Friday wrap: Dostal blanks Admirals

Photo: Scott Paulus

📝 With files from Patrick Williams


Here is a look at Friday’s action around the AHL:

SAN DIEGO 5, MILWAUKEE 0
Lukas Dostal posted his second consecutive shutout as the Gulls won for the fourth time in five games. Dostal made 40 saves on the night and has stopped all 79 shots that he has faced in his two starts since returning from recall to Anaheim. Nathan Beaulieu opened the scoring in his first game on a conditioning assignment from Anaheim, before Glenn Gawdin, Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Brayden Tracey and Evan Weinger broke the game open for the Gulls. Yaroslav Askarov made 19 saves for the host Admirals.

MANITOBA 5, LAVAL 4 (OT)
Jansen Harkins scored 2:46 into overtime as the visiting Moose fended off stubborn Laval at Place Bell to stop a three-game losing streak. The Rocket scored three times in the final 5:32 of regulation, all with the goaltender pulled for an extra attacker, to force overtime. Dominic Toninato, Evan Polei, Wyatt Bongiovanni and Daniel Torgersson scored to give Manitoba a 4-1 lead. Alex Belzile had two goals and an assist and Rem Pitlick recorded three assists for the Rocket.

GRAND RAPIDS 4, TEXAS 2
Alex Nedeljkovic made 33 saves to help the Griffins hand Texas its first regulation loss in 13 games, ending a 10-0-2-0 run. Austin Czarnik scored twice for Grand Rapids, including a shorthanded goal in the third period, and Pontus Andreasson and former Star Joel L’Esperance also tallied. For the second time in as many starts since joining the Griffins, Nedeljkovic carried a shutout bid late into the third period; Mavrik Bourque and Curtis McKenzie scored in the final 2:06 for Texas.

UTICA 3, HARTFORD 2 (SO)
Graeme Clarke scored the game-tying goal in the third period and then netted the only goal of the shootout to push the Comets past the visiting Wolf Pack. Clarke also assisted on Joe Gambardella’s goal as Utica rallied from a 2-0 deficit to improve to 7-0-2-0 in its last nine games. Ryan Carpenter scored his ninth goal in the last eight games for Hartford, and Louis Domingue made 37 saves to help the Pack earn a point.

SPRINGFIELD 4, BRIDGEPORT 3 (OT)
Martin Frk’s second goal of the game came with 1:13 to go in overtime as the Thunderbirds triumphed at MassMutual Center. It was Frk’s second OT goal against the Islanders this season. Keean Washkurak and Steven Jandric both scored their first goals of the season as Springfield took a 3-1 lead into the third period, but Bridgeport rallied to tie on goals from William Dufour and Chris Terry to set up overtime. Jacob Hayhurst and Mathias Laferriere had two assists apiece, and Joel Hofer made 31 saves in the win. Bridgeport is winless in nine games (0-6-2-1).

ABBOTSFORD 4, HENDERSON 3
Phil Di Giuseppe scored with 1:15 left in regulation to send the Canucks to their fifth win in six games. Abbotsford, which is on a 13-3-1-0 run since Nov. 27, built a 3-1 lead on first-period goals from Arshdeep Bains, Danila Klimovich and Vasily Podkolzin. The Silver Knights got their goals from Brendan Brisson, Byron Froese and Gage Quinney. Fourth-year pro Jake Kupsky recorded his first career AHL victory with 22 saves for the Canucks.

LEHIGH VALLEY 3, ROCHESTER 2
Three third-period goals in a 3:30 span sent the Phantoms past host Rochester. Bobby Brink (in his AHL debut), Tyson Foerster and Jackson Cates while Felix Sandstrom posted 24 saves in his Phantoms season debut to preserve the win. Lukas Rousek and Anders Bjork scored for the Amerks, and Eric Comrie turned aside 21 shots.

BELLEVILLE 3, SYRACUSE 2 (SO)
Viktor Lodin and Egor Sokolov scored as the Senators continued their shootout mastery and squeezed past the host Crunch. Belleville is 4-0 in shootouts this season with their shooters scoring on nine of their 10 attempts — including Sokolov’s perfect 4-for-4 on the year. Angus Crookshank and Scott Sabourin scored in regulation for the B-Sens, while Philippe Myers (shorthanded) and Shawn Element (power play) answered for Syracuse.

CHARLOTTE 4, WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON 2
Grigori Denisenko scored twice and added an assist to give the Checkers a split of their two-game stop at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Filip Hållander and William Nylander gave the Penguins a 2-0 first-period lead, but Charlotte followed with four unanswered goals, including three in the first 6:02 of the second period. Mack Guzda earned the win as the Checkers held Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to 22 shots. Taylor Gauthier made 30 saves for the Penguins.

CLEVELAND 5, CHICAGO 2
The Monsters overcame a 2-0 Chicago lead to win the opener of a two-game visit to Allstate Arena. Brett Gallant and Erik Bradford (his first in the AHL since Apr. 14, 2018) scored 14 seconds apart to tie the game midway through the second period, and Cole Fonstad and Robbie Payne followed on Cleveland’s league-leading power play before Trey Fix-Wolansky added an empty-netter. Jack Drury and Nathan Sucese scored for the Wolves.

COLORADO 2, TUCSON 1
Oskar Olausson scored with 6:57 to go in the third period, allowing the Eagles to edge Tucson. Cal Burke scored shorthanded and Justus Annunen made 23 saves as Colorado ended a three-game losing streak. Ryan McGregor had the only goal for the Roadrunners, who got 25 saves from Ivan Prosvetov.

SAN JOSE 4, ONTARIO 2
The visiting Barracuda broke loose with four third-period goals — two of them from Thomas Bordeleau — to prevail at Toyota Arena. Bordeleau leads all AHL rookies with 17 goals this season, including six in his last eight outings. Darren Brady and Will Riedell both recorded their first career AHL goals for San Jose, and Aaron Dell notched 28 saves. Tyler Madden and T.J. Tynan tallied on the power play for the Reign.