The slumping Portland Pirates got some reinforcements and snapped a five-game losing streak with a 6-2 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack on home ice.
Dylan Olsen and Greg McKegg returned to lineup and the Pirates also welcomed forward Connor Brickley, who was sent down by the Florida Panthers on Monday.
Wade Megan got the game’s first goal, scoring unassisted on a breakaway at 8:45 of the first period.
The Wolf Pack quickly evened things when former Panther Tanner Glass scored from Brady Skjei and Tyler Brown 1:51 later.
Portland regained the lead at the 12:42 mark when Logan Shaw lit the lamp, with the assists going to Kyle Rau and Jonathan Racine.
McKegg notched his fifth of the season, from defensemen Brent Regner and Mike Matheson 2:38 into the second period.
Hartford cut the deficit back down to one on a Luke Adam goal midway through the frame. Adam’s first was set up by Raphael Diaz and Jayson Megna.
Rau delivered the back-breaker, bagging an unassisted, shorthanded breakaway tally with 1:32 to go in the period.
The PIrates didn’t let up in the final frame. John McFarland came up with a power-play marker at 4:24, from Rob Schremp and Regner. Shaw completed the scoring at 19:06 with his second of the night with the helpers going to Rau and McKegg.
Mike McKenna made 28 stops to raise his record to 3-4. Magnus Hellberg took the loss, finishing with 22 saves.
The same two teams will meet again Friday night in Portland at Cross Insurance Arena.