Devils Topple River Rats, 7-4

February 14, 2009 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Albany Devils News Release


ALBANY, N.Y. - The Lowell Devils used a three-goal third period to fend off a rally by the Albany River Rats and win, 7-4, on Saturday at the Times Union Center. Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond led the offensive effort with a pair of goals on the night.

With the Devils holding a 4-2 lead going into the third, the River Rats exploded for two goals in nine seconds to tie things up. Mike Angelidis picked up a loose puck in near corner and snuck a shot from a wide angle through the near post and goalie Jeff Frazee. Jerome Samson then had a snapshot from the slot turned aside, but batted home his own rebound to make it 4-4 at 1:38.

It took only 39 seconds for Lowell to regain its lead as Rod Pelley won a draw back to Anssi Salmela and then tipped the blueliner's slapper down and over the pad of Justin Peters.

The Devils went back up by two with 2:26 left in regulation as the River Rats got caught up ice trying to the even the score and an odd-man rush the other way culminated with Nicklas Bergfors' 10th of the year.

Knotted at two in the second, the Devils went in front thanks to a power play goal by Salmela at 9:52. The Lowell defenseman skated the puck from the red line to the top of the left circle before bombing a slapshot over the glove of starter Daniel Manzato.

Lowell added to its cushion at 16:00 after Mark Fraser pinched in from the Albany blueline to control the puck and fed Jon DiSalvatore for a one-timer from the point that clanged off the left off the left post and into the net. Manzato would leave game after the goal in favor of Peters, having made 13 saves on 17 shots over 36:00 of work.

The River Rats jumped out to a 1-0 lead just 19 seconds into the contest as Dwight Helminen completed a 2-on-1 rush with Joe Jensen.

Letourneau-Leblond helped Lowell tie the game at 6:10 of the first as he broke toward the net after a faceoff win and deflected Matt Spiller's low wrist shot past Manzato. Leblond would add an empty-netter late in the third for his first multi-goal game of the season.

The Devils took their first lead five minutes later when Rod Pelley slid past a check behind the River Rats net and passed toward the crease where Matt Halischuk put the puck into the top corner.

Albany was able to make it a 2-2 game 33.6 seconds before the first intermission as Nick Dodge stole the puck at the Devils blueline and hit Jacub Petruzalek alone in front for a high wrister over Frazee.

The Devils return home on Sunday, February 15 to take on the Portland Pirates at 4:00 p.m. Listen as Ryan Johnston bring you the play-by-by live on 980AM-WCAP or ahllive.com For more information about individual tickets and group packages for Devils home games, call (978) 458-PUCK (7825) or log on to www.lowelldevilshockey.com.



American Hockey League Stories from February 14, 2009


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