Albany River Rats Defeat Lowell Devils 5-4 - AHL

ALBANY, NY—The River Rats erased a 3-0, first period deficit and defenseman Jamie McBain scored the overtime winner as the River Rats defeated the Lowell Devils 5-4 Friday night at the Times Union Center.

Albany was awarded a 4-on-3 power play just 23 second into the sudden-death extra-session and McBain came through at 1:02 to halt Albany’s winless streak at four games. The rookie defenseman quarterbacked the power play unit from the high slot, eyed his shooting lane and fired a wrist-shot that disappeared into the pads of Lowell goalie Mike McKenna and trickled out the other side for the win.

The Devils had jumped out to a 2-0 lead just 3:54 into the contest and led 3-0 after the first period, but Albany battled furiously to get back into the game with a pair of second period tallies from Nicolas Blanchard and Drayson Bowman and a third period game-tier from Nick Dodge. Devils points leader Matt Taormina reclaimed his club’s one-goal lead with 12:53 left in the game, but the River Rats refused to quit and knotted the game at 4-4 with 5:58 remaining on a Christ Terry redirection from McBain to force overtime.

Nicolas Blanchard’s first of the year came at 1:40 of the second period, when he deflected a Jonathan Paiement slap shot past McKenna to begin the River Rats comeback bid; defenseman Jay Harrison assisted on the play for his first point as a River Rat. Rookie Drayson Bowman brought Albany to within one goal with his fourth of the season at 4:39, when Jerome Samson sent a shot wide of the net, off of the end-boards and out the other side where Bowman chipped it in. Nick Dodge completed the three-goal comeback early in the third period, catching McKenna behind his own goal after a dump-in attempt took a River Rats bounce.

Stephen Gionta put the Devils on the board just 12 seconds into the game, catching Albany goalie Mike Murphy out of position after the puck took an odd bounce off of the end-boards and dribbled in front of the partially vacated net for the wingers sixth of the year. Lowell quickly doubled its lead, converting on a 5-on-3 power play at 3:54 on a Matthew Corrente slap shot through a screen. The Devils were awarded another 5-on-3 advantage later in the frame and they again converted when a big rebound landed squarely on Vladimir Zarkov’s stick for an open put-away. The opening period featured 54 combined penalty minutes (River Rats 28 – Devils 26), including game misconducts assessed to Albany’s Brad Herauf and Lowell’s Louis Robitaille for a secondary altercation.

Albany goaltender Mike Murphy stopped 25-of-29 shots to earn the win as the River Rats improved to 6-6-0-1 on the season. Lowell goalie Mike McKenna turned aside 30-of-35 and took the loss as the Devils fell to 5-6-2-0 on the year. Albany out-shot Lowell 35-29 and went 1-for-6 on the power play; the Devils were 2-for-5 on the man-advantage.

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