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By PAUL BETIT, Staff Writer Thursday, April 5, 2007

HARTFORD, Conn. - Hartford scored three goals in the final seven minutes to end Portland's five-game winning streak with a 7-4 victory Wednesday night before 3,031 fans at the Hartford Civic Center.

The victory brought the Wolf Pack, who have won five of their last six games, within one win of clinching an Atlantic Division playoff berth.

Manchester already has clinched one of the division's four playoff berths, and the Pirates are contending with Lowell, Worcester and Providence for the division's final two playoff spots.

Wednesday night, Portland had a chance to tighten the race by winning a game that was up for grabs.

"You can't play the game in waves like we did tonight," Portland Coach Kevin Dineen said. "We were way too passive for that game."

The Pirates showed signs of life in the third period when they came back from a 4-2 deficit to tie the score. But the Wolf Pack, who won the last six games between the teams this season, scored the final three goals.

"To roar back like we did to make it 4-4 and then respond like we did was definitely disappointing."

With five games left, the Pirates trail Lowell by one point, Worcester by three and Providence by four.

"You can't mess around with these points," Dineen said. "We've had too many woulda, coulda, shoulda already this year, and that was certainly one right there that was sitting there for the taking."

After a scoreless first period, Hartford took a 3-2 lead in the second.

At 4:58, Hartford opened the scoring when Greg Weller tipped in defenseman David Liffiton's shot from the left point after Brandon Dubinsky won a faceoff in the left circle.

Less than two minutes later, Simon Ferguson tied it when his shot from the left circle trickled in off goalie Al Montoya's pads for his seventh goal as he finished off a rush set up by Joe Motzko's outlet pass.

At 9:18, Nigel Dawes snapped the tie by tipping in Alex Bourret's shot from the right circle for his team-high 25th goal.

Less than three minutes later, Dubinsky lifted a shot in from between the hashmarks after Greg Moore centered the puck from behind the net.

With 1:56 left, Drew Miller sent a wrap-around shot in from the left side for his 15th goal to make it 3-2.

Less than two minutes into the third, Hartford regained its two-goal lead when defenseman Marvin Degon scored his eighth goal on a shot from the left point after Jarkko Immonen won a faceoff in the left circle.

The Pirates rallied to tie the score.

At 4:40, Bobby Ryan, in his third game with the Pirates, put in a shot from the middle of the right circle for his second goal.

At 7:57, defenseman Aaron Rome put in a shot from the center point for his eighth goal.

With seven minutes left, Dubinsky put Hartford ahead to stay by putting in a rebound for his 19th goal.

With 4:04 left, Moore scored a short-handed goal on a breakaway. It was his eighth of the season.

With 1:58 left, Weller jammed the puck inside the right post for his 10th goal.

NOTES: Rookie forward Drew Miller has been named the Pirates' winner of the AHL man of the year award for his contributions to the community. Miller participated in two of the team's Goals for Success programs, helped lead a clinic for youth hockey players at the Cumberland County Civic Center and visited patients at The Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center. He is one of the 27 finalists for the overall league award. Matt Christie, who played for Miami University, signed an amateur tryout contract Tuesday and made his first appearance for Portland.

Staff Writer Paul Betit can be contacted at 725-8795 or at: