ALBANY, NY — Fresh from the NHL, Reid Boucher delivered a major-league shot to give the Albany Devils a 3-2 overtime victory against the Hershey Bears Wednesday at Times Union Center. After Raman Hrabarenka tied the game with 76 seconds remaining, Boucher fired a wrister from the left-circle on a fast break 2:05 into the extra frame to end Albany’s five-game skid.
Box Score | Highlights & Postgame Reaction
The win, which was the team’s 16th on home ice, improves Albany’s overall record to 24-11-6-0. Hershey extended their point streak to seven games as it goes to 22-13-3-6.
Yann Danis was the goalie of record after Scott Wedgewood, who had 13 saves, left the game in the third period with what appeared to be a right shoulder injury. The Devils netminder originally aggravated it during the opening minutes of the game. Danis supplied 10:08 of relief and five saves for his 17th win.
Hershey’s Erik Burgdoerfer had a goal and an assist and Riley Barber also scored. Netminder Dan Ellis made 21 stops.
Mike Sislo started the scoring from the same spot he has tallied the majority of this league-leading 12 power play goals — from the left faceoff circle on a one-timer. For his team-high 17th goal, Marc-Andre Gragnani set him up to give the Devils a 1-0 advantage at 5:36 of the first.
Hershey answered with back-to-back goals. First, Burgdoerfer picked the lower-left corner with a blast from the right point at 14:39 of the second. Then Barber pulled his team ahead late in the third with a falling-down shot from the right hash at 15:27.
Albany elected to go with the extra skater with about 90 seconds on the clock and it paid off. Matt Lorito fed Hrabarenka, who sent a hard wrister past Ellis with just 1:16 remaining.
• The Essentials
Shots: Albany 24, Hershey 19
Power Play: Albany 1-3, Hershey 0-3
Three Stars: 1. Reid Boucher (ALB), 2. Raman Hrabarenka (ALB), 3. Erik Burgdoerfer (HER)
• Next Up
The Devils five-game homestand comes to a conclusion Friday with a 7 pm contest against the Utica Comets.
