Bobby Ryan's 2 Assist Night Can't Lift Pirates Over Penguins in Game 4

In Tuesday night's Game 4 of the AHL Eastern Conference Finals, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, AHL affiliate to the Pittsburgh Penguins, tied the series at two games apiece with the Portland Pirates, AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks, in a 4-3 win.

The Penguins drew first blood at 2:24 of the first period on a Nathan Smith goal over the left shoulder of Pirates goaltender Mike McKenna. The goal is Smiths sixth of the playoffs. The Penguins would hold the 1-0 lead to finish the period.

At 6:30 of the second period, the Pirates tied the game when Andrew Ebbett scored his 4^th goal of the AHL playoffs. After defensemen Brendan Mikkelson put a wrist shot on Penguins goaltender John Curry, Bobby Ryan got the rebound and got the puck to Ebbett for the goal. The Ducks would take the lead at the 13:00 mark by a Michal Birner goal, his second of the playoffs. Birner’s goal came off a Matt Christie one-timer pass with Birner putting it into the wide open right side of the net.

Forty-nine seconds later the Penguins would tie the game when Deryk Engelland scored his first goal of the Calder Cup playoffs. Engelland’s slap shot from the blue line snuck over Portland goaltender Mike McKenna's left shoulder for the goal. The goal at the 13:49 mark of the second period was assisted by Ryan Stone and Tim Wallace. At 19:34 of the second period Connor James gave the Penguins a 3-2 lead scoring his fifth goal of the post-season. Assists on the goal went to Alex Goligoski and Jonathan Filewich.

The third period saw the Penguins extend the lead to 4-2 with Ben Lovejoy scoring his first goal of the playoffs. Nathan Smith assisted on the goal. Crawling back into the game at 17:11, Brendan Mikkelson brought the Pirates within one goal after being able to sneak a rebound past John Curry. Bobby Ryan and Stephen Dixon were given assists on the goal.

With just over a minute remaining in the game, Portland pulled goalie Mike Mckenna, but couldn't tie the game and the Penguins picked up the 4-3 win.
Portland goaltender Mike McKenna turned aside 17 shots in the loss. Penguin’s net minder John Curry made 22 saves for the win.

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