CHICAGO 4, QUAD CITY 3 (OT)
Chicago continued its recent surge on Saturday with a 4-3 overtime win over Quad City before 10,518 fans at Allstate Arena.
Jeff Hamilton tallied two goals and an assist for the Wolves, and two-time AHL All-Star Brett Sterling netted the game-winner in the extra session, giving Chicago its third straight win on the heels of a seven-game winless skid.
Defenseman Brian Sipotz also scored in regulation for the Wolves, tallying a power play goal in the second period.
Chicago finished 3-for-8 on the man advantage, and Hamilton converted a penalty shot attempt just 51 seconds into the game.
AHL All-Star Brett Palin gave the Flames a 1-0 lead only 19 seconds after the opening face-off, and Quad City also received markers from Adam Cracknell and Kyle Greentree – his team-leading 20th goal of the campaign.
Wolves goaltender Robert Gherson earned the victory with 26 saves on 29 shots, helping Chicago to its longest winning streak since a five-game run from Nov. 1-14.
Quad City dropped to 0-2-1-0 in its last three contests.
WORCESTER 6, NORFOLK 5 (OT)
Worcester scored five unanswered goals after falling behind 5-1 and took a 6-5 overtime victory over Norfolk on Saturday before 7,595 fans at the Scope.
AHL All-Star Ryan Vesce capped a two-goal night with the game-winner 3:04 into the extra session, giving the Sharks a sweep of the teams’ two-game weekend set. Vesce now has a point in 10 straight games (6-8-14).
Worcester initially took a 1-0 lead when defenseman Patrick Traverse scored just 34 seconds after the opening face-off. But the Admirals then kicked into gear, receiving a pair of goals from Blair Jones and one each from Bracken Kearns, Josh Gratton, and Chris Lawrence to build a 5-1 edge after the first period.
Riley Armstrong, Vesce, Jamie McGinn, and Jason Demers all lit the lamp to help the Sharks pull even, setting the stage for Vesce’s overtime winner.
Worcester goaltender Taylor Dakers emerged with the victory, making 32 saves on the night.
PHILADELPHIA 4, HERSHEY 3 (SO)
Jonathan Matsumoto tallied the game-tying goal with 4:19 left in regulation and then scored twice in the shootout to give Philadelphia a 4-3 road win over Hershey on Saturday before 10,688 fans at the Giant Center.
The Bears’ Alexandre Giroux scored twice to give his team a 2-0 lead and tied AHL history by tallying a goal for a 14th straight game, matching Brett Hull’s mark from the 1986-87 season.
But Philadelphia responded, receiving second-period markers from David Laliberte and Jared Ross to make it a 2-2 game. Hershey’s Quintin Laing and the Phantoms’ Matsumoto exchanged goals in the third.
Ross joined Matsumoto in tallying a shootout goal for the Phantoms. Goaltender Scott Munroe made 49 saves and posted an assist through the first 65 minutes before stopping five of seven shots in the shootout.
ALBANY 4, WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON 3
Five different players scored as Albany took a 5-3 win over visiting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton before 6,003 fans on Saturday at the Times Union Center.
Pat Dwyer, Jakub Petruzalek, Casey Borer, Joe Jensen, and Tim Conboy all scored for the River Rats, and Bryan Rodney chipped in a pair of assists.
Albany goaltender Daniel Manzato earned the victory with 34 saves on 37 shots, helping the River Rats improve to 6-2-0-0 in their last eight games.
MANCHESTER 3, PORTLAND 2
Manchester’s offense erupted for three goals in the third period en route to a 3-2 road win over Portland before 5,698 fans at the Cumberland County Civic Center.
After a scoreless opening period, Aaron Slattengren gave the Pirates a 1-0 edge at 7:13 of the middle stanza. Portland maintained the advantage into the second intermission.
Dusty Collins tied it for the Monarchs at 4:55 of the third, and Ryan Murphy made it a 2-1 game at the 8:59 mark. After Portland’s Mark Mancari netted the equalizer at 14:04, the Monarchs’ David Meckler tallied the game-winner at 16:25.
Manchester goaltender Daniel Taylor earned the win with 26 saves, helping the Monarchs snap a three-game losing skid.
SPRINGFIELD 3, LOWELL 0
A three-goal second period lifted Springfield to a 3-0 win over visiting Lowell on Saturday at the MassMutual Center.
Carl Corazzini scored twice in a 2:38 span in the second frame for the Falcons, and Derek Bekar added an unassisted shorthanded marker with 4:01 to play in the period.
The teams played a scoreless third period, and Springfield goaltender Devan Dubnyk made 22 saves to pick up his second shutout of the season.
The Devils have not dropped back-to-back games for the first time since a seven-game slide (0-6-0-1) from Dec. 6-21.
BRIDGEPORT 3, BINGHAMTON 1
Bridgeport scored twice in the first period and held on for a 3-1 road win over Binghamton at the Broome County Arena.
AHL All-Star defenseman Andrew MacDonald kicked off the scoring for the Sound Tigers at 2:31 of the opening period, but Binghamton’s Matt Carkner tied it on the power play at 9:17.
Jesse Joensuu gave Bridgeport the lead for good at 14:18 of the first, and after a scoreless second, Trevor Smith tallied his 20th goal of the season to make it a 3-1 game 1:33 into the third frame.
Sound Tigers goaltender Nathan Lawson earned the win with 29 saves on 30 shots, helping Bridgeport snap a brief two-game losing skid.
MANITOBA 1, LAKE ERIE 0
Curtis Sanford posted a 26-save shutout in his AHL season debut to lift Manitoba to a 1-0 road win over Lake Erie at the Quicken Loans Arena.
Sanford, whose last AHL action came for Peoria on Jan. 12, 2007, was assigned to the Moose by parent-club Vancouver on Thursday.
Michael Grabner proved the game’s lone goal at 17:25 of the first period, with assists going to Mark Cullen and Michel Ouellet.
The Monsters suffered their second straight shutout after blanking their opponent in their previous two games.
HAMILTON 5, SYRACUSE 2
Hamilton built a 3-0 lead and cruised to a 5-2 road win over Syracuse on Saturday at the Onondaga County War Memorial.
Yanick Lehoux and Ben Maxwell each scored twice for the Bulldogs, who also received a goal from Ryan Russell in the winning effort.
AHL All-Star defenseman Yannick Weber posted two assists in the win, and goaltender Loic Lacasse earned the victory with 22 saves on 24 shots.
Michael Blunden and Steve Kelly lit the lamp for the Crunch.
PROVIDENCE 5, HARTFORD 2
Providence captain Jeremy Reich netted a pair of goals to help Providence to a 5-2 road win over Hartford on Saturday before 5,835 fans at the XL Center.
Reich began the game’s scoring with a shorthanded marker 4:13 into the contest, but Hartford’s Artem Anisimov tallied his team-leading 19th goal of the season at 8:06 to tie the score.
Zach Hamill put the Bruins on top for good at 10:47, and the lead was extended on goals by Matt Marquardt and Ned Lukacevic.
The Wolf Pack’s Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau and the Bruins’ Reich extended third-period markers, as Providence snapped a three-game losing skid.
Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask made 39 saves in the winning effort, improving his season record to 18-15-0.
MILWAUKEE 2, IOWA 1
Milwaukee responded to its first regulation loss in 13 games with a 2-1 road win over Iowa on Saturday at the Wells Fargo Arena.
Jed Ortmeyer and defenseman Tim Ramholt scored for the Admirals, who improved to 10-1-2-1 in their last 14 games and opened an 11-point lead on Iowa and Chicago for the West Division lead.
Milwaukee wrapped up a five-game road swing at 3-1-1-0 and opens a stretch of 10 of 13 at home on Sunday against Quad City.
Petteri Wirtanen tallied a power play goal for the Chops, who fell to 1-3-0-1 in their last five games.
GRAND RAPIDS 3, ROCKFORD 2
Grand Rapids scored twice in the first period and held on for a 3-2 road win over Rockford on Saturday in the opener of the teams’ two-game set at the MetroCentre.
Jamie Tardif, Ryan Oulahen, and Darren Haydar all scored for the Griffins, who avoided suffering back-to-back regulation losses for the first time since Nov. 16-18.
Aaron Gagnon posted a pair of assists in the victory, and goaltender Jimmy Howard stopped 24 of 26 shots between the pipes.
Pete MacArthur and Tim Hambly lit the lamp for the IceHogs, who suffered their third straight loss on the heels of a six-game points streak (5-0-0-1).
