Wednesday, March 7, 2007
TODAY'S GAME
WHO: Worcester Sharks vs. Pirates.
WHEN: 7:05 p.m.
WHERE: Cumberland County Civic Center
Is time running out on the Portland Pirates?
Not quite yet.
With 21 games left in the regular season, the Pirates are still masters of their destiny.
Portland, which has earned at least one point in 10 of its last 12 games, has to take care of business to remain in contention for a berth in the Calder Cup playoffs.
"This is the time," Portland center Geoff Peters said. "You can't wait until the last 10 games. We've got to do it throughout. It's the only way we're going to climb into that spot."
Right now, both Worcester and Lowell stand between Portland and a postseason berth.
Currently, the Pirates sit in sixth place in the AHL's Atlantic Division. The top four teams qualify for the playoffs.
Portland trails Worcester, which currently occupies fourth place, by four points. Lowell sits in fifth place, three points ahead of the Pirates.
Tonight, Worcester visits the Cumberland County Civic Center for what appears to be one of the biggest games of the season for the Pirates.
"When you're down to 20 games and under, every game is important," Dineen said. "You can start scoreboard watching and worry about other people, but it's really just paying attention to your own games."
Presently, Portland doesn't need any help from any other team to clinch a playoff berth.
After tonight, the Pirates only have one game left with Worcester. Portland has five games left against Lowell, including a home-and-home series next month during the last weekend of the regular season.
On the plus side for the Pirates are the three games in hand they hold against both Lowell and Worcester. At this point of the season, they have played three fewer games than either one of them. Theoretically, Portland can pull even with the Devils and the Sharks by winning two of those three in-hand games.
Later on this month, the Pirates will have to negotiate an extremely tough road schedule to remain alive in the race. After this weekend, they play nine of the 10 remaining games during the month of March away from the Civic Center.
But the Pirates, the top team in the Eastern Conference a year ago, aren't looking that far ahead.
"Last year we were way ahead of the standings, and we kind of knew where we going to end up, so each game you could look a little bit farther down the road," Peters said. "Now, every day we're preparing for a new team. Every team has a different system, so every day we come to the rink we've got to prepare for their game plan and what will work against them."
SAN ANTONIO center Alex Leavitt was named AHL player of the week after he had two goals and four assists in his first two games with the Rampage.
Rookie defenseman Brian Salcido, who scored the decisive goal 2:31 into overtime in the Pirates' 5-4 win against Norfolk, also was nominated.
ONLY TWO players listed on the Pirates' playoff-eligible roster are not with the team.
More than two weeks ago, center Tim Brent was called up to the NHL by the Anaheim Ducks for the second time this season.
Right wing Shane Hynes has spent most of the season in the ECHL with the Augusta Lynx.
AN EVENING with the Pirates will be held 6-10 p.m. March 13 at the Holiday Inn By The Bay to benefit the Maine Children's Cancer Program and the Portland Pirates Foundation.
For ticket or donation information, visit www.portlandpirates.com/EWP or call 828-4665 (ext. 301).
SATURDAY NIGHT'S game between the reigning Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears and the Pirates will be televised live in Cumberland and York counties on Time Warner Cable Channel 22 and in former Adelphia service areas wherever TW9 is available.
The broadcast begins at 7 p.m. with face-off scheduled for 7:05.
Staff Writer Paul Betit can be contacted at 725-8795 or at:
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