Finishing touch

By PAUL BETIT, Portland Press Herald Writer

Copyright © 2006 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

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	Staff photo by Derek Davis Pierre Parenteau of the Pirates reaches from behind Hartford's Thomas Pock and tries to poke away the puck with his stick. Parenteau's overtime goal gave Portland a 5-4 win Sunday and clinched the playoff series.
	Staff photo by Derek Davis Aaron Gavey celebrates after giving Portland a 3-2 lead with a goal 5:24 into the second period Sunday during the Pirates' 5-4 overtime win against Hartford that clinched the playoff series.
	CONFERENCE FINALS WHO: Pirates vs. Hershey Bears GAME 1: 7:05 p.m. Wednesday at Cumberland County CC SERIES: Best-of-seven AT STAKE: Spot in Calder Cup finals To top of story

Pierre Parenteau scored 3:06 into overtime to send the Portland Pirates into the third round of the Calder Cup playoffs for the first time in a decade Sunday night.

Parenteau lifted the rebound of a shot by Zenon Konopka into the left side to propel the Pirates to a 5-4 victory over Hartford in Game 6 of their second-round series before 5,369 fans at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

It was the Pirates' fourth win in the best-of-seven series and puts them into the Eastern Conference finals against Hershey.

It's the first time the Pirates have reached the third round of the playoffs since 1996, when they met Rochester in the Calder Cup finals. Portland will open its best-of-seven series against the Bears Wednesday night at the Civic Center.

"To finish off with a nice overtime win is real exciting stuff," Portland Coach Kevin Dineen said. "We'll get a day to enjoy it and then we will have our hands full again."

Parenteau and Garett Bembridge, who spent most of the season in the ECHL with Idaho, each scored two goals for the Pirates. Konopka had four assists to extend his playoff point streak to a franchise-record 12 games. He has a league-best points streak of 24 games dating back to March 18.

Sunday night's game capped a dramatic series against the Wolf Pack.

"We had to match their intensity," Dineen said. "There were times during that game where they responded and really outplayed us. Those times, I think we recognized the moment and came back."

Portland opened the scoring 11:32 into the game on Parenteau's first goal. Konopka helped set up the score when he intercepted a clearing pass just inside the blue line and poked the puck toward the left boards. Bembridge beat the defender to the puck and sent a centering pass across the left circle into the slot for Parenteau, who whirled and put a shot inside the right post.

Less than 2 minutes later while the teams were skating four-on-four, Hartford's Dwight Helminen finished off a one-on-one rush by sliding a low shot from the left circle inside the far post.

Hartford took a 2-1 lead at 15:09 when Colby Genoway stuffed a wraparound shot inside the right post.

Less than 20 seconds later, Bembridge converted Konopka's pass from the left side by sliding the puck inside the right post.

Portland took a 3-2 lead 5:24 into the second period when Aaron Gavey finished off a three-on-two break, converting Geoff Peters' pass across the slot by lifting a shot from the bottom of the left circle. Rookie Bobby Ryan stole the puck inside the neutral zone to start the break.

Hartford tied the score at 8:47 of the second when Brandon Dubinsky jammed a rebound inside the left post, then took the lead with 1:11 left in the period on a goal by Nigel Dawes, who poked in his own rebound.

Bembridge converted a Hartford turnover into the tying goal. After Konopka knocked the puck away from a Hartford defender in the middle of the right circle, defenseman Bruno St. Jacques poked it to the front of the goal. Bembridge beat goalie Chris Holt to the puck and lifted it past him.

NOTES: The Pirates played without defenseman Kent Huskins, who was out with an unspecified injury after playing in Portland's first 11 playoff games and all 80 regular-season games. . . . Defenseman Nate Saunders, a rookie who missed 60 games during the regular season because of a shoulder injury, made his first appearance in the Portland lineup since Game 4 of the first-round series against Providence. . . . The Wolf Pack played without defensemen Dave Liffiton, out with an ankle injury, and Martin Grenier, serving the first of a two-game suspension because of his actions late in Game 5. . . . Hartford defenseman Brad Smyth, who recently signed to play for Hamburg in the German Elite League next season, made his first appearance since Game 1, and Craig Weller, normally a left wing, moved back to play defense.

Staff Writer Paul Betit can be contacted at 725-8795 or at: