Tuesday roundup: Devils edge Pirates, 2-1

Tuesday’s AHL Boxscores

LOWELL 2, PORTLAND 1
Lowell wrapped up a three-game road swing with a 2-1 victory over Portland at the Cumberland County Civic Center on Tuesday. Alexander Vasyunov tallied the game-winner for the Devils, who improved to 10-4-0-0 in their last 14 contests.

Patrick Davis gave the Devils a 1-0 lead by scoring a power play goal at 17:44 of the opening period, with Cory Murphy and Olivier Magnan picking up assists.

It remained a 1-0 game until Vasyunov padded his team’s lead with another power play marker 7:29 into the third frame. Murphy earned his second assist of the night, and rookie defenseman Matt Taormina also helped on Vasyunov’s 11th goal of the season.

First-year defenseman T.J. Brennan registered his first professional goal – also on the power play – to put the Pirates on the board with 6:13 to go in regulation, but Portland was unable to tie it up.

Portland, playing its first home game since Dec. 31, dropped to 0-2-1-0 in its last three tilts at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

Ex-Pirate goaltender Mike McKenna earned the win with 29 saves for the Devils, who have won four of their last five games (4-1-0-0) and moved back into second place in the Atlantic Division, one point ahead of Worcester. The Sharks have played three fewer games.

TEXAS 2, SAN ANTONIO 0
Making just his second AHL appearance of the season, Texas goaltender Todd Ford pitched a 36-save shutout to pace the Stars to a 2-0 win over visiting San Antonio at the Cedar Park Center on Tuesday.

Ford, who took a 5-4 shootout loss at Manitoba on Jan. 2 in his first AHL outing of the year, preserved the victory by stopping all 17 shots sent his way during the third period.

2010 AHL All-Star defenseman Ivan Vishnevskiy provided all the offense Texas would need at 10:39 of the opening period, scoring on the power play for his sixth goal of the season.

Rookie Sergei Korostin provided insurance 6:32 into the third frame, and defenseman Garrett Stafford assisted on both markers.

Texas won for just the second time in its last nine games (2-5-0-2), while the Rampage lost in regulation for only the second time in their last nine outings (6-2-0-1).

MANITOBA 4, ABBOTSFORD 3 (OT)
Manitoba recovered from a 2-0 deficit after the first period to post a 4-3 overtime win at Abbotsford on Tuesday before a sellout crowd of 7,046 at the Entertainment & Sports Centre.

Former AHL All-Star Lawrence Nycholat tallied the game-winner just 39 seconds into overtime, with 2010 AHL All-Star Sergei Shirokov picking up the lone assist for his second helper of the night.

After the Moose fell behind 2-0, Eric Walsky and Marco Rosa scored less than two minutes apart in the second period to tie it up.

Ex-Moose Jason Jaffray put the Heat back on top before the second frame was out, but Rosa came through again for Manitoba with a power play goal 9:40 into the third period.

Manitoba goaltender Cory Schneider earned the victory with 29 saves on 32 shots.

David Van der Gulik and J.D. Watt also notched goals for the Heat, who will seek revenge when they host the Moose again on Wednesday night.