River Rats Nip Sound Tigers
Published on February 23, 2007 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release
The Albany River Rats clawed from behind to overcome the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and earn a 4-3 win before 3,373 fans at the Capital District's Times Union Center on Friday night.
Fifth-place Albany got back to within seven points of the fourth-place Sound Tigers in the race for the East Division's fourth and final playoff spot. Albany improved to 25-25-2-2 and Bridgeport fell to 28-23-1-4. Albany has two games in hand and the divisional foes still have three games against each other on the schedule.
The River Rats overcame 1-0 and 2-1 second-period deficits in a back-and-forth period, built a 4-2 lead early in the third and hung on despite a late comeback effort by the Sound Tigers.
Gregg Johnson opened the scoring with his first Sound Tiger goal and second of the year at 13:59 of the second stanza. Johnson took a pass into the slot from Jason Pitton and backhanded a shot past Albany goaltender Tyler Weiman. Pitteri Nokelainen also assisted the game's scoring frenzy-triggering tally. The teams traded four goals in a span of less than five minutes late in the middle period to make it a 2-2 game after two.
Albany's Dan DaSilva knotted the score at a goal apiece at 15:48. The Sound Tigers reclaimed the lead on Robert Nilsson's 11th of the campaign, scored on a slap shot at 18:40. Albany responded just 40 seconds later. Antti Laaksonen scored his fourth to tie the game 2-2 at the 19:40 mark.
The River Rats took their first lead and built on it with a pair of goals in a span of just 1:39 early in the third. High-scorer Keith Aucoin (his 16th just 3:00 into the third) and Pat Dwyer (his 13th at 4:39) made it 4-2 Albany. Aucoin, DaSilva and Laaksonen all had a goal and an assist.
The River Rats killed off an abbreviated 5-on-3 Sound Tiger power play, but the Sound Tigers continued to fight back. Mark Wotton scored his sixth of the season to trim the deficit in half at the 12:50 mark. Steve Regier and Jamie Fraser both earned two assists, each setting up the Nilsson and Wotton goals.
Weiman made multiple saves in the waning moments with Sound Tigers' goaltender Wade Dubielewicz pulled for the extra attacker. Weiman stopped 29 shots and Dubielewicz made 32 saves (including 16 in the first) as the Rats outshot the Sound Tigers 36-32.
The Sound Tigers were 0-for-3 on the power play and Albany was 0-for-5 on the man advantage.
The Sound Tigers visit the Lowell Devils Saturday at 2 p.m. and return home to take on the Hartford Wolf Pack Sunday at 3 p.m. Great seats are available at the Arena at Harbor Yard Box Office. For schedule and ticket information, including group discount opportunities, visit soundtigers.com or call 334-4625.
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