Sound Tigers beat Wolf Pack 5-2

Taylor Beck and Marek Hrivik had a goal and an assist each for the Wolf Pack Sunday at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, CT, but three Bridgeport Sound Tiger power-play goals were too much for the Wolf Pack to overcome in a 5-2 loss

John Landry, Michael Dal Colle and Andrew Rowe all scored on Bridgeport man advantages, and Devon Toews and Josh Winquist had two assists apiece for the Sound Tigers.  Jaroslav Halak made 18 saves.

“We definitely improved from the last two games,” said Beck, a former Sound Tiger, of the Wolf Pack, who had suffered an 8-1 defeat at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Friday night and a 5-2 setback in Springfield Saturday.  “We did a lot more good things, but we’re still having breakdowns that are just really costing us.  And it doesn’t seem like, when we get our chances, we’re putting it in right now.  So it’s unfortunate, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.”

The Wolf Pack had a strong start, but Halak denied several good scoring chances in the opening minutes, and the Sound Tigers would draw first blood with 1:07 remaining in the first, on their second power play of the game.

With Tommy Hughes off for roughing, Winquist sent the puck to Landry at the right point, and Landry moved in a couple of steps before slamming a slap shot past the catching glove of Wolf Pack netminder Mackenzie Skapski (31 saves).

The Sound Tiger power play clicked again at the 7:55 mark of the second period for a 2-0 Bridgeport lead, after Chris Summers picked up an extra roughing minor out of a tussle with Kyle Burroughs at 7:00.

After a strong Wolf Pack shorthanded rush, the Sound Tigers broke back, and Skapski stopped a Winquist shot.  The rebound came right out into the slot, though, and Dal Colle, driving the middle, rifled it into the net.

The margin grew to 3-0 only 53 seconds on another rebound goal, this one by Bridgeport scoring leader Bracken Kearns.  Kane Lafranchise fired a shot from the middle of the blue line, and Kearns was able to fight off a check in front of the net and bury the puck, after Skapski made the initial save.

The Wolf Pack got on the scoreboard at 14:40 of the second, with Hrivik scoring his 13th goal of the season.  Beck played the puck off of the left-wing boards to Michael Paliotta at the right point, and Halak stopped his slap shot.  The rebound dropped to the ice, though, and Hrivik lifted it into the net from the right side of the goal mouth.

The Sound Tiger man-advantage unit scored a killer goal with only 1.7 seconds left in the period, though, after Dan Catenacci received a double minor at 19:52, two minutes for slashing and two for unsportsmanlike conduct.

After Kearns won a draw to Skapski’s right, Toews passed the puck from the right point down across the slot, and Rowe knocked it past a diving Skapski and just inside the opposite post.

Hartford answered that with Beck’s second goal in five games with the Wolf Pack at 6:37 of the third period.  He carried the puck into the Bridgeport zone on the left side and cut towards the middle, before having a pass blocked.  Beck then re-gathered the puck, stepped out higher in the slot and turned for a hard snap shot, which cleanly beat Halak on the stick side.

“It’s always nice to score against your old team,” Beck said, “but wish I could have scored a couple more times, helped the team out a little more.”

The Wolf Pack could get no closer after that, and Darren Nowick put the game out of reach at 16:11, with his first career AHL goal.  Playing his second game with the Sound Tigers, Nowick got to the rebound of a Kellen Jones shot and slid it just underneath Skapski’s catching glove.  That made the final 5-2.

Verhaeghe, Winquist Power Sound Tigers to 5-3 Win

Photo: Puck Stopper Photography

Carter Verhaeghe (pictured) scored twice and Josh Winquist added three points (one goal, two assists) as the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (36-19-2-1), proud AHL affiliate of the New York Islanders, defeated the Providence Bruins (34-16-5-4), 5-3, at Webster Bank Arena on Tuesday.

Tanner Fritz (one goal, one assist), Ryan Pulock (two assists) and Devon Toews (two assists) also notched multiple points, while Loic Leduc scored his first AHL goal early in the third period. With the win, the Sound Tigers improved to 6-3-0-0 against the Bruins this season and are now two points behind second-place Providence in the Atlantic Division standings.

Jaroslav Halak (15-3-3) made 41 saves between the pipes.

BOXSCORE

The Sound Tigers opened the scoring midway through the first period when Verhaeghe registered his first of two tallies. Pulock gathered the puck at the right point and wristed a shot that caught the post and landed in the crease. Before Zane McIntyre could find it and cover, Verhaeghe swept it past the goal line for his 11th of the season at the 10:04 mark. Winquist also earned an assist on the goal.

Less than four minutes later, Bridgeport struck again, this time on the power play from Fritz. With Chris Porter in the box for tripping, Michael Dal Colle fed a pass to Winquist down the left wing, where he proceeded to find Fritz in the right circle. From there, Fritz wristed a shot on target that was redirected by Bruins defenseman Rob O’Gara past McIntyre’s glove at 13:44.

After a scoreless middle frame, each team traded three goals in an eventful third period for the 5-3 final. The Sound Tigers extended their lead to 3-0 when Leduc found the back of the net at the 3:52 mark. Andrew Rowe controlled the puck on the right side of the goal line and forced a pass to Leduc at the right point. There, the rookie defenseman hammered a one-timer over McIntyre’s glove for his first AHL goal.

Just over two minutes later, Providence got on the board with a shorthanded tally from O’Gara. With Devon Toews in the box for tripping, Porter crossed into Bridgeport’s zone and pushed a lead pass to O’Gara down the right wing. The defenseman lowered his shoulder and skated straight to the net where he flipped a backhand shot over Halak’s left shoulder for his fourth of the season at the 5:54 mark.

At 7:42, Providence made it 3-2 with a power-play tally courtesy of leading scorer Jordan Szwarz. With Colin Markison in the box for interference, Tommy Cross brought the puck into the Sound Tigers’ zone and made a short diagonal pass to Wayne Simpson on the right side. Simpson preceded to wrist a shot on goal that was saved by Halak, but Szwarz forced home the rebound when he backhanded it past Bridgeport’s goaltender.

The Sound Tigers got one back on a fortuitous deflection at the 11:26 mark. Following a faceoff win from Winquist in the right circle of Providence’s zone, Toews fed a pass to Burroughs at the right point. Wasting no time, Burroughs fired a shot towards the net that was redirected by the bodies of both Winquist and Bruins defenseman Alex Grant, freezing McIntyre dead in his tracks. Winquist was credited with the tally, his 12th of the season, which made it 4-2. It would become the game-winning goal.

Verhaeghe extended Bridgeport’s lead to three and earned his second of the game with a power-play tally at 14:27 of the third. With Colton Hargrove in the box serving a double minor for high-sticking, Toews brought the puck into the offensive zone and to the left boards where he forced a pass to Verhaeghe at the top of the left circle. From there, Verhaeghe skated to the slot and forced a shot over McIntyre’s glove.

Szwarz capped the scoring at the 18:56 mark with another power-play goal, his 17th of the season. With Josh Holmstrom in the box for tripping, Hargrove ripped a shot towards the net that Halak turned back, but Szwarz capitalized on the second chance.

Both teams went 2-for-5 on the power play, while Providence outshot Bridgeport 44-23. McIntyre (15-2-1) made 18 saves in the Bruins’ loss.

Box Score:

Providence Bruins 3 at Bridgeport Sound Tigers 5 - Status: Final
Tuesday, March 7, 2017 - Webster Bank Arena

Providence 0 0 3 - 3
Bridgeport 2 0 3 - 5

1st Period-1, Bridgeport, Verhaeghe 11 (Pulock, Winquist), 10:04. 2, Bridgeport, Fritz 18 (Winquist, Dal Colle), 13:44 (PP). Penalties-Leduc Bri (holding), 1:55; Porter Pro (tripping), 12:15; Burroughs Bri (tripping), 14:01.

2nd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Grant Pro (cross-checking), 3:23; Pulock Bri (tripping), 7:34.

3rd Period-3, Bridgeport, Leduc 1 (Rowe, Fritz), 3:52. 4, Providence, O'Gara 4 (Porter, Acciari), 5:54 (SH). 5, Providence, Szwarz 16 (Simpson, Cross), 7:42 (PP). 6, Bridgeport, Winquist 12 (Burroughs, Toews), 11:26. 7, Bridgeport, Verhaeghe 12 (Toews, Pulock), 14:27 (PP). 8, Providence, Szwarz 17 (Hargrove, Heinen), 18:56 (PP). Penalties-Kuraly Pro (tripping), 5:14; Markison Bri (interference), 7:14; Hargrove Pro (double minor - high-sticking), 12:44; J. Holmstrom Bri (tripping), 17:07.

Shots on Goal-Providence 14-15-15-44. Bridgeport 7-5-11-23.
Power Play Opportunities-Providence 2 / 5; Bridgeport 2 / 5.
Goalies-Providence, McIntyre 15-2-1 (23 shots-18 saves). Bridgeport, Halak 15-3-3 (44 shots-41 saves).
A-3,388
Referees-Furman South (44), Guillaume Labonte (35).
Linesmen-Ryan Daisy (81), Kevin Briganti (39).

Marlies defeat Sound Tigers for 2-0 series lead

BRIDGEPORT, CT – The Toronto Marlies are one step closer to clinching the Calder Cup.

The Marlies took a 2-0 series lead over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in their 2016 American Hockey League first round playoff series on Sunday with a 3-0 victory.

Connor Brown and Ben Smith scored for the Marlies. Brown scored twice in the game.

Game three will be in Toronto on Thursday at 7:30pm ET.