Portland Pirates

Portland Pirates Baxter 12 Raffle Raises $600 for Lewiston Fire Victims

cknoblock — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:16:54 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

June 11, 2013

Portland Pirates Baxter 12 Raffle Raises $600 for Lewiston Fire Victims

Portland, Maine – The Portland Pirates, AHL Affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes, have raised $600 for the victims of the recent fires in Lewiston through an online raffle of Baxter 12 Pack tickets. All proceeds from the raffle will be donated to the American Red Cross of Maine, United Valley Chapter.

44 Pirates fans entered the raffle, with 120 total entries. 5 winners each received a pair of Baxter 12 season tickets at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée for the 2013-14 season, and were notified by email.

“We sincerely appreciate the generosity of the Pirates’ loyal fans in participating in this fundraising effort,” said Brian Petrovek, Managing Owner/CEO of the Pirates. “The Pirates encourage those in the Lewiston/Auburn area to continue to support those who have been affected by the fires by continuing to donate to the American Red Cross through their website, www.redcross.org.”

The Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston served as a Red Cross shelter for those affected by the fires during the month of May. The Pirates will play their first 12 games of the 2013-14 season, starting in October, at the Colisée after playing 6 games at the Colisée in 2012-13. The Pirates posted a 5-1 record in front of 5 sold out crowds at the Colisée during 2012-13.

Season Tickets for the 2013-14 season are available for purchase! Get a Baxter 12 Pack, canned by Baxter Brewing Company, and choose either a Portland 26 or Pick 16 plan for games at the newly renovated Cumberland County Civic Center. Call the Pirates front office at (207) 828-4665 ext. 350 and speak to one of our account executives today to reserve your seats!

TAKE NO PRISONERS
PORTLANDPIRATES.COM

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Contact:

Chris Knoblock

Director, Communications and Media Relations

(207) 828-4665 ext. 310

Former Pirates Contributing in Stanley Cup Chase

cknoblock — Fri, 31 May 2013 16:00:38 +0000

Former Pirates Contributing in Stanley Cup Chase

Thornton, Penner, and Kunitz all contributing as Conference Finals get underway

Portland, ME – With the NHL Conference Finals starting this weekend, three former Portland Pirates are contributing to their team’s success. Dustin Penner, Shawn Thornton, and Chris Kunitz all spent time in Portland and all three now chase hockey’s top prize.

Dustin Penner is the lone former Pirate in the Western Conference Finals. In his lone season with Portland (2005-06), Penner put up spectacular numbers, scoring 39 goals and adding 45 assists in just 57 games. Penner’s strong play meant that Portland was his last AHL stop, as he’s spent time with the Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, and the Los Angeles Kings since. In 13 playoff games for LA this year, the former University of Maine Black Bear has scored twice and added an assist, including the series winning goal for the Kings against the St. Louis Blues in game 6 on May 10^th.

Shawn Thornton has been a force in the playoffs for the Boston Bruins, helping the Bruins’ 4^th line makes a significant impact. Thornton, who served as Pirates captain in 2006-07, has skated in every Bruins playoff game, contributing 3 assists and playing hardnosed hockey for Boston. Thornton’s 15 game career in Portland was short but memorable, as he tallied 4 goals and 4 assists while dropping the gloves 5 times for the Pirates. The Bruins enforcer has dropped the gloves 117 times in his 495 career games.

Chris Kunitz has been extremely effective for the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2013 playoffs, already scoring 4 goals and tallying 5 assists in 11 games. Kunitz only played 5 games in Portland during the 05-06 season, where he was teammates with Dustin Penner, and tallied 4 assists while with the Pirates. Kunitz is a veteran of 581 regular season games and 95 playoff games, giving him the most NHL experience of the three remaining Pirates.

Penner (Center)

Portland Pirates to Raffle off Baxter 12 Pack Tickets to Benefit Lewiston Fire Victims

cknoblock — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:25:12 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

May 17, 2013

Portland Pirates to Raffle off Baxter 12 Pack Tickets to Benefit Lewiston Fire Victims

Portland, Maine – The Portland Pirates, AHL Affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes, will be raffling off 5 pairs (10 total) of Baxter 12 pack tickets for the 2013-14 season to benefit the American Red Cross of Maine as they provide support to the victims of the recent fires in Lewiston. Each entry into the raffle is $5, with all proceeds to go directly to the American Red Cross of Maine.

“Our thoughts are with those who have been affected by the recent fires in Lewiston,” said Brian Petrovek, Managing Owner/CEO of the Pirates. “The Pirates have built a loyal, passionate fan base in Lewiston, and we are glad to support the city and people of Lewiston, especially those who have been displaced, as they begin their recovery.”

Raffle tickets can be purchased online here until May 31^st, 2013. The 5 winners will be drawn on June 3^rd and notified via email.

The Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston recently served as a Red Cross shelter for those affected by the fires. The Pirates will play their first 12 games of the 2013-14 season at the Colisée after playing 6 games at the Colisée in 2012-13. The Pirates posted a 5-1 record in front of 5 sold out crowds at the Colisée during 2012-13. The 2013-14 AHL season will start in October.

TAKE NO PRISONERS
PORTLANDPIRATES.COM

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Contact:

Chris Knoblock

Director, Communications and Media Relations

(207) 828-4665 ext. 310

Crunch Defeat Pirates in Overtime, Sweep Series

cknoblock — Fri, 03 May 2013 04:31:43 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Crunch Defeat Pirates in Overtime, Sweep Series

Syracuse wins series 3-0

Box Score: Click Here!

Photo: Ron Morin

Portland, ME – Ondrej Palat was the overtime hero as the Syracuse Crunch defeated the Portland Pirates 4-3 at the Civic Center, completing the three game sweep of Portland in their Eastern Quarterfinals Series. Pirates goaltender Chad Johnson faced 45 shots on goal in nearly 80 minutes of ice time, but allowed Palat’s game winner with just 16 seconds left in the first overtime.

The Pirates were on the man advantage early, receiving the game’s first power play as a result of a Jean-Philippe Cote interference call at 6:02 of the first period. However, the Crunch had the best scoring chance on the Portland man advantage. Tyler Johnson’s breakaway chance was denied by Pirates’ starter Chad Johnson, who shut the pads in time on a backhand attempt. The Pirates struck on the power play later in the period. After 1:23 of four on four, Alexandre Bolduc stepped out of the box to give the Pirates a man advantage. The Pirates captain, playing in his first game of the series, took a pass from Chris Brown and set up Andy Miele for Miele’s his first of the playoffs at 15:57.

Syracuse needed only three seconds of power play time to even the game. Brown put the Crunch on the power play with an interference call at 6:54 in the second. Dan Sexton won the ensuing face off back to Matt Taormina, who set up Radko Gudas for the one time shot from the blue line. Gudas beat Chad Johnson for his first of the playoffs at 6:57. The Crunch had a chance to take the lead shortly after, as Mathieu Brodeur was sent off for holding at 7:49. The Pirates penalty kill denied the Crunch from getting a shot on net. After the Pirates failed to capitalize on a power play chance of their own, they found themselves back on the penalty kill as the result of a Michael Stone boarding call at 14:25. This time, it was Chad Johnson coming up big on the penalty kill. Johnson once again denied Crunch forward Tyler Johnson on a breakaway after he had slipped behind the Pirates defense.

Bolduc would give the Pirates the lead early in the third. After taking a feed from Miele and setting up behind the net, Bolduc skated out front and squeezed a shot through the pads of Desjardins 19 seconds into the period. The Pirates later capitalized on what would be their second of three power plays in the period. Nick Johnson tipped a Stone shot, past Desjardins and gave the Pirates a 3-1 lead at 10:47 of the third. The Crunch gained momentum as the period went on and turned up the pressure on Chad Johnson. Mike Angelidis finished off a three on two rush with J.T. Wyman and Mark Barberio to bring the Syracuse within one. The Crunch captain beat Johnson just under his glove for his first of the postseason at 13:59. Syracuse would pull Desjardins with just under 2 minutes to go, and their sustained pressure in the Pirates end as the paid off with the tying goal as Brett Connolly found Ondrej Palat for a one timer on the top of the crease with just 1:12 remaining in regulation.

Overtime saw both teams get quality chances to end the game. Chad Johnson made some key saves, keeping the season alive for Portland. The Pirates were outshot 15-4 in the overtime period, and 45-18 total for the game. With just 16.2 seconds left in the overtime period, Palat struck again, picking up a loose rebound off a Taormina shot to end the Pirates’ season, and give the Crunch a 4-3 victory and series sweep.

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Pirates face Crunch in Must Win Game 3

cknoblock — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:52:06 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Thursday, May 2^nd, 2013

Pirates face Crunch in Must Win Game 3

Syracuse leads Best of 5 Series 2-0

Scott Thomas Photography

Portland, ME – The Portland Pirates will look to stay alive in their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Series on Thursday as they take on the Syracuse Crunch at the Cumberland County Civic Center. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM for Game 3 of the best of five series, which Syracuse leads 2-0.

Portland jumped out to a 2-0 advantage in Game 1, with Darian Dziurzynski and David Rundblad getting the first period tallies for the Pirates. Syracuse’s Tyler Johnson got the Crunch on the board with a power play goal in the second to cut the Pirates lead to 1, but Portland’s Chris Brown answered back with a tally of his own. Mike Barberio brought Syracuse back within one with another power play tally in the second. Dan Sexton got the equalizer for the Crunch in the third period, and regulation ended in a 3-3 tie. Richard Panik scored the game winner in the extra frame on the power play, the third power play goal of the night for the Crunch, to give Syracuse the win and the 1-0 series advantage.

In Game 2, Syracuse scored four times to take a 4-0 lead, putting the Pirates at an early disadvantage. Despite tallies from Brandon Gormley and Nick Johnson, Portland was unable to come back, and Syracuse finished off game 2 with a 4-2 victory and a 2-0 series advantage.

Portland is 10-13 all-time in elimination games, but have only been swept twice in their history; in 2010 against the Manchester Monarchs and against the St. John’s Flames in 2001. Portland had the longest home winning streak in the AHL this season at a franchise record 8 games, and has a goal differential of +20 on home ice. Syracuse was one of the best road teams in the AHL, posting a 24-10-2-2 record, while Portland posted one of the best home records at 24-11-2-1.

Tonight’s game can be heard on AM 1310 WLOB, online at portlandpiratesradio.com, and on AHL Live. The radio pregame show starts at 6:40 with the voice of the Pirates, Jeff Mannix. Tonight’s game will also be broadcast on Time Warner Cable TWC-TV, which is channel 9 or 21 in Maine.

WHAT: Game 3, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Series (Syracuse leads 2-0)

WHO: Portland Pirates vs. Syracuse Crunch

WHERE: Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland, ME

WHEN: 7:00 PM EDT (6:40 Pregame show)

RADIO/TV/WEB: AM 1310 WLOB, PortlandPiratesRadio.com, AHL Live, TWC-TV

TAKE NO PRISONERS

PORTLANDPIRATES.COM

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Pirates Sign Mathieu Brisebois to Amateur Tryout Contract

cknoblock — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:56:37 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

April 30, 2013

Pirates Sign Mathieu Brisebois to Amateur Tryout Contract

Portland, Maine – Phoenix Coyotes Assistant General Manager and Portland Pirates General Manager Brad Treliving announced today that the Portland Pirates have defenseman Mathieu Brisebois to an Amateur Tryout Contract (ATO).

Brisebois, a 5 foot 11, 180 pound native of Mont St.-Hilaire, had been with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. In 64 games for Rouyn-Noranda this season, Brisebois scored 19 goals and tallied 54 assists for 73 points to lead all QMJHL defensemen. Brisebois also tallied 3 goals and 12 assists in 14 games during the playoffs. Brisebois started his QMJHL career with the Lewiston MAINEiacs, playing 31 games in Lewiston during the 2009-10 season.

Brisebois was signed to a three year entry-level contract by the Phoenix Coyotes on March 6^th, 2013

Tickets are available for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals between the Syracuse Crunch and the Portland Pirates on Thursday, May 2^nd by calling the Cumberland County Civic Center Box Office at 207-775-3458.

TAKE NO PRISONERS
PORTLANDPIRATES.COM

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Contact:

Chris Knoblock

Director, Communications and Media Relations

(207) 828-4665 ext. 310

Crunch Down Pirates 4 – 2

cknoblock — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 02:32:43 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Crunch Down Pirates 4 – 2

Syracuse leads best of five series 2-0

Box Score: Click Here!

Scott Thomas Photography

Syracuse, NY – The Syracuse Crunch scored the first 4 goals of the game and held on to defeat the Portland Pirates 4-2 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Portland now faces elimination as they return to the Cumberland County Civic Center down 0-2 in the series. Game 3 is Thursday in Portland at 7:00 PM.

Ondrej Palat opened the scoring for the Crunch, breaking a scoreless tie in 4 on 4 action at the 9:33 mark of the first. Palat’s goal was assisted by Tyler Johnson and Matt Taormina. J.T. Brown scored just over a minute later at the 10:41 mark of the first to give the Crunch a 2-0 lead. While Portland opened with the first 4 shots of the game, Syracuse tallied 9 of the next 10 shots, and finished the period with a 12-7 shot advantage.

Syracuse extended their lead in the second. Tyler Johnson had the shorthanded goal for the Crunch on a Dmitry Korobov penalty that carried over from the first period just 49 seconds into the second frame to give Syracuse a 3-0 lead. Brett Connolly then extended the lead to 4-0 with a tally that came with 5:24 left in the second. A massive scrum broke out at the next stoppage of play, which saw Phil Lane and Jean-Philippe Cote pick up fighting majors and Andy Miele and Richard Panik picking up misconducts for secondary altercations. Brandon Gormley got the Pirates on the board with a 4 on 4 tally with 3:10 remaining in the second, with Brendan Shinnimin picking up an assist.

The Pirates would pull closer in the third. Nick Johnson redirected Lucas Lessio’s shot past Cedric Desjardins with 10:20 remaining, cutting Syracuse’s lead to 2. Despite ramped up pressure from the Pirates and numerous power play attempts, the Pirates were unable to capitalize, going 0-8 on the night on the man advantage during the game. With Chad Johnson on the bench with 2:13 left in regulation, the Pirates controlled the Syracuse offensive zone, but Desjardins stood tall to close out the win for the Crunch.

Chad Johnson stopped 20 of the 25 shots he faced in the loss, while Desjardins stopped 12 of 14. Neither team scored on the power play during the game, with Syracuse going 0-6 and Portland going 0-8.

The series moves to Portland for Game 3, which will be Thursday night at the Cumberland County Civic Center. Puck drop set for 7:00 PM as the Pirates look to extend the series. Tickets are available for Thursday’s game by calling the Civic Center Box Office at (207) 775-3458. Group tickets are available by calling the Pirates office at (207) 828-4665 ext. 350.

The pregame show starts Thursday at 6:40 with Jeff Mannix. Thursday’s game can be heard on WPEI 95.5 and 95.9, online on PortlandPiratesRadio.com, and on AHL Live. Thursday’s game will also be televised on Time Warner Cable TWC-TV, which is channel 9 or 21 in Maine.

TAKE NO PRISONERS

PORTLANDPIRATES.COM

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Game 2 Preview: Pirates Look to Tie Up Crunch

cknoblock — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 16:14:02 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Sunday, April 28^th, 2013

Pirates Look to Tie Up Crunch

Syracuse leads Best of 5 Series 1-0

Scott Thomas Photography

Portland, ME – The Portland Pirates will look to even their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Series on Sunday as they take on the Syracuse Crunch at the Onondaga War Memorial in Syracuse, NY. Puck drop is set for 7:30 PM for Game 2 of the best of five series, which Syracuse leads 1-0 by virtue of their 4-3 overtime victory in Game 1.

Portland had not lost Game 1 of a playoff series since the 2010 Calder Cup Playoffs, when they were swept in 4 games by the Manchester Monarchs. Portland is 2-4 in their last six Game 2 appearances, but have won 3 of their last 5 first round series. Portland has not lost Game 2 on the road in the first round since the 2004 Calder Cup Playoffs. Syracuse was defeated by the St. John’s IceCaps 4-3 in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series last year, which took place at the War Memorial.

Tonight’s game can be heard on AM 1310 WLOB, online at portlandpiratesradio.com, and on AHL Live. Pregame show starts at 7:10 with the voice of the Pirates, Jeff Mannix. Tonight’s game will also be broadcast on Time Warner Cable TWC-TV, which is channel 9 or 21 in Maine.

WHAT: Game 2, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Series (Syracuse leads 1-0)

WHO: Portland Pirates vs. Syracuse Crunch

WHERE: Onondaga War Memorial Arena, Syracuse NY

WHEN: 7:30 PM EDT (7:10 Pregame show)

RADIO/TV/WEB: AM 1310 WLOB, PortlandPiratesRadio.com, AHL Live, TWC-TV

TAKE NO PRISONERS

PORTLANDPIRATES.COM

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Crunch Sink Pirates in Overtime 4-3

cknoblock — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 03:14:52 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Crunch Sink Pirates in Overtime 4-3

Syracuse leads series 1-0

Box Score: Click Here!

Scott Thomas Photography

Syracuse, NY – The Portland Pirates took an early 2-0 lead, but the Syracuse Crunch came roaring back, tying the game in the third period and getting the game winning goal from Richard Panik in overtime to defeat the Pirates 4-3. Syracuse takes a 1-0 series lead in the best of 5 Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series.

After a scoreless first half of the first period, Darian Dziurzynski opened the scoring. Dziurzynski beat Syracuse starter Cedric Desjardins on the wraparound after a feed from Ethan Werek for his first playoff goal, giving the Pirates the 1-0 lead with 9:07 left in the first. Portland then used one of their 4 power plays in the first period to extend their lead. After Radko Goudas was called for holding, David Rundblad found the back of the net for the Pirates’ second goal. Rundblad’s goal, which was assisted by Brandon Gormley and Jordan Martinook, came with 2:44 to go in the first. After the first period, Portland led 2-0, with the Pirates putting 15 shots on Desjardins.

Syracuse would close the gap during the penalty filled second. After a Maxim Goncharov holding penalty, AHL MVP Tyler Johnson got the Crunch on the board with 13:23 left in the second. Johnson’s goal was assisted Richard Panik and Ondrej Palat. The Pirates extended their lead back to 2 as Chris Brown slipped the puck through Desjardins’ legs exactly 2 minutes later.! Phil Lane and Andy Miele had the assists on Brown’s goal, which came at 11:37. However, the Pirates went down two men after penalties to Evan Brophey and Brendan McMillan, and the Crunch responded. Mark Barberio brought the Crunch back within 1 with the goal at 13:32 of the second. The Pirates and Crunch combined for 11 penalties during the second period.

The Crunch got the equalizer in the third. Dan Sexton put the puck past Chad Johnson with 12:06 left in regulation, with Andrej Sustr and Philip-Michael Devos picking up assists. Johnson would keep the score level for the remainder of the period, and regulation ended with a 3-3 tie.

In the overtime frame, Syracuse had a goal disallowed as Tyler Johnson slipped the puck through the side of the Pirates’ net. However, a 5 minute major for elbowing was issued to Boris Valabik after his hit on Brett Connolly. Chad Johnson kept the pirates in the game with another set of big saves, but the Crunch’s Richard Panik broke through 6:36 into the extra frame to give Syracuse the win and the series lead.

The Crunch take a 1-0 lead in the best of 5 Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Series. Cedric Desjardins gets the win, stopping 28 of 31 shots, while Chad Johnson takes the loss for the Pirates, making 35 saves on 39 shots. Portland was assessed 13 penalties in the contest, while the Crunch were issued 8.

Game 2 will be tomorrow night at the War Memorial, with the puck drop set for 7:30 PM. Pregame show starts at 7:10 with Jeff Mannix. Tomorrow’s game can be heard on WPEI 95.5 and 95.9, online on PortlandPiratesRadio.com, and on AHL Live. Tomorrow’s game will also be televised on Time Warner Cable TWC-TV, which is channel 9 or 21 in Maine.

TAKE NO PRISONERS

PORTLANDPIRATES.COM

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Pirates Look to Crunch Syracuse in Playoff Opener

cknoblock — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 14:24:09 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Saturday, April 27^th, 2013

Pirates Look to Crunch Syracuse in Playoff Opener

Portland, ME – The Portland Pirates open their first playoff series since 2011 tonight as they travel to Syracuse to face the Crunch in game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Puck drop is set for 7:30 PM from the Onondaga War Memorial Arena. This will be the first of a five game series between the 3^rd seed Crunch and the 6^th seed Pirates. These two teams have never faced off in the playoffs before, but the Pirates lead Syracuse in the all-time head to head matchups with a record of 10-6-0.

The Pirates lost their last battle of the season 4-1 against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at Webster Bank Arena. Portland finished the season at 41-30-3-2 giving them the 2^nd in the Atlantic Division and 6^thspot in the Eastern Conference. The Pirates were led by consistent play from forward Andy Miele, who finished the regular season with 53 points to lead the team. Forward Alexandre Bolduc, currently on recall with the Phoenix Coyotes, had 51 points in 56 games played to finish 2^nd on the team in points, while Chris Brown led the AHL in goals as a rookie with 29.

The Syracuse Crunch lost their final game of the season by a 5-1 score against the Binghamton Senators on their home ice. Syracuse had a strong season, finishing with a record of 43-22-6-5 to win the East Division and lock up the 3^rd seed in the Eastern Conference. The Crunch were led by AHL MVP Tyler Johnson, who finished the season with 65 points in 62 games, and Brett Connolly who finished with 63 points in 71 games. Johnson finished 8^th in the AHL in scoring, while Connolly was right behind in 9^th.

The Pirates have not faced the Syracuse Crunch since 2010, when the Pirates were affiliated with the Buffalo Sabres and the Crunch were affiliated with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Syracuse defeated Portland 4-3 in a controversial game on March 6^th, 2010 in their last meeting. The Pirates and Crunch have not met in the playoffs during their respective histories.

This is the first playoff appearance for the Pirates since the 2010-11 season, and the first appearance by a Phoenix Coyotes affiliate since 2008. Portland is 70-68 all time in the postseason, with their lone Calder Cup Championship coming in their inaugural 1993-94 season.

Tonight’s game can be heard on AM 1310 WLOB, online at portlandpiratesradio.com, and on AHL Live. Pregame show starts at 7:10 with the voice of the Pirates, Jeff Mannix.

WHAT: Game 1, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Series (Best of 5)

WHO: Portland Pirates vs. Syracuse Crunch

WHERE: Onondaga War Memorial Arena, Syracuse NY

WHEN: 7:30 PM EDT (7:10 Pregame show)

RADIO/WEB: AM 1310 WLOB, PortlandPiratesRadio.com, AHL Live

TAKE NO PRISONERS

PORTLANDPIRATES.COM

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