LOWELL 6, SPRINGFIELD 1
Alexander Vasyunov, who entered the night with four goals in 27 games this season, scored three times for his first career AHL hat trick as Lowell cruised to a 6-1 win over visiting Springfield on Tuesday at Tsongas Arena.
Vasyunov netted a goal in each period and scored twice on the power play, as the Devils finished 5-for-9 with the man advantage on the night.
Matt Halischuk posted a goal and an assist for Lowell, which also received markers from rookies Brad Snetsinger and Nick Palmieri.
Defenseman Cory Murphy racked up four assists on the night, forward Michael Swift chipped in two helpers, and Devils goaltender Mike McKenna earned the victory with 25 saves on 26 shots in net.
Lowell improved to 4-2-0-0 in its last six games overall and 3-2-0-0 in five meetings with Springfield so far on the season.
Bill Thomas notched a power play goal for the Falcons, whose winless skid now stands at 10 games (0-8-1-1) since a 3-2 shootout triumph at Hershey on Nov. 21.
BRIDGEPORT 2, PORTLAND 0
Goaltender Nathan Lawson snapped a personal three-game winless skid with a 26-save shutout as Bridgeport collected a 2-0 win over visiting Portland at the Arena at Harbor Yard.
Lawson, an AHL All-Rookie Team member last season, earned his first victory since making 47 saves at Abbotsford on Nov. 20 and improved to 6-6-1 on the campaign.
Defenseman Mark Katic and forward Greg Mauldin notched goals for the Sound Tigers, scoring in the second and third periods, respectively. Mauldin’s marker, his team-leading 11th of the season, came shorthanded. Both goals were unassisted.
Bridgeport extended its points streak to four games (3-0-1-0).
ROCHESTER 5, SYRACUSE 3
Rochester continued its domination of Syracuse this season with a 5-3 win over the visiting Crunch on Tuesday at the Blue Cross Arena.
Rookie goaltender Alexander Salak (16-3-0) stopped 39 of 42 shots in net for the Americans, who moved to a perfect 7-0-0-0 against the Crunch on the campaign. The rivals still have three meetings left, all in Syracuse.
Nick Tarnasky netted a pair of goals for Rochester, Jamie Johnson posted a goal and two helpers, while Michael Duco and Brady Calla also scored in the winning effort. The North Division-leading Americans collected just their second win in their last six outings (2-4-0-0).
Defensemen Brent Regner, Dylan Reese, and David Liffiton lit the lamp for Syracuse, which dropped to an AHL-worst 2-12-1-1 on the road this season.
MILWAUKEE 3, HAMILTON 2
Milwaukee scored three times in less than four minutes during the third period and held on for a 3-2 road win over Hamilton at Copps Coliseum.
The host Bulldogs grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first period when David Desharnais netted his ninth goal of the season and fourth in his last four games.
After a scoreless second period, Admirals forward Colin Wilson tallied the equalizer 7:28 into the third. Defenseman Nolan Yonkman’s first goal of the season put Milwaukee on top just 37 seconds later, and Peter Olvecky added an insurance marker on the power play at 11:08.
Olvecky’s goal would prove decisive when Hamilton’s Mathieu Darche – in just his second game back from injury – scored at the 17:47 mark.
Milwaukee rookie goaltender Chet Pickard held on for the victory, finishing with 31 saves on 33 shots. The Admirals extended their season-high winning streak to five games overall.
Hamilton’s six-game points streak (5-0-1-0) came to an end.
PEORIA 4, GRAND RAPIDS 3 (SO)
Barry Tallackson’s fifth-round shootout goal lifted Peoria to a 4-3 win over visiting Grand Rapids at Carver Arena.
Aaron Palushaj and Julian Talbot also netted shootout goals for the Rivermen, and goaltender Ben Bishop denied three of the Griffins’ four tries after stopping 27 of 30 shots through the first 65 minutes.
Talbot, rookie Lars Eller, and Adam Cracknell notched regulation goals for the Rivermen, and Palushaj garnered a pair of assists.
Peoria earned its season-high fourth straight win and improved to 6-1-0-0 in its last seven contests.
The Griffins received regulation markers from Jamie Tardif, Francis Pare, and Patrick Rissmiller, and Michael Nylander assisted on all three goals in his return to Grand Rapids’ lineup.
HOUSTON 5, TEXAS 2
A three-goal third period lifted Houston to a 5-2 road win over intra-state rival Texas on Tuesday at the Cedar Park Center.
The game was deadlocked at 2-2 entering the final 20 minutes until Aeros forward Jon DiSalvatore scored the eventual game-winner unassisted at the 10:51 mark. Jean-Michel Daoust added a power play insurance marker at 17:06, and rookie Chad Rau sealed it with an empty-netter in the closing minute.
Duncan Milroy and Rau notched second-period goals for the Aeros, and defenseman Clayton Stoner finished with two assists on the night.
Houston goaltender Wade Dubielewicz only had to make 12 saves to pick up the victory, as his club won back-to-back games for the first time since a three-game run from Nov. 5-13.
Maxime Fortunus and Francis Wathier scored for the Stars, who have now lost consecutive games of any kind for the first time all season. Texas dropped a 3-2 decision to Rockford on Saturday in its previous outing.
