Maine Hockey Journal

Pirates halt losing streak at eight games

The streak is over.

Wayne Simpson scored a pair of goals to lift the Portland Pirates out of their season-long eight-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms before 8,422 at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania Sunday afternoon.

Despite the Pirates (32-24-5-2) enduring their longest losing streak of the season and only having three victories in their last 15 games, they managed to earn points in five of their last seven games including this past weekend where they claimed four of a possible six points.

“We’re trying to put ourselves in a position to make the playoffs first and foremost,” said Pirates coach Scott Allen. “If we can do that, we’re going to be battle-tested and battle ready already playing playoff hockey right from the start.”

The Pirates jumped out to a 2-0 lead starting with a goal by Shane Harper in the opening minutes of the first period.

Dalton Smith whistled for interference, gave Portland its first power play of the game only one minute into the game.

Cameron Gaunce fed Kyle Rau the puck from the point who dished to Harper for the redirect in front of the net, beating Phantoms’ goaltender Jason LaBarbera at the 2:57 mark of the of the first period.

The Pirates made it 2-0 when Simpson completed the tic-tac-toe play with Corban Knight and Rob Schremp, who intercepted Christian Marti in the Pirates offensive zone at 9:10 of the first period.

“It’s a credit to our guys to come out and sustain pressure in that first period. To get the power play goal was huge and not too long after that to get the goal by Simpson was big,” Allen said.

Rocco Grimaldi recorded his 16th goal of the season at the 1:17 mark of the second period with a bullet from the right faceoff circle, beating LaBarbera inside for a 3-0 Pirates lead.

“Two goal leads are the toughest to defend because it can swing momentum so quickly,” Allen said, psychologically it can play with your mind whether you’re the team playing with the lead or the team playing from behind.”

Even with the win, Portland is still in a dogfight for a playoff berth as both the Hartford Wolf Pack and Bridgeport Sound Tigers earned victories on Sunday.

The Pirates trail the Sound Tigers by seven points for fourth place in the AHL’s Atlantic Division, but have two games in hand and will face Bridgeport Wednesday at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland. Both teams will also meet a week later in Bridgeport for an 11 am matinee.

Portland and Hartford in are in a statistical dead heat for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Pirates, although trailing the Wolf Pack by one point, currently holds the crossover into the North Division by mere thousandths of a percentage point. Just like with Bridgeport, the Pirates hold a game in hand over the Wolf Pack and will meet the team on two more occasions before the end of the regular season.

Lehigh Valley, who is on their own losing streaking having lost seven straight, made it interesting by breaking through with 7:44 left in the second period as Adam Comrie’s shot from the point deflected off Connor Brickley into the net by Pirates’ goaltender Mike McKenna who finished with 28 saves.

The Phantoms made it interesting late in the third period with LaBarbera (20 saves) pulled for the extra skater, Chris Conner banked a shot off McKenna from behind the net to put within goal, 3-2, at 18:31, but only 22 seconds later Simpson sealed the win for the Pirates with an empty net goal.

“I really like the response of our team this week in regard to five-on-five goals,” said Pirates Scott Allen. “We only allowed two five-on-five goals in three games this weekend.”

NOTES: Former Pirates head coach Tom Rowe was in attendance. Rowe coached the Pirates for the first 29 games before being promoted to Associate General Manager of the Florida Panthers… Former UMaine forward Steven Swavely was in the lineup for the Phantoms. Swavely signed an ATO with the Phantoms after the Black Bears season ended earlier this month.

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