MANITOBA 1, TORONTO 0
Rookie goaltender Eddie Lack posted a 35-save shutout and first-year forward Bill Sweatt provided the game’s only goal as Manitoba took a 1-0 road win over Toronto in a nationally-televised Sunday afternoon matinee at Ricoh Coliseum.
The Moose (32-22-1-5, 70 points) avenged a 3-1 loss to the Marlies on Sunday and moved back into a tie with Hamilton and Lake Erie for first place in the North Division, two points up on Toronto.
Lack picked up his 21st win of the season (21-15-3) and fifth shutout, stopping 14 shots in the first period, eight in the second, and 13 more in the third. The 23-year-old lowered his goals-against average to 2.08, which ranks first among rookies and fifth in the entire AHL.
The game was scoreless until 5:04 of the third period, when Sweatt buried his 15th goal of the campaign – and fourth against the Marlies – off assists by Kevin Connauton and Shawn Weller.
Jonas Gustavsson took the tough-luck loss despite making 29 saves for the Marlies, who dropped to 3-4-0-0 in the season series with Manitoba. The teams have one more regular-season meeting left, in Toronto in Apr. 3.
ADIRONDACK 5, BINGHAMTON 2
Binghamton’s eight-game winning streak ended on Saturday night, and its 11-game points streak (9-0-1-1) followed on Sunday as the Senators suffered a 5-2 loss to Adirondack in Glens Falls, N.Y.
Ex-Senator Denis Hamel joined Mike Testwuide and Ben Holmstrom in registering a goal and an assist for the surging Phantoms, while Zac Rinaldo and Logan Stephenson also found the back of the net.
Michael Ryan and All-Star defenseman Erik Gustafsson posted two assists apiece, and goaltender Michael Leighton stopped 25 of 27 shots between the pipes.
Adirondack has collected a point in nine of its last 10 games (5-1-1-3) and is 13-6-1-6 since beginning the season 7-25-2-0.
Roman Wick and captain Ryan Keller scored for the Senators, who dropped back into a fourth-place tie with Norfolk in the East Division.
HERSHEY 3, BRIDGEPORT 2
Maxime Lacroix snapped a 2-2 deadlock with 8:04 gone in the third period, and Hershey held on to post a 3-2 road win over Bridgeport on Sunday at the Webster Bank Arena.
It marked just the third AHL goal of the season for Lacroix and his first since scoring against Charlotte back on Dec. 19. Two of Lacroix’s three tallies have been game-winners, as he also turned the trick in a 4-0 win over Binghamton on Dec. 4.
After a scoreless first period, the Bears opened up a 2-0 lead in the second on goals by Kyle Greentree and Dmitri Kugryshev, with Keith Aucoin assisting on both markers.
But the Sound Tigers battled back, as rookie Rhett Rakhshani (17:47 of the second) and Justin DiBenedetto (5:24 of the third) netted power play goals to make it 2-2.
Ultimately, though, Bridgeport dropped its third straight game and lost to Hershey for the second time this month, following a 6-4 setback in Chocolatetown on Feb. 19.
Goaltender Todd Ford made 28 saves in net for the Bears, who moved four points up on Charlotte for second place in the East Division and remained eight points back of first-place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
WORCESTER 5, MANCHESTER 2
Jamie McGinn notched a pair of goals as Worcester wrapped up a stretch of four games in five nights with a 5-2 victory over first-place Manchester on Sunday before 5,052 fans at the DCU Center.
McGinn, who has also played 49 NHL games for San Jose this season, potted an unassisted goal just 21 seconds into the second period before adding a shorthanded marker late in the third. He now shows seven goals and 11 points in just 13 games with Worcester on the year.
The Sharks also got goals from T.J. Trevelyan, Tommy Wingels, and defenseman Nick Schaus, while Benn Ferriero and Brandon Mashinter chipped in two assists apiece.
Worcester goaltender Tyson Sexsmith earned the win with 25 saves, as the Sharks improved to 7-3-1-2 in their last 13 contests and jumped into third place in the Atlantic Division, one point up on Springfield and Connecticut.
Corey Elkins registered both goals for the Monarchs, whose three-game winning streak came to an end.
ROCHESTER 2, SYRACUSE 1 (OT)
Defenseman Keaton Ellerby recorded just his second goal of the season at 1:01 of overtime to send red-hot Rochester to a 2-1 win over visiting Syracuse at the Blue Cross Arena on Sunday.
Mark Cullen and defenseman Clay Wilson assisted on the goal by Ellerby, a former first-round draft pick by Florida who has appeared in a career-high 34 games for the Panthers this year.
Michael Dubuc also scored for the Americans; Tim Kennedy picked up an assist in his Amerks debut; and goaltender Tyler Plante (13-10-2) stopped 40 of 41 shots to earn the win in net.
Rochester collected its third straight win, improved to 8-1-0-1 in its last 10 contests, and has risen to within six points of a guaranteed playoff spot in the North Division.
Josh Green recorded Syracuse’s lone goal on the power play midway through the second period.
WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON 5, SPRINGFIELD 4
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton coughed up four one-goal leads before Brett Sterling potted his 20th AHL goal of the year with 1:11 left in regulation, sending the Penguins to a 5-4 win over Springfield on Sunday at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Sterling, who was returned to Wilkes-Barre on Sunday after recording five points (3-2-5) in a seven-game NHL stint with Pittsburgh, also scored at 1:48 of the third period before striking for his third game-winner of the year.
Tim Wallace racked up a game-high three points (1-2-3) for the Penguins, captain Ryan Craig had a goal and an assist, and Zach Sill rounded out the offense. Defenseman Corey Potter contributed a pair of helpers on the afternoon.
Penguins goaltender Brad Thiessen managed to pick up his 26th victory of the campaign (26-6-0) despite surrendering four goals on 17 shots.
Wilkes-Barre improved to 8-2-0-0 in its last 10 games and moved to 44-16-0-0 through 60 contests overall.
Defenseman Nick Holden scored twice and Ben Guite and Brent Regner once apiece for the Falcons, whose three-game winning streak came to an end.
NORFOLK 4, ALBANY 3
Norfolk erased a 3-2 deficit with two goals in the first five minutes of the third period, and the Admirals held on for a 4-3 win over Albany on Sunday at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.
2011 AHL All-Star Johan Harju pulled the Admirals even just 23 seconds into the third frame, and former AHL All-Star Blair Jones followed with the eventual game-winner at the 4:39 mark, with Harju earning an assist.
Norfolk grabbed a 2-0 first-period advantage on power play goals by Troy Milam and Mark Barberio, who finished with three points (1-2-3) in the victory.
But Devils forward Matt Anderson assisted on goals by rookie Adam Henrique and Jay Leach before nabbing one of his own on the power play late in the second, allowing Albany to take a 3-2 lead into the final 20 minutes.
Norfolk goaltender Dustin Tokarski secured the victory in net with 17 saves, helping the Admirals (29-17-8-5, 71 points) move back into a tie for fourth place in the East Division along with Binghamton.
GRAND RAPIDS 5, HAMILTON 2
Defenseman Logan Pyett struck for a hat trick and Grand Rapids scored four second-period goals in total en route to a 5-2 road win over Hamilton on Sunday afternoon at Copps Coliseum.
Pyett, who entered the day with just six goals in 54 games for the season, scored half that many in a span of just 11:06. He began the onslaught at 5:19 of the second frame, followed with another at 10:02, and after Chris Minard scored on the power play at 15:38, Pyett completed his hat trick 47 seconds later.
Ilari Filppula and captain Jamie Tardif registered three assists apiece for the Griffins, who improved to 4-1-0-2 in their last seven outings. Rookie goaltender Jordan Pearce (11-6-5) made 30 saves between the pipes.
Hamilton forward Nigel Dawes netted his 30th goal of the season – and third in as many games since joining the Bulldogs on Friday – and the ‘Dogs also received a score from Aaron Palushaj.
Coupled with Manitoba’s 1-0 win at Toronto, Hamilton dropped into a first-place tie with the Moose and Lake Erie in the North Division.
ROCKFORD 3, HOUSTON 2
Red-hot Jeff Taffe notched his 22nd goal of the season, and Rockford went on to post a 3-2 road win over Houston on Sunday at the Toyota Center.
Taffe, who gave the IceHogs a 1-0 lead early in the second period, extended his AHL season-high points streak to 15 games (10-12-22).
Rob Klinkhammer and Igor Makarov also tallied goals for Rockford, which won for the third time in as many days this weekend and is now on its first three-game winning streak since Jan. 14-17.
IceHogs goaltender Hannu Toivonen (11-12-3) earned the victory with 36 saves on 38 shots.
The Aeros, whose brief two-game winning streak came to an end, received goals from Casey Wellman (power play) and Colton Gillies (shorthanded).
OKLAHOMA CITY 3, TEXAS 2 (SO)
Oklahoma City jumped from sixth place in the West Division to a share of fourth by taking a 3-2 shootout win over host Texas on Sunday at the Cedar Park Center.
Barons forward Mark Arcobello scored in the shootout’s opening round, and after Aaron Gagnon pulled the Stars even in round five, Colin McDonald ended it in the last half of the round when he beat Texas goaltender Richard Bachman (35 saves).
Philippe Cornet and Teemu Hartikainen lit the lamp to give Oklahoma City a 2-0 lead by early in the second period, but the Stars came back on goals by Trevor Ludwig – his first of the season – and Greg Rallo, who netted his team-leading 18th.
Bryan Pitton made 29 saves on 31 shots through the first 65 minutes for the Barons, who improved to 5-2-0-0 in their last seven games.
At 32-21-2-5 (71 points), the Barons are tied with Peoria for the division’s fourth spot, two points back of third-place Texas.
