ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Andrew Gordon scored a hat trick and goalie Michael Hutchinson stopped 39 shots to lead the St. John's IceCaps to a series-clinching 4-1 win over the Albany Devils in Friday night American Hockey League action.
John Albert also scored for the IceCaps, who won the best-of-five series 3-1.
Jon Merrill replied for the Devils, while Keith Kinkaid made 29 saves.
Gordon opened the scoring for the IceCaps 3:47 into the game. He tapped home a loose puck in a crease-scramble after Jason Jaffray tried to score from the side of the net and pushed the puck into the crease following Kinkaid's initial pad save.
Gordon scored his second of the night at the 7:52 mark of the second period, scoring a high wrister blocker wide from the top of the right faceoff circle while shorthanded.
The Devils closed the gap to one when Merrill blasted a slapshot from the point through traffic less than two minutes later.
Gordon completed the hat trick on the power play late in the second with some great hand-eye co-ordination after batting the puck into the net off of a rebound on a Josh Morrissey shot to make it 3-1 St. John's.
Albert put the nail in the coffin when he picked up his own rebound driving to the net and scored a tap-in while falling, on the backhand, with 2:10 left in the second.
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