Bridgeport drops crazy game in Hershey
February 21, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release
Hershey, Pa. - A line brawl and goalie fight highlighted a wild contest, but the Bridgeport Sound Tigers fell to the Hershey Bears 4-3 on Saturday night at Giant Center.
Things got incredibly heated with 4:20 left in the second period, as the Bears took exception to a play near their crease. After about a minute of jawing at each other, a line brawl broke out including a goalie fight between Pheonix Copley and Kevin Poulin. It took several minutes for both teams to cool off before getting play started again.
The melee led to 156 penalty minutes and a power play for the Bears, which the Sound Tigers successfully killed off. Both goalies also received game misconducts, as David Leggio and Philipp Grubauer each entered the contest. The fights were just a blip in what was otherwise a very competitive match-up.
To start the game, the Bears wasted no time getting on the board, scoring less than two minutes into the first period. Poulin stopped the initial shot off the stick of Connor Carrick, but the puck trickled on the goal line where former Sound Tiger Joel Broda poked it home. Broda's fifth of the season made it 1-0 Hershey.
Minutes later, Brett Gallant was called for interference and the Bears took advantage on the power play. This time it was Tim Kennedy walking off the half wall and beating Poulin high to the stick side to make it 2-0. It was Kennedy's team-leading 43 rd point of the season, but just his fifth goal on the year.
Hershey could have increased their lead even more if not for a big save from Poulin midway through the period. Kris Newbury walked in all alone from center ice, but Poulin made the stop with the blocker to keep the deficit at two.
Just moments later, the Sound Tigers responded. The fourth line was rewarded with a long shift in the offensive zone, as a point shot from Matt Carkner was stopped by Copley, but Cam Reid was there to bat it out of mid-air and make it 2-1. Reid's first of the year came just a day after he signed a Professional Try Out with the team.
The Sound Tigers found themselves in more penalty trouble as the Bears earned a 5-on-3 with four minutes left in the opening period. Hershey took advantage yet again, as Stanislav Galiev took a shot from the blue line that Poulin never saw, making it 3-1 Bears. Hershey outshot Bridgeport 18-6 in the first.
Midway through the second period, the Sound Tigers earned a power play and Kris Newbury sat for cross-checking. Although they did not convert on the man advantage, Bridgeport scored immediately after the penalty expired. Alan Quine swung around and fired a shot past Copley to make it 3-2.
The game remained fairly timid for the next few minutes until things erupted with the line brawl. Gallant received the most penalty minutes out of any player, earning 29 in all.
Soon after the fracas and early in the third period, the Sound Tigers kept knocking on the door, but it was Hershey who scored the next goal. With just over nine minutes left in the game, Chris Conner scored short-handed to make it 4-2. The goal was one of just four shots Hershey got all period.
Harry Zolnierczyk got one back for Bridgeport, firing from a bad angle to cut the lead to 4-3, but it wasn't enough, as the Sound Tigers dropped their third straight game to the Bears this season.
Special teams hurt the Sound Tigers once again, as Bridgeport's power play went 0-for-6, while Hershey scored twice with the man advantage.
The Sound Tigers return home tomorrow for a Sunday matinee against the Norfolk Admirals. Puck drop is set for 3:00 p.m.
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