Mike Morrison stops all four shots in the shootout to beat Philadelphia
January 26, 2008 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release
Sound Tigers' starting goalie, Mike Morrison stopped all four shots he saw and Frans Nielsen and Trevor Smith scored for the Sound Tigers in the shootout tonight to clinch the victory over the Philadelphia Phantoms, 4-3. The win increased the team's undefeated streak in the shootout to six games, this season.
The Sound Tigers got on the scoreboard first in the two team's game on Wednesday night so it was the Phantoms turn to return the favor. Jonathan Matsumoto grabbed the early 1-0 lead for Philadelphia, just over two minutes into the opening period. Kyle Greentree and Pete Zingoni had the assists on Matsumoto's 12th goal of the season, coming on the power-play. Kyle Okposo, who had been quiet the last few games contributing with a couple of assists, tied the score at 1-1 for the Sound Tigers. Ben Walter skated behind Philadelphia starting goalie, Brian Boucher's net and slid a back-hand pass in front to Okposo who quickly jammed the puck through Boucher for his second goal of the season. Jeff Tambellini also had an assist on the tally coming 3:31 into the first period.
In the second period, the teams played a close defensive game, looking for the other to make a mistake. The Phantoms were the first to do so and the Sound Tigers capitalized. As Philadelphia attempted to clear the zone, Jeremy Colliton stole the puck and slid a pass to Matt Keith. Keith, skating from the left post, out-waited a sprawled out Boucher, who tried to anticipate Keith's shot and walked across the crease firing the puck into the net for his seventh goal of the season and second as a Sound Tiger. Philadelphia answered just a minute and 20 seconds later when Nate Guenin scored his second goal of the season knotting the score at 2-2. Greentree and Ryan Parent had the assists on the goal.
Just over the halfway mark of the third period, Matsumoto would put the Phantoms back on top with his 13th goal of the season. Morrison made the first save on a Josh Beaulieu shot but could not keep Matsumoto from finishing the rebound, making the score 3-2. With Drew Fata in the penalty box for a four-minute roughing penalty, Philadelphia looked as if the outcome would turn out in their favor until American Hockey League leading scorer, Jeff Tambellini scored his 26th goal of the season. As Morrison was sitting on the Sound Tigers' bench for the extra attacker, Steve Regier collected a loose puck along the left wall and slid a pass to Tambellini in the right circle. Tambellini fired a one-timer along the ice past Boucher's left pad tying the score at 3-3 sending the game to overtime and the eventual shootout.
Philadelphia's Denis Tolpeko shot first and was denied by Morrison. Nielsen was next and he went to his patented "back-hand shelf" move and lifted the puck over Boucher for the 1-0 lead in the shootout. Ryan Potulny, who scored a hat-trick against the Sound Tigers earlier in the season, shot second for the Phantoms and was stopped in similar fashion by Morrison. Smith was the next shooter off the Sound Tigers bench, came in over the line and snapped a shot through the legs of Boucher to give the Sound Tigers the 2-0 lead. Morrison would close the door the rest of the ways stopping the final two Phantom shooters to win the game for the Sound Tigers, 4-3.
Morrison finished the game with 30 saves on 33 Phantom shots while Boucher stopped 36 of the 39 shots he faced. The Sound Tigers were 0-for-5 on the man-advantage and 4-for-5 on the penalty kill.
The Sound Tigers will go on their All-Star Break not returning to action until Friday, Feb. 1st when they travel to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to take on the Penguins for only the second time thus far this season. After the game they will go o Hartford to face-off against the Wolf Pack on Saturday.
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