SAN ANTONIO 7, ROCKFORD 2
Recent acquisition Alexandre Picard netted a pair of goals – including the game-winner – as San Antonio stormed back from an early 2-0 hole to run away with a 7-2 win over visiting Rockford on Sunday at the AT&T Center.
Picard, playing in his third game for the Rampage after being acquired by parent-club Phoenix from the Columbus organization at the NHL trade deadline, notched his second multiple-point
game of the season and first since tallying a hat trick for Syracuse on Feb. 14.
The IceHogs, coming off a 4-1 win over San Antonio on Saturday, started this one quickly, as Bryan Bickell scored just 34 seconds after the opening face-off and Matt Keith converted a power play chance less than four minutes later.
But Kyle Turris got San Antonio on the board at 6:33, and captain Jeff Hoggan potted an unassisted shorthanded goal to make it 2-2 after 20 minutes.
Picard then broke the tie with a power play goal 1:49 into the third and provided insurance 2:55 later, with Brett MacLean assisting on both markers.
David Schlemko, defenseman Sasha Pokulok, and MacLean all added goals for the Rampage. MacLean and Turris each had a goal and two helpers, Hoggan finished with 1-1-2, and Joel Perrault chipped in three helpers.
The seven goals matched a season high for the Rampage, who previously accomplished it on both Oct. 17 and Oct. 18 vs. Grand Rapids.
San Antonio goaltender Josh Tordjman finished with 27 saves on 29 shots in net.
HERSHEY 4, ADIRONDACK 2
Hershey rallied for three goals in the third period to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 win over visiting Adirondack before a sellout crowd of 10,645 fans at the Giant Center.
The Bears extended an AHL record with their 23rd consecutive home victory since a 5-4 shootout loss to the Phantoms back on Nov. 28.
Hershey’s 24-game home points streak (23-0-0-1) has tied the overall AHL regular-season record, first accomplished by the Springfield Falcons spanning parts of the 1996-97 and 1997-98 campaigns.
All three third-period goals came on the power play, with defenseman Zach Miskovic, Keith Aucoin, and Boyd Kane doing the honors. Kane, who also lit the lamp in the first period, scored into an empty net in the game’s closing minute.
Chris Bourque contributed two assists for Hershey, and goaltender Michal Neuvirth earned the win with 20 saves between the pipes.
Andreas Nodl and Rob Bellamy potted goals for Adirondack, which has now dropped a season-high four straight games in regulation.
BRIDGEPORT 2, MANCHESTER 1 (OT)
Defenseman Jon Gleed netted his first career American Hockey League goal 1:41 into overtime to lift Bridgeport to a 2-1 road win over Manchester at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Sunday.
Trevor Smith and Mike Radja earned assists on the goal by Gleed, who hadn’t scored in any of his previous 107 AHL contests, including 54 for the Sound Tigers this season.
Rookie Corey Elkins gave the Monarchs a 1-0 lead late in the first period, but defenseman Jake Gannon tied it for Bridgeport in the final minute of the second frame.
Bridgeport goaltender Nathan Lawson earned the victory with 26 saves in net, while Jonathan Bernier made 38 saves in the losing effort for Manchester.
The Sound Tigers won their third game in as many days and are now on their longest winning streak since capturing three straight victories from Nov. 15-21.
CHICAGO 5, LAKE ERIE 4 (SO)
Matt Anderson’s goal in the eighth round of a shootout proved decisive as Chicago escaped with a 5-4 win over visiting Lake Erie before 7,026 fans at Allstate Arena.
Chicago’s Kevin Doell and Andrew Kozek traded conversions with Lake Erie’s Brian Willsie and Kevin Porter in the initial phase of the shootout. Wolves forward Jason Krog scored in the seventh round, but Brett Skinner answered for the Monsters.
After Anderson’s eight-round conversion, Chicago goaltender Peter Mannino denied the Monsters’ Randy Rowe to secure the victory.
Kozek scored twice and Anderson and defenseman Grant Lewis once apiece in regulation for Chicago, which built a 4-1 lead late in the second period. Spencer Machacek chipped in a trio of assists.
But the Monsters rallied back to a draw on goals by defenseman Brian Fahey, Porter, and Philippe Dupuis, who tied it with 6:01 to play. Ex-Chicago captain Darren Haydar also scored for the Monsters, who closed to within four points of Manitoba for fourth place in the North Division.
Chicago improved to 3-5 in shootouts this season and upped its current points streak to six games (4-0-1-1).
ROCHESTER 3, PORTLAND 2
Jeff Taffe notched the game-winning goal with just 1:05 left in regulation as Rochester edged Portland by a 3-2 count at HSBC Arena in Buffalo, N.Y., on Sunday.
Mike York earned the lone assist on Taffe’s 23rd goal of the season, which snapped a 2-2 deadlock.
Taffe and York each finished with a goal and an assist on the afternoon, while Victor Oreskovich netted a goal for the Americans.
Goaltender Tyler Plante earned the win with 28 saves between the pipes, helping the Amerks to their fourth consecutive win and sixth in their last seven outings (6-1-0-0). Rochester is now on its longest winning streak since taking four in a row from Nov. 14-27.
Rookie Travis Turnbull and Cody McCormick scored for the Pirates, who have lost three straight games and are just 2-5-0-0 in their last seven contests.
TORONTO 3, HARTFORD 2 (OT)
Brendan Mikkelson beat the buzzer with a goal at 4:58 of overtime, sending Toronto to a 3-2 win over visiting Hartford at Ricoh Coliseum on Sunday.
Mikkelson, who had been without a goal in his previous 17 games since scoring vs. Syracuse on Jan. 24, beat Hartford goaltender Chad Johnson to give the Marlies just their second overtime victory of the season (2-5).
The Wolf Pack, who have won a league-leading games in overtime this season, are now 0-4 in their last four contests decided in the extra session.
Jeff Hamilton and Justin Hodgman staked the Marlies to a 2-0 lead by 4:39 of the second period. But ex-Marlie Kris Newbury brought the Wolf Pack within 2-1 on a power play goal late in the second, and Donald Brashear tied it up 7:38 into the third period with his first AHL goal since skating for Fredericton in the 1994-95 season.
Marlies goaltender James Reimer stopped 22 of 24 shots in the winning effort, helping his club snap a three-game losing skid.
LOWELL 3, PROVIDENCE 2 (SO)
Patrick Davis and rookie Nick Palmieri notched shootout goals as Lowell edged Providence by a 3-2 count before 8,378 fans at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center on Sunday.
Devils goaltender Mike McKenna turned aside all four of the Bruins’ attempts after making 33 saves through regulation and overtime, as Lowell snapped an 0-4 run in shootout contests since collecting its only prior shootout victory, a 4-3 decision at Springfield on Oct. 23.
Matt Halischuk and Davis scored in regulation for the Devils, and Halischuk was denied on a third-period penalty shot attempt by B’s goaltender Matt Dalton, who finished with 28 saves.
Jordan Knackstedt and Jamie Arniel had goals for the Bruins, with Arniel’s power play marker at 13:42 of the third period ultimately sending the contest to overtime.
Providence, which lost for the first time in six trips to the shootout this season (5-1), fell three points back of Bridgeport for the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot.
PEORIA 4, MILWAUKEE 2
Cam Paddock tallied a pair of goals to help Peoria double up host Milwaukee by a 4-2 count on Sunday before 8,391 fans at the Bradley Center.
Paddock scored the eventual game-winning marker at 13:34 of the third period to make it a 3-1 Peoria lead. After Nick Spaling brought Milwaukee within 3-2 with 1:39 to play, Paddock buried an empty-netter to give him his first multiple-goal showing in 244 career AHL games.
Rookies Brett Sonne and Lars Eller also scored for the Rivermen, who received a pair of assists from defenseman Justin Fletcher.
Peoria goaltender Joe Fallon stopped 29 shots in the winning effort, as the Rivermen won their third straight game and moved to 5-1-0-1 in their last seven outings.
Milwaukee defenseman Jonathan Blum tallied a goal, and Hugh Jessiman assisted on both Admirals scores. The Ads finished 0-2-0-1 on their three-game weekend.
SYRACUSE 4, BINGHMATON 3 (OT)
Syracuse defenseman David Liffiton scored 2:26 into overtime to give the Crunch a 4-3 road win over Binghamton on Sunday at the Broome County Arena in the division rivals’ first clash since the Feb. 20 Mirabito Outdoor Classic.
Recent acquisitions Chad Kolarik (1-2-3) and Greg Moore (2-0-0) combined for five points in regulation for the Crunch, and Jordan LaVallee-Smotherman assisted on all three regulation goals.
Brendan Bell and Jared Aulin earned assists on Liffiton’s overtime winner, which lifted the Crunch to 1-3 in the extra session this season. Syracuse had been the only AHL team yet to collect an overtime victory on the campaign.
Crunch goaltender Kevin Lalande earned the win with 37 saves on 40 shots in net, as Syracuse remained five points back of Bridgeport for the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot.
Martin St. Pierre registered his 20th goal for the Senators, while Kaspars Daugavins and Josh Hennessy also scored. Binghamton’s season-high three-game winning streak came to an end.
