ALBANY --- The Albany River Rats completed a perfect weekend on Sunday.
Defenseman Jamie McBain scored the game winner and goalie Mike Morrison made 27 saves as Albany downed Syracuse, 3-1 in an American Hockey League matinee.
The River Rats (37-24-3-5) made it a six-point weekend with three consecutive wins and also earned seven of a possible eight points from eight games this week. Second-place Albany now leads third-place Norfolk by eight points (82-74) in the East Division.
Rookie center Cedric McNicoll scored an unassisted goal in the first period for Albany at 10:27. After Syracuse defenseman Grant Clitsome followed with a power-play goal 3:02 into the second period, McBain followed with the decisive power-play goal at 8:31 on a blast from just inside the inside which eluded goalie Kevin Lalande, who was screened by Rats left wing Oskar Osala.
Right wing Matthew Pistilli completed the scoring by sweeping in a feed from behind the net from defenseman Jonathan Paiement at 3:13 of the third period.
Morrison won his third consecutive decision for Albany, which hosts Worcester on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Lalande finished with 27 stops for Syracuse (29-32-3-3).