📝 With files from Patrick Williams
Here is a look at Friday around the AHL:
PROVIDENCE 5, SYRACUSE 3
The league-leading Bruins (11-2-3-2) scored three times in the third period to end a four-game winless slide with a victory in Syracuse. Justin Brazeau scored twice in the final frame and Keith Kinkaid finished with 38 saves for the visitors. Michael Callahan, Samuel Asselin and Luke Toporowski added goals for the B’s. Former Bruin Max Lagace countered with 36 saves for the Crunch (7-7-1-2), who saw their five-game winning streak ended.
ROCHESTER 6, BRIDGEPORT 5 (OT)
Sean Malone recorded a natural hat trick in the first period and Brett Murray struck 2:01 into overtime to lift the Americans (10-5-1-1) past Bridgeport. Murray scored three times in a span of 5:07 to give the Amerks a 3-1 lead, but Andy Andreoff responded with a hat trick of his own for the Islanders (10-3-4-0) and Arnaud Durandeau scored with 48.8 seconds left in regulation to force OT.
WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON 3, LEHIGH VALLEY 2 (SO)
Dustin Tokarski became the 16th goaltender in AHL history to reach 200 career wins, stopping 32 of 34 shots and all three shootout attempts for the Penguins (9-5-1-1). Valtteri Puustinen and Drake Caggiula scored late in the third period for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Alex Nylander scored the only goal of the shootout. Tyson Foerster and Elliott Desnoyers had the goals for Lehigh Valley (7-6-1-1).
COLORADO 5, IOWA 1
Alex Galchenyuk scored twice and Justus Annunen made 36 saves as the Eagles (10-5-1-0) extended their point streak to nine games (8-0-1-0). Callahan Burke, Brad Hunt and Alex Beaucage contributed goals for division-leading Colorado, while Joe Hicketts had the only goal for Iowa (6-4-2-2).
ROCKFORD 6, MILWAUKEE 4
The IceHogs (9-6-0-1) scored four times in the third period to take down first-place Milwaukee and win their third game in a row. Dylan Sikura netted two goals in the final frame and Lukas Reichel and Brett Seney each notched a goal and two assists on the night. Tommy Novak and Cole Schneider each had a pair of goals to go with an assist for the Admirals (11-5-0-0), who saw their six-game road winning streak end.
GRAND RAPIDS 3, MANITOBA 0
Jussi Olkinuora made 26 saves for his first AHL shutout in nearly nine years as the Griffins (8-8-1-0) blanked the Moose. Pontus Andreasson had a goal and an assist, giving him 11 points (5g, 6a) in his past nine games. Arvid Holm stopped 31 of 33 shots for Manitoba (8-5-2-0).
CHARLOTTE 3, UTICA 2 (OT)
Rookie Justin Sourdif’s goal 18 seconds into overtime earned the Checkers (11-5-1-1) their fifth win in six games. Zac Dalpe and Riley Nash built a 2-0 Charlotte lead in the second period before Andreas Johnsson and Ryan Schmelzer replied in the third for the Comets (5-6-2-1). Charlotte’s Alex Lyon made 28 saves.
SAN JOSE 5, HENDERSON 2
Thomas Bordeleau scored the go-ahead goal with 4:17 to play and Andrew Agozzino and Jeffrey Viel tacked on insurance markers to lift the Barracuda (9-7-0-1) to their first win in 11 all-time visits to Henderson (regular season and playoffs). Eetu Makiniemi stopped 25 of 26 shots in two periods of relief work for San Jose. Jonas Rondbjerg and Byron Froese recorded goals for Henderson (5-14-0-0).
LAVAL 7, BELLEVILLE 5
Nicolas Beaudin broke a 5-5 tie with 5:22 to play to carry the Rocket (6-10-3-0) past the Senators (7-9-1-0) for the first time in four tries this season. Justin Barron scored two of Laval’s three power-play goals in the contest and also notched an assist, joining Rafaël Harvey-Pinard (1g, 2a) and Jesse Ylönen (3a) with three-point nights. Thirteen different players found the scoresheet for Belleville.
ELSEWHERE
Joseph Woll made 20 saves in his season debut to backstop Toronto to a 4-1 win in Cleveland… Matthew Phillips had two goals and an assist and Walker Duehr also scored twice as Calgary defeated Abbotsford, 5-1… Hunter Shepard stopped 30 shots for Hershey in a 2-1 win at Hartford… Riley Barber scored twice in the first period and Anton Khudobin made 29 saves as Texas rolled past Chicago, 6-1.
TheAHL.com features writer Patrick Williams has been on the American Hockey League beat for nearly two decades for outlets including NHL.com, Sportsnet, TSN, The Hockey News, SiriusXM NHL Network Radio and SLAM! Sports, and was most recently the co-host of The Hockey News On The ‘A’ podcast. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his outstanding coverage of the league in 2016.
