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Rats Fall 6-5 in Overtime

April 27, 2010 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Albany River Rats News Release


ALBANY, NY - Forward Jay Beagle scored the overtime-winner to lift the Hershey Bears to a 6-5 victory over the Albany River Rats in Game Three of the East Division finals on Tuesday night at the Times Union Center.

The River Rats squandered a third period lead for the third straight game to give the Bears a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven, second round series. The clubs will remain in Albany for Game Four on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m.

Hershey erased a two-goal deficit in the second period to draw even at 3-3 after 40 minutes, but an altercation after the middle frame's final whistle gave Albany a five minute power play to start the third, courtesy of Bears Captain Bryan Helmer's spearing penalty. The River Rats converted on the advantage to take a 4-3 lead at 2:22, with Zach Dalpe's second power play goal of the night, but Hershey leveled the score on a Chris Bourque shorthanded tally at 3:56.

Assistant Captain Mike Angelidis reclaimed Albany's lead at 6:37 on of 3-on-2 feed from Jerome Samson, but the Bears again leveled the score with 3:86 remaining in regulation, when Alexandre Giroux's wrist shot from the outside eluded goalie Justin Peters' glove and forced overtime.

The Bears out-shot Albany 16-7 in overtime, and Beagle came through at 16:08 with a doorstep rebound from Sean Collins.

The River Rats squandered leads of 3-1, 4-3 and 5-4 in the contest, while Hershey never led in the game until their deciding goal.

Albany needed just 4:13 to take its first two-point lead of the series with goals from Dalpe and Oskar Osala. Dalpe's second tally of the playoffs came on the power play at 1:55 with a quick wrist shot to the top right corner. The rookie goal-scorer then assisted on Osala's strike at 4:13, by winning an offensive zone draw and allowing the big winger to drive through the faceoff circle and snap a shot through Bears goalie Braden Holtby's pads.

Ashton Rome put Hershey on the board at 5:31 of the second period, driving wide of Peters and wrapping a backhander around the sprawling netminder to make it a 2-1 game. Albany then recaptured its two-goal cushion at 11:22 on a 3-on-1 rush, which saw puck carrier Drayson Bowman roof a shot on the short side. The Bears cut their deficit to a goal at 13:58 on a tic-tac-toe power play goal by Andrew Gordon, and Hershey made it a 3-3 game at 15:41, when Chris Bourque finished a back-door feed from Mathieu Perreault.

Holtby stopped 27-of-32 shots faced to earn the win, while Peters stopped 37-of-43 shots faced in a loosing effort. The Bears out-shot the River Rats 43-32 and went 1-for-6 on the power play, while Albany went 2-for-4 on the man-advantage.

River Rats 2010 Calder Cup playoff packages are now on sale at the River Rats executive offices at the Times Union Center, by calling (518) 487-2244 or by logging onto www.albanyriverrats.com.

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