Ladd scores in 1,000th professional game on Saturday
January 4, 2020 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release
HERSHEY, Penn. - Andrew Ladd scored in his 1,000th professional game on Saturday, but the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (13-19-4-1), American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, suffered a heart-breaking 2-1 loss to the Hershey Bears (20-10-2-3) at Giant Center.
Shane Gersich pocketed the game-winner with just 49.5 seconds left in regulation, lifting the Bears to their 12th win in 13 games and their third in a row. Meanwhile, Jared Coreau (5-10-1) made 30 saves, many of them in spectacular fashion.
It was Bridgeport's fifth straight setback on the road, four of them by two goals or less.
The Sound Tigers struck first for the second straight night when Ladd found the back of the net in his milestone outing. Bode Wilde hit Bears defenseman Alex Alexeyev with a long shot from the right point and the rebound deflected to Travis St. Denis. An alert St. Denis quickly swept a backhand pass from the left hash marks to the right post, where Ladd cashed in for his 11th goal of the season. It was also his seventh in his last seven AHL games at 12:09 of the opening period.
Former Islander Matt Moulson answered less than five minutes later with his team-leading 13th goal of the season, and his seventh on the power play. Following a slashing penalty accessed to David Quenneville, Philippe Maillet fed the puck to Moulson at the goal line, where he turned and stuffed a forehand shot inside the right post and past the glove of Coreau. It tied the game 1-1 at the 16:31 mark.
After a scoreless middle frame that saw 17 combined shots, the third nearly followed suit. The game remained deadlocked until the final minute, when Joe Snively grabbed the puck behind Bridgeport's goal line and moved it out front for Gersich's one-time finish. It was the fourth goal of the season for Gersich at 19:10.
The Sound Tigers finished the game 2-for-3 on the penalty kill and did not have a power-play opportunity for the first time all year. Pheonix Copley (8-5-4) made 21 saves for Hershey.
The Bears outshot the Sound Tigers 32-22.
Next Time Out: The Sound Tigers continue their season-long, five-game road trip tomorrow afternoon with a 3 p.m. rematch against the Bears at Giant Center. Fans can follow all of the live action via the Sound Tigers Radio Network and AHLTV, beginning with the pre-game show at 2:45 p.m.
Sound Tigers season tickets and flex plans are on sale now for the 2019-20 campaign, offering the greatest savings and ultimate flexibility of all ticket packages. Pick between a full-season, 20-game, or 10-game plan and you'll also be entitled to exclusive benefits, including the ticket holder exchange policy. Lock in your seats today by contacting Brad Dworin at 203-345-4813 or via brad.dworin@harboryardse.com.
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