AHL Bridgeport Islanders

McLean scores twice in the shootout to bite his former team and win the game for the Sound Tigers

Published on October 17, 2008 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


Bridgeport, Conn. - A night of individual firsts helps the Sound Tigers to a 4-3 shootout victory over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Tomas Marcinko and Jesse Joensuu each scored the first goals of their professional careers and Rob Hennigar tallied his first point but the story was former Penguin, Kurtis McLean playing in his first game back in the Wachovia Arena now as a Sound Tiger and scoring both of his attempts in the shootout to win the game for the Sound Tigers.

Early in the first, the Sound Tigers broke the scoreless tie when Marcinko, slammed home his first professional goal. Tyler Haskins skated the puck into the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton zone and wristed a shot on Penguins' starting goalie Adam Berkhoel that he stopped but the rebound slid into the slot. Jason Pitton, who also got an assist on the tally, drove the net creating traffic, making it impossible for Berkhoel to cover the rebound. Marcinko came in late to the play, picked up the puck and slid it into the net for the Sound Tigers' 1-0 lead. Tim Jackman would increase the Sound Tigers lead to 2-0 just under four minutes to play in the opening frame while the Sound Tigers were in the power-play. Brett Skinner dumped the puck hard into the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton zone and the puck hit a stanchion in the glass and caromed out front. Berkhoel, who was preparing to settle the puck behind the net for his defenseman, could not scramble back in front and Jackman snapped in his first goal of the season. Jamie Fraser had an assist on the Sound Tigers' fourth goal coming on the man-advantage this season.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton cut the Sound Tigers lead in half 3:43 into the second period when Chris Minard wristed a shot over Sound Tigers' starting net-minder Yann Danis. Janne Pesonen had the initial assist on the goal and T.J. Kemp also collected a helper on Minard's third goal of the season, coming on the power-play. The physical play increased in the first half of the middle frame and when Tyler Haskins took an open ice hit from Jean-Phillipe Cote, Blake Comeau came to his aid, dropping his gloves immediately and fighting Cote. As both players came out of the box after their five minutes were up, Comeau helped the Sound Tigers regain their two-goal lead. Rob Hennigar fed a pass to Comeau at the bottom of the left circle where he looked up and back-handed a saucer pass through the slot to the back-door where Joensuu one-timed the first marker of his professional career, giving the Sound Tigers the 3-1 lead going into the third period.

In the third period, Jeff Taffe gave the Penguins life when he redirected a centering attempt from the corner by Deryk Engelland to cut the Sound Tigers' lead to 3-2. Pesonen had the second assist on Taffe's first goal of the season coming 6:19 into the frame. About three minutes later, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton would tie the score at three when they got a break when Sound Tiger defenseman, Jamie Fraser's stick broke as he was the last man back on the team's defense. Pesonen grabbed the puck and came in alone on Danis and backhanded his first tally of the season past the Sound Tiger goaltender's out-stretched left pad.

Overtime would not settle the game but the Sound Tigers did have several chances including Jackman's two-on-one chance where he came in with Mark Wotton. Jackman faked a pass and snapped a shot that Berkhoel was able to get his right pad on sending the game to a shootout.

Pesonen scored on Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's first attempt to give the Penguins the 1-0 lead in the shootout. Berkhoel would stop the next two attempts but it was Kurtis McLean coming back to his former home arena and scoring on the Sound Tigers' third shot. Danis would stop each the next three shooters sending the competition to a sudden death sixth round. Pesonen came in on Danis and tried to snap the puck through Danis' legs but the Sound Tigers' starting goalie was able to turn the attempt aside. McLean was the next shooter and he did not miss his chance to come back and haunt the Penguin fans as he faked a shot and back-handed the puck over Berkhoel's pad to win the game for the Sound Tigers 4-3.

Danis finished the game with 21 saves on 24 shots while Berkhoel turned aside 27 of the 30 shots he faced. The Sound Tigers finished 1-for-8 on the power-play and went 3-for-4 on the penalty-kill. With the win, the Sound Tigers record improves to 2-1-0-1 for five points in the East Division.

Tomorrow, the Sound Tigers open the home portion of the their schedule at the Arena at Harbor Yard against the Albany River Rats. Face-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. but don't miss all of the pre-game ceremonies featuring new player introductions and the team's new home jerseys. On Sunday, the Sound Tigers will take on the Philadelphia Phantoms at 4 p.m. on Kids Opening Day. Mascots from around the area will attend, as well as the team's official magician and balloon artist, Bryan Lizotte.

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American Hockey League Stories from October 17, 2008


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