PORTLAND, Maine – The Portland Pirates ruined a lot of nights for the Worcester IceCats and Sharks through the decades.
The Railers got some revenge here Saturday evening by beating the Pirates, 4-2, in front of 4,803 fans as the Maine Mariners did a nostalgia game playing as the old AHL team.
The game went down to the final minutes with Worcester clinching it on Drew Callin’s empty net goal with 26 seconds left in the third period. It was a 2-2 game with less than 10 minutes to go in the third, then Ryan Miotto broke the tie with a great wrist shot from the left circle at 10:25.
Cole Donhauser and Matt DeMelis had the other Railers goals. Max Andreev and Robert Cronin scored for the Pirates. Once again Worcester got splendid goaltending from Parker Gahagen who stopped 32 of 34 shots.
It was an outcome that could easily have been reversed except that Worcester refused to give in.
“I think we stuck with a lot of our game plan,” coach Nick Tuzzolino said. “We got put back on our heels a little bit at the start of the second period after a pretty good first period but I thought we responded well.”
The victory allowed the Railers to finish a seven-game road trip with a 4-2-1 record. They earned nine of a possible 14 points, a .643 pace. Worcester is 9-3-1 in its last 13 games.
The first period was played at a yellow light pace and ended 0-0 although Worcester outshot the home team, 13-7. Things quickened in the second and intensified just before the clock hit the game’s midway point.
The Railers were a man short when they developed a 3 on 1. They crashed the Maine zone but probably got in too deep. Ross Mitton was the last man to touch the puck but had no room to beat goalie Brad Arvanitis.
On cue, the Mariners came back with an odd-man rush of their own. They finished this one well with Andreev firing 20-footer under the crossbar from the left circle.
Worcester did not trail for long.
Donhauser stole the puck at center ice and outskated a pair of defenders. He made a little move between the circles and as Arvanitis reacted, Donhauser put a short shot between his pads.
DeMelis gave the Railers a 2-1 lead at 5:41 of the third period, scoring from in close. Cronin tied it on a power play at 9:12. Once again Worcester responded quickly as Miotto hit the top far corner from the left circle at 10:25.
The home team pressed but Gahegan shut them down until the buzzer sounded.
The two Worcester AHL teams had played the Pirates many times through the years and it was a very intense rivalry. Including playoff games, they battled 206 times. Worcester’s record was 91-86-29. The IceCats were 43-45-16, the Sharks 44-37-13.
The city’s AHL teams were 36-45-18 in what is currently called Cross Arena.
The American Hockey League won’t put this one in the standings, but the Railers were very happy to issue some payback for their predecessors.
MAKING TRACKS – Railers newcomer Gabe Blanchard destroyed Portland’s Linus Hemstrom in a lopsided bout — one of the Railers most lopsided fights ever — at 14:24 of the third period. … The Railers’ nautical theme continues as Worcester returns here Dec. 26. Before that the Railers have a 3-in-4 homestand with the Norfolk Admirals. They play them next Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at the DCU Center. … Both opposing coaches, Rick Kowalsky and Tuzzolino, played for the Pirates. Portland standouts Kent Hulst, Jeff Nelson, Ryan Mulhern and Derek Whitmore attended the game. … The list of Worcester players not in the lineup includes Michael Ferrandino, Tanner and Porter Schachle, T.J. Walsh, Matt Stief, Tristan Lennox and MacAuley Carson.
By Bill Ballou
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