GRAND RAPIDS 5, MANITOBA 1
Grand Rapids recovered from a 1-0 deficit to score five unanswered goals en route to a 5-1 win over Manitoba on Friday before 10,834 fans at Van Andel Arena.
Rookie Cory Emmerton scored twice and Garrett Stafford had three points (1-2-3) for the Griffins, who finished 2-0-0-0 against the Moose this season. Grand Rapids is now four points back of Manitoba for first place in the North Division.
Manitoba initially took a 1-0 lead when Dusty Collins netted his seventh goal of the season 13:02 into the contest, with assists going to Mike Keane and Tom Maxwell.
Griffins rookie Justin Abdelkader tied it with a shorthanded goal at 5:06 of the second, and Emmerton’s power play goal at 13:40 put Grand Rapids on top to stay. Emmerton, who was drafted in the second round (41st overall) by parent-club Detroit in 2006, entered with three goals in 49 games this season.
Evan McGrath and Emmerton added second-period goals to complete a four-goal stanza for Grand Rapids, and Stafford scored the lone third-period marker for either side on the power play at 9:52.
Darren Haydar racked up four assists for the Griffins, and AHL All-Star goaltender Daniel Larsson stopped 19 of 20 shots to pick up his 18th win of the season (18-6-1).
The loss stopped Manitoba’s road points streak at 14 games (12-0-0-2), one short of the AHL record. The Moose travel for a match-up with West Division-leading Milwaukee on Saturday at the Bradley Center.
WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON 3, SYRACUSE 1
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton scored once in each period en route to a 3-1 road win over Syracuse on Friday at the Onondaga County War Memorial.
The Penguins extended their winning streak to nine games, matching a franchise record attained three times previously, including twice last season.
Syracuse’s Nikita Filatov and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s Mark Letestu exchanged power play goals in the first period, and the Pens’ Luca Caputi netted another power play marker 13:50 into the second to put his team on top to stay.
Connor James added an insurance goal at 12:39 of the third after assisting on the Penguins’ first two markers.
Penguins goaltender John Curry extended his personal winning streak to 11 games by making 27 saves on 28 shots.
PHILADELPHIA 7, PORTLAND 2
Rookie forward Patrick Maroon registered his second hat trick of the season to lead Philadelphia over Portland by a 7-2 count on Friday before 7,208 fans at the Wachovia Spectrum.
Boyd Kane scored twice for the Phantoms, who received single markers from Jared Ross (1-1-2) and Rob Sirianni in the winning effort. Philadelphia netted four goals in the second period alone.
David Laliberte (0-3-3) and Jonathan Matsumoto (0-2-2) each chipped in multiple assists, and ex-Pirates goaltender Jean-Sebastien Aubin made 25 saves to pick up the win for Philadelphia.
With the win, the Phantoms moved four points back of Binghamton for the East Division’s fourth and final playoff berth.
Colton Fretter and Nathan Gerbe lit the lamp for the Pirates, who have been outscored 13-5 in dropping their last two games.
HARTFORD 5, LOWELL 2
Hartford jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two periods and cruised to a 5-2 road win over Lowell on Friday at Tsongas Arena.
Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau netted his 24th and 25th goals of the campaign for the Wolf Pack. Artem Anisimov tallied his 24th of the campaign and added two, and Patrick Rissmiller potted the eventual game-winner.
Rookie goaltender Matt Zaba made 36 saves for the Wolf Pack, who defeated Lowell for the first time in five tries this season (1-3-0-1).
Barry Tallackson and defenseman Olivier Magnan tallied third-period goals for the Devils, whose six-game points streak (4-0-0-2) came to an end.
HAMILTON 4, TORONTO 3
Hamilton rallied from a 3-1 third-period deficit to post a 4-3 road win over Toronto on Friday at Ricoh Coliseum.
Rookie David Desharnais gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead 3:45 into the game, but the Marlies responded with first-period goals from Anton Stralman, Ryan Hollweg, and Jeremy Williams.
Hamilton defenseman Ryan O’Byrne cut the deficit to 3-2 in the second period, and fellow blueliner J.T. Wyman netted the equalizer 5:11 into the third frame. That set the stage for Desharnais to tally the game-winner with 7:12 to go in regulation.
Bulldogs goaltender Marc Denis earned the win with 36 saves. With the victory, Hamilton improved to 6-1-0-0 in its last seven contests.
PROVIDENCE 5, MANCHESTER 2
A four-goal first period sent Providence on its way to a 5-2 win over visiting Manchester on Friday before 8,707 fans at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.
AHL All-Star defenseman Johnny Boychuk scored twice as part of the four-goal onslaught, while Jordan Knackstedt and Peter Schaefer added tallies. Monarchs captain Marty Murray scored his team’s lone goal of the opening frame.
After a scoreless second period by both sides, the Monarchs’ Alec Martinez and the Bruins’ Wacey Rabbit exchanged third-period tallies, the latter going into an empty net.
Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask earned the victory with 22 saves in net, helping Providence to its first victory over Manchester in five tries this season (1-2-1-1).
The Monarchs saw their four-game winning streak come to an end but remain three points back of Lowell and Worcester for the Atlantic Division’s fourth and final playoff spot.
NORFOLK 5, BINGHAMTON 2
Justin Keller and Brandon Segal each netted a pair of goals to lead Norfolk to a 5-2 win over visiting Binghamton in the opener of a two-game set at the Scope.
Segal’s effort extended his goal-scoring streak to five games (8-0-8), and he now leads the team with 21 goals for the season (21-18-39).
Jay Rosehill also scored for the Admirals, while Kevin Quick (0-3-3), Radek Smolenak (0-2-2), and Brandon Bochenski (0-2-2) all chipped in multiple assists.
Admirals goaltender Riku Helenius picked up the victory with 34 saves on 36 shots.
Denis Hamel and Tomas Kudelka lit the lamp for the Senators.
WORCESTER 2, SPRINGFIELD 1 (OT)
Riley Armstrong scored 4:16 into overtime as Worcester ended a lengthy road stretch with a 2-1 win over Springfield on Friday at the MassMutual Center.
Jason Demers and T.J. Fox picked up the assists on Armstrong’s 18th goal of the season and his fifth game-winner.
Tom Cavanagh gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead in the first period, but Falcons newcomer Charles Linglet responded in the middle frame. Neither side scored in the third period.
Goaltender Thomas Greiss stopped 29 of 30 shots in net for the Sharks, who wrapped up a seven-game road swing at 2-5-0-0 and moved into a tie with Lowell for the final Atlantic Division playoff spot.
Worcester, which has played 13 of its last 15 games on the road, returns to the DCU Center to host first-place Providence on Sunday.
ROCHESTER 3, HERSHEY 2
Rochester scored twice in a 48-second span late in the third period to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 win over longtime rival Hershey before 6,129 fans at the Blue Cross Arena.
Rookie Michael Duco scored to tie it at 16:21 of the third frame, and Stefan Meyer followed with the game-winner at 17:09.
Meyer also scored in the opening period for the Americans, and AHL All-Star goaltender Mike Brodeur earned the victory with 27 saves on 29 shots.
Graham Mink and Chris Bourque netted goals for the Bears, and Keith Aucoin posted two assists to extend his scoring streak to eight games (2-10-12).
Hershey is now just 1-5-0-0 in its last six contests, and its lead atop the East Division is down to just one point over red-hot Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
LAKE ERIE 3, ROCKFORD 1
Per Ledin and T.J. Galiardi scored just eight seconds apart in the third period to break a 1-1 tie and send Lake Erie to a 3-1 road win over Rockford on Friday at the MetroCentre.
Mike Bartlett posted a goal and an assist in his AHL debut for the Monsters, and Mark McCutcheon chipped in a pair of helpers.
Monsters goaltender Jason Bacashihua earned the victory with 19 saves on 20 shots. Lake Erie moved to 3-5-0-0 on its nine-game road swing, which concludes on Saturday in Grand Rapids.
The IceHogs initially took a 1-0 lead when Evan Brophey scored at 15:58 of the first period.
QUAD CITY 5, SAN ANTONIO 4 (SO)
Quad City rallied from a 4-2 third-period deficit and eventually posted a 5-4 shootout win over visiting San Antonio on Friday at the I Wireless Center.
Rookie Adam Cracknell netted both goals in the final frame for the Flames, including the tying marker on the power play with 1:50 left in regulation. Carsen Germyn assisted on both markers.
Cracknell and Kris Chucko tallied shootout markers, and Flames goaltender Kevin Lalande stopped all five of San Antonio’s attempts.
David Van der Gulik and John Armstrong also potted regulation scores for the Flames, who extended their franchise-record winning streak to six games and climbed back to the .500 mark overall at 23-23-5-5.
Jeff Hoggan scored twice in regulation for the Rampage, while Garth Murray and David Spina each posted a goal and an assist.
MILWAUKEE 1, CHICAGO 0
Rookie goaltender Mark Dekanich made 27 saves for his first career AHL shutout as Milwaukee edged host Chicago by a 1-0 count on Friday before 7,124 fans at Allstate Arena.
Adam Miller scored his first career AHL goal for the Admirals 6:40 into the second period, and it held up as the difference. Jed Ortmeyer and defenseman Robert Dietrich picked up the assists.
Despite scoring just one goal for a third consecutive game, the Admirals halted their winless skid at three contests (0-1-1-1).
The Wolves suffered their first shutout since Nov. 30, also a 1-0 final in a game against Grand Rapids.
