Bailey scores eighth power-play goal of the season in Bridgeport's third straight setback
March 23, 2018 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Casey Bailey scored his eighth power-play goal of the season on Friday, but the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (31-26-5-3), proud AHL affiliate of the New York Islanders, suffered a 4-1 loss to the Syracuse Crunch (40-19-3-4) at the Oncenter War Memorial Arena.
Former Sound Tiger Carter Verhaeghe scored twice and Eddie Pasquale (13-6-6) made 22 saves for the Crunch, while Kristers Gudlevskis (11-14-5) made 26 saves in his return to Syracuse after spending each of the last four seasons there.
The Crunch also defeated the Sound Tigers 3-2 at Webster Bank Arena on Feb. 11 to sweep the two-game season series.
Bridgeport allowed the first goal for the fifth in its last six games when Verhaeghe received a pass at the high slot and beat Gudlevskis glove side while on the power play. Seth Helgeson was called for high sticking at 3:17 of the first period and the Crunch capitalized, helped by Mathieu Joseph's team-leading 33rd assist of the season. Mat Bodie found Joseph along the right half boards and the rookie forward quickly slid a pass to the slot, where Verhaeghe netted his first of two goals at the 5:00 mark.
Daniel Walcott made it 2-0 just two minutes into the second period when he converted on a rebound for his fourth goal of the season. Alexander Volkov wristed a shot from the left point that Kevin Lynch tipped in front, but Gudlevskis made a pad save to keep it out. However, the second chance bounced out front where Walcott nudged it home.
The Sound Tigers made things interesting at 6:28 of the third period when they cut the deficit to one with a power-play tally of their own. Following a tripping penalty called against Reid McNeill, Sebastian Aho and Travis St. Denis played catch near the blue line to open up Bailey on the left wing. Aho forced a quick pass to Bailey at the top of the circle and the fourth-year forward wired a one-time shot past Pasquale's blocker to make it 2-1. It was Bailey's 15th goal of the season overall and his team-leading 17th power-play point.
Verhaeghe finished a 2-on-1 rush at 12:27 of the third period to regain Syracuse's two-goal advantage and seemingly put the game away. The Sound Tigers were moving the puck well in the offensive zone and creating several high-percentage chances, but Matthew Spencer poked the puck out of the zone to set up the odd-man rush. Matthew Peca skated onto it and guided a backhand pass across from the right circle where Verhaeghe scored despite Gudlevskis catching a piece of the initial shot.
Lynch capped the scoring with an empty-net tally in the final 18 seconds for the 4-1 final.
Both teams finished the game 1-for-2 on the power play, while Syracuse outshot Bridgeport, 30-23.
The contest also included one fight when Yanick Turcotte and Alex Gallant dropped the gloves at 6:42 of the second period.
Next Time Out: The Sound Tigers complete a four-game road trip on Sunday with a 3:05 p.m. matchup against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. Fans can follow all of the live action via the Sound Tigers Radio Network and AHL Live, beginning with the pre-game show at 2:45 p.m.
Dinner and a Show: Take advantage of $1 hot dogs presented by Hummel Bros. and $5 draft beers for those 21 and older, courtesy of Budweiser, when the Sound Tigers return to Webster Bank Arena to battle the Hershey Bears on Wednesday, Mar. 28 at 7 p.m. Both terrific concession specials will be offered at all first-level concession stands throughout the evening. Great seats are available now!
Don't Go It Alone: Whether it's a corporate outing, a fundraiser, or just friends getting together, a group outing with the Sound Tigers will guarantee an unforgettable experience filled with fast-paced action on the ice, great music, promotions and contests at an affordable price. The Sound Tigers have a variety of packages and promotional events to offer. Please call the team's front office at 203-345-2300 ext. 7 for more information on the benefits of bringing your group to a future game!
American Hockey League Stories from March 23, 2018
- Iowa Falls to Grand Rapids 5-3 - Iowa Wild
- Devils Hand Amerks Fourth Straight Loss - Rochester Americans
- San Antonio Drops 2-1 Decision to Texas in Cedar Park - San Antonio Rampage
- Crunch Hit 40 Wins with 4-1 Victory over Sound Tigers - Syracuse Crunch
- Wallmark's Winner Caps Checkers' Comeback in Canada - Charlotte Checkers
- Phantoms Clinch Playoff Berth with Standings Point at Providence - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Fitzgerald Scores Twice in 5-4 P-Bruins OT Win - Providence Bruins
- Admirals Earn Important Win over Rockford - Milwaukee Admirals
- Bailey scores eighth power-play goal of the season in Bridgeport's third straight setback - Bridgeport Islanders
- Lappin's Hat Trick Sinks Amerks, 4-2 - Binghamton Devils
- Penguins Come Back from Down 3-0, But Lose in Overtime - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Phantoms Clinch Berth in 2018 Calder Cup Playoffs - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Marlies Use Three Goal Second Period to Power to Win over Belleville - Belleville Senators
- Comets Survive Penguins in Overtime - Utica Comets
- IceHogs Ink Defenseman Tuulola to PTO - Rockford IceHogs
- Rampage Forward Samuel Blais Recalled to St. Louis Blues - San Antonio Rampage
- Moose withstand the Heat 4-1 - Manitoba Moose
- Heat Recall Defenseman Kayle Doetzel from Kansas City - Stockton Heat
- Playoff Push Rolls on with Divisional Clash against Ads - Rockford IceHogs
- Wolf Pack Sign Defenseman Ryan Lindgren to ATO - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Cleveland Monsters General Manager Bill Zito Named General Manger for 2018 United States Men's National Team - Cleveland Monsters
- Noah Rod Assigned to Barracuda - San Jose Barracuda
- Colorado Avalanche Reassign Goaltenders Andrew Hammond and Spencer Martin to San Antonio - San Antonio Rampage
- Red Wings Reassign Libor Sulak to Griffins - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Amerks Mourn the Loss of Dick Gamble - Rochester Americans
- Gustavsson Assigned to Belleville - Belleville Senators
- Iowa Wild Recalls Forward Jack Walker, Defenseman Gustav Bouramman from Rapid City Rush - Iowa Wild
- Capitals Re-Assign Boyd to Hershey - Hershey Bears
- Women's Hockey Day Coming this Sunday - Toronto Marlies
- Game Day Build-Up: Senators vs. Marlies, March 23 - Belleville Senators
- Comets Recall Michael Garteig, Release David Dziurzynski - Utica Comets
- Sound Tigers Face Crunch Tonight - Bridgeport Islanders
- Back-To-Back Starts in Belleville - Toronto Marlies
- Devils Sign Defenseman Jagger Dirk to Ato - Binghamton Devils
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
