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IceCaps Rally for Fourth Straight Win

February 23, 2014 - American Hockey League (AHL)
St. John's IceCaps News Release


John Albert's shorthanded tally keyed a four-goal third period as the IceCaps rallied for a 6-5 win over the Portland Pirates Sunday at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

Down 3-1 heading into the final frame, the IceCaps burst out with five goals en route to their fourth straight win to finish their six-game road trip with a 4-1-0-1 record.

Albert scored twice for St. John's while Eric O'Dell, Kyle MacKinnon and Zach Redmond notched two assists apiece. Blair Riley, Will O'Neill, Jerome Samson and Kael Mouillierat also scored, and Tyler Beskorowany stopped 31 shots in his IceCaps debut.

Portland struck first on a power play midway through the opening frame after Patrice Cormier was penalized for interference. David Rundblad's point shot was redirected in front by Tobias Rieder and past Beskorowany to make it 1-0 Pirates.

The IceCaps tied the game on a power play of their own late in the first with just over a minute to play. Andrew Gordon's blast was deflected nicely by Albert past Mark Visentin to make it a 1-1 game.

The Pirates' fifth-ranked power play converted once again early in the second period. With Jerome Samson in the box, Andy Miele found a seam and fed Brandon McMillan at the side of the net. McMillan fired a quick shot into the back of the net to put the Pirates on top 2-1.

After failing to convert on a power play towards the latter stages of the second, the IceCaps found themselves down 3-1. Brandon Yip exited the penalty box and carried the puck into the IceCaps zone before wristing a shot at the net from a bad angle. The puck squeezed through Beskorowany's pads and into the back of the net.

Just 16 seconds into the third, the IceCaps jumped right back into the game on yet another shorthanded goal from Albert, his sixth of the season and second in as many games. MacKinnon's work behind the net paid off as he forced a turnover and fed the puck out front to Albert, who went upstairs to beat Visentin to narrow the gap to 3-2.

St. John's evened the score at 6:36 of the third on Riley's fifth of the season. Jordan Hill's shot from the left side bounced directly to Riley at the right circle, and the IceCaps' forward banged in the rebound to make it 3-3.

The IceCaps kept coming just minutes later on the power play. Redmond fed a pass to O'Neill on the right point and the second year pro bombed a one-timer past Visentin for a 4-3 St. John's lead.

At the 10:35 mark, the IceCaps got some much-needed insurance on Samson's 18th. After a scoring chance by JC Lipon, Samson picked up the loose puck in the crease and went to the backhand to beat Visentin and make it a 5-3 score.

Kael Mouillierat stuffed in his 16th of the season with 1:33 left for what appeared to be the icing on the cake, but Portland scored twice in the final minute and a half, including Rieder's second of the game with just six seconds left, as Mouillierat's marker stood as the game-winner.

The IceCaps return home to face the Binghamton Senators next weekend, the start of a seven-game home stand at Mile One Centre. Catch all the action with broadcaster Brian Rogers on Rogers TV, www.stjohnsicecaps.com and 930 AM, or watch online at www.ahllive.com. Pregame show gets underway at 7:00.

Notes: Not dressed for St. John's: Josh Lunden, Ryan Schnell, Cody Lampl, Kris Fredheim, Austen Brassard, Eddie Pasquale... Kael Mouillierat returned to the lineup after missing the last two games with the flu... Kyle MacKinnon extended his point streak to four games (3G, 6A), all multi-point efforts... John Albert's six shorthanded goals are three more than the next highest total in the AHL. Albert has five goals in his last five games... St. John's has scored at least six goals in each of its last three trips to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee... Molson Canadian Three Stars: 1. John Albert 2. Kyle MacKinnon 3. Tobia Rieder ... Mary Brown's Hardest Working Player: Julian Melchiori.



American Hockey League Stories from February 23, 2014


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