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Leaky special teams play sinks Pirates again
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Albany goalie Justin Peters, partially screened by Pirates' center Felix
Schutz, saw the shots he needed to in a 5-2 win over visiting Portland.
(Photo: Southern Maine Digital Imaging)
Lack of discipline, poor execution, whatever it is, the Portland Pirates need to fix it, and fast.
Friday night's 5-2 road loss to the Albany River Rats mirrored, not just the final score, but the way in which Portland (0-2) stumbled last week in Springfield. When anybody from either team is in the penalty box, the Pirates are out of sync. Portland was 0 for 7 on the power play (0 for 12 in two games).
Shorthanded? The River Rats, the Carolina Hurricanes' AHL club, scored on 3-of-6 of their power play opportunities. Added to a 3-for-5 effort(?) in Springfield, the Pirates are killing off penalties at the abysmal rate of 45%. Portland skated without veteran defenseman Joe DiPenta, who was serving a one-game suspension, so you can kinda-sorta forgive Jhonas Enroth (.800 save percentage) for not looking sharp in nets, but...
Doesn't get easier...
Portland hosts the Providence Bruins at the Cumberland County Civic Center tonight and the baby B's are loaded. In a three-way tie for the top of the Atlantic Division in the East, Providence (2-0) has outscored opponents, 11-5. When you can't convert with a man advantage, while the other team scores at will on the power play, be glad it's coach, Kevin Dineen's mystery to solve and not yours. They drop the puck at 7 p.m. and if you can't get there, catch the action on radio with Mark Jeanneret at News Talk WLOB 95.5FM, and on line at www.portlandpirates.com.
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