E-mail this page Reader Comments (below)

By DAN HICKLING, Special to Portland Press Herald Monday, March 19, 2007

WORCESTER, Mass. - Out of gas? Perhaps. Out of wiggle room? Not entirely. But they're getting there.

The Portland Pirates, weary from a tough, three-game road trip, didn't help their sinking playoff hopes with a disappointing 3-2 loss on Sunday to Worcester before 5,117 at the DCU Center, Sunday.

The Pirates are currently eight points out of the final Atlantic Division playoff berth with 13 games to play and two teams to jump over. On Sunday after holding a two-goal lead, Worcester scored three unanswered goals, two of them in the final period.

Tom Cavanaugh's goal with 8:03 to play -- his second of the game -- was the game-winner.

"I don't think I could have gotten too much more out of them," said Portland Coach Kevin Dineen, whose team took the brunt of the weekend's winter storm while making stops in Lowell (a 4-3 win) on Friday and Binghamton (a 5-2 loss) on Saturday. "We played a well-rested hockey team. The tanks weren't (full) enough to counter them."

Portland defenseman Aaron Rome wasn't willing use fatigue as a reason for the team's third-period letdown.

"I don't think we can use that as an excuse," he said. "We shot ourselves in the foot. We've been doing that a lot, lately."

The Pirates dominated the first period, outshooting Worcester 14-1 and clutching a 2-0 lead. It was the fifth time in team history the Pirates held an opponent to one shot in a period.

Ryan Carter and Brian Salcido scored, with Carter scoring his on a highlight-reel rush at 2:41.

Sweeping around Shark defenseman Brennan Evans, Carter cut across the crease and stuffed in his 12th goal of the year under goalie Thomas Greiss.

Then, at 9:16, Salcido's drive from the left point made it through a screen set up in front of Greiss.

"They really took it to us," said former Portland captain Graham Mink, in his first year with the Sharks.

But there was a reversal in the second period with Worcester outshooting Portland 16-5.

In the third the Sharks scored a pair goals to take the lead and complete the comeback.

Now the Pirates are left to look for ways to reverse their skid before time runs out.

"We can't dwell on it," said Rome. "We've got to get back to playing hard hockey."

NOTES: Several Pirates had an interest in the NCAA hockey tournament selections. Mark Hartigan and Joey Motzko played for St. Cloud State, which is headed for a first round clash with defenseman Eric Weinrich's Maine Black Bears. Winger Drew Miller, who skated for Michigan State in last year's tourney, will be rooting for the Spartans against Boston University. Scott Crowder, son of Portland assistant coach Bruce Crowder, is a sophomore forward for UMass. The AHL is about to undergo several more affiliation switches. At a press conference to be held today in Springfield, the Falcons will announce a new hookup with the Edmonton Oilers. That will allow Springfield's current parent, Tampa Bay, to shift its minor- league club to Norfolk, where Chicago now operates. In turn, the Blackhawks will set up shop in Rockford, Ill.