AHL Bridgeport Islanders

Smith's late goal in the third helps Sound Tigers steal win from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

Published on February 29, 2008 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


Trevor Smith scored his 11th goal of the season with about three minutes left in the third period to help the Sound Tigers beat the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, 3-2. With the victory, the Sound Tigers now have 64 points, just three behind the Penguins who occupy the fourth and final playoff spot in the East Division.

Penguin captain, Nathan Smith put his team on the board 15:18 into the first period with his 13th goal of the season. As the Sound Tigers sustained pressure in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton zone, Jonathan Filewich was able to jump on the puck and clear it out of the zone. Ned Havern was the first to the puck in the Sound Tigers' zone and fed a pass from the corner to Smith cutting through the slot. Smith wristed the puck past the blocker of Sound Tigers' starting goalie, Joey MacDonald for the 1-0 lead.

Ben Walter, rejoining the Sound Tigers' lineup tonight after his shoulder injury, tied the score with less than a minute to play in the second period. Jamie Fraser sent a pass to his defense partner, Mark Wotton at the left point where Wotton snapped a shot towards Penguin starting goaltender, John Curry. Walter, standing in the slot, zeroed in on the puck and redirected it past the screened net-minder, tying the score at 1-1 for his 16th goal of the season.

Tim Jackman would give the Sound Tigers the 2-1 lead while the team was short-handed. Jackman came in one-on-one on a Penguin defenseman, pulled the puck to his backhand and chipped it over the blocker of Curry for go ahead goal. Wotton had the lone assist on the Sound Tigers' first short-handed goal since January 6th coming at 2:42 of the third period. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton would answer nearly two minutes later when Kurtis McLean scored his 17th goal of the season on a slap shot from the top of the left circle. Mark Letestu and Ben Lovejoy had the assists to tie the score at 2-2. Smith would tally the game-winning goal with just under three minutes remaining in the final period. Justin Bourne made a great play at the Penguin blue-line holding onto the puck and timing his shot on net with Smith crashing. Curry made the stop on Bourne's shot but Smith cut through the crease and back-handed the puck through the Penguin goaltender for the 3-2 game-deciding goal, his 11th tally of the season.

MacDonald finished the game with 35 saves on 37 shots while his counterpart, Curry stopped 27 of the 30 shots he faced. The Sound Tigers did not have a power-play all game but went 4-for-4 on the penalty-kill.

The Sound Tiger will return to action tomorrow night against the Binghamton Senators at 7 p.m. Sunday, the Sound Tigers will travel to Lowell to take on the Devils, face-off is scheduled for 4 p.m.

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American Hockey League Stories from February 29, 2008


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