Giroux's four-point night puts the Sound Tigers on the brink of elimination
Published on April 17, 2010 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release
BRIDGEPORT, CONN - Greg Mauldin and Jeremy Reich both scored for the Sound Tigers but it was Alexandre Giroux doubling his point total all within the second period to lead the Hershey Bears to a 7-2 victory over the Sound Tigers. The win moves the Sound Tigers within a game of elimination with Game 4 set for Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m.
Through the first 20 minutes of play, the Sound Tigers and Bears battled to find the first goal of the game. The Sound Tigers had the best opportunity to break the scoreless tie six minutes into the period when a Sound Tiger point shot from Mark Flood deflected off the shoulder of Hershey goalie Michal Neuvirth and fluttered through the crease. Jesse Joensuu had the best opportunity to slam home the rebound but could not get a handle on the rolling puck.
The Sound Tigers had held the Bears' offense in check through the first seven periods of the series but in the middle frame of Saturday's contest, the Bears' offense poured it on with six tallies. Within a minute span, Gordon would open the scoring for the first time in the series for Hershey and then double the Bears' lead to 2-0.
Chris Bourque started the play for Hershey, intercepting a breakout pass from the Sound Tiger zone at the blue-line and lead a 3-on-2 rush back the other way. Gordon read the play off the bench, as the Bears were in the midst of a line change, and streaked in towards the back post. Bourque led Mathieu Perrault into the zone and the controversial goal scorer from Game 1 sent a feed to the back post where Gordon buried his first of the series for the 1-0 Hershey lead.
Only 25 seconds later, Gordon had his second of the contest, finishing a tic-tac-toe play that began with Keith Aucoin feeding Alexandre Giroux down the left wing. In stride, Giroux sent a pass to Gordon at the right post for the easy tap in goal, his second of the game and series.
The league's leading goal-scorer made it 3-0, converting on a great individual effort, stick-handling through two defensemen and sliding a backhand shot under Sound Tigers' starting goalie Scott Munroe. The goal was Giroux's fourth of the playoffs and came at the 10:34 mark of the period.
A minute later, it was Gordon completing his hat-trick, when Aucoin banked a centering attempt off his right skate and past Munroe for the 5-0 lead. Giroux also has an assist on Gordon's third tally of the post-season coming on the power-play.
Steve Pinizzotto was next to join the scoring party, one-timing a Perrault feed from behind the net over the glove of Munroe to give the Bears a 5-0 lead and chase Munroe from the game. Giroux would close out the scoring in the second period with his second of the game and fifth of the series, blasting a one-time shot past Mikko Koskinen. Bourque and Perrault had the assists on the goal at 18:12 of the middle frame.
Mauldin would erase Neuvirth's hopes of earning his first shut-out of the post-season at the 9:11 mark of the third period. Mauldin made a quick spin move in the right corner around a Hershey defenseman and backhanded a shot past Neuvirth's left shoulder before the Bears' net-minder could squeeze his post. Dustin Kohn and Jesse Joensuu had the assists on Mauldin's first goal of the playoffs.
The two teams would trade tallies at the end of regulation time, Kyle Wilson, his first of the playoffs and for the Bears and Reich for the Sound Tigers to finish the scoring at 7-2 in favor of Hershey.
Although Hershey provided the heavy offensive onslaught, the Sound Tigers out-shot the Bears 34 to 24. The Bears were 3-for-4 on the man-advantage while the Sound Tigers could not muster any power-play tallies, going 0-for-4.
Sunday, the Sound Tigers and Bears will meet in Game 4 of the East Division Semi-Finals at 3 p.m. For tickets or information on any of the upcoming home game this series, contact the team's front office at (203) 334-4625 or e-mail info@soundtigers.com.
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