AHL Bridgeport Islanders

Sound Tigers Beat B-Sens 3-2 for Seventh Straight Victory

Published on January 15, 2012 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (Jan. 15, 2012) - Sound Tigers defenseman Brandon Gentile's first career AHL goal midway through the second period turned out to be the game-winner as Casey Cizikas added a goal and an assist, Matt Donovan chipped in with two helpers and Bridgeport defeated the Binghamton Senators 3-2 at Webster Bank Arena on Sunday afternoon. It's the seventh straight win for the Sound Tigers as they improve to 19-17-3-1 overall. Binghamton falls to 16-24-1-1.

The Sound Tigers jumped on the board with 4:37 left in the opening period. After Cizikas won a faceoff back to Donovan, the first-year defenseman skated the puck behind the Senators net. Donovan waited until he found an opening and sent the puck to Cizikas, who one-timed it past Binghamton netminder Mike McKenna for his ninth goal of the season to give the Sound Tigers a 1-0 lead. Rhett Rakhshani pushed the lead to two goals courtesy of an aggressive forecheck by his linemates. Cizikas won deep in the left corner of the Binghamton zone and centered the puck to Rakhshani, who snapped it home for his ninth goal of the year as the Sound Tigers led 2-0 with 24 seconds left in the opening period.

Gentile's first AHL goal pushed the Sound Tigers lead to three at the 5:04 mark of the middle period. Greenwich native Sean Backman skated the puck behind the Senators net and found Gentile calling for the puck above the left circle. The third-year pro who recorded his first AHL point with an assist last night one-timed Backman's pass over McKenna's left shoulder for his first goal in the American Hockey League, and the Sound Tigers held a 3-0 lead.

Binghamton would shift the momentum and get back into the game courtesy of their power play late in the second period. After Backman, Donovan, and Aaron Ness were all called for penalties in a 59-second span, the Senators came away with a prolonged 5-on-3 power play and took advantage. Stephane Da Costa put the B-Sens on the board at the 14:11 mark of the period when he one-timed a blast past Anders Nilsson to make the score 3-1. Rob Klinkhammer cut the Sound Tigers lead to one when he beat Nilsson from the slot on a 5-on-4 power play 1:40 later. The Senators had chances down the stretch and outshot the Sound Tigers 14-6 in the final period, but Nilsson was strong in net as he made 34 saves in all to earn his eighth victory of the season.

Rakhshani's goal extended his point-scoring streak to eight straight games, and he has six goals and six assists in that span. Donovan's two assists extended his point-scoring streak to five straight games, and he's posted one goal and nine assists in the first seven games of January.

The Sound Tigers will look for their eighth straight victory on the road next Saturday when they visit the Glens Falls Civic Center to face the Adirondack Phantoms at 7:00 p.m.

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American Hockey League Stories from January 15, 2012


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