AHL Bridgeport Islanders

Late Rally Falls Short As Philadelphia Drops Sound Tigers

Published on April 6, 2008 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


The Sound Tigers had a late rally in the third period behind three power-play goals but could not score the equalizer as the Philadelphia Phantoms defeated the Sound Tigers 5-4 tonight. Jeff Tambellini and Ben Walter both extended their league-leading point-a-game streaks to nine in the loss.

Philadelphia jumped on the board first when Stefan Ruzicka scored his 19th goal of the season just 31 seconds after the opening face-off. Boyd Kane and Denis Gauthier had the assists on the goal giving the Phantoms the 1-0 lead. Three minutes later, Darren Reid would double Philadelphia's lead to 2-0. Jason DeSantis broke the puck out of the Phantoms' zone and hit Ruzicka on the near boards with a pass entering the Sound Tigers zone. Ruzicka feathered a pass to the far post where Reid was able to redirect the puck up and over Sound Tigers' starting goalie, Mike Morrison for his eighth tally of the season, while Philadelphia was on the power-play.

Jamie Fraser would answer when he scored his fourth goal in the last six games while the Sound Tigers were on the man-advantage. Tim Jackman threw a shot on goal that Philadelphia starter Michael Teslak stopped, but the puck came to Fraser at the left circle where he roofed it under the cross-bar, cutting the Phantoms' lead in half at 2-1. Jeff Tambellini had the second assist on Fraser's tenth of the season coming at 9:05. Tambellini's assist extends his point-a-game streak to nine.

Chad Anderson would put the Phantoms back up by two with just under seven minutes to play in the opening stanza. Kane snapped a quick pass from behind the net to Anderson, who crept down from his left point position into the slot. Anderson looked up and wristed the puck off the left post and in for his second marker of the season. Ruzicka also had an assist on the goal.

Both net-minders would keep the game's score at 3-1 with Morrison's best save coming in the waning seconds of the period. Ruzicka skated the puck up through the neutral zone and fired a shot on net that Morrison stopped. The rebound lay in front of him and as he went to grab it, Jared Ross banged at the loose puck but Morrison stretched his pad out keeping the score 3-1 entering the third period.

Philadelphia would score twice within a two-minute span in the third period to take a 5-1 lead. Kyle Greentree and Jared Ross both picked up their 23rd goals of the season with Ruzicka picking up his fourth point in the game with an assist on Ross' tally.

At 12:18 of the final period, Martin Grenier would take a five-minute match penalty for intent to injury when he went after Pascal Morency who was mixing it up with Greentree. Both Morency and Greentree received two-minute roughing penalties on the play as well. The Sound Tigers used the power-play to their advantage when Fraser scored his second goal of the game on a nice back-door feed from Ben Walter at 12:39 to make the score 5-2. Matt Keith would make it 5-3 when he took a Blake Comeau pass in front and pounded it through Teslak for his 12th marker of the season nearly four minutes later. The Sound Tigers would close out the scoring a minute and 45 seconds later when Jeremy Colliton tipped his ninth goal of the season under Teslak making the score 5-4. Comeau fed a pass to Drew Fata at the right point where he fired a slap-shot towards Colliton that he redirected through Teslak. Comeau would lead a couple more rushes up ice in an effort to tie the score at five but to no avail as the Phantoms hung on for a 5-4 win.

Morrison had 33 saves on 38 shots while Teslak 26 shots and turned away 22 of them. The Sound Tigers finished 3-for-8 on the power-play and were 3-for-4 on the penalty-kill.

The Sound Tigers will return home tonight for a couple days of practice before traveling to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for their final regular season game against the Penguins on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. The next home game at Arena at Harbor Yard is scheduled for Friday at 7:30 p.m. against the Lowell Devils.

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American Hockey League Stories from April 6, 2008


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