Monday, March 5, 2007
UP NEXT
WHO: Worcester Sharks at Pirates
WHEN: 7:05 p.m. Wednesday
Defenseman Brian Salcido scored 2:51 into overtime Sunday to lift the Portland Pirates to a 5-4 victory over the Norfolk Admirals.
Salcido's rising slap shot from the top of the right circle brought a sudden end to the Pirates' seesaw game with the AHL's top team, played before 4,438 fans at the Cumberland County Civic Center.
"We looked like we weren't going to be denied tonight," Portland Coach Kevin Dineen said. "It was a hard-fought game."
The win enabled Portland, which remained in sixth place in the Atlantic Division, to pull to within four points of fourth-place Worcester in the race for the division's fourth and final playoff spot.
"It's two points for us," Dineen said. "It was a game we had to have, and I thought we responded well."
The game was the last on the Admirals' 20-day trip.
"We caught a tired team and took advantage of it, and we brought it home in the end," Dineen added.
The Pirates have won three of four games in the season series with the Admirals, earning seven of a possible eight points.
"It's just a confidence booster for us," said Mike Hoffman, who had a goal and an assist. "To come in and beat one of the best teams in the league is just what we need to make a good playoff run."
The Pirates took the lead at 8:54 of the first period when rookie Drew Miller dived to poke a loose puck into the right side of the net after goalie Mike Brodeur, who had lost his blocker, was forced to borrow a stick from one of his defenseman.
Less than four minutes later, Norfolk's Troy Brouwer went to the backhand to slip a rebound past goalie Sebastien Caron for a power-play goal.
Portland regained the lead less than two minutes into the second period when Ryan Carter scored from the middle of the left circle.
The Admirals tied it again at 3:25 of the second while on a power play when former Pirate Pierre Parenteau lifted a hard shot from the left circle inside the far post.
It took the Pirates less than a minute to move back into the lead. Mark Hartigan sent the rebound of his own shot inside the right post for his team-high 23rd goal of the season at 4:02.
With 3:51 left in the second, Hoffman finished off a rush down the left side by sticking the puck inside the near post to give the Pirates a 4-2 lead.
The Admirals rallied in the third period. At 9:35, Carl Corazzini sent a rebound of a shot by Colin Fraser into the right side of the net for a short-handed goal, his 23rd of the season.
The Admirals tied the game at 13:17 when Brouwer got his team-high 31st goal on a shot from the slot for Norfolk's third power-play goal of the game.
Staff Writer Paul Betit can be contacted at 725-8795 or at:
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