Adirondack rallies from two-goal third period deficit to even the series with the Maine Mariners

Published by %s
April 28, 2024

PORTLAND- The Adirondack Thunder got a game winning powerplay goal from Shane Harper in the third period Saturday night, to help cap what was a four goal final stanza in a 5-3 come from behind win over the Maine Mariners before a crowd of 4,113 at the Cross Insurance Arena. The best of seven Eastern Conference Northern Division Playoff Semifinal series is now even 2-2, and will now come down to a best of three with Game 5 taking place in Portland on Sunday.

Maine opened the scoring on the night at the 4:48 mark of the first period on the powerplay, as Chase Zieky got a pass from Fedor Gordeev in the high slot and fired a wristshot past Jeremy Brodeur to make it 1-0.

 

Adirondack tied it just 2:16 later on a goal from Yushiroh Hirano at 7:04. The Thunder, who went 0-6 on the powerplay in their Friday night loss, had an opportunity to take the lead with their first man advantage later in the opening stanza. The Mariners had other thoughts however. Xander Lamppa made a block as Adirondack tried to keep the puck in at the Maine blue line, and sent Owen Pederson out on a breakaway. Pederson converted for the shorthanded goal at 12:30 to regain the one goal edge 2-1.

Maine would increase that advantage to 3-1 when Ethan Ritchie kept a puck in at the blue line skated to the top of the left circle and let go a wristshot that eluded Brodeur stickside at 16:42 of the second period.

Maine bottled up Adirondack through the first two periods, holding the Thunder to just nine shots on goal and were 20 minutes away from sending them to the brink of elimination and a 3-1 series lead. But then the third period happened. Tristan Ashbrook started the comeback by shoveling home a rebound at 7:17 to cut the deficit back to just a goal. Ryan Wheeler tied it up 3-3 at 12:26 after a mad scramble in front of Mariners goalie Brad Arvanitis, sending one from behind the net that went into the goal off the back of Arvanitis who was down and out of position. The Thunder would finally convert on the powerplay in a crucial time, after failing on their last 10 attempts. Harper scooped up a rebound for the game winner at 14:23, after the initial shot by Andre Ghantous was stopped by Arvanitis.

 

Adirondack would add an empty net goal to seal the win a few minutes later by Travis Broughman at 18:58.

Arvanitis made 19 saves in the loss for Maine. Zieky and Pederson both had a goal and an assist. The Mariners would go 1-4 on the powerplay, with the lone tally coming on the first man advantage of the night. Hirano had a goal and an assist in the win for Adirondack, while Will MacKinnon had two assists. Brodeur, the son of former NHL goalie Martin Brodeur, would also finish with 19 saves. The Thunder went 1-5 on the extra man, but the one was huge on the game winner by Harper. They also outshot the Mariners 15-2 in the third period. A pivotal Game 5 at the Cross Insurance Arena is scheduled for a 3 p.m. faceoff on Sunday afternoon. The series then will shift back to Glen Falls, New York for Game 6 on Tuesday and Game 7 (if necessary) on Wednesday.

 

Recap/photos/videos by Chris Lessner. Additional videos courtesy of MarinersofMaine on Twitter

 

 

 

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