Friday, December 14, 2007

Devils Powered Down by River Rats, 3-2
Clarke tallies goal and assist in loss

LOWELL, Mass. - Andrew Ladd's power play game-winner at 2:45 of overtime sent the Lowell Devils away with 3-2 loss at the hands of the Albany River Rats on Friday at Tsongas Arena

The Devils led 2-0 going into the final period and looking to end a four-game winless streak.  Instead some untimely penalties taken by Lowell cost them the victory with Albany notching all three of their goals on the power play.  

A pair of whistles called at 5:15 of the third would give the River Rats a 5-on-3 advantage that included a five-minute major.  It took only nine seconds for them to capitalize when Bobby Hughes’ pass through the slot ricocheted off of a defenseman’s stick and past the outstretched pad of Jordan Parise.  On the ensuing 5-4, Hughes would tie the game with another pass, this time from the far corner, which deflected off of traffic in front and across the goal line at 9:06. 

Though Lowell would gain a point as the contest headed into the extra session, an interference call assessed to the home team gave Albany a power play one last time.  Keith Aucoin threaded a pass to the top of the crease for Ladd, who redirected it perfectly through the five-hole of Parise.  Albany finished the contest 3-for-7 on the man-advantage. 

The Devils jumped out to a 1-0 lead just 26 seconds into the game, their fastest goal of the season.  After an Albany defender coughed up the puck in his own zone, Barry Tallackson quickly fed Noah Clarke for a give-and-go that was swept past goalie Justin Peters.

Though not on the stat sheet for Lowell’s second goal, Tallackson started the play with a body check that jarred the puck loose at the River Rats’ blue line.  Petr Vrana in turn found Olivier Magnan-Grenier for a point shot that tipped off of Clarke’s stick and into the net at 14:47 of the second. 

Parise stopped 29-of-32 shots, while Clarke recorded his sixth mutiple-point game of the season.   

On Saturday, December 15, it’s Devils Dawg’s birthday as the Devils take on the Providence Bruins at 7:05pm.  Help Lowell’s mascot and his friends celebrate the big day, as the Devils will be giving away Devil Dawg bobbleheads to the first 2,500 fans courtesy of Pepsi.  Listen to all of the action live on 980A! M-WCAP as Ryan Johnston brings you all of the play-by-play.  Ask about our Holiday Hat Trick; call the Devils office at (978) 458-PUCK for more information or visit www.lowelldevilshockey.com.

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