AHL Bridgeport Islanders

Sound Tigers Battling For Playoff Position

March 24, 2003 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


The Sound Tigers played three close games losing 3-2 at home to the Springfield Falcons Wednesday, tying the Hartford Wolf Pack 2-2 on the road Friday and losing 3-2 on the road to the Providence Bruins Sunday. The Sound Tigers finished the week in second place in the East Division and fifth place in the Eastern Conference with 84 points and a 35-24-11-3 record including 20-10-4-2 at home, 15-14-7-1 on the road and 4-4-2-0 in the last ten games. They finished the week four points behind the division-leading Binghamton Senators but with a game in hand, as well as five points behind the Manchester Monarchs who ended the week seeded in fourth place in the conference.

WED MAR 19th vs. SPR, 3-2 L: JUSTIN PAPINEAU scored twice in the second period to tie the game, but Springfield's SHANE WILLIS scored his second goal of the night with :23 left in regulation, and EVGENY KONSTANTINOV made 32 saves as the Falcons won for the first time ever in Bridgeport. STEPHEN VALIQUETTE made 28 saves for the Sound Tigers who were 1 for 3 on the power play scoring on the advantage for the eighth straight game going 12 for 36, 33.3%, in that time. They were also 3-3 on the penalty kill and had a 34-31 shots on goal advantage.

FRI MAR 21st at HFD, 2-2 T: TRENT HUNTER scored in the first period, and JUSTIN PAPINEAU scored with :43.8 left in regulation. Both players also had an assist. The Sound Tigers were 0 for 6 on the power play while Hartford was 0 for 5 and had a 28-24 shots on goal advantage. STEPHEN VALIQUETTE made 26 saves. The Sound Tigers played most of the game shorthanded after ALAN LETANG was struck in the face by a puck during the second period.

SUN MAR 23rd at PRO, 4:05 p.m.: BLAINE DOWN opened the scoring in the first period, and JUSTIN PAPINEAU tied the game :37 into the third period, but Providence's ANDY HILBERT broke the tie with a power-play goal 4:28 into the final frame. The Bruins' TIM THOMAS made 30 saves as the Sound Tigers had a 32-26 shots on goal advantage including 19-5 in the third period tying their season-high mark for shots in a period. STEPHEN VALIQUETTE made 23 saves for the Sound Tigers were 0 for 5 on the power play while the P-Bruins were 1 for 3. PLAYER OF THE WEEK – C JUSTIN PAPINEAU

Papineau scored four goals and assisted on another for five points while also posting a +3 in three games. He has scored in all five games since joining the Sound Tigers notching seven goals, one assist, eight points and a +3. Papineau leads the team with 28 total goals and also has 17 assists and 45 points in 49 AHL games, as well as two goals, one assist and three points in 11 NHL games with the St. Louis Blues this season.

THIS WEEK – Three Game Weekend With Playoff Implications On Tap The Sound Tigers will host the Albany River Rats Friday at 7:35 p.m. They will then head on the road to visit the Manchester Monarchs Saturday at 7:35 p.m. and the Hartford Wolf Pack Sunday at 4:05 p.m.

FRI MAR 28th vs. ALB, 7:35 p.m.: This will be the seventh of eight meetings, the third of four at Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard, between the teams this regular season. The Sound Tigers are 9-3-2 all-time, including 3-2-1 this season, versus Albany who begins this week in fifth place in the East Division and 11th place in the Eastern Conference with 67 points and a 25-33-10-7 record including 10-18-6-3 on the road. The River Rats are winless, 0-2-2-1, in their last five contests after winning five straight games. Albany is also two points behind Springfield, who has one game in hand, in the race for the tenth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot. The River Rats do not play again until Friday.

SAT MAR 29th at MCH, 7:35 p.m.: This will be the fourth and final meeting, the second in Manchester, between the teams this regular season. The Sound Tigers are 3-2-2 all-time, including 2-0-1 this season, versus the Monarchs who begin this week in second place in the North Division and seeded fourth in the Eastern Conference with 89 points and a 37-21-10-5 record including 21-10-5-0 at home and 6-1-1-2 in the last ten games. The Monarchs have the third-best point total in the conference but are seeded behind Binghamton because the Senators are a division leader. Manchester will host the Worcester IceCats Friday.

SUN MAR 30th at HFD, 4:05 p.m.: This will be the eighth of ten meetings, the fourth of five in Hartford, between the teams this regular season. The Sound Tigers are 10-6-1 all-time, including 4-2-1 this season, versus the Wolf Pack who begin this week in third place in the East Division and ninth place in the Eastern Conference with 78 points and a 30-24-12-6 record including 17-11-6-2 at home and 4-1-3-2 in the last ten games. Hartford will host the St. John's Maple Leafs Wednesday and will visit Springfield Friday and the Lowell Lock Monsters Saturday.

SOUND TIGERS TEAM LEADERS (active roster)

Goals – JUSTIN PAPINEAU, 28
Penalty Minutes – ERIC GODARD, 154
Assists – TRENT HUNTER & ERIC MANLOW, 35
Wins – STEPHEN VALIQUETTE, 12
Points – TRENT HUNTER, 62
Goals Against Average – STEPHEN VALIQUETTE, 2.66
Plus / Minus – JUSTIN MAPLETOFT, +12
Save Percentage – STEPHEN VALIQUETTE, .911

SOUND TIGERS SPECIAL TEAMS

Power Play – 61 for 375, 16.3%; tied-15th

Shorthanded Goals Against – 11

Penalty Kill – 304 for 348, 87.4%; 3rd

Shorthanded Goal For – 8

SOUND TIGERS STREAKS

C JUSTIN PAPINEAU (7g,1a) has goals and points in all five games he has played since being assigned to the Sound Tigers by the Islanders. • C JUSTIN MAPLETOFT (3a) is on a three-game assist streak. • RW TRENT HUNTER (1g,2a) is on a two-game assist and point streak.

SOUND TIGERS TRANSACTIONS

C JUSTIN PAPINEAU was recalled by the Islanders today. • G RICK DiPIETRO is also on recall to the Islanders. • LW GRAHAM BELAK was recalled from the East Coast Hockey League's Cincinnati Cyclones Wednesday.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR & PROMOTIONAL NEWS

TRENT HUNTER will talk to students at Wilcoxin School in Stratford about the importance of reading Tuesday from 1:15 p.m. until 2 p.m. • STORM, the team mascot, will take part in the American Heart Association's Jump Rope for Heart at the Honeyspot House School in Stratford Tuesday from 6 p.m. until 7 p.m. • STEPHEN VALIQUETTE will read to first grade students at the Staples Elementary School in Easton Thursday at 2 p.m. • ALAIN NASREDDINE will visit the West Haven Community House Thursday at 3:45 p.m. • STORM will visit the Rowayton Elementary School Assembly Friday at 10 a.m. and the WSTC/WNLK "Operation Homefront" broadcast at Stew Leonard's in Norwalk immediately following. The "Operation Homefront" broadcast will be a show of support for troops in the Middle East. • The Sound Tigers and "Swim Across the Sound" are helping the "Friends of Cyndy" raise funds to purchase a new wheelchair-accessible van for Cyndy Trindal of Orange who was injured in an automobile accident and is also battling cancer. The "Friends of Cyndy" are selling tickets to Friday's game versus Albany with $4 from each ticket sold benefiting their cause. Tickets can be purchased at the Sound Tigers' office, St. Vincent's Medical Center Foundation in Bridgeport and Fleet Bank at 21 Broad Street in Milford. The Sound Tigers Booster Club will also donate proceeds from Friday's "Chuck-A-Puck" to "Friends of Cyndy". • STORM will visit St. Joseph's College in West Hartford with Best Buddies Sunday from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. The Tiger Tunnel will also be set up at St. Joseph's. • The Sound Tigers will hold "Military Appreciation Night" Wednesday, April 2nd.

SOUND TIGERS ON THE AIR

All games are broadcast live on "The ZONE" FOX Sports Radio 1300 AM and at www.soundtigers.com. WSTC/WNLK 1400/1350 AM also broadcasts road games. "The Sound Tigers Report" airs Tuesdays at 7 p.m. on "The ZONE". MIKE SOUZA, RAY SCHULTZ and MATT HIGGINS will be the special guests on this week's edition of the show which will be broadcast live from Knickerbockers at the Westfield Shoppingtown Connecticut Post Mall in Milford.

Check out the Bridgeport Islanders Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from March 24, 2003


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central