AHL Bridgeport Islanders

MacDonald stops 46 shots to lead Sound Tigers to victory

Published on February 15, 2008 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


Joey MacDonald was stellar in goal for the Sound Tigers tonight making 46 saves to lead the Sound Tigers to a 6-3 victory. Tim Jackman ad a goal and two assists in the win.

Both net-minders kept either team off the scoreboard in the first period, with MacDonald stopping all eleven shots he faced and River-Rats goalie, Michael Leighton stopping the seven shots that the Sound Tigers threw at him.

After going scoreless in the opening period, both teams poured on the offense in the second. Justin Bourne, who was recalled from the Utah Grizzlies yesterday, scored his first career American Hockey League goal putting the Sound Tigers on the board. Jason Pitton sent a turn around shot towards Leighton that Bourne redirected through the River Rats' starter, for the 1-0 lead. Jeremy Colliton also assisted on the tally. Steve Regier would up the lead to 2-0 with a power-play goal a minute and ten seconds later. Jackman set the play up from the left circle and saucered a pass to Kyle Okposo at the point. Okposo looked up and saw Regier streaking to the net and fired a slap-shot on goal. Leighton made the initial save but Regier was there to sweep the puck past in for his 14th goal of the season.

Albany would counter with two goals of their own as the Sound Tigers got into penalty trouble. A minute over the half-way mark of the game, Jakub Petruzalek tipped a point shot over the shoulder of MacDonald to cut the Sound Tigers' lead in half at 2-1. Brett Carson and Brandon Nolan assisted on Petruzalek's ninth goal of the season. Nicolas Blanchard would tie the score about seven minutes later with his sixth goal of the season. Mark Flood received a pass at the point from Petruzalek and sent a shot towards Blanchard who was screening MacDonald in front. Blanchard tipped the puck on his back-hand, evening the score at 2-2.

Within 23 seconds the Sound Tigers would score twice on Leighton to take the 4-2 lead going into the third period. Trevor Smith had the first tally when he banged home a bouncing puck in the slot. Jeremy Colliton and Jamie Fraser assisted on Smith's seventh goal this season. Jackman doubled the Sound Tigers' lead to 4-2 when he drove the River Rats' net looking for a rebound. Regier wristed a shot on Leighton, but the puck redirected off of Jackman at the back post for his sixth goal of the season. Ben Walter also collected an assist on the play.

In the final period, Jason Pitton scored his first goal of the season when Jackman blocked a shot and the puck caromed out into the neutral zone. Pitton out-raced the River Rat defenseman to the puck and came in alone on Leighton. Pitton faked a shot and back-handed a pretty shot over Leighton's glove giving the Sound Tigers the 5-2 lead 16:36 into the period. Albany would pull their goalie while on the man advantage and it would pay off as Mike Angelidis was able to cut the Sound Tiger lead to 5-3 with his eighth goal of the season. Flood and Jamie Johnson assisted on the tally at the 18:27 mark. The Sound Tigers would seal the victory as Okposo scored his sixth goal of the season into the River Rat empty net, winning the game for the Sound Tigers 6-3. Fraser had the lone assist on the goal with five seconds remaining.

MacDonald finished with 46 saves on 49 shots while Leighton stopped 23 of the 28 shots he faced. The Sound Tigers went 1-for-5 on the power-play and 4-for 6 on the penalty-kill.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins will travel to Bridgeport tonight to take on the Sound Tigers tomorrow at a special 8 p.m. face-off time.

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American Hockey League Stories from February 15, 2008


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