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AHL Bridgeport Islanders

First Place Sound Tigers Clinch Berth In 2003 Calder Cup Playoffs

March 17, 2003 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


The Sound Tigers earned three of a possible four standings points this past week beating the Springfield Falcons 5-2 at home Saturday and tying the Binghamton Senators 1-1 at home Sunday. The three points and results elsewhere in the League combined to clinch a berth in the 2003 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs for the Sound Tigers who remain in first place in the East Division and third place in the Eastern Conference with 83 points and a 35-22-10-3 record including 20-9-4-2 at home and 15-13-6-1 on the road. They are also 4-0-1 in the last five games and 3-0-1 in their last four home games.

SAT MAR 15th vs. SPR, 5-2: The Sound Tigers won for the seventh time in as many meetings with Springfield, including three in a row at Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard. JUSTIN PAPINEAU, making his Sound Tigers' debut after being acquired by the Islanders from the St. Louis Blues at last Tuesday's NHL trade deadline and then assigned to Bridgeport, scored the eventual game-winning goal on the power play and successfully converted the first-ever penalty shot attempt in team history. TRENT HUNTER, ERIC MANLOW and MIKE SOUZA also scored. Hunter and ALAN LETANG added two assists. Manlow had one helper. STEPHEN VALIQUETTE made 31 saves. Both teams were 1 for 5 on the power play, and the Sound Tigers outshot the Falcons 35-33 for their seventh straight shots on goal advantage.

SUN MAR 16th vs. BNG, 1-1 T: Playing before 7,448 fans, the second-largest home crowd in team history, the Sound Tigers received another goal from JUSTIN PAPINEAU, again on the power play, and 36 saves from STEPHEN VALIQUETTE who has stopped 95 of 100 shots during a three-game, 2-0-1, unbeaten streak. The Sound Tigers were 1 for 6 on the power play and have scored on the advantage in seven straight games going 11 for 33, 33%, in that time. They were also 3 for 3 on the penalty kill. Binghamton, who finished the week two points behind the Sound Tigers in the division and conference standings but with a game in hand, had a 37-28 shots on goal advantage. PLAYER OF THE WEEK – C JUSTIN PAPINEAU

Acquired by the Islanders from the St. Louis Blues at Tuesday's NHL trade deadline and assigned to the Sound Tigers by their NHL affiliate, Papineau scored three goals in his first two games in Bridgeport. The Ottawa, Ontario native notched the game-winning goal on the power play and added a penalty-shot goal, on the first-ever attempt by a Sound Tiger, Saturday. He also scored the tying goal on the power play Sunday. Papineau, who played most of this season with the AHL's Worcester IceCats, has 24 goals, 16 assists, 40 points and 44 penalty minutes in 46 AHL games, as well as two goals, one assist and three points in 11 NHL games with St. Louis this season.

THIS WEEK – Three Games In Five Days Include End To East Division Six Pack

The Sound Tigers will host Springfield this Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. They will also visit the Hartford Wolf Pack this Friday at 7:05 p.m. and the Providence Bruins this Sunday at 4:05 p.m. Friday's game will be the last of six straight versus East Division opponents.

WED MAR 19th vs. SPR, 7:05 p.m.: This will be the eighth and final meeting, the fourth at Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard, this regular season. The Sound Tigers are 11-3-1 all-time, including a perfect 7-0 this season, versus Springfield who begins this week in fifth place in the East Division and 11th place in the Eastern Conference with 63 points and a 28-35-6-1 record including 8-23-3-0 on the road and 3-6-1-0 in the last ten games. The Falcons have lost three games in a row and do not play again until Wednesday. The Sound Tigers have trailed for only 1:05 in this year's season series.

FRI MAR 21st at HFD, 7:05 p.m.: This will be the seventh of ten meetings, the third of five in Hartford, between the teams this regular season. The Sound Tigers are 10-6 all-time, including 4-2 this season, versus the Wolf Pack who begin this week in third place in the East Division and tied with Worcester for eighth place in the Eastern Conference with 73 points and a 29-24-10-5 record including 16-11-5-2 at home and 4-2-3-1 in the last ten games. Hartford also begins the week unbeaten, 1-0-1, in its last two games. The Wolf Pack will visit the Albany River Rats Wednesday.

SUN MAR 23rd at PRO, 4:05 p.m.: This will be the fourth and final meeting, the second in Providence, between the teams this regular season. The Sound Tigers are 1-4-2 all-time, including 1-1-1 this season, versus the "P-Bruins" who begin this week in first place in the North Division and second place in the Eastern Conference with 94 points and a 41-17-8-4 record including a League-leading 25-6-4-1 at home and 4-4-1-1 in the last ten games. Providence, who has already clinched a playoff berth, is winless in its last two games at 0-1-1. The Bruins will visit Worcester Wednesday. They will host the Manchester Monarchs Friday and visit them Saturday.

SOUND TIGERS TEAM LEADERS (active roster)

Goals – TRENT HUNTER, 26

Penalty Minutes – ERIC GODARD, 154

Assists – ERIC MANLOW, 34

Wins – STEPHEN VALIQUETTE, 12

Points – TRENT HUNTER, 59

Goals Against Average – STEPHEN VALIQUETTE, 2.66

Plus / Minus – BRANDON SMITH, +8

Save Percentage – STEPHEN VALIQUETTE, .912

SOUND TIGERS SPECIAL TEAMS

Power Play – 60 for 361, 16.6%; 15th

Shorthanded Goals Against – 11

Penalty Kill – 294 for 337, 87.2%; 3rd

Shorthanded Goal For – 8

SOUND TIGERS STREAKS

The Sound Tigers are unbeaten in regulation, 4-0-1, in five straight games including, 3-0-1, four in a row at home. • They have scored on the power play in seven straight games going 11 for 33, 33%, in that time. • G STEPHEN VALIQUETTE is unbeaten, 2-0-1, in his last three games stopping 95 of 100 shots. • C JUSTIN PAPINEAU is on a two-game goal streak (PP-GW,PS,PP-TG). RW TRENT HUNTER is on a two-game assist and point streak (1g,3a).

SOUND TIGERS TRANSACTIONS

G RICK DiPIETRO is on recall to the Islanders. • D NIC BILOTTO was released from a PTO last Monday. • D JODY ROBINSON was released from a PTO, signed to a standard AHL player's contract and reassigned to the United Hockey League's Elmira Jackals Tuesday. • The Islanders traded LW RAFFI TORRES to the NHL's Edmonton Oilers and also acquired C JUSTIN PAPINEAU from the NHL's St. Louis Blues and assigned him to the Sound Tigers Tuesday. • G SCOTT STIRLING signed a PTO Wednesday. • Robinson, from Elmira, and RW KONSTANTIN KALMIKOV, from the East Coast Hockey League's Louisiana IceGators by the Islanders, were recalled to Bridgeport Thursday. • F J.F. CAUDRON signed a PTO Sunday and was released after the game. • C JUSTIN MAPLETOFT was reassigned by the Islanders prior to Sunday's game and was recalled Monday.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR & PROMOTIONAL NEWS

STORM, the team mascot, will appear at the Rodger Ludlow School in Fairfield Tuesday at 11 a.m. • BLAINE DOWN, JEREMY ADDUONO and STORM will visit the Pediatrics Floor of Norwalk Hospital Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. • Members of the Sound Tigers Kids Club will participate in intermission promotions Wednesday, and C JUSTIN PAPINEAU will sign autographs after the game. • The Sound Tigers and "Swim Across the Sound" are helping the "Friends of Cyndy" raise funds to purchase a new wheelchair-accessible van for Cyndy Trindal of Orange who was injured in an automobile accident and is also battling cancer. The "Friends of Cyndy" are selling tickets to the March 28th game versus the Albany River Rats with $4 from each ticket sold benefiting their cause. Tickets can be purchased at the Sound Tigers' office, St. Vincent's Medical Center Foundation in Bridgeport and Fleet Bank at 21 Broad Street in Milford. The Sound Tigers Booster Club will also donate proceeds from its March 28th "Chuck-A-Puck" to "Friends of Cyndy".

SOUND TIGERS ON THE AIR

All games are broadcast live on "The ZONE" FOX Sports Radio 1300 AM and at www.soundtigers.com. WSTC/WNLK 1400/1350 AM also broadcasts road games. "The Sound Tigers Report" airs Tuesdays at 7 p.m. on "The ZONE". Goaltender STEPHEN VALIQUETTE and Head Coach STEVE STIRLING will be the special guests on this week's edition of the show which will be broadcast live from the Booster Club meeting at Roberto's on Main Street in Bridgeport.

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE

The Sound Tigers will practice at Bridgeport's Wonderland of Ice Tuesday at 10:30 a.m., Thursday at 11:30 a.m. and Saturday at 10:15 a.m. The team will also practice at Harbor Yard Wednesday at 10 a.m. Please call 203-334-GOAL to confirm practice times and locations or with any special media requests.

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