Maine Hockey Journal

Pirates gain point, but lose ground in playoff race

Alan Quine stood at center ice, picked up Tanner Fitz’s long ice pass and skated unabated on a breakaway, lifting a backhander over sprawled out Pirates’ goaltender Sam Brittain for the game-winning goal in overtime.

That’s how the last five weeks have played out for the Portland Pirates. They’ve played well enough to win, but that provides little solace right now for a team that for all practical purposes is on the outside looking in at the Calder Cup playoffs.

The Pirates dropped their eighth straight game, falling to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in overtime, 2-1, Saturday before 5,678 at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

“When they put the effort they put in tonight they deserve more,” said Pirates coach Scott Allen. “You’d be hard pressed to find any weak links throughout our lineup tonight. Everyone competed, everyone bought in, and I thought our guys contributed throughout the game. The only thing we didn’t do was score enough goals.”

I feel like I must have done something in a previous lifetime that affected the City of Portland and Portland Pirates fans, and it’s somehow coming back at me through the team. It’s a tough one to swallow.”

The Pirates (31-24-5-2) have 69 points after earning a point in overtime, but trail the Hartford Wolf Pack by one point after they defeated the Springfield Falcons on Saturday. The Pirates have just two victories in their 14 games (2-6-4-2) and cling to the final playoff spot in the AHL’s Eastern Conference despite being a virtual tie with the Wolf Pack based on percentage points due to a game-in-hand.

The Pirates had seven power plays in the game including a double-minor, five-on-three for a full two minutes and power play that carried over to overtime, but they failed to convert despite having several point blank opportunities.

Trailing by a goal, 1-0, the Pirates would get a prime opportunity to net the equalizer as Bracken Kearns was given a double-minor for attempted head-butting on forward Rocco Grimaldi with 14 seconds left in the first period after both players were involved in a skirmish.

The double-minor carried over to the second period where just 1:11 into the period Colin Markison was whistled for delay of game after shooting the puck over the glass, giving the Pirates a five-on-three power play for a full two minutes.

Although Portland had numerous chances to score including hitting the post three times, they couldn’t solve Sound Tigers’ goalie Chris Gibson.

The Sound Tigers had a different fate on the power play.

Chase Balisy was called tripping at 11:21, putting the Sound Tigers on their first power play of the game.

With 13 seconds left on the man advantage, Mike Halmo redirected Alan Quine’s shot from the point past Brittain at the 13:08 mark of the second period, putting Bridgeport up 1-0. Brittain made 20 saves in the loss.

The Pirates would get their seventh power play of the game with 24 seconds left in regulation when James Wright was called for goalie interference. The power play carried into overtime, but with 23 seconds left Kyle Rau was whistled for hooking, setting up the eventual goal to Quine.

The lone penalty killed by Portland came five minutes into the third period when John McFarland drove to the net and careened into Gibson, injuring the goaltender as well as injuring himself. McFarland was given five-minute major for charging the goaltender as well as a game misconduct, which is likely to be reviewed by the league for further discipline.

Gibson (27 saves) would be replaced by Stephon Williams for the remainder the game, stopping 10 of 11 shots.

“Johnny McFarland is a player that for him to have the success, he has to use his speed, drive wide and bring pucks to the front of the net,” Allen said. “I understand the rule. I understand the thinking behind the rule, but there was no intent for him to injure the goaltender. It was a simple hockey play.”

With a chance to grab an insurance goal and seal the victory, the Sound Tigers could only muster one shot on goal during the five-minute major power play.

“It was a tremendous penalty kill on a five-minute major,” said Allen. It’s so misleading tonight. We went 0-for-7 on the power play, and they went 2-for-3 including the game-winner in overtime. We hit at least three posts on our power plays tonight.”

The lone goal by Portland came with 4:16 left in regulation after Corbin Knight won the faceoff to Mike Matheson for a slap shot through a screen, beating Williams for his sixth goal of the season.

NOTES: McFarland is expected to miss Sunday’s after sustaining an injury in the third period… Brent Regner returned to the lineup after missing four games with an injury.

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