Portland Pirates Clinging To Last Playoff Spot

With Six Games Remaining, The Portland Pirates Are In The Final Playoff Spot… For Now

In order for the Portland Pirates to clinch a Calder Cup Playoff spot, they must collect at least 8 points in their last 6 games. Shouldn’t be too tall an order, right? Well… unless you are scheduled to play the Conference leading Manchester Monarchs…not once but TWICE. They take them on tonight (4/10/15) on the road, and again on the road on 4/17/15.

The Portland Pirates 37-25-7-1 record for 82 points has them hovering in the eighth spot, with their destiny in question. Springfield is right behind them with 81 points, but the Portland Pirates have two games in hand. That is like holding a wild card in a game of rummy, and knowing you need to strategically use it at the correct moment.

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The Pirates have three remaining home games on the schedule:

4/11 and 4/12 vs Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

4/18 vs Providence

Away games look like this:

4/10 and 4/17 vs Manchester

4/19 at 3pm Eastern (season finale) vs Worcester

The schedule masters were not very nice to them with respect to back to back games at the end of a long 76 game campaign. They play three back-to-back-to-back games between 4/10 and 4/12. And, then again on 4/17 to 4/19. Endurance will be a factor for team to finish strongly to progress to the post season.

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After Saturday when the parent Arizona Coyotes play their last regular season game, the Portland Pirates will get back right wing Jordan Szwarz, and center Henrik Samuelsson, plus perhaps goalie Louis Domingue. This will give them all time to play more in the playoffs should the Portland Pirates move on to post season play.

The Pirates have dropped four straight dating back to 3/28/15, including two overtime losses, and if that trend continues their playoff hopes will be downgraded to just a dream. It doesn’t get any easier as they face Manchester tonight on the road. The home games against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton are vital to their playoff aspirations.

They need those two wins, plus another two more against Providence, or Manchester or Worcester in the season finale to start popping the playoff bubbly. They may need help from other teams, but should try to be in charge of their own fate by winning as many of their games as possible. It’s win or go home time for the Portland Pirates.

Alex Bolduc still leads the team in scoring with 20 G, 26 A, with Brendon Shinnimin moving up on him with 20 G, 23 A. Jordan Martinook rounds out the top three scorers with 18 G, 28 A. Mike McKenna still has been turning in good numbers in goal with a 26-16-7 record, 2.23 GAA. and .927 SV%.

The Manchester Monarchs leading the Eastern Conference just need to win half their games to clinch first place. Hershey trails them by five points, and the Monarchs have a game in hand.

If the Portland Pirates do manage to squeeze in by retaining eighth position, they will have the distant honor to play the number one seed in the playoffs. With a not too successful season series of three wins and seven losses against the Monarchs, the Pirates have their work cut out for them.

Still a much better season than last year when they didn’t qualify for the playoffs and finished dead last in 15th place. All in all a good turnaround season, and now if they can continue by being in charge of their own fate by winning their games, then they may be off to the Calder Cup quest for the bragging rights of the AHL.

GO PIRATES ! !

Next: Portland Pirates Fight For Playoff Spot

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