Eight straight for the farm ship

Down on the farm, Tim Kennedy and Chris Butler each scored a goal and an assist as Portland won their eighth straight game, 4-2 over Hartford. Marek Zagrapan, Nathan Gerbe, and Mark Mancari added helpers for the Pirates, who scored three times on the power play and once into an empty net, while Adam Dennis made 34 saves to earn his sixth win. Mike Card sat the game out with a facial injury. The Rundown: Butler: 1G, 1A, +1 Kennedy: 1G, 1A, -1 Zagrapan: 1A Gerbe: 1A Mancari: 1A, -1 Funk: +1 Kostka: -1 Gragnani: -1 Weber: 1 SOG Schutz: 1 SOG Whitmore: even Dennis: 34 saves, W

Pirates sail to seventh straight

Felix Schutz and Mark Mancari each potted a goal, and Tim Kennedy added two assists as Portland won their seventh straight, 5-2 over Providence. The goal gives Mancari points in all seven wins, while Nathan Gerbe had an assist to raise his point streak to five games. Adam Dennis made 27 stops to get the win. The Rundown: Mancari: 1G, +2 Schutz: 1G, +1 Kennedy: 2A, +2 Kostka: 1A, +2 Gerbe: 1A, +1 Zagrapan: 1A, +1 Gragnani: 1A Butler: +2 Funk: +2 Card: even Whitmore: -1 Weber: 4 PIM Dennis: 27 saves

10/29 Recap: Gerbe, Kennedy keep firing

Playing catch-up... In a mid-week AHL tilt, Nathan Gerbe scored on the power play and Tim Kennedy added another assist as Portland dropped a 3-2 decision to Hartford. Gerbe's goal was his sixth in as many games, while Kennedy now has a point all six. Chris Butler, Marek Zagrapan, and Mike Kostka also posted assists in the loss. The Rundown: Gerbe: 1 G, 4 SOG Kennedy: 1 A, -1 Zagrapan: 1 A, -2, 4 PIM Kostka: 1 A, -1 Butler: 1 A, 3 SOG Schutz: 2 SOG Gragnani: -1 Mancari: -1 Whitmore: -1 Card: -2 Dennis: 20 saves, L It was also announced this week that Dylan Hunter will be out four-six weeks after taking a puck in the foot during Sunday's win. Mike Funk (concussion) has started skating with the team, but is expected to be held back until next week. Also on Wednesday, Tyler Myers skated to a +2 as Kelowna cruised to a 7-2 win over Seattle. In the Q, Jacob Lagacé (+2, 5 SOG) scored an empty-netter as Chicoutimi topped Rimouski, 5-2.

10/24 Recap: Orpik pots winner

In an ESPNU featured contest, Andrew Orpik (+1) scored what turned out to be the game winning goal for Boston College in their 3-2 win over Vermont. With BC up 2-1 late in the third, Orpik took the puck all the way down the right side from his own end and lifted a sharp wrister over Mike Spillane's shoulder to put the Eagles ahead by two. West Seneca, NY native Brian Roloff would score in the final minute to close the gap for UVM. In the end Orpik was excellent, hitting at even strength while helping control things down low on the power play to earn the game's #2 star. 2007 seventh-rounder Drew MacKenzie was -1 for the Cats. In NCAA exhibition play, shot machine Alex Biega fired six at the Trois-Rivieres net in Harvard's 3-1 win. Corey Tropp (mono) sat out as Michigan State skated to a 2-2 tie with Northern Michigan. In the DEL, Philip Gogulla potted the first Sharks goal then assisted on the game winner as Cologne keeps their momentum going with a 3-2 win over Kassel. The victory gives the Sharks their first two-game win streak of the season. In WHL action, Tyler Myers had two assists in Kelowna's 6-0 shellacking of Chilliwack. The Rockets shutout was the second straight against the Bruins after a 5-0 win on Wednesday. Myers now has a goal and five assists this season. Jacob Lagacé (+2, 2 PIM) had a goal and an assist to earn the game's #2 star in Chicoutimi's 7-1 win over Halifax. The win snaps a four-game skid for the Sags. J.S. Allard (-2) went pointless for the third straight game as a rusty Quebec team fell to Drummondville, 5-2. The Remparts, who played for the first time in eight days, lost just their second game of the season. Paul Byron (+1) had an assist while winning 13 of 17 draws for Gatineau in their 3-2 loss to Montreal. T.J. Brennan (1 SOG) and Luke Adam (2 SOG) were held scoreless but were otherwise effective for the Juniors. Adam was taken down by Byron with 1:06 left in the third, but his penalty shot was stopped by Maxime Clermont. Jordon Southorn was +1 in PEI's 5-2 win over Val-d'Or. Rocket 'tender Bobby Nadeau made 44 saves to earn the victory. Nick Crawford was -1 in Saginaw's 3-2 win over Erie. The Spirit (16 pts) sit in a distant second place in the OHL's Western Division behind CHL's top-ranked Windsor (26 pts). Drew Schiestel (2 PIM) was +1 as Niagara put forth a better effort than Thursday, but still came up short in a 4-3 loss to Mississauga. The Hamilton native was credited with breaking up a 2-1 break in the second period while skating without a point for the third time this season. In the AHL, Portland overcame a poor start to defeat Bridgeport, 4-3. Trailing 2-0 after one, the Pirates got their junk together in the final 40:00 with goals by Nathan Gerbe, Chris Butler, and Mark Mancari to set-up Tyler Bouck's game winner late. Adam Dennis made 33 saves for the win, while Tim Kennedy extended his point streak to four games with an assist on Gerbe's goal. The Rundown: Gerbe: 1 G, 5 SOG Mancari: 1 G, +1, 2 PIM Butler: 1 G, +1 Hunter: 2 A, +2 Kennedy: 1 A, +1 Gragnani: 1 A, +1, 4 PIM Whitmore: 1 A, +2 Kostka: +2 Weber: +2, 9 PIM Zagrapan: -1 Card: 4 PIM Schutz: even

Gerbe guns for two in Pirates win

Returning to the state where he achieved collegiate stardom, Nathan Gerbe scored a pair of goals to earn the game's #1 star as Portland won their second straight, 3-2 over Springfield. The explosive rookie was active throughout, firing a game-high seven shots on goal to lead the attack. Colton Fretter scored the other Portland goal. All three Pirates goals on the evening came with the man advantage. Gerbe closed a passing play with Tim Kennedy to give Portland a 2-0 lead in the first, then later lit the game winner in the mid-second. Marc-Andre Gragnani added a pair of power play assists for the Pirates, while Adam Dennis made 21 saves to get the win. The Rundown: Gerbe: 2 G, 7 SOG Gragnani: 2 A Kennedy: 1 A Butler: 1 A, -2 Kostka: 1 A Mancari: 5 SOG Weber: 4 PIM Hunter: 2 SOG Whitmore: 2 SOG Schutz: -1 Zagrapan: -1 Card: 4 PIM Dennis: W, 21 saves Look for Jhonas Enroth to get his first AHL start on Sunday when the Pirates do battle with Providence.

Pirates majestic in 6-3 win over Monarchs

Mark Mancari scored a hat trick and two assists to lead the Portland Pirates to a 6-3 season opening win over the Manchester Monarchs. One impressive first impression:

"(Mancari) put some points on the board, and he was a presence," Dineen said. "I think he is very aware he's playing with some guys who have some special skills, and he's embracing that."

The two "guys with special skills" happen to be prospects Tim Kennedy and Nathan Gerbe. Kennedy added a goal and two assists in his first professional game, while Gerbe posted a pair of helpers to propel the Pirates. Adam Dennis made 28 saves between the pipes to secure the win. The rundown: Mancari: 3 goals, 2 assists, Kennedy: 1 goal, two assists, +2 Gerbe: 2 assists, +2 Butler: 2 assists, +2 Gragnani: 1 assist, +1 Hunter: assist, +1 Whitmore: 1 assist Kostka: even Schutz: 2 PIM Zagrapan: -1 Weber: -2 Card: -2