LOWELL 5, MANCHESTER 3
Rookie Nathan Perkovich stayed hot with a goal and two assists as Lowell beat Manchester by a 5-3 count on Saturday afternoon at Tsongas Arena.
With the win, the Devils pulled into a tie with the Monarchs atop the Atlantic Division. Both clubs have 27 points, although Manchester has played one fewer game.
Perkovich’s three-point afternoon matched a season high and gave him 12 points (6-6-12) in his last eight contests, including four multiple-point efforts over that span.
Vladimir Zharkov and Michael Swift each registered a goal and an assist for the Devils, while Stephen Gionta and Ben Walter also found the back of the net. Lowell finished 3-for-8 on the power play and received a pair of assists from rookie defenseman Matt Taormina.
Goaltender Jeff Frazee earned the win with 17 saves for the Devils, who improved to 7-1-0-0 in their last eight games.
The Monarchs’ Oscar Moller tallied a pair of power play markers in the loss, and rookie Andrei Loktionov also scored.
GRAND RAPIDS 6, TORONTO 3
Grand Rapids continued its sizzling play of late with a 6-3 road win over Toronto on Saturday afternoon at Ricoh Coliseum.
The Griffins improved to 2-1-0-0 against the Marlies this season and to 11-1-0-0 in their last 12 games overall since beginning the campaign at 1-4-0-0.
Ex-Marlie and rookie Tomas Tatar each put up a goal and two assists for the Griffins, and Evan McGrath netted a pair of goals in the victory. Grand Rapids also received tallies from Mattias Ritola and Jamie Tardif.
Defenseman Jakub Kindl (0-3-3) and forward Patrick Rissmiller (0-2-2) each contributed multiple assists, and Grand Rapids goaltender Daniel Larsson (7-2-0) made 25 saves to pick up his seventh straight win.
Alex Foster scored twice and Jay Rosehill once for the Marlies, who dropped to 1-4-0-1 in their last six contests.
HAMILTON 5, MANITOBA 4 (OT)
Rookie defenseman P.K. Subban scored 3:53 into overtime to lift Hamilton past Manitoba by a 5-4 count on Saturday before 13,582 fans at the MTS Centre.
Defenseman Mathieu Carle scored twice and added two assists for a game-high four points, helping the Bulldogs jump out to a 3-0 second-period lead.
Sergei Kostitsyn registered a goal and two helpers for the Bulldogs, David Desharnais had a goal and an assist, and J.T. Wyman chipped in two assists on the night.
The Moose played catch-up all night long to secure the one standings point, receiving goals from Erik Christensen, Marty Murray, Sergei Shirokov (1-1-2), and the game-tying power play marker from Marco Rosa (1-1-2) at 10:33 of the third frame.
Eric Walsky and Evan Oberg each posted two assists for Manitoba in the losing effort.
Bulldogs goaltender Curtis Sanford emerged with the victory after making 20 saves, helping his club finish 2-2-0-0 on its four-game road trip to Abbotsford and Winnipeg.
PORTLAND 4, NORFOLK 2
Portland rebounded from an early 1-0 deficit to score three straight goals en route to a 4-2 win over visiting Norfolk on Saturday at the Cumberland County Civic Center.
The Pirates won their third straight game since a 2-1 overtime loss to the Admirals on Tuesday and increased their points streak to six games overall (4-0-2-0).
After Justin Keller gave Norfolk a 1-0 lead 7:50 into the contest, Felix Schutz’s first goal of the season tied it for the Pirates at 12:27.
Portland took control in the middle frame, as defensemen Matt Generous and Drew Schiestel both scored their first goals of the campaign to make it a 3-1 game. Norfolk’s Mitch Fritz brought his club within one score at 14:48 of the second, but the Pirates held on and Cody McCormick sealed the win with an empty-netter late in the third period.
Pirates goaltender Jean-Philippe Lamoureux earned the victory with 23 saves in net.
WORCESTER 3, PROVIDENCE 2
With an eighth straight loss looming just 20 minutes away, Worcester rallied for a pair of third-period goals to take a 3-2 road win over Providence at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.
Dwight Helminen tied the contest at 2-2 for the Sharks 11:35 into the third period, scoring his first goal since Nov. 6, and defenseman Joe Callahan netted the game-winner on a power play with 1:58 to play in regulation. It marked Callahan’s first goal of the season.
Rookie Brandon Mashinter posted a goal and an assist for the Sharks, who had dropped a franchise-record seven straight games entering the night. Goaltender Alex Stalock earned the victory with 31 saves in net.
The Bruins grabbed leads of 1-0 and 2-1 on goals by Jamie Arniel and Kirk MacDonald, but Providence could not hang on and saw its modest two-game winning streak come to an end.
SPRINGFIELD 3, HERSHEY 2 (SO)
Springfield rallied from a pair of one-goal deficits in regulation and prevailed over host Hershey in a shootout, 3-2, before 9,024 fans at the Giant Center.
Falcons forward Chad Wiseman scored the lone shootout goal for either side in the third round, and Springfield goaltender Devan Dubnyk denied all five Bears attempts after making 29 saves through regulation and overtime.
Each side scored once in the second and third periods. Keith Aucoin and Alexandre Giroux gave Hershey leads of 1-0 and 2-1, but the Falcons responded each time on markers by Colton Fretter and Ryan O’Marra.
Springfield improved to 5-1-1-0 in its last seven contests, while the Bears’ five-game winning streak ended. Hershey is still 9-1-0-1 in its last 11 outings.
WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON 3, ADIRONDACK 1
A trio of second-period goals lifted Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to a 3-1 win over visiting Adirondack before 6,637 fans at the Wachovia Arena.
The Penguins scored a goal of each variety in the middle frame. Luca Caputi kicked it off with a power play tally at 7:28, Eric Tangradi followed at even strength at 11:42, and Wyatt Smith added a shorthanded marker with 1:24 to play in the stanza.
Adirondack got on the board when defenseman Kevin Marshall scored 6:36 into the third period, but the Phantoms could get no closer and fell to 1-4-0-0 in their last five road games.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goaltender John Curry stopped 29 shots in net to help his club snap a short two-game losing skid.
BINGHAMTON 4, ALBANY 1
Ryan Keller netted two more goals and Josh Hennessy also scored twice to pace Binghamton past visiting Albany by a 4-1 count at the Broome County Arena.
Keller’s two tallies give him a league-leading 13 for the season, and the first-year Senator has found the back of the net in four consecutive games (5-2-7).
Hennessy snapped an 11-game drought with his two goals, both of which came on the power play after Albany had cut the Sens’ lead to 2-1 on a Jamie McBain power play strike midway through the second frame.
It marked the second straight night that the River Rats managed just one goal, both resulting in losses.
Binghamton goaltender Andy Chiodo earned the win with 25 saves, while Albany’s Mike Murphy took the loss despite making 46 saves on the night.
SYRACUSE 2, HARTFORD 1
Syracuse snapped a four-game winless skid (0-3-0-1) with a 2-1 triumph over visiting Hartford on Saturday before 5,416 fans at the Onondaga County War Memorial.
After a scoreless opening 20 minutes, the Crunch grabbed a 2-0 second-period lead on goals by Maksim Mayorov and Kevin Harvey. Mayorov’s tally came shorthanded against a Hartford power play that entered the night ranked first in the AHL this season at 26.5 percent.
It remained a 2-0 Syracuse lead until the Wolf Pack finally got on the board courtesy of a shorthanded goal by defenseman Ilkka Heikkinen with just two seconds to play in regulation.
That marker spoiled the shutout bid for Crunch goaltender Kevin Lalande, who still picked up the victory with 22 saves on 23 shots on net.
Hartford lost in regulation for just the second time in its last 10 contests (7-2-0-1).
BRIDGEPORT 4, ABBOTSFORD 3 (SO)
Bridgeport climbed out of a 3-1 deficit in the third period and then converted all three of its shootout tries to take a 4-3 road win over Abbotsford at the Entertainment & Sports Centre.
The Sound Tigers swept their two-game weekend set with the Heat and improved to 4-0-0-1 in their last five games overall, on the heels of a five-game losing skid.
Sean Bentivoglio netted a pair of regulation goals and converted a shootout attempt for the Sound Tigers. Bentivoglio’s second regulation marker cut Bridgeport’s deficit to 3-2 at 3:39 of the third period, and Jesse Joensuu tallied the equalizer at 11:16. Both goals came on the power play.
Trevor Smith and Greg Moore also registered shootout goals for Bridgeport, and goaltender Scott Munroe denied three of Abbotsford’s four tries after making 41 saves through the first 65 minutes.
Garth Murray notched a pair of regulation goals for the Heat, and Riley Armstrong posted a goal and an assist. Mikael Backlund recorded Abbotsford’s lone shootout tally in the third round.
The Heat are now winless in their last three games, all at home (0-2-0-1), and will begin a four-game road trip on Wednesday in Peoria.
TEXAS 4, ROCKFORD 3 (OT)
Maxime Fortunus’ second goal of the night came 3:52 into overtime as Texas escaped with a 4-3 road win over Rockford at the MetroCentre on Saturday.
Sergei Korostin and defenseman Andrew Hutchinson also scored for the Stars, who built a 2-0 lead late in the second period and held a 3-1 advantage 1:36 into the third.
But Mark Cullen single-handedly knotted it back up for the IceHogs, scoring on the power play at 6:04 and at even strength a little more than 11 minutes later. Defenseman Simon Danis-Pepin also lit the lamp for Rockford, which has alternated wins and losses in its last eight games.
Stars goaltender Brent Krahn extended his personal winning streak to 10 games by making 41 saves on 44 shots in net.
Texas shook off a 4-1 loss in Grand Rapids on Friday and improved to 10-1-2-1 in its last 14 outings.
CHICAGO 3, PEORIA 1
Chicago scored three times in the third period to rally from a 1-0 deficit and skate off with a 3-1 win over visiting Peoria before 11,755 fans at Allstate Arena.
Tim Stapleton tallied the equalizer for the Wolves just 1:14 into the third frame, and Johnny Pohl netted the game-winner 2:06 later. Brett Sterling, who assisted on Stapleton’s marker, added an empty-netter with a minute to play.
Jason Krog chipped in two assists for Chicago, and goaltender Peter Mannino made 40 saves on 41 shots to pick up the win in just his third appearance of the season (2-0-0).
Nicholas Drazenovic gave the Rivermen a 1-0 lead with a power play goal at 10:15 of the opening period. Peoria managed only one goal a night after scoring a season-high seven in a 7-2 win at San Antonio.
