PORTLAND, ME – The Maine Mariners, proud affiliates of the NHL’s Boston Bruins and AHL’s Providence Bruins, defeated the Adirondack Thunder, 3-1 in Game 7 of the North Division Semifinals on Wednesday night at the Cross Insurance Arena. Defenseman Nick Anderson netted the game-winner at 16:10 of the third period, breaking a 1-1 tie. The Mariners have won their first playoff series in team history and will advance to the North Division Finals to take on the Wheeling Nailers, beginning this weekend.
After a scoreless opening period, special teams came into play in the middle frame. A power play goal by Adirondack’s Tag Bertuzzi got the Thunder on the board first at 9:41 of the second, squeezing a one-timer past Luke Cavallin from the right circle. The Mariners had the answer in the closing moments of the period, when Wyllum Deveaux capped off a penalty kill by skating into a breakaway and flipping one past Jeremy Brodeur’s glove at 18:46. A double-minor high-sticking penalty on Xander Lamppa forced Maine into another penalty kill for the first four minutes of the third.
Maine dominated the third period, outshooting Adirondack 15-1. Anderson’s goal put them ahead with just under four minutes to go, one-timing a feed from Max Andreev past Jeremy Brodeur’s stick side. After the Thunder pulled Brodeur, Shawn Element added an empty netter to seal it with 33 seconds to go, stripping a puck away from Thunder defenseman Jeremy Hanzel.
Luke Cavallin won his second game of the series, stopping 20 of 21 Adirondack shots. Brodeur stopped 33 of 35, appearing in all seven games for the Thunder.
