Portland fans waited more than a year and a half for professional hockey to return downtown.

So what was another 40 minutes?

Additional Images

David Pastrnak of the Providence Bruins crashes into the net as Portland Pirates goaltender Mike McKenna and defenseman Patrick McNeill look on during Portland’s 3-2 win in a season opener Saturday night at Cross Insurance Arena. Gabe Souza/Staff Photographer

Chris Casto of the Providence Bruins, left, and Henrik Samuelsson of the Portland Pirates compete for control of the puck during the second period. The game drew 5,601 fans after the Pirates struggled through a poor season on and off the ice in Lewiston.

Portland’s Phil Lane and Dylan Reese, left, along with Andrew Campbell, right, congratulate teammate Darian Dziurzynski, center, on his goal that put the Pirates up 2-1 over Providence in the third period of Portland’s home opener Saturday night.

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WHO: Pirates at Binghamton

 

WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday

After a slow start, the Portland Pirates struck for three goals in the third period to come from behind and win their American Hockey League opener 3-2 over the Providence Bruins Saturday night before a crowd of 5,601 inside the Cross Insurance Arena, formerly known as the Cumberland County Civic Center.

“It was so much fun to be out there and see how well we were (received) coming back,” said goaltender Mike McKenna. “I don’t know what the tally was on the crowd, but it looked big to us and we could hear them. We knew they were here. Their excitement carried right over to us.”

Renovations and a lease dispute resulted in the Pirates playing home games in Lewiston last winter, a season in which they finished last among 30 AHL teams in both attendance and standings.

Fans arrived in the refurbished arena Saturday night to find a white jersey towel draped over each maroon seat back. They saw Brendan Shinnimin take the season’s first shot, newcomer Eric Selleck engage in the first fisticuffs and Lucas Lessio score the first Pirates goal.

Of course, the Pirates trailed 1-0 before the speedy Lessio, with a power play winding down, swooped down the left boards, ducked behind the net and flipped the puck off Providence goalie Jeremy Smith for a wraparound goal that uncorked two periods and 17 months of anticipation.

“You could feel the whole momentum shift because the building got loud,” said Coach Ray Edwards. “When you have 6,000 people in there to push you through, that really helps.”

Barely a minute later, Darian Dziurzynski scored the go-ahead goal from a low angle near the bottom of the left circle with the teams at even strength. Five minutes later, Shinnimin added another power-play goal, this time with a five-on-three advantage and help from an effective screen by Alexandre Bolduc, to make it 3-1.

A shot through traffic by Providence’s David Pastrnak pulled the Bruins within a goal with 3:16 remaining, but the Pirates were able to maintain the advantage thanks to several stops by McKenna, who finished with 25 saves, and blocked shots by Henrik Samuelsson and Jordan Szwarz.

With six seconds remaining, the Bruins having a six-on-four skater advantage and a faceoff in the Portland end, Jordan Martinook won the final draw and Dylan Reese kept the puck in the corner until the clock ran out.

“I thought (McKenna) made some big saves in the third,” Edwards said. “There were two or three point-blankers that he was able to swallow up and that’s what you need. You need timely saves and we got those tonight.”

Providence, which opened its season Friday night with a 2-1 overtime victory at home against St. John’s, took a 1-0 lead on a long shot from near the right boards by Alexander Fallstrom that somehow slipped between McKenna and the near post.

“I’m sure there were plenty of people who weren’t happy with me, especially myself,” said McKenna, 31, who played for Springfield last winter and returned to the Pirates for the first time since 2007. “But we got past that and managed to win the game.”

Smith finished with 24 saves for Providence. Both teams put 27 shots on goal.

“There was definitely lots of room for improvement,” Edwards said, “but it’s nice to get the first one out of the way.”

The Pirates play their next four games away from Maine before returning to Portland in two weeks for a game against Syracuse, one of only three home games in October. The other falls on Halloween.

“It really sticks out just how loud and invested everybody was when we went to the conference finals that year,” McKenna said of his first go-round with the Pirates. “With the big layoff, this is kind of a similar scenario where people are excited again. It’s kind of new all over again.”

NOTES: Pregame ceremonies included an introduction of each player, a video tribute and moment of silence for recently deceased sportscaster Bruce Glasier, the presentation of a $10,000 check to Camp Sunshine, and a ceremonial puck drop by four members of the 1994 Calder Cup championship team: Kevin Kaminski, Kent Hulst, Jeff Nelson and Jim Mathieson.

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