Pirates Host IceCaps in Season Finale in Saco

Pirates (24-38-3-10, 61 points) vs. IceCaps (45-23-2-5, 97 points)
Saco, Maine - The Portland Pirates will play their final game of the 2013-14 season on Saturday night as they host the St. John’s IceCaps at MHG Ice Centre (15 Lund Road) in Saco. Puck drops at 7 PM for the 12^th matchup between the Pirates and IceCaps. St. John’s leads the season series 9-2.

The Pirates were defeated by the Albany Devils on Wednesday in their final game in Lewiston, dropping a 3-2 shootout decision. Greg Carey scored his first professional goal and Lucas Lessio extended his team lead in goals with his 29^th tally of the season. Mark Visentin, making his first start since his NHL debut with the Phoenix Coyotes, made 28 saves in the defeat. The shootout loss gives the Pirates points in their last two games, but extends their winless streak to 10 games.

St. John’s blanked the Worcester Sharks 6-0 on Friday night in Worcester. 6 different IceCaps scored in the victory, while Michael Hutchinson made 23 saves for the Shutout. St. John’s enters the playoffs next week as the number 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The IceCaps and Pirates have combined for a very high scoring season series, with the IceCaps outscoring Portland 79-35 in 11 games. Lucas Lessio leads the Pirates with 10 points in the series (6 goals, 4 assists), while Andrew Gordon has 16 points for the IceCaps in 11 games.

Tonight’s game will be played at MHG Ice Centre due to a scheduling conflict. This will be the first professional game at MHG Ice Centre, which serves as the practice facility for the Pirates and as the home for the Portland Junior Pirates. Tickets for the game have sold out.

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Finish Strong: It has been a difficult season for the Pirates, but a strong finish to the season against a playoff team in St. John’s can help with momentum headed into the offseason. The Pirates’ young players and impending free agents will look to make a final impression as the season winds down. Look for the Pirates to come out with lots of energy as they try to end the season with a win.

Tonight’s game can be heard on News Talk WLOB AM 1310/AM 780 as well as WEZR FM 105.5/AM 1240 in the Lewiston/Auburn area and WTME AM 780/1450 in Oxford County. The game can also be heard online at portlandpirates.com by clicking “Listen Live”. Tonight’s game will not be on AHL Live. The pregame show starts at 6:40 with Jeff Mannix.

Follow all the action on the Pirates official Facebook page and Twitter account (@PortlandPirates) with the hashtag #PiratesSaco

Pirates and IceCaps Battle for Series Win

Pirates (22-29-2-8, 54 points) at IceCaps (37-20-1-3, 78 Points)

6:00 PM EDT 

St. John’s, NL – The Portland Pirates and St. John’s IceCaps will meet in the rubber game of their three game series and their final regular season contest in St. John’s tonight at 6 PM EDT. St. John’s has an 8-2 advantage on the season series, with both Pirates wins coming in St. John’s.

The Pirates took the second game of the series last night, scoring 7 goals for the first time since January 2013 en route to a 7-4 victory. Jordan Martinook had a three point night for the Pirates, while Tobias Rieder, Jordan Szwarz, Randy Jones and Brandon Yip all had two point games. Louis Domingue broke a 5 game personal winless streak, making 26 saves in the win. The victory snapped a 4 game winless streak for the team and a 9 game winning streak for the IceCaps.

The last 5 games between Portland and St. John’s have seen a combined 51 goals between the two teams. The Pirates and IceCaps will meet once more this year, in the second to last game of the season on April 19^th at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

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Barrage: The Pirates found success last night in getting shots on the St. John’s net, scoring 4 goals on 11 shots in the first period. Look for Portland to keep pressure on the St. John’s netminders with a number of shots as well as secondary chances that the Pirates will try to capitalize on.

Tonight’s game can be heard on the Pirates flagship stations WPEI 95.5/95.9 FM as well as WEZR FM 105.5/AM 1240 in the Lewiston/Auburn area and WTME AM 780/1450 in Oxford County. The game can also be heard online at portlandpirates.com by clicking “Listen Live” and can be seen live on AHL Live at ahllive.com. The pregame show starts at 5:40 with Jeff Mannix.

Follow all the action on the Pirates official Facebook page and Twitter account (@PortlandPirates) with the hashtag #PiratesAway.

The Pirates have announced eight guaranteed dates for the 2014-15 season as the Pirates return to the Cumberland County Civic Center! Group tickets are available for all eight of the announced dates and flex and season tickets for the 2014-15 season are now on sale! For more information on the guaranteed dates, click here and for more information on ticket plans, call 207-828-4665.

Pirates Meet IceCaps in Sunday Matinee

Pirates (19-23-2-7, 47 points) vs. IceCaps (31-19-1-3, 66 points), 4:00 PM EST
Lewiston, Maine - The Portland Pirates host the St. John’s IceCaps for the second time this week in a matinee at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston. Puck drop is set for 4 PM for the 8th of 12 meeting between the two teams. St. John’s leads the season series 6-1.

The Pirates dropped Game 8 of the VIP Cup Series, presented by VIP Tires & Service, last night in Manchester 5-4. Portland had a leads of 2-0, 3-1, and 4-2, but were unable to hold on as the Monarchs scored three unanswered goals in the third period. Andy Miele registered his 100th career assist in the first period, while Brandon McMillan tallied 2 goals and an assist in the loss. Manchester leads the VIP Cup series 6-2 and clinched at least a share of this year’s title with their win last night. For more information on the VIP Cup, please visit www.vip-cup.com.

St. John’s is undefeated in regulation in their last 4 games, including two straight victories over the Worcester Sharks this weekend. The IceCaps defeated the Sharks 5-1 on Friday night and 3-1 last night, with Michael Hutchinson making 49 saves for the win. St. John’s’ Kyle MacKinnon had a three point Saturday for the IceCaps, who currently sit in 6th place in the Eastern Conference with 66 points.

The Pirates and IceCaps last played Tuesday, a 7-5 win for St. John’s. The Pirates jumped out to a 2-0 lead but the IceCaps stuck back with 6 goals in the second period, the most goals that the Pirates have allowed in a period in team history. The Pirates made the game interesting in the third as Lucas Lessio and Brett Hextall both scored, but they were unable to overcome the deficit. Lessio scored twice in the game and added an assist, while Andy Miele scored his 20th goal of the year, setting a career high.

KeyBank Key to the Game

60 Minutes: The Pirates have allowed comebacks of 2 goals in each of their last two games and need to play a full 60 minutes this afternoon to get the win. The Pirates’ defensemen will need to step up to help with this effort, as Pirates opponents have put 86 shots on net over the past two games, with 24 of those coming in the third period.

Tonight is Androscoggin Bank Mobile Banking night – make sure to stop by their table in the Colisee lobby and check out their display!

The first 500 fans through the doors at tonight’s game will receive an Electricity Maine winter hat! For more information about the Electricity Maine Hat giveaway, click here.

This afternoon’s game can be heard on the Pirates flagship stations WPEI 95.5/95.9 FM as well as WEZR FM 105.5/AM 1240 in the Lewiston/Auburn area and WTME AM 780/1450 in Oxford County. The game can also be heard online at portlandpirates.com by clicking “Listen Live” and can be seen live on AHL Live at ahllive.com. The pregame show starts at 3:40 with Jeff Mannix. Tickets are available at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee by calling 783-2009 ext. 525 or online at thecolisee.com.

Follow all the action on the Pirates official Facebook page and Twitter account (@PortlandPirates) with the hashtag #PiratesHome.

Season tickets for the 2014-15 season are now on sale as the Pirates return to the Cumberland County Civic Center! Choose the 5 on the Fly, Salty’s 16, or Captain’s Full Plan, all with great benefits! For more information on season ticket plans, visit www.portlandpirates.com/tickets/season or call 207-828-4665.

Pirates Start 3 Game Home Weekend against IceCaps

Pirates (16-16-2-7, 41 points) vs.  IceCaps (24-16-1-2, 51 Points), 7:00 PM EST
Lewiston, Maine – The Pirates start their first three games in three days home series since March of 2010 Friday night when they face the St. John’s IceCaps at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston. Puck drops at 7 PM for the 6th meeting of the year between the two teams.

The Pirates snapped a 6 game winless streak in their last game, defeating the Springfield Falcons 4-3 in a shootout on Sunday. Chris Brown was the offensive leader, scoring twice, and Andy Miele added his team leading 18th goal of the season. Once again, a Pirates game was not decided in regulation, the third of the weekend, and the Pirates would eventually prevail in a shootout with Miele scoring the game winning goal.

The IceCaps are on a 4 game winning streak, defeating the Providence Bruins 3-1 last Sunday on Sunday. Former Providence goaltender Michael Hutchinson made 34 saves for the IceCaps while Andrew Gordon, Brenden Kichton, and Jason Jaffray tallied goals for St. John’s. The win moved the IceCaps into 7th in the Eastern Conference with 51 points.

The Pirates and IceCaps last clashed in a 3 game series in St. John’s, which the IceCaps won 2-1. The series was marked with two travel delays for the Pirates, which resulted in a 3 game series played in 3 days. Brandon McMillan has led the Pirates in scoring against the IceCaps, tallying 5 assists in 5 games, while Lucas Lessio, Tobias Rieder, and Brendan Shinnimin each have tallied 2 goals. Louis Domingue has made 4 appearances against the IceCaps this season, with a record of 1-1. On the IceCaps side, Eddie Pasquale has played in every game against the Pirates this season, registering a .943 save percentage and a 1.88 goals against average.

KeyBank Key to the Game

Regularity: The Pirates have played in 14 overtime and shootout games this season, the equivalent of one entire regulation game in extra time. All three of the Pirates’ games last weekend went past regulation and 8 home games have gone to shootouts. The Pirates need to shorten the game and win in regulation in order to save their energy for the second half grind.

Tonight’s game can be heard on the Pirates flagship stations WPEI 95.5/95.9 FM as well as WEZR AM 1240 in the Lewiston/Auburn area and WTME AM 780/1450 in Oxford County. The game can also be heard online at portlandpirates.com by clicking “Listen Live” and can be seen live on AHL Live at ahllive.com. The pregame show starts at 6:40 with Jeff Mannix and special guest Mike Lee.

Tickets are available at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee by calling 783-2009 ext. 525 or online at thecolisee.com. Take advantage of the Pirates special weekend offer for this weekend only by calling 828-4665 or online on portlandpirates.com - $8 tickets if you purchase tickets to two of this weekend’s games and a signed yearbook!

Follow all the action on the Pirates official Facebook page and Twitter account (@PortlandPirates) with the hashtag #PiratesHome.

Pirates and IceCaps Meet in Second Game of Series

Pirates (13-11-1-4, 31 points) at IceCaps (17-13-1-2, 37 Points), 6:00 PM EST
St. John’s, NL – The Pirates and IceCaps will meet for the middle game of their three game series tonight at 6 PM in St. John’s at the MileOne Centre. Puck drop is set for 6 PM Eastern time for tonight’s game, which was rescheduled from Saturday night due to travel and weather issues.

St. John’s was victorious in the opening game of the series yesterday afternoon, defeating the Pirates 3-1. St. John’s scored once in the second and twice in the third period, with goals coming from Adam Lowry, Brenden Kitchton, and Jerome Sampson, while Andy Miele had the Pirates’ tally. Miele’s tally, his 14th of the year, gave him sole possession of 15th place all-time in points in Pirates history, passing Hall of Famers Martin Gendron and Ryan Mulhern, and puts him two points behind Hall of Famer Chris Jensen for 14th place. Miele has registered 10 points in his last 5 games and currently ranks 13th in the AHL in scoring.

St. John’s owns a 3-0 record against the Pirates this season, and have won the last 4 games against the Pirates dating back to last season. However, the Pirates penalty kill has been excellent against the IceCaps this season, holding them to a 2 for 18 (11%) success rate.

KeyBank Key to the Game

Seeking a Spark: The Pirates offense has been sluggish against the IceCaps this season, and will need to break out against St. John’s’ goaltending tonight in order to get the victory. In addition to leading scorer Andy Miele, look for the Pirates to rely on some of their younger players and fresh faces, including Corey Trivino, to spark the offense.

Tonight’s game can be heard on the Pirates flagship stations WPEI 95.5/95.9 FM as well as WEZR AM 1240 in the Lewiston/Auburn area and WTME AM 780/1450 in Oxford County. The game can also be heard online at portlandpirates.com by clicking “Listen Live” and can be seen live on AHL Live at ahllive.com. The pregame show starts at 5:40 with Jeff Mannix Follow all the action on the Pirates official Facebook page and Twitter account (@PortlandPirates) with the hashtag #PiratesAway.

Pirates Start Series with IceCaps in St. John’s

Pirates (13-10-1-4, 31 points) at IceCaps (16-13-1-2, 35 Points), 2:30 PM EST
St. John’s, NF – The Pirates start their three game road trip in St. John’s a day later than expected when they face the IceCaps at MileOne Center. Puck drops at 2:30 PM for the third meeting this year between the two teams and the first game of 2014 for both.

The Pirates were winners on New Year’s Eve, defeating the Bridgeport Sound Tigers 4-2 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee. Lucas Lessio had the game winning goal and Brett Hextall scored twice to lead the Pirates. Louis Domingue made 23 saves to remain undefeated in his AHL career, and Jordan Szwarz also scored in his return to the Pirates lineup. The Pirates improved to 11-6-2 on New Year’s Eve in their history.

St. John’s finished 2013 with a 4-2 loss in Springfield against the Falcons. Kyle MacKinnon and Kael Mouillierat scored for the IceCaps, but three straight goals from the Falcons gave them the victory. Eddie Pasquale made 29 saves for the IceCaps in the loss.

St. John’s owns a 2-0 record against the Pirates this season, with their last meeting on Friday November 1st. Both Mark Visentin and Louis Domingue have played in each game against St. John’s this season, with Visentin getting the start for both. Jason Jaffrey has tallied 4 points against the Pirates this season, while Brendan Shinnimin had a two goal game on November 1st, including a shorthanded goal, to lead the Pirates in scoring against St. John’s this season.

KeyBank Key to the Game

Cold Start: The Pirates have had a rough travel schedule in getting to St. John’s, with the first game of the series already delayed. This game marks the first of six games in 8 days, which includes stops in 4 cities 5 road games. The Pirates must start this stretch with a win, and scoring first will go a long way towards accomplishing that.

Tonight’s game can be heard on the Pirates flagship stations WPEI 95.5/95.9 FM as well as WEZR AM 1240 in the Lewiston/Auburn area and WTME AM 780/1450 in Oxford County. The game can also be heard online at portlandpirates.com by clicking “Listen Live” and can be seen live on AHL Live at ahllive.com. The pregame show starts at 4:40 with Jeff Mannix. Tickets are available by calling (207) 783-2009 or online at thecolisee.com. Follow all the action on the Pirates official Facebook page and Twitter account (@PortlandPirates) with the hashtag #PiratesAway.