Pirates find a cure for losing streak

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By PAUL BETIT, Staff Writer Maine Sunday Telegram

Sunday, February 4, 2007

Staff photo by Gordon Chibroski

Portland goalie Sebastien Caron makes a save as Kent Huskins looks to clear the puck on Saturday against Bridgeport.

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WHO: Portland Pirates at Hershey Bears

WHEN: 7 p.m. Wednesday

WHERE: Giant Center, Hershey, Pa.

The Portland Pirates decided enough was enough.

Thoroughly dominating Bridgeport, the Pirates rolled to a 5-1 win to snap a seven-game losing streak before a near-capacity crowd of 6,657 at the Cumberland County Civic Center on Saturday night.

The victory, the first since the Pirates edged Worcester 5-4 in a Jan. 14 shootout, came less than 24 hours after they looked totally out of sync in a 6-1 loss at Providence.

"It was definitely two different teams," said defenseman Kent Huskins.

"Tonight, we played a lot more as a team. It wasn't as scrambly. Everyone focused more on their own jobs. Simple plays. Chipping the puck in. Finishing our hits. Everything kind of flowed off that tonight."

Earlier Saturday, Huskins was named team captain, a position left vacant when Shawn Thornton was called up to the NHL Oct. 28 by Anaheim.

"Husky had a lot of jump in his game tonight," Portland Coach Kevin Dineen said.

"He wasn't going to let this thing slide any further, and he takes a lot of pride in that 'C' on his jersey."

Goalie Sebastien Caron, who played less than 30 minutes in net during the last six weeks with Anaheim, made 23 saves in his first start for the Pirates since Dec. 29.

"He played solid," Dineen said. "I think he's been itching to show what he can do."

The Pirates, who averaged 2.1 goals per game during the losing streak, held a 3-0 lead at the end of the first period.

Matt Keith opened the scoring less than five minutes in, putting in a one-timer while skating down the slot for his eighth goal of the season. Drew Miller set up the score with a centering pass from the bottom of the left circle after Ryan Carter won a faceoff.

At 13:39, Miller lifted the puck inside the near post from the right circle for his seventh goal after Keith circled behind the net and sent the pass from the left side.

With 4:15 left, Shane Endicott, in his third game since joining the Pirates, put in a blast from the middle of the right circle for his first goal.

Defenseman Brandon Nolan, son of New York Islanders Coach Ted Nolan, made it 3-1 by putting in a blast from the left point on a power play for his sixth goal of the season.

With 12 seconds left in the second period, Tim Brent poked a loose puck into the right side of the goal for his 11th goal to make it 4-1.

NOTES: Ryan Shannon was scratched from the Portland lineup.

"Ryan was a precautionary scratch," Dineen said. "He took a vicious elbow to the head in Providence."

Staff Writer Paul Betit can be contacted at 725-8795 or at: pbetit@pressherald.com

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