Bentivoglio's overtime goal cuts Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's Series lead to 2-1
Published on April 19, 2009 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release
Wilkes-Barre, PA - Sean Bentivoglio finished the Sound Tigers' four-goal comeback with his first tally of Calder Cup Playoffs coming in overtime to beat the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 5-4. Jon Sim opened the game's scoring in the first period and would also tack on his second goal of the playoffs later in the contest. Andrew MacDonald and Joe Callahan also scored for the Sound Tigers. Jean-Michel Daoust was the star of the second period, when the Penguins would do all their scoring, contributing four points in the frame. Peter Mannino was in goal for the Sound Tigers, making 31 saves and leading the Sound Tigers to the victory, cutting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's series lead to 2-1 with Game 4 set for Wednesday back in Bridgeport.
Mannino faced pressure throughout the opening frame, but was able to keep the Penguins off the scoreboard, turning away each of the 10 shots Wilkes-Barre/Scranton fired at him. For the first time this series, the Sound Tigers were able to go into the locker-room after the first 20 minutes of play with a lead thanks to Sim. Penguins' forward Bill Thomas led a rush into the Sound Tigers' zone but Trevor Smith was there to cause a turnover and send Sim the other way on a rush with Ben Walter. Sim, looking to pass from the blue-line in, could not find a way to squeeze the puck through the Penguin defenseman and instead ripped a shot over the glove of Curry. The goal was his first of the Calder Cup Playoffs coming at 15:04 of the opening frame to give the Sound Tigers the 1-0 lead.
The second period belonged to Daoust as he would factor in on each of the four Penguin goals in the second period starting four minutes in when he scored his first of the playoffs while Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was on the power-play. Mark Letestu and Alex Goligoski had the assists on Daoust's tally, to tie the game at 1-1. About a minute later, the Penguins would take a 2-1 lead on a power-play goal from Taffe. Daoust and Letestu had the helpers on Taffe's first of the playoffs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton would strike once more on the man-advantage at the 11:15 mark of the middle period when Minard blasted a one-timer from the bottom of the left circle past Mannino for his third tally of the playoffs. Daoust and Letestu assisted on Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's third goal of the game. Daoust extended the Penguins' lead to 4-1 just over a minute later when he capitalized on a loose puck in front, shoveling it past a sprawled out Mannino. Taffe and Deryk Engelland assisted on Daoust's second marker of the playoffs. Refusing to go down without a fight, the Sound Tigers would cut Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's lead in half at 4-2, while on the power-play, at 17:13 of the second period. Sim dug a puck out along the left wing boards and dished a pass to Chris Lee at the left point. Lee slid the puck to MacDonald at the far point where he cranked a one-time shot that trickled through Curry for his first goal of the playoffs.
Sim would pull the Sound Tigers within a goal, 11:51 into the third period. Chris Lee led a breakout into the Penguins zone and set-up in the near end corner. With Walter and Sim crashing the net, Lee just had to put the puck in the area of the two forwards for either to jam it in at the back-door. Sim was able to get his stick on the pass and tap it past the left pad of Curry for his second tally of the game to cut the Penguin lead to 4-3. The Sound Tigers evened the score five minutes later when Callahan's point shot found its way through a screened Curry. Sean Bentivoglio was all over the Penguins' defensemen inside the zone and was able to win several battles in the corner and feather a pass to Callahan at the right point. The Sound Tiger defenseman waited for traffic in front and fired a slap-shot past the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton net-minder to tie the score at 4-4 on his first goal of the playoffs.
Bentivoglio would finish the comeback, 9:48 into the overtime with his first goal of the playoffs. Jack Hillen snapped a cross-ice pass to Bentivoglio streaking through the neutral zone. The speedy winger used a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defenseman as a screened and wristed a shot over the left shoulder of Curry to win the game for the Sound Tigers, 5-4.
Mannino earned his first career playoff victory, stopping 31 of the 35 shots he faced while his counterpart, Curry, also made 31 saves but it was the 36th shot that eluded him to give the Sound Tigers the win. The Sound Tigers were 1-for-5 on the power-play and 1-for-4 on the penalty-kill.
Game 4 is set for Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at Arena at Harbor Yard. The Penguins will host Games 5 and 6 back home at the Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza on Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25, with both start times set for 7:05 p.m. The seventh and deciding game, if necessary, is scheduled for Sunday, April 26 at 4 p.m. at Arena at Harbor Yard. For tickets or information on any of the Sound Tigers' upcoming playoff games, contact the team's front office at (203) 334-GOAL or e-mail info@soundtigers.com.
American Hockey League Stories from April 19, 2009
- Rockford Falls 3-1 To Ads For Third Straight Game - Rockford IceHogs
- Admirals Top Rockford, Take 3-0 Series Lead - Milwaukee Admirals
- Bentivoglio's overtime goal cuts Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's Series lead to 2-1 - Bridgeport Islanders
- Providence Grabs Game Three and Series Lead - Portland Pirates
- Marlies Counter With 2-1 Victory - Manitoba Moose
- P-Bruins Defeat Pirates 5-1 - Providence Bruins
- AHL announces suspension - AHL
- AHL Morning Skate - AHL
- Marlies Release Andrew Martens From PTO Contract - Toronto Marlies
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