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AHL Bridgeport Islanders

Eight Special Teams Goals Highlight Crazy Game

January 30, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


HARTFORD, Conn. - The Bridgeport Sound Tigers mounted several comebacks, but it wasn't enough, as the Hartford Wolf Pack won 8-6 on Friday night at XL Center.

The scoring came fast and furious in the first period, as Joey Crabb started things off 4:41 into the game. Chris Bourque drew David Leggio over to the left side of his crease on a 3-on-2, then found Crabb who buried his seventh goal of the season.

Just 39 seconds later, the Sound Tigers responded. Yann Danis stopped the initial point shot from Jesse Graham, but Justin Courtnall was there to slam home the rebound. Courtnall's fourth on the year tied the game up, but it would not stay that way for long.

Two and a half minutes after Courtnall tied the game, the Wolf Pack notched a goal of their own. This time it was Crabb feeding Bourque, who skated in past the Bridgeport defense and roofed a shot over Leggio to make it 2-1.

The Wolf Pack were not done there. On a Sound Tigers power play, Lindberg flipped a perfect alley-oop pass over the heads of the Bridgeport defense that sprung Crabb. He fired home his second of the game to make it 3-1.

Under a minute later, the Sound Tigers had an answer again. With Bridgeport still on a power play, John Persson was hooked and incidentally took out Danis. On the delayed penalty call, C.J. Stretch turned and fired into the empty net. Although some of the players had stopped skating, the goal counted, much to the chagrin of the Hartford crowd.

It looked as if that would close out the scoring for the first period, but Conor Allen had other ideas. With Cory Conacher in the penalty box for hooking, Allen walked in from the point and flicked a 50-foot wrist shot through traffic. The puck beat Leggio stick side, making it a 4-2 lead for Hartford going into the locker room.

The Sound Tigers were able to cut the lead to one early in the second period. While on the power play, Griffin Reinhart walked all the way in below the left circle and ripped a shot high over the blocker of Danis. Reinhart's fourth of the year made it 4-3.

However, the Wolf Pack struck twice in the second, increasing their lead to three. Both Michael Kostka and Danny Kristo notched power play goals for Hartford, making it 6-3 with 11:10 left in the second period. Head Coach Brent Thompson decided to make a goalie change, calling on Kent Simpson to make his Sound Tigers debut.

The Sound Tigers tallied twice to start the third, with Scooter Vaughan and Kael Mouillierat finding the back of the net to make it 6-5. Mouillierat's goal came while short-handed, as he fired a shot over the blocker of Danis on a 2-on-1.

Yet again, the Wolf Pack retook their lead multi-goal lead. This time it was Kristo, notching his second of the game, off a well-executed 3-on-2. Crabb found Kristo with the cross-crease pass to make it 7-5.

Kael Mouillierat scored his second of the game on the power play to make it 7-6, but that was as close as the Sound Tigers would get. Marek Hrivik's empty netter sealed a wild 8-6 game.

Both power plays went 3-for-8, while each team tallied a short-handed marker. Leggio and Simpson made 12 saves each.

The Sound Tigers return home for a Saturday night match-up against the Portland Pirates. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.

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