AHL Bridgeport Islanders

Shorthanded Sound Tigers Lose 5-1 To WBS Pens

December 31, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


WILKES-BARRE, PA - The American Hockey League's Bridgeport Sound Tigers, top affiliate of the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, lost 5-1 on the road to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Friday. The game was the first of seven straight away from home for the Sound Tigers and marked their third New Year's Eve road game in as many years.

The Sound Tigers matched Wilkes-Barre/Scranton chance-for-chance in an exciting-but-scoreless first period despite playing two skaters short with nine regulars out of the lineup due to injuries and illness.

Just one second after a power play they took from the end of the opening frame into the start of the second period expired, the Penguins opened the scoring on a Michel Ouellet goal at the 1:00 mark off assists from Tomas Lupaschuk and Tomas Surovy. The goal was the 22nd of the season for Ouellet who entered the game second in the AHL in that category just one marker behind Michael Cammalleri of the Manchester Monarchs.

The Sound Tigers tied the score at 1-1 when Steve Regier bounced home a wrist shot off the glove of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goaltender Marc Andre-Fleury at the 7:57 mark. Brett Nowak notched his first point as a Sound Tiger with the lone assist on the goal, which was Regier's third of the year and second against Fleury.

The Penguins regained the lead at 2-1 just 1:04 later when Matt Murley swept the rebound of a shot by Alain Nasreddine past Sound Tigers netminder Wade Dubielewicz for his eighth goal of the season. Kris Beech earned his team-leading 28th assist and 36th point with the other helper on the play.

Ouellet made it 3-1 with his second goal of the game and 23rd of the season off assists from Beech and Murley 7:20 into the third period. Colby Armstrong upped the lead to 4-1 with a power-play goal, his eighth marker of the year, off assists from Ramzi Abid and Ryan Whitney with 3:13 left to play. Ouellet then took control of league's goal-scoring lead with an unassisted tally with 3.9 second left to play, an unassisted goal, to make it 5-1.

Ouellet was the first star of the game, Armstrong was the second, and Murley was the third. Fleury made 22 saves for his 14th win while Dubielewicz had 27 saves in a losing effort. The Sound Tigers were 0 for 4 on the power play while Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was 1 for 4 and had a 32-23 shots on goal advantage.

The Sound Tigers will play the second and third of the seven straight road games when they visit the Norfolk Admirals next Friday and Saturday, January 7th and 8th. Both games will be broadcast live on 600 WICC-AM and at www.soundtigers.com beginning at 7:15 p.m.

Information regarding Sound Tigers ticket packages and sponsorship opportunities is available by calling 203-334-GOAL or logging on to www.soundtigers.com. Groups, organizations, companies, etc. that are interested in having a member of the Sound Tigers appear at an event are invited to call 203-334-GOAL.

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American Hockey League Stories from December 31, 2004


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