Pirates Battle Bears in Eastern Conference Showdown

April 14, 2013 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Portland Pirates News Release


Portland, ME - The Portland Pirates look to snap a 3 game losing streak and wrap up a Calder Cup Playoff spot all at once when they face the Hershey Bears at the Cumberland County Civic Center. Puck drop is set for 4 PM for the only matchup between the Pirates and Bears in Portland this season. A Portland win, coupled with a Manchester loss, will clinch a playoff spot for the Pirates for the 15th time in the team's 20 year history. Check out the AHL Playoff Primer here .

The Pirates return home after a road trip to St. John's that saw the IceCaps sweep the two game series by scores of 3-2 and 4-3. Portland had strong performances from Phil Lane (1 goal, 1 assist), Darian Dziurzynski (1 goal, 1 assist), Brendan Shinnimin (1 goal, 1 assist), and Mathieu Brodeur (2 assists) on the trip, but failed to pick up any points in the standings. The two game sweep by St. John's allowed the IceCaps to tie the season series at 4 wins apiece.

Hershey dropped a 4-3 decision to the Manchester Monarchs last night in their second game of a 3 game New England trip. The Bears put 40 shots on Manchester starter Martin Jones, with Joey Crabb, Julien Brouillette, and Nate Schmidt scoring for Hershey, but they were unable to overcome a 3 goal first by the Monarchs. Dany Sabourin stopped 17 of 21 shots faced in the loss.

The Pirates and Bears have only met once this season, with Portland taking a 3-1 win at the Giant Center in Hershey. Chad Johnson got the win for the Pirates, stopping 22 of 23 shots, and the Pirates got goals from Andy Miele, Alexandre Bolduc, and Michael Stone in the win. Braden Holtby, currently with the Washington Capitals, took the loss for Hershey, allowing 3 goals on 34 shots.

The Pirates have received reinforcements for this game, as top goal scorer Chris Brown has returned from Phoenix. In addition, new Pirate Troy Bodie, who was acquired at the AHL trade deadline from Norfolk, and Lucas Lessio, assigned from Oshawa of the OHL, will be in Portland for the series. The Pirates magic number to clinch a spot is 3, meaning that a Portland win and a Manchester loss to Worcester will send the Pirates to the playoffs for the first time in 2 years.

Tonight's game can be heard on AM 1310 WLOB, until the conclusion of the Portland Sea Dogs game, when it will move to 95.5 FM and 95.9 FM WPEI, and online on portlandpiratesradio.com and AHL Live. The pregame show starts at 6:40 with Jeff Mannix.

Tickets are still available by calling (207) 828-4665 ext. 350 or online at ticketmaster.com.



American Hockey League Stories from April 14, 2013


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