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By PAUL BETIT, Staff Writer Tuesday, February 6, 2007

After a team has gone more than two months without winning a road game, there probably isn't a better time for them to travel.

That's exactly the frame of mind the Portland Pirates are in as they embark today on their longest trip of the season.

"This is a real road trip," Portland center Geoff Peters said. "We only have one (long trip) a year and I think this is perfect timing. We need a boost to our record and I think this is going to be a good test for our hockey team."

A good test indeed.

During the next 10 days the Pirates will play some of the top teams in the American Hockey League during stops at Hershey, Wilkes-Barre, Norfolk and Philadelphia. They will return for a Feb. 18 game against Worcester at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

"It's a tough road trip," Portland Coach Kevin Dineen said. "You can look at it a lot of ways, but it's not the worst thing in the world. You get to measure yourself against the best in our (conference)."

Portland hasn't won away from the Civic Center since Nov. 24, when it eked out a 2-1 victory at Lowell. Since then it has lost a franchise-record 10 consecutive road games.

The Pirates hope spending 11 days together on the road playing hockey will help them turn things around.

"It's a chance for us to get away as a team, completely away," Peters said. "We're going to be staying at a hotel for 10 days, so it really gives us a chance to do some bonding.

'It's tough to get all the guys together at home to do certain things because guys have families. It's really good when you get 21 guys together on the road and really the main focus is hockey. You don't have any outside influences."

In hockey, perhaps more than any other professional sport, teams play differently on the road than at home.

"Basically, when you play on the road you play simple hockey," Peters said. "You try to do the little things right, so I think the (road trip) is exactly what we need. Road hockey is very simple -- off the glass and out. Sometimes you just want to squeak out wins when you get on the road."

The lengthy trip also is a good way for the players to get to know one another. Ten of the 21 players weren't on the team at the start of the season, and most of the newcomers have arrived since Christmas.

"If you get a road trip early in the year on a new team, it helps bring guys together, so I'm looking forward to getting to the know the guys," said center Joe Motzko, who came in a trade with Columbus 10 days ago.

"I'm a fresh face (on the team), so I think it will be a lot of fun."

Since Christmas the Pirates have fallen from first place into a tie with Lowell for fifth in the Atlantic Division.

A successful record could help send the team in the other direction.

"We're searching to get everybody on board and to find our chemistry," Dineen said. "This is a good way to go to get out together."

The team has been in a state of flux for six weeks.

"We've made some trades. then we jumped into an all-star break where everyone kind of got away from hockey for a few days," Dineen said.

"Now we're going to get on the road and spend some time together, eat together and talk a lot of hockey. It's good timing."

NOTES: Right wing Ryan Shannon, who was scratched from Saturday night's game against Bridgeport as a precautionary measure after he took an elbow to the head during a game at Providence the night before, skated in Monday's practice at the Portland Ice Arena. Goalie Dov Grumet-Morris was released from his professional tryout contract and returned to the ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones. After spending next weekend with the ECHL Augusta Lynx, left wing Trevor Gillies and right wing Simon Ferguson are expected to rejoin the Pirates for a Valentine's Day game in Norfolk.