PEORIA 3, ROCKFORD 2 (OT)
2009 AHL All-Star defensemen Jonas Junland scored his second goal of the game 2:55 into overtime to give Peoria a 3-2 win over visiting Rockford on Sunday at Carver Arena. The Rivermen climbed out of a 2-0 first-period deficit to earn their first victory of the 2009-10 campaign.
Rockford grabbed an early 2-0 edge in its season opener on the strength of goals from Danny Bois and Derek Nesbitt, the latter on the power play. Bois assisted on Nesbitt’s marker for a multiple-point afternoon.
Junland began Peoria’s comeback with a power play strike of his own at 16:04 of the opening period, and the Rivermen converted on another man advantage try when newcomer Barry Tallackson scored 1:16 into the second frame.
It remained a 2-2 game through the remainder of the second and third periods, leading up to Junland’s overtime winner, which was assisted by Brendan Bell and Nicholas Drazenovic.
Goaltender Hannu Toivonen made 32 saves on 34 shots to pick up his first AHL victory since Apr. 12, 2008.
PROVIDENCE 6, SPRINGFIELD 2
Jeff LoVecchio and Brad Marchand each tallied two goals as Providence opened its season with a 6-2 win over visiting Springfield on Sunday before 8,874 fans at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.
The Bruins surrendered the game’s first goal to Springfield’s Chris Minard – his second in as many nights – but then scored six of the final seven markers.
Marchand, who finished second in the AHL’s rookie scoring race last season, scored once in the first period and once in the second on Sunday. LoVecchio registered a goal in the first and third frames.
Defenseman Andy Wozniewski, signed in the offseason by parent-club Boston, posted a goal and two assists for the Bruins, and fellow offseason acquisition Trent Whitfield also had a goal and two helpers.
Goaltender Dany Sabourin earned the victory in his Providence debut with 21 saves on 23 shots.
Ryan O’Marra also scored for the Falcons, who finished 1-1-0-0 on opening weekend.
TORONTO 3, HAMILTON 2 (SO)
Toronto scored on four of its five shootout attempts to take a 3-2 win over visiting Hamilton on Sunday at Ricoh Coliseum in both teams’ season opener.
Jiri Tlusty, Tyler Bozak, Andre Deveaux, and Alex Foster each registered shootout goals for the Marlies, and goaltender Joey MacDonald denied Hamilton’s final two attempts after allowing goals in the first two rounds to Brock Trotter and Mathieu Darche.
Toronto received regulation markers from Kyle Rogers and Ben Ondrus, who tied the game at 2-2 with 7:49 to play in the third period.
Alex Berry had two assists in the win, and MacDonald stopped 32 of 34 shots through regulation and overtime in the winning effort.
Trotter and J.T. Wyman tallied regulation goals for the Bulldogs.
