Power play woes doom Bridgeport
October 28, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (Oct. 28, 2015) - The Springfield Falcons earned their first win of the season, defeating the Bridgeport Sound Tigers 5-1 on Wednesday night at MassMutual Center.
Christopher Gibson was the story early on for the Sound Tigers, making several key stops in the first period. Gibson stopped both Lucas Lessio and Jordan Szwarz on breakaways before the midway point of the first, then robbed Henrik Samuelsson with the glove point blank.
The Sound Tigers broke through with seven minutes remaining in the opening frame. Taylor Beck skated circles around the Falcons zone before finding an open Kevin Czuczman at the point. Czuczman fired a slap shot that was redirected in front by Justin Vaive, who tipped home his first goal as a Sound Tiger to make it 1-0.
Springfield looked to tie the game at one with minutes remaining in the period, as Dustin Jeffrey redirected a shot from the point. However, the ref ruled it was tipped in with a high-stick. A minute later, Derek Smith made sure his goal counted, beating Gibson off a feed from Brendan Shinnimin to make it 1-1.
Despite a pair of power plays in the second period, the Sound Tigers could not beat goaltender Nicklas Treutle. Springfield got the only goal of the period, with Craig Cunningham crashing the net and beating Gibson on a rebound to give the Falcons the lead. It was the first time this season the Sound Tigers trailed after scoring the first goal of the game.
Springfield piled it on in the third period. With both Henrik Samuelsson and Shinnimin buzzing around the Sound Tigers net, Lucas Lessio found a loose puck and buried it for his first goal of the season, making it 3-1 Springfield.
The Sound Tigers had a prime opportunity to come back as Lessio and Philip Samuelsson were called for penalties just seconds apart, giving Bridgeport 1:47 of 5-on-3 time. The Sound Tigers could not cash in on the two-man advantage, as Ryan Pulock's shot hit the post early on in the 5-on-3, the closest Bridgeport would come.
Lessio added a 195-foot empty netter and Laurent Dauphin scored on the empty net as well, sealing the victory for Springfield. Treutle was the difference maker in the game, stopping 35 of 36 shots he faced.
Bridgeport's struggles on the power play caught up to them, as they went 0-for-5 with the man advantage. One of the lone positives was the penalty kill stayed perfect for the third straight game, going 4-for-4 on the night.
The Sound Tigers conclude their four game road swing with an away contest at Albany on Friday night. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.
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