Grags and Zags show up in loss

Marc-Andre Gragnani scored a goal and assist and Marek Zagrapan had a goal as Portland lost to Worcester, 3-2. The pair were the only Pirates in the "plus" column (+1). While on a two-man advantage, Gragnani whistled a shot past Taylor Dakers to tie the game 1-1 with less than a minute to go in the second period. Zagrapan scored his eighth of the year when he entered the zone, skated through a hit, then deked the goalie before slipping the puck into the open goal. The Rundown: Gragnani: 1G, 1A, +1 Zagrapan: 1G, +1 Mancari: 1A Kennedy: 2 SOG Hunter: -2, 2 PIM Kostka: 4 SOG Whitmore: 1 SOG Schutz: 1 SOG Weber: 1 SOG Enroth: 31 saves, L

Pirates open up a can on Worcester

Portland erupted for a Sunday touchdown in their 7-1 drubbing of Worcester in the front end of a home-and-home with the Sharks. Dylan Hunter had a goal and two assists for the Pirates, while Jhonas Enroth made 32 saves to earn his 11th win of the season. Derek Whitmore chipped in with two assists, while Marek Zagrapan, Felix Schutz, and Marc-Andre Gragnani all registered single helpers in the win. Tim Kennedy did not make it back to Portland in time after being returned by Buffalo earlier in the day. The Rundown: Hunter: 1G, 2A, +4 Whitmore: 2A, +3 Zagrapan: 1A, +1 Schutz: 1A Gragnani: 1A, +1 Weber: +2 Kostka: 2 SOG Mancari: +1, 4 SOG Enroth: 32 saves, W

Mancari, Zagrapan score as Pirates come up short

Mark Mancari and Marek Zagrapan scored for Portland in their 3-2 loss to Manchester. The goals brought the Pirates back after trailing 2-0, but the Monarchs secured the W with a Scott Parse tally with less than 4:00 to play. Portland was playing without Tim Kennedy, Chris Butler, and Nathan Gerbe (IR) who are all up with Buffalo. Mancari pounded a one-timer while on a 5-3 advantage with help from Felix Schutz and Marc-Andre Gragnani before executing a nice give-and-go with Zagrapan for the other Portland goal. Jhonas Enroth made 29 saves to move to 10-5-2 on the year. The Rundown: Mancari: 1G, 1A, 3 SOG Zagrapan: 1G, -1, 4 SOG Schutz: 1A Gragnani: 1A, -1, 3 SOG Kostka: -1 Whitmore: 3 SOG Weber: -2 Hunter: -1 Enroth: 29 saves

12/21-23 Recap: Buravchikov scores; Enroth with big night

Holiday catch-up. Vjacheslav Buravchikov scored a goal for Kazan in their 6-1 trouncing of Spartak Moscow on Tuesday. The goal was Buravchikov's second of the season and his sixth point to go along with a +1 in 29 games for the KHL's third place club. Kazan will wrap up their two-game Moscow swing with a Christmas day game with CSKA. In Tuesday DEL play, Philip Gogulla had three shots on goal in Cologne's 4-3 loss to Hamburg. Two of his best chances came midway through the third when Cologne started applying some late-game heat. Former Sabre Andy Delmore scored the overtime winner for the Freezers. On Sunday, Gogulla (2PIM) had two shots on goal in their 3-2 OT loss to Ingolstadt. Also on Sunday, the Pirates earned their first back-to-back wins since their eight-game winning streak ended on November 19th with a 3-2 victory over Worcester. Jhonas Enroth lead the charge with a season-high 41 saves, while Marek Zagrapan scored his third game-winning goal of the season. Mark Mancari added a pair of helpers for Portland to hit the 30 point plateau on the season. With Chris Butler earning praise from the Sabres coaching staff while on recall, Mike Weber finshed +3 while getting an assist for his third point in the last eight games. The Rundown: Zagrapan: GWG, +3, 4 SOG Mancari: 2A, +2 Kennedy: 1A, +2, 3 SOG Hunter: 1A Weber: 1A, +3, 2 PIM Schutz: +1 Gragnani: -1 Kostka: -1 Whitmore: 1 SOG Enroth: 41 saves, W

Pirates double up Providence

Dylan Hunter scored his first goal of the season and added an assist as Portland defeated Providence, 4-2. Marek Zagrapan added two assists on plays where he simply threw the puck towards the net for his third multi-point game of the season, while Derek Whitmore scored his fourth goal and dropped the gloves in the win. Felix Schutz had an assist for his first point in four games. Mark Mancari (-1) had a game-high nine shots on goal, but did not score. After a ten-game point streak that wrapped around his NHL call-up, the Pirates leading scorer has just one assist in his last five games. Portland's second leading scorer, Tim Kennedy, has no points in the same five-game stretch. Jhonas Enroth had to make just 18 saves to earn his ninth win of the season. The Rundown: Hunter: 1G, 1A, +2 Whitmore: 1G, +1, 3 SOG Zagrapan: 2A Schutz: 1A, +1 Weber: +2 Kennedy: 2 SOG Mancari: -1, 9 SOG Gragnani: even Kostka: -1 Enroth: 18 saves, W

Pirates drop third in a row

Portland ended a disappointing week with their third straight loss, 3-1 at Albany. Mike Kostka opened scoring with a power play goal, his third of the year, when his point shot was deflected at 5:41 of the first period. Marc-Andre Gragnani drew an assist on the play. Jhonas Enroth gave up two goals on 23 shots in the loss. The Rundown: Kostka: 1G Gragnani: 1A Butler: 5 SOG Kennedy: -1, 4 SOG Schutz: 2 SOG Mancari: 2 SOG Zagrapan: 1 SOG Weber: -1, 4 PIM Hunter: 2 PIM Whitmore: even Enroth: 21 Saves, L

Pirates lose to Baby Pens

Portland stumbled out of the gate, giving up three first period goals in a 5-1 loss at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Mark Mancari and Chris Butler assisted on Mathieu Darche's third period tally, but at that point the paint was already drying on the Pirates' second consecutive loss. Jhonas Enroth made 20 saves, dropping his record to 8-3-2. The Rundown: Butler: 1A, -2 Mancari: 1A, -2 Schutz: even Gragnani: -1 Kostka: -1 Kennedy: -2 Hunter: 1 SOG Weber: 5-for-fighting Whitmore: -1 Zagrapan: -1

Pirates update (12/7-12/12)

On Friday, Portland fell to Binghamton, 2-1. Matt Ellis scored the only Pirates goal, with Mike Weber getting an assist on the play. Adam Dennis made 26 saves for his fifth loss in his last six starts. The Rundown: Weber: 1A Schutz: +1, 4 SOG Kostka: 2 SOG Mancari: 1 SOG Gragnani: 1 SOG Kennedy: 1 SOG Butler: -1, 2 SOG Hunter: -1 Whitmore: -1, 3 SOG Zagrapan: -1, 3 SOG Dennis: 26 saves, L The Pirates fared better earlier in the week, taking a 4-3 shootout over Manchester on Tuesday. Mark Mancari and Tim Kennedy scored the Pirates goals in the shootout to ice the win. Marc-Andre Gragnani had pair of assists in regulation, while Mike Kostka, Felix Schutz, and Dylan Hunter all had single helpers in the win. Adam Dennis shut the door in relief of the Jhonas Enroth, who was pulled after making 17 saves through 40:00. The Rundown: Gragnani: 2A, +1 Kostka: 1A, +1 Hunter: 1A, +1 Schutz: 1A Butler: 5 SOG Mancari: 2 SOG Weber: 3 SOG, 4 PIM Kennedy: 2 SOG Whitmore: +1 Zagrapan: 2 PIM Dennis: 12 saves, W Enroth: 17 saves Last Sunday, Portland lost to Worcester, 4-2. Marek Zagrapan netted his fifth of the season when he tipped a Mancari blast on a second period power play. The assist put Mancari on the scoresheet in ten straight AHL contests going back to before his call to Buffalo. Adam Dennis made 26 saves in defeat, while old frined Claude Lemieux scored the second goal of his comeback attempt with the Sharks. The Rundown: Zagrapan: 1G Gragnani: 1A, -2 Kennedy: 1A, -1 Mancari: 1A, -1 Schutz: -2 Butler: -1 Weber: even Kostka: -2 Hunter: -1 Whitmore: 1 SOG Dennis: 26 saves, L Mike Funk did not play and will remain out indefintely after suffering his second concussion of the season thanks to a brutal boarding by Lowell's Anssi Salmela last weekend.

Funk injury mars Pirates victory

Marek Zagrapan scored his fourth goal of the season, and Tim Kennedy had three assists as Portland rode a Colton Fretter hat trick past Lowell, 5-2. Kennedy now has points in two consecutive nights after a six-game slumber. Jhonas Enroth made 31 saves for his eight win of the season, while Mark Mancari picked up an assist in his first game back from Buffalo. The game became secondary at 10:29 of the third period when Mike Funk was taken off the ice on a stretcher after getting checked from behind by the Devils' Anssi Salmela. He'll be hospitalized overnight with his injury status yet to be determined. The Rundown: Zagrapan: 1G, -1 Kennedy: 3A, -1 Mancari: 1A Butler: 2A, -1 Schutz: +1, 4 SOG Gragnani: 1 SOG Kostka: 1 SOG Whitmore: -1 Weber: 1A, 2 PIM Hunter: 2 PIM Funk: -1, injured Enroth: 31 saves, W

Gerbe grabs 13th, Enroth stops 'em all in win

Nathan Gerbe and Derek Whitmore netted goals, and Jhonas Enroth made 23 saves for his second North American shutout as Portland defeated Manchester, 4-0. Whitmore found twine on a redirect early in the first period to put the Pirates up 1-0. Later, Felix Schutz fed a pass to Gerbe on a 2-1 break, who one-timed the puck past Jonathan Bernier for his 13th of the season. The win ends a five-game losing streak for the Pirates. The Rundown: Gerbe: 1G, +1, 7SOG Whitmore: 1G, +1 Schutz: 1A, +2 Zagrapan: 1A, +1 Gragnani: +3 Kostka: +2 Butler: +2 Weber: 2 PIM Hunter: 1SOG Kennedy: 1 SOG Funk: 1A, +1 Enroth: 23 saves, SO

Mancari effect hits five on farm

On Saturday, Portland came up empty for the fifth straight game without leading scorer Mark Mancari with a 5-1 loss to Lowell. Derek Whitmore assisted on the lone Pirates goal, while Jhonas Enroth made 13 saves after Adam Dennis was pulled after allowing three goals on nine shots in the first period. Devils goalie Jeff Frazee made 40 saves for the win, while Niklas Bergfors scored two goals and an assist. The Rundown: Whitmore: 1A, -1 Gerbe: -1, 4SOG Kennedy: -1, 4SOG Gragnani: -1, 3SOG Zagrapan: -1, 3SOG Weber: 2PIM Funk: 2PIM Kostka: 2SOG Hunter: 2SOG Schutz: -2 Butler: -3 Dennis: 3GA, 20:00, L Enroth: 13 saves The Pirates held an eight-game winning streak at the time of Mancari's call-up on November 21st.

Pirates lose fourth in a row

Kings prospect Jonathan Quick was sharp, stopping 41 of 42 shots as Manchester handed Portland its fourth straight loss, 3-1. The only Portland goal took place on the power play when Mike Funk found Chris Butler, whose point shot was tipped by Tyler Bouck past Quick. Felix Schutz saw his three game point streak snapped, while Adam Dennis made 27 saves in the loss. The Rundown: Butler: 1A, -2 Funk: 1A Weber: 4 PIM Schutz: even Hunter: even Kostka: even Whitmore: even Zagrapan: -1, 7 SOG Gerbe: -1, 6 SOG Kennedy: -1, 4 SOG Dennis: 27 saves, L

Kostka, Schutz steer ship in loss

Mike Kostka scored two goals, and Felix Schutz scored a goal and an assist as Portland lost to Worcester, 4-3. The goals were Kostka's first as a professional. With Mark Mancari in Buffalo, Schutz has stepped up with three goals in as many games. Jhonas Enroth made 26 saves in the loss, while Nathan Gerbe saw his eight-game point streak snapped. The Rundown: Kostka: 2G, +1, 5 SOG Schutz: 1G, 1A, -1 Whitmore: 1A +1 Zagrapan: 3 SOG Weber: -1 Kennedy: -1 Gragnani: -1 Gerbe: -1 Butler: -2, 2 PIM Funk: -2 Enroth: 26 saves, L

Pirates streak ends with weekend losses

Portland's eight-game winning streak came to an end this weekend with Friday-Saturday losses to Providence and Hartford. On Friday, Felix Schutz and Derek Whitmore each scored a goal and was solid with 31 saves in the loss, while Nathan Gerbe added an assist for his 21st point of the year. The 5'6 Gerbe also had his first fighting major (vs. Vladimir Sobotka) since a game versus Merrimack in his sophomore year with Boston College. The Pirates were playing without leading scorer Mark Mancari, who was named the game's #3 star for Buffalo in the Sabres loss to Philadelphia. On Saturday, Mancari scored his first NHL goal in another Sabres loss to the Isles. The Rundown: Schutz: 1G, 1A, +2 Whitmore: 1G, 1A, +2 Gerbe: 1A, +1, 7 PIM Butler: +1 Funk: +1 Zagrapan: -1 Kennedy: -1 Gragnani: -1 Weber: 2 PIM Kostka: -1 Enroth: 31 saves The Pirates returned to action on Saturday, suffering back-to-back defeats for the first time this season with a 6-2 loss to Hartford. Mike Funk scored his first of the year, while Schutz added his fourth to give him points in five straight games. Gerbe picked up an assist to extend his point streak to eight. With the Pirates losing two straight for the first time this season, Tim Kennedy went pointless in back-to-back games for the first time as well. The Rundown: Schutz: 1G, -1 Funk: 1G Gragnani: 1A -1 Gerbe: 1A, -2, 4 SOG Zagrapan: +1 Butler: +1 Kennedy: -1 Weber: -2 Kostka: 2 SOG Whitmore: 1 SOG Dennis: 22 saves, 6 GA Mike Card (cut face) and Dylan Hunter (foot) remained sidelined for Portland.

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

Gerbe, Pirates continue to cruise

In Friday AHL action, Nathan Gerbe scored two goals and added an assist as the Portland Pirates beat the Albany River Rats, 6-3. The BC product now has 12 goals in as many games, good for second in the league. Marek Zagrapan and Mark Mancari (shortie) also added a goal and an assist each for the Pirates, while Derek Whitmore scored his first of the year in the win. With another two points, Mancari maintained his spot at the top of the AHL points leader board with 23 on the season. Jhonas Enroth made 27 saves for his sixth straight win. The Rundown: Gerbe: 2A, 1A, 6 SOG, +3 Zagrapan: 1G, 1A, +3 Mancari: 1G, 1A, 6 SOG, +1 Whitmore: 1G, +2 Kennedy: 1A, 5 SOG Kostka: 1A, +2 Gragnani: 1A, +3 Schutz: 1A, +1 Weber: +3 Card: +2 Funk: -1 Butler: -1 Enroth: 27 saves, W

Pirates stay hot in win over Phantoms

Mark Mancari continued his scoring tear with a goal and three assists, and Tim Kennedy got back on the sheet with a goal and an assist of his own as Portland defeated Philadelphia, 5-3. The victory makes it five in a row for the Pirates, as Mancari jumps into the AHL point lead with 22 (9+13) through 11 games. With the Pirates taking five straight, Jhonas Enroth made 16 saves to earn his fifth straight win. The Swedish rookie is now 5-1, with a 2.67 goals against average and a save percentage of .912. Mancari: 1G, 3A, +3 Kennedy: 1G, 1A, +2 Gragnani: 1A Gerbe: 1A Card: +2 Funk: +1 Kostka: +1 Weber: +1, 6 PIM Zagrapan: 2 SOG Schutz: even Butler: even Whitmore: even Enroth: 16 saves, W The Pirates will return to action on Friday when they host the Albany River Rats in Lewiston.

11/5 Recap: On Pommer-like pace, Gerbe nets hatty

Nathan Gerbe scored an empty net goal in the final seconds to notch his first professional hat trick as Portland defeated Worcester, 5-3. Gerbe, who also added an assist, raised his goal total to 10 on the season including a league leading six on the power play. The blazing winger pounced on a Tim Kennedy rebound in the first period to score his eighth goal of the season. He later scored the unassisted game winner in third when he intercepted a cross-ice pass and buried the partial breakaway before topping the game off with :14 to play. Gerbe's early season ten-spot has him cruising at the same pace that Jason Pominville, then 23 in his fourth AHL season, was producing in 2005 before earning a call-up to Buffalo. Now a solid NHL performer, Pominville scored 19 goals in 18 games with Rochester before a J.P. Dumont abdominal injury forced the call-up. The 21-year old Gerbe is currently on pace to pot 20 goals in the same frame as a rookie. Mark Mancari tallied two goals and an assist in the win, while Kennedy added three helpers to extend his season-long point streak to nine games. Marc-Andre Gragnani skated as a forward due to a Colin Murphy injury scratch. Jhonas Enroth made 27 saves to earn his third consecutive win. The Rundown: Gerbe: 3G, 1A, 6 SOG Mancari: 2G, 1A, +2 Kennedy: 3A, +1 Gragnani: 1A Schutz: even Zagrapan: 1 SOG Card: even Butler: +1 Weber: 4 PIM Kostka: 1 SOG Whitmore: even Enroth: 27 saves, W ----------------------------------------------------------------------- In Wednesday QMJHL action, Jordon Southorn was +1 with three hits in PEI's 6-2 loss to Saint John. Luke Adam and T.J. Brennan were held pointless in Montreal's 1-0 shutout of Val-d'Or. Jean-Simon Allard was -1 in Quebec's 3-2 win over Rimouski.

Kennedy adds to streak; Mancari on pace to place

Tim Kennedy and Mark Mancari continued their hot hands with three-point nights, and Felix Schutz added a goal and an assist as Portland defeated Norfolk, 5-3. Jhonas Enroth was again excellent in the Pirates pipes, making 35 saves to earn the back-to-back road wins over the Admirals. Mancari upped his season points total to 14, and now sits in second place on the AHL leaderboard behind Hershey's Keith Aucoin (18). Nathan Gerbe was -3 in the win, and saw his five-game goal scoring streak snapped along the way. With a goal and two assists, Kennedy has now pointed in all eight games for a total of 12 this season. He had point streaks of eight and seven games last season at Michigan State, and will look to post his longest run since leaving the USHL on Wednesday at Worcester. The Rundown: Kennedy: 1 G, 2 A, +2, 4 SOG Schutz: 1 G, 1 A, +2 Mancari: 1 G, 2 A, +4, 6 SOG Kostka: 1 A, +1 Weber: 1 A, +1, 4 PIM Butler: 1 SOG, 4 PIM Gragnani: -2 Gerbe: 4 SOG, -3 Whitmore: 1 SOG Zagrapan: -2 Card: -1 Enroth: 35 saves, W