Dennis to start; Funk out indefinitely

The Portland Pirates will kick off their 2008-09 season tonight with a skate against Manchester. The Maine Hockey Journal reports that Kevin Dineen will likely keep Jhonas Enroth in waiting, instead giving the start to veteran netminder Adam Dennis. MHJ has also posted what they feel will the line combos for the contest.

F Mancari – Kennedy – Gerbe Darche – Zagrapan – Murphy Whitmore – Hunter – Bouck Fretter – Schutz – Bonneau

D Weber – Card Butler – Baier Kostka – Gragnani

With Mike Funk concussed, the presence of Mike Weber should provide quite a spark to the Pirates blueline. Per the Portland Press Herald, Weber thinks there might be a natural flicker by no longer sharing an AHL affiliation with the Florida Panthers.

Portland Pirates defenseman Mike Weber had been in town less than 24 hours, but he already sensed a big difference between this AHL team and the one he played on last season in Rochester.

"It's a better setup than what we had in Rochester," Weber said Friday morning. "We had two different (NHL) teams barking at the coaching staff, and there was a divide in the locker room. Here, it's a different situation."

Last spring, the Sabres ended a 29-year relationship with the Rochester Americans after sharing the AHL affiliate with the Florida Panthers for three seasons.

"Florida said they wanted these systems, and Buffalo said they wanted these systems, and the players were in the middle," Weber recalled. "It was a little bit crazy."

In June, Buffalo became the new NHL parent of the Pirates after the Anaheim Ducks ended their three-year affiliation with Portland.

"Everyone's on the same page here," Weber said. "It provides a less stressful environment."

It's safe to say that these comments validate the patience that many have taken with promising talents like Marek Zagrapan. On top of lacking veterans, last year's Amerks lacked any sense of cohesion.

3/30 Recap: Amerks defeat(!) B-Sens

OK, I think I have it straight now! Mark Mancari scored a power-play goal and added a helper in Rochester's 3-2 shootout win over Binghamton. The goal was just his second in his last 22 games, and his two points tie him with Marc-Andre Gragnani for the team lead in points (50). Gragnani and Clarke MacArthur scored in the shootout to deliver the win, while Adam Dennis got the win for Rochester. Mancari - goal, assist, -2 Hunter - assist, 4 SOG, 12 PIM, -2 MacArthur - assist, -2 Whitmore - 1 SOG Zagrapan -1 Gragnani -2 Dennis - 33 saves In the USHL, Drew MacKenzie registered two shots on goal as Waterloo dominated Sioux Falls, 7-2.

3/28 Recap: Kennedy clicks; Allard goes hard

Tim Kennedy scored a power play goal and added an assist as Michigan State opened the NCAA tourney with a 3-1 win over Colorado College. The defending champion Spartans got on the board when a dangling Kennedy scooped up a loose puck, and calmly slid it to his backhand past CC netminder Richard Bachman. Freshman forward Corey Tropp went pointless while moving to the left side on State's third-line with Dustin Gazley and Nick Sucharski. The Spartans advance to face Notre Dame, who earlier posted an upset win over #1 seed New Hampshire. In the USHL, Vermont recruit Drew MacKenzie scored the game-winning goal and later notched an assist in Waterloo's 3-0 defeat of Sioux Falls. The two-point night was the first multi-point output of the season for the Connecticut-born defenseman. J.S. Allard had a goal and an assist as St. John's was overpowered by Acadie-Bathurst, 7-2. Acadie-Bathurst now leads the series three games to two, and will look to put a nail in the final Foggies season on Monday. Currently the eighth-best scorer in the Q playoffs, Allard has four goals and six assists, and is +9 in the series. T.J. Brennan went scoreless for St. John's, failing to add to the two goals and four assists he had compiled in the previous four. His -3 on the evening lowers him to team-worst -7 in the playoffs. Paul Byron had an assist as Gatineau overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat Shawinigan, 5-2, and close out their first round series four games to one. In the five games, the 5'10 center posted a goal and four assists for les Olympiques. On Thursday, Benjamin Breault had an assist in Baie-Comeau's 3-1 loss to Rimouski. The assist was Breault's third point of the playoff year. After finishing 2nd overall in the Q regular season, the Drakkar trail the Oceanic 3-1 in the best-of-seven, and will look to extend their season another day when the two clubs meet on Saturday. Drew Schiestel had three assists in Niagara's first round sweep of Mississauga-St.Michael's. The 2007 second-rounder was also a +5 in the series' four games, as the Dogs advance to face '09 stud John Tavares and the Oshawa Generals. Philip Gogulla went pointless as Cologne closed out their 4-1 series win over Mannheim on Wednesday. The German winger had one goal, a game winner, and two assists in the five games. The Sharks now await the winner of a game seven match-up between Iserlohn and Frankfurt. Ak Bars D Vjacheslav Buravchikov has skated without a point in three RSL semifinal contests against Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Ak Bars currently trail the series two games to one. In the AHL, Dylan Hunter scored a goal and an assist in Rochester's 5-4 shootout win over Manitoba. Clarke MacArthur, Marek Zagrapan, Mike Funk, and Marc-Andre Gragnani also added assist for Rochester. Gragnani's helper was his 48th point of the season, locking him in a tie with Mark Mancari atop the Amerks scoring list. Derek Whitmore was -1 with 2 PIM in his professional debut with the Amerks. The Rundown: Hunter - goal, assist, -1 Zagrapan - assist, +1 Funk - assist Gragnani - assist, -1 MacArthur - assist -2 Whitmore - 1 SOG, -1 Mancari - 1 SOG, -1 Kostka - DNP On Wednesday, the Amerks lost to the same Manitoba squad by a 4-1 score. Marek Zagrapan assisted on the only Rochester goal, while Mike Kostka was +1 in his first game after signing with the Sabres on Wednesday. Adam Dennis made 32 saves in the loss.

Amerks take one in OT

Marc-Andre Gragnani scored a power-play goal and assisted on the overtime game winner in Rochester's 5-4 win over Lake-Erie. The Amerks entered the third period trailing 4-2, and used non-Sabres properties to score a pair of third period goals to force the extra session. Continuing to produce as a left wing, Gragnani now has 43 points in his first professional season. Clarke MacArthur added an assist for the Amerks, while Adam Dennis made 29 saves to earn his 15th win. Gragnani - goal, assist, -2 MacArthur - assist, 5 SOG, -2 Hunter - assist, -1 Mancari - 4 SOG, -1 Zagrapan - 1 SOG, 2 PIM Dennis - 29 saves Old friend Jeff Jillson was -2 for Lake Erie. --- In Russia, Vjacheslav Buravchikov and Ak-Bars have advanced to the SuperLiga semi-finals to face Salavat Yulaev Ufa. A sixth-rounder in 2005, Buravchikov has a goal and an assist as his club has swept their way through the first two playoff rounds. Artem Kriukov saw his season end in the quarterfinals as SKA fell to Lokomotiv three games to one.

3/15 Recap: Gerbe gains; Eno, Eidsness exit

Someday the Sabres will achieve synergy in all facets of the organization. On a night when the top club gave Toronto a licking to boost their playoff hopes, a few members of the prospect stable had their seasons derailed by key losses. Not all was bad, though. One name in the "good" column is that of Boston College LW Nathan Gerbe, who tonight continued to battle shadowing defenders with a one goal, one assist effort in a 5-1 win over Providence. Gerbe's goal, his 27th of the season, came on a dazzling penalty shot after he was hauled down on an end-to-end rush in the second period. Andrew Orpik remained at center, checking out for the night with a -1 rating. The Eagles will face #1 seed UNH next weekend. (Tip of the hat to Devo for finding the Gerbe penalty shot) Already thought to have a spot in the NCAA tourney locked up, Chris Butler and the Denver Pioneers closed out their WCHA series with a 1-0 win over Duluth. Paired with sophomore Cody Brookwell, the St. Louis native was even with a pair of minor penalties in the win. With a couple match-ups yet to be settled, the Pios next opponent will be determined tomorrow. As expected, Nick Eno got the start for Bowling Green, but the Falcons season ended with a 4-2 loss to Miami. A 7th round selection in 2007, Eno didn't have the greatest night against the strong Miami offense, allowing four goals on just 11 shots through the first two periods. His tentative play set-in after he was tripped up while skating out to play a puck in the mid-second period. Regardless, the loss completes a solid season that saw the freshman goaltender post a 12-10 record for the surprising Falcons. The battle for who will face Miami next weekend remains unsettled. Michigan State had their eyes on a sweep, but despite out-shooting the Wildcats by a 42-30 margin, instead fell to Northern Michigan, 2-1. The Spartans first line, made up of Buffalo natives Tim Kennedy and Chris Mueller flanking Detroit prospect Justin Abdelkader, was kept off the scoresheet in the loss. Freshman Corey Tropp again skated on the bottom unit for MSU, mustering two shots on goal. Harvard defenseman Alex Biega cranked out eight shots on goal, but the Crimson didn't have enough in a 7-4 loss to Quinnipiac. The series is now knotted at one game apiece, with the puck dropping on the deciding game three tomorrow night at 7:00. In the AJHL playoffs, the standout junior career of Okotoks goaltender Brad Eidsness came to an end with a 1-0 loss to underdog Drumheller. The league MVP stopped 29 Dragon shots, but the Oiler offense that scored just eight goals all series long failed to produce with their paltry 17 shots on the evening. As one chapter ends for Eidsness, a more prestigious one begins next fall as he enters the WCHA as a North Dakota frosh. A night after defeating the league's top team in Omaha, Drew Mackenzie was -1 as Waterloo downed Sioux City, 5-1. The streaking Black Hawks have now gone 9-1 in their last ten games, and sit in second place in the USHL Eastern Division. When we last left the RSL, Vjacheslav Buravchikov and #7 seed Ak-Bars were waiting for their quarterfinal opponent while Artem Kriukov and #6 SKA were heading to a first-round game five with Spartak. SKA pulled through, earning the right to face Kriukov's former team, Lokomotiv, in the second round. Meanwhile, Ak-Bars drew a match-up with #3 CSKA Moscow. In game one, Kriukov went scoreless as his club shutdown Alexei Yashin and the rest of the Yaroslavl attack in a 4-0 win. The following night, Yashin notched a hat trick as Lokomotiv evened the series with a 5-1 win. Kriukov was quiet in that contest as well. Buravchikov scored the third Kazan goal in their 6-0 game one rout of CSKA. The goal was his second of the entire 2007-08 campaign. In game two, Buravchikov did not hit the scoresheet as Kazan got a Petr Cjanek goal late to edge CSKA, 6-5. Game three results for both Russians will be available after their Sunday completion. Finally, the Rochester Americans put up a valiant come-from-behind effort with just 15 skaters in a 4-3 overtime loss at Binghamton. Mark Mancari fueled the comeback with a goal and two assists, and Dylan Hunter added a spark with a goal and an assist of his own. Adam Dennis did his part, making 40 saves to keep the game within reach. For the B-Sens, former Sabres prospect Denis Hamel had a goal and an assist, while Buffalo's fifth-round pick in 1999, Matt Kinch, set up the short-handed winner in overtime. The Rundown: Mancari - goal, two assists, -2, 5 SOG Hunter- goal, assist, -1, 5 SOG Gragnani - assist Zagrapan - 1 SOG, 2 PIM Dennis - 40 saves

3/9 Recap: Byron flyin' at right time

In a key QMJHL match-up, Paul Byron (+4) scored a goal and three assists in Gatineau's 6-1 trouncing of top-ranked Baie-Comeau. The four-point effort gives the explosive center 27 points in his last 14 games. Five days after Byron's 11-game point streak came to an end, Drakkar center Benjamin Breault extended his run to nine games (10-9-19) with an assist in the loss. T.J. Brennan (+1) continued his solid run by scoring the only Fog Devils goal in a 3-1 loss to Lewiston. The goal was Brennan's 16th of the season, with four of those coming on his current five-game point streak. 2007 5th round pick J.S. Allard had a shot on goal in the St. John's loss. Drew Schiestel notched an assist and helped control the game late in Niagara's 4-3 shootout victory over Oshawa. The comeback victory by the Dogs was teeming with OHL talent, as three of the top-four league scorers (#2 Brett MacLean and #3 John Tavares of Oshawa, and #4 Luca Caputi of Niagara) joined Schiestel in action, along with highly ranked 2007 defensive hopefuls Alex Pietrangelo and Michael Del Zotto. The assist gives Schiestel points in his last six games (1-5-6), raising his season sums to seven goals and 29 assists. Brad Eidsness made 31 saves, but Okotoks couldn't get it going in 5-1 loss to Drumheller. The loss puts the Oilers in a 1-0 hole in their AJHL second round series with the Dragons. In the final weekend of DEL play, Ingolstadt's Felix Schutz registered two shots on goal in a 4-2 win over Frankfurt. The victory coupled with a Krefeld loss puts Ingolstadt in the tenth and final playoff spot. The DEL Rookie of the Year, Schutz compiled 12 goals and 13 assists in his first season back in Europe after two QMJHL campaigns. Philip Gogulla was +1 as Cologne closed their regular season with a 4-1 win over the Metro Stars. Entering the postseason, the 2005 2nd round pick has 11 goals and 33 assists for the third-place Sharks. Last season, Gogulla scored eight goals and 21 total points. Dylan Hunter tied the game in the third, but the Amerks couldn't make it to a shootout in a 3-2 overtime loss to Houston. Adam Dennis made 29 saves, while Marek Zagrapan, Marc Mancari, and Mike Weber were all credited with assists. Combos of note: MacArthur-Zagrapan-(Globke) Gragnani-(Brine)-Hunter Funk-Weber The Rundown Hunter- goal, +1, 4 SOG Zagrapan - assist, +1 Mancari - assist, +1 Weber - assist, +2, 4 PIM Gragnani +1 MacArthur - 0-0-0 0 0 E Funk -1 Dennis - 29 saves Keep it here as we'll have updates following a pair of deciding games in college tourney action featuring St. Lawrence defenseman Matt Generous and BGSU's Nick Eno. For now, the update looks like it'll be limited to just Generous, as Bowling Green coach Scott Paluch has given the nod to Jimmy Spratt in the Falcons net after Eno gave up four goals on 24 shots in last night's loss.