MILWAUKEE 5, CHICAGO 4
Third-year pro Kelsey Wilson scored twice in a span of 37 seconds late in the third period, turning a 4-3 deficit into a 5-4 victory for Milwaukee over division-rival Chicago on Friday in front of 8,510 fans at the Bradley Center. Wilson marked his 10th and 11th goals of the season, a new career high.
The Admirals initially took a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes on goals by Cody Franson and Ryan Maki. But Joey Crabb scored shorthanded and Spencer Machacek on the power play for Chicago to make it a 2-2 game at the second intermission.
Patric Hornqvist put Milwaukee back on top with a power play score just 1:26 into the final stanza. The Wolves’ Brett Sterling tied it at 4:52, and Jordan LaVallee gave the visitors their first lead of the night at the 13:57 mark.
That set the stage for Wilson’s heroics. He scored on the power play at the 15:28 and followed that up with an even strength tally at 16:05.
Admirals goaltender Drew MacIntyre held the fort over the final four minutes, finishing with 28 saves to pick up his league-leading 22nd victory of the season (22-9-1).
WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON 4, HERSHEY 3 (SO)
Janne Pesonen and Connor James tallied the only shootout goals for either side as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton rallied past visiting Hershey by a 4-3 final before 8,114 fans at the Wachovia Arena on Friday.
Hershey held leads of 1-0 and 3-1 on a goal by Quintin Laing and two from AHL All-Star Chris Bourque, one shorthanded and the other on the power play. The latter came 2:42 into the third period.
But the Penguins fought back, as rookies Luca Caputi (9:24) and Dustin Jeffrey (17:31) tallied goals to even the score. Jeffrey’s game-tying marker came unassisted.
After a scoreless overtime, Penguins goaltender John Curry stifled all four of the Bears’ shootout tries. Curry made 46 saves through regulation and overtime to earn the win.
The victory moved Wilkes-Barre/Scranton two points up on Bridgeport for second place in the East Division, nine points back of the Bears.
ROCHESTER 3, GRAND RAPIDS 2 (SO)
Rochester rallied from two goals down and eventually secured a 3-2 shootout win over host Grand Rapids before 7,745 fans at Van Andel Arena.
Rookie Michael Duco and David Brine tallied regulation goals for the Americans, and Ross Carlson netted the only shootout marker for either side after being signed by the Amerks earlier in the day.
The Griffins initially took a 2-0 advantage when Sergei Kolosov (first as a professional) and Ryan Oulahen scored 1:44 apart in the second period. Grand Rapids fell to 4-4 in shootouts this season.
AHL All-Star goaltender Mike Brodeur stopped all five Grand Rapids shootout tries after making 35 saves through the first 65 minutes, as the Amerks ended a three-game slide (0-2-0-1).
HARTFORD 3, BRIDGEPORT 1
Jordan Owens scored the game-winner and added an assist to lead Hartford over visiting Bridgeport by a 3-1 count at the XL Center.
Newly-named team captain Greg Moore and Mike Ouellette also scored for the Wolf Pack, and defenseman Michael Sauer chipped in a pair of assists. Goaltender Matt Zaba made 25 saves in the winning effort.
The victory allowed the Wolf Pack to move into a three-way tie with Providence and Portland for first place in the Atlantic Division. All three teams have 53 points and sit one point up on fourth-place Worcester.
Trevor Smith scored for the Sound Tigers, who are winless in three straight games (0-2-1-0) for the first time all season.
MANCHESTER 3, LOWELL 0
Rookie goaltender Jonathan Bernier made 33 saves for his second shutout of the season as Manchester snapped its three-game losing streak with a 3-0 road win over Lowell at Tsongas Arena.
Scott Parse netted a pair of first-period goals for the Monarchs, with Justin Azevedo and Vladimir Dravecky picking up the assists on both markers.
It remained 2-0 until the closing minute, when Trevor Lewis added an empty-net goal unassisted and shorthanded.
The Devils saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.
TORONTO 4, HAMILTON 2
Tim Stapleton registered two goals and an assist for a game-high three points as Toronto doubled up provincial rival Hamilton by a 4-2 count on Friday at Ricoh Coliseum.
Stapleton leads the Marlies with 39 points (8-31-39) in 41 games this season, and Friday marked his first multiple-goal effort of the campaign.
Jiri Tlusty and Kyle Rogers also lit the lamp for the Marlies, and goaltender Justin Pogge earned the victory with 18 saves on 20 shots.
Toronto moved to 2-0-0-0 thus far on its season-high 11-game homestand, which continues on Saturday afternoon when Rockford visits town.
Mike Glumac and Brock Trotter netted power play goals for the Bulldogs, who suffered their first regulation loss to Toronto all season (4-1-2-0).
PORTLAND 4, PROVIDENCE 2
Portland rallied for straight goals after falling into a 2-0 hole and emerged with a 4-2 road win over Providence on Friday before 8,333 fans at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.
After a scoreless first stanza, Providence took a 2-0 advantage on second-period markers from Matt Marquardt and Jordan Knackstedt.
But the Pirates’ Aaron Slattengren and Colton Fretter scored just 32 seconds apart later in the period, and Fretter broke the 2-2 tie with his second of the night 9:57 into the third period.
Defenseman Mike Weber added an empty-netter for his first goal of the season, and goaltender Jhonas Enroth earned the victory with 22 saves on 24 shots.
With 53 points, the Pirates pulled into a three-way tie for first place in the Atlantic Division with the Bruins and Hartford, which defeated Bridgeport on Friday.
WORCESTER 3, SPRINGFIELD 1
Lukas Kaspar registered a goal and an assist to help host Worcester to a 3-1 win over Springfield on Friday at the DCU Center.
Kaspar’s unassisted tally at 3:16 of the third period proved to be the game-winner, helping the Sharks move to 4-1-0-0 against the Falcons this season.
Rookie Steven Zalewski also scored for the Sharks, and Riley Armstrong potted his team-leading 17th goal of the year into an empty-net in the game’s closing minute.
Worcester goaltender Thomas Greiss earned the victory with 16 saves on 17 shots, as the Sharks positioned themselves one point back of a trio of teams currently occupying first place in the Atlantic Division.
Guillaume Lefebvre netted the Falcons’ lone goal midway through the third period.
NORFOLK 4, ALBANY 1
Radek Smolenak tallied his first career AHL hat trick as Norfolk completed a two-game sweep of Albany with a 4-1 win over the River Rats on Friday at the Scope.
Smolenak scored once in each period for the Admirals, who also received a marker from Brandon Bochenski. Bochenski leads the team with 16 goals on the season, while Smolenak is second with 15.
Norfolk goaltender Mike McKenna was solid in the winning effort, making 43 saves on 44 shots, while Albany’s Justin Peters took the loss with 42 saves.
Pat Dwyer tallied the River Rats’ lone goal of the night on the power play in the third period.
LAKE ERIE 3, SYRACUSE 0
AHL All-Star goaltender Tyler Weiman made 19 saves for his league-leading sixth shutout of the season as Lake Erie cooled off Syracuse with a 3-0 road win on Friday at the Onondaga County War Memorial.
The teams played a scoreless first period, but Monsters forward Matt Hendricks broke the deadlock at 6:25 of the middle frame, scoring his second goal of the season.
That goal held up, and Bryan Marshall and Per Ledin added empty-net markers in the game’s closing minute.
The Monsters have now visited Syracuse twice this season, and Weiman has posted a shutout both times. He made 28 saves in a 4-0 win on Dec. 20
The loss ended Syracuse’s points streak at four games (3-0-1-0).
SAN ANTONIO 4, QUAD CITY 2
San Antonio rallied four three third-period goals en route to a 4-2 win over visiting Quad City at the AT&T Center.
Rookie Kevin Porter registered a pair of goals for the Rampage on the night, while fellow first-year pros Chad Kolarik and Brett MacLean also lit the lamp.
Captain Jeff Hoggan chipped in with two assists, and goaltender Josh Tordjman earned the win with 37 saves on 39 shots.
Kyle Greentree and AHL All-Star defenseman Brett Palin netted goals for the Flames, who wrapped up a nine-game road swing at 2-4-1-2.
PEORIA 4, IOWA 3 (SO)
Julian Talbot and Jonathan Filewich each scored in regulation and the shootout as Peoria edged Iowa by a 4-3 count in the front end of a home-and-home set at Wells Fargo Arena.
Justin Fletcher also scored in regulation for the Rivermen, while Nicholas Drazenovic added a shootout marker. Peoria has now won consecutive games for the first time since Dec. 21-26.
Defenseman Andy Wozniewski contributed two assists in the victory, and rookie goaltender Ben Bishop made 31 saves through the first 65 minutes before stopping three of four in the shootout.
T.J. Trevelyan and Adrian Veideman each posted a goal and a helper for the Chops, and Trevelyan garnered Iowa’s lone shootout score.
The teams will square off for a rematch on Saturday at Carver Arena in Peoria.
ROCKFORD 4, MANITOBA 1
Rockford captain Tim Brent tallied a pair of goals to lead Rockford over Manitoba by a 4-1 final on Saturday, giving the IceHogs a sweep of the teams’ two-game set at the MTS Centre.
Danny Groulx and Adam Pineault also netted goals for the IceHogs, Mike Radja posted two assists, and goaltender Antti Niemi made 28 saves between the pipes.
Rockford concludes its stretch of three road games in three nights on Saturday in Toronto.
Pierre-Cedric Labrie netted the lone goal for the Moose.
HOUSTON 3, BINGHAMTON 2
Houston rallied from a 2-0 first-period deficit to take a 3-2 win over visiting Binghamton on Friday before 11,838 fans at the Toyota Center.
Krys Kolanos – in his first game since being reassigned by parent-club Minnesota – began the comeback with a power play goal three minutes into the second period. Kolanos has now scored at least one goal in 12 of his 20 AHL games with the Aeros this season.
AHL All-Star Corey Locke tied the score at 2:44 of the third period, and defenseman Brandon Rogers netted the game-winner at 14:56. Benoit Pouliot and Clayton Stoner each assisted on both the tying and winning markers.
Aeros goaltender Nolan Schaefer picked up the victory with 21 saves on 23 shots in net.
Rookie Zack Smith and Greg Mauldin lit the lamp to give the Senators a 2-0 lead after the opening frame.
