Reinforcements return to pull Sound Tigers two points closer to Hershey
March 28, 2008 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release
The push for the fourth and final playoff spot is on as Jeff Tambellini and Tim Jackman returned to the lineup tonight and each had a goal, as the Sound Tigers defeated the Hershey Bears 4-2. The win, the Sound Tigers' third in a row, pulls them within three points of the Bears who hold that last playoff spot in the East Division and one behind the Binghamton Senators who were beaten tonight by the Philadelphia Phantoms.
Hershey grabbed the 1-0 lead when Jason Morgan scored his 15th goal of the season. The play was set up at the right point by Bears' defenseman Josef Boumedienne who fed a cross-ice pass to Morgan for the one-timer past Sound Tigers' starting goalie Joey MacDonald. Danny Syvret had the second assist on the opening tally coming nine minutes into the opening frame.
In the second period, Tambellini returned to his old habits with the Sound Tigers, scoring his 30th goal of the season. The puck wound up at the right post where Tambellini was waiting and slammed it past Hershey starting net-minder, Frederic Cassivi, tying the score at 1-1. Jackman and Ben Walter had the assists on Tambellini's seventh goal in as many games against the Bears this season. Tyler Mosienko would bury his second goal of the season just under two minutes later. Colton Fretter fed a pass to the low right circle where newly signed Peter MacArthur fired a quick shot on goal. Mosienko was breaking to the net at the far left post and snapped the rebound past the blocker of Cassivi to take the 2-1 lead.
Alexandre Giroux would make the game interesting in the third period, just over two minutes in when he uncorked a big slap-shot from the point that deflected off a body in front and over the shoulder of MacDonald, tying the score at two for the Bears. Boumedienne had the lone assist on Giroux's 29th marker of the season.
Jackman would score the game-winner nearly six minutes later on the power-play. Steve Regier saucered a pass over both a Hershey defenseman and Cassivi's stick and the puck laid down perfectly for Jackman at the left post where he fired it into the net to give the Sound Tigers the 3-2 lead. Matthew Spiller would seal the victory with his first tally of the season, coming while Hershey had their net empty in favor of the extra attacker. The goal came unassisted and while the Sound Tigers were shorthanded.
MacDonald finished the game with 29 saves on 31 shots while Cassivi stopped 25 of the 28 shots he faced. The Sound Tigers were 1-for-7 on the man-advantage and 4-for-4 on the penalty-kill.
The Sound Tigers will continue their three-game home-stand tomorrow night when the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins come to Bridgeport for a 7 p.m. face-off. On Sunday the Sound Tigers will close out the weekend against their inter-state rivals, the Hartford Wolf Pack.
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