Connecticut Whale Game Recap: Offensive Struggles Continue In 2-1 Loss to Portland Pirates
The Connecticut Whale can't blame a shortage of scoring chances in Friday night's game against the Portland Pirates.
Playing at home, the Whale's scoring struggles continued against former goaltender Chad Johnson. Each team had a power play chance in the first period, but were unable to capitalize.
The closest chance either team had in the period came on the Pirates' powerplay. Portland recorded four shots on the man advantage, and defenseman Brandon Gormley hit the goal post as well. The Pirates finished the period with a 13-8 shot advantage, but the teams were scoreless after twenty minutes.
In the second period, a scrum took place after the Pirates' Joel Rechlicz checked Connecticut's Sean Collins. Whale forward Micheal Haley got involved after the play and fought Portland's Scott Arnold. Haley earned a two-minute penalty for instigating, as well as the five-minute major for fighting and a ten-minute misconduct.
The Whale spent the majority of the second half of the frame with the man advantage. However, they struggled to just put a shot on goal while on the powerplay. After two periods, the game remained scoreless.
Early in the third period, the Pirates opened the scoring. While being checked by Connecticut's Mike Vernace, Alexandre Bolduc centered the puck on goal, and the shot found its way through Cam Talbot's pads and into the net.
Nine minutes into the period, Portland's Brendan Shinniman won a faceoff in the right circle, and right wing Chris Brown fired a shot over Talbot's glove to give Portland a 2-0 lead.
The Whale continued to get opportunities to cut the lead. Connecticut received a four-minute powerplay when Phil Lane was given a double-minor for high-sticking, but nothing came of the man advantage.
In the final minute, with Talbot at the bench, the Whale ended Johnson's shutout bid when Brandon Segal knocked home a rebound. However, the Whale could not get the equalizer.
The Pirates outshot the Whale 33-30. The Whale were 0-9 on the powerplay, and ultimately, their failure to beat Johnson with the man advantage led to the loss.
