Thursday, March 29, 2007
MANCHESTER, N.H. - Goalie David McKee and defenseman Sean Blanchard came north just in time to help keep the Portland Pirates alive in the race for a playoff berth.
Blanchard scored his first two AHL goals in seven years and McKee posted his first AHL shutout to lead the Pirates to a 3-0 victory against Manchester before 6,332 fans at the Verizon Wireless Arena.
With nine games left, Portland trails Worcester and Lowell, who are tied for fourth place in the Atlantic Division, by five points in the race for the division's final playoff berth.
The victory evened Portland's season series against the division-leading Monarchs at 5-5. The teams meet twice more.
"Manchester is a well-coached and disciplined team," Portland Coach Kevin Dineen said. "We needed to match that style of play, and I think we got them a little out of sync. It was a good team win."
This time last week, Blanchard, playing for his 13th team in his nine-year pro career, and McKee, a rookie, were suiting up for the Augusta Lynx of the ECHL.
"Blanchard is a guy who has scratched and was itching for the opportunity, and tonight was it," Dineen said. "He really needed to make a statement to us."
With 41 seconds left in the first period, Blanchard, who spent the past five seasons in Europe, put in a left-handed shot from the left boards.
Five minutes into the second period, Blanchard made it 2-0 on a blast from the left point.
"The game plan was just to try to get some shots on net with guys out in front," said Blanchard. "We got a couple of real lucky bounces. I'm not going to lie to you."
With 14 seconds left, Joe Motzko sent a shot from the red line into an empty net.
McKee, who stopped 23 of 25 shots to lead the Pirates to a 5-2 victory in his AHL debut Sunday, made 17 saves.
With 2:30 left in the first period, McKee, who won a team-record 29 games at Augusta, flicked out his left skate to keep Marty Murray's shot out of the right side of the net to keep the game scoreless.
"He made that great save and you could feel it on the bench," Dineen said.
"Everybody said, 'OK, there's our save. Let's take her up and go a little bit harder.' That's what happens when you get a save like that."
NOTES: Portland center Petteri Wirtanen left the game late in the first period with a lower-body injury. Center Geoff Peters (groin) and left wing Bjorn Melin (lower body) were out of the Portland lineup. Right wing Shane Hynes was a healthy scratch for the Pirates.
Staff Writer Paul Betit can be contacted at 725-8795 or at:
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On the other side of things David McKee made the some key saves, and as Paul wrote it rallied the boys... It's a safe bet that he got his confidence going after that first period and he was almost unbeatable from there on out... Congratulations on your second straight win and your first AHL shutout!
Congratulations to Sean Blanchard on his two blue-line goals... To be able to beat Jason is not an easy task, so that is a big tip of the hat to the Pirates for getting him off his game...
The momentum should carry the home crew into a very important 3-in-3 weekend with a games against Lowell and two games against the 7th-ranked Springfield Falcons...
This is where the season and any playoff chances will be determined... This is where the guys need to make their push...
GO PIRATES!report abuse
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