield’s Colton Fretter tied it early in the second frame with his team-leading 12th tally of the campaign.
But the floodgates then opened for Bridgeport, as the Tigers struck for five second-period goals to take control of the contest. Sean Bentivoglio scored twice in the stanza, and Bridgeport also got markers from Trevor Gillies, Pascal Morency, and James Sixsmith. Greg Mauldin and defenseman Dustin Kohn each finished with a pair of assists.
Fretter added a third-period goal for the Falcons, who are now winless in eight straight outings (0-6-1-1).
Sound Tigers goaltenders Rick DiPietro and Scott Munroe combined to make 18 saves on 20 shots in the winning effort.
SYRACUSE 5, ADIRONDACK 2
Five different Syracuse skaters found the back of the net as the Crunch put up their highest goal output in nearly two months en route to a 5-2 win over visiting Adirondack at the Onondaga County War Memorial.
Syracuse raced out to a 4-0 lead by the game’s midpoint. Grant Clitsome’s first goal of the year made it a 1-0 game midway through the first, and Kevin Harvey, Alexandre Picard, and Tomas Kana added to the Crunch’s lead in the second frame.
The Phantoms climbed back into the game on a pair of goals by ex-Crunch forward Stefan Legein, but Dan Fritsche sealed the Syracuse win with a late empty-net marker.
Crunch goaltenders Dan LaCosta and Kevin Lalande combined to make 26 saves on 28 shots as Syracuse improved to 8-3-1-1 at home this season.
Adirondack fell to 2-6-1-0 in its last nine contests.
MILWAUKEE 4, SAN ANTONIO 2
Milwaukee registered three goals in the opening period and cruised to a 4-2 win over visiting San Antonio on Friday at the Bradley Center.
Mike Santorelli (1-1-2), Peter Olvecky, Wacey Rabbit, and Colin Wilson all scored for the Admirals, and 11 different Milwaukee skaters earned at least a point on the evening.
Santorelli earned multiple points for the fifth time in seven outings for the Admirals this season and now shows 13 points (5-8-13) in those seven contests.
Admirals goaltender Mark Dekanich (6-5-2) stopped 24 of 26 shots in net to pick up his first victory since Nov. 12 vs. Abbotsford.
MacGregor Sharp and Matt Watkins both scored their first goals of the season for the Rampage, who have lost three straight games and are 3-12-1-1 in their last 17 tilts.
TEXAS 4, ROCKFORD 2
Texas tallied three unanswered goals to pull away with a 4-2 win over visiting Rockford on Friday at the Cedar Park Center.
Francis Wathier, Dan Jancevski, Mathieu Beaudoin, and Greg Rallo netted goals for the Stars, who overcame deficits of 1-0 and 2-1 en route to a fourth win in their last five games (4-1-0-0).
Jancevski tallied his first goal of the season, while Rallo notched his team-leading 12th of the campaign after entering the year with 11 goals in 103 career AHL regular-season contests.
Stars goaltender Matt Climie (8-6-2) bounced back from a rough outing vs. Peoria on Wednesday to make 35 saves on 37 shots in the winning effort.
Kyle Greentree extended his scoring streak to eight games with a goal and an assist for the IceHogs, and defenseman Daryl Boyle also found the back of the net. Rockford has dropped two straight games on the heels of a five-game winning streak.
The teams will square off for a rematch in suburban Austin on Saturday night.
PEORIA 2, HOUSTON 1
Defenseman Tyson Strachan snapped a 1-1 tie at 4:30 of the third period, and Peoria went on to edge host Houston by a 2-1 count on Friday at the Toyota Center.
Strachan, who has appeared in six NHL games for St. Louis this season, tallied his first goal of the year in his 14th game in a Rivermen uniform. Brett Sonne and Jonas Junland picked up the assists.
Barry Tallackson gave Peoria a 1-0 lead 4:45 into the contest, an advantage that held until Aeros forward Andy Hilbert tied it on the power play with 2:30 to play in the second period.
Rivermen goaltender Ben Bishop (9-4-1) made 23 saves on 24 shots, surrendering just one goal for a third consecutive outing. Bishop extended his personal winning streak to five games, dating back to Nov. 20 at San Antonio.
