PORTLAND, Maine – The Connecticut Whale were defeated, 3-2, by the Portland Pirates Friday night at the Cumberland County Civic Center. The Pirates would score twice in the third period to rally from a 2-1 deficit, culminating with Ryan Duncan’s game-winning tally at 10:45 of the final frame.
Patrick O’Sullivan scored once and added an assist for Portland, with Andy Miele recording two assists. Wade Redden and Casey Wellman scored for the Whale.
“Coverage mistakes and lack of urgency on the backcheck cost us two goals,” said Whale head coach Ken Gernander. “We turned down some shot opportunities, we’re better offensively when we’re straightforward, getting pucks to the net.”
The Whale were 0-for-6 on the power-play.
Neither team scored in the opening period, although the Whale carried the majority of the play with two power-play opportunities and outshot the Pirates, 9-6. Each team had quality chances towards the end of the frame, with Whale goaltender Chad Johnson (23 saves), and his counterpart, Justin Pogge (26 saves), each making outstanding saves to keep the contest scoreless headed into the second.
O’Sullivan opened the scoring for the Pirates at 4:40 of the second period, beating Johnson with a wrist shot through the five-hole on a breakaway. Marc-Antoine Pouliot and Mark Louis both assisted on the goal, O’Sullivan’s tenth of the season.
The Whale tied the game 12:19 into the period, as Redden came out of the box and beat Pogge with a slap shot after serving two minutes for a delay of game penalty. The goal was the first of the season for the veteran defenseman.
Wellman would give the Whale a 2-1 lead just 25 seconds later, stuffing a loose puck past Pogge for his 18th tally of the season. Jared Nightingale and Jonathan Audy-Marchessault each collected assists on the play, which allowed the visitors to take a lead into the third period.
The Whale caught one big break in the period, as O’Sullivan appeared to have notched his second goal of the night while on the power-play. It was deemed, however, that a Pirates player was in the crease in front of Johnson and the goal was washed out.
The third period, though, would not be so kind to the Whale.
Nathan Oystrick would beat Johnson to tie it at the 6:29 mark of the third period, tipping in an O’Sullivan shot from the left point, as the Whale were unable to clear the puck from their own end for a large stretch of time. Miele also assisted on the score.
The Pirates would complete their come-from-behind effort when they took a 3-2 lead 10:45 into the period, as Duncan scored the game-winner after making a nice backhand move on Johnson for his 13th goal. Mathieu Beaudoin made the pass to set up the goal, and Miele notched his second assist of the night on the play with the secondary helper.
The Whale will be back in action this Sunday, when they face the Manchester Monarchs in afternoon action (3:00). Connecticut will return home on Friday, when they play host to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in a GEICO Connecticut Cup game.
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