AHL Bridgeport Islanders

Sound Tigers Erase Three-Goal Deficit, Beat Bruins 5-4

Published on February 25, 2012 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (Feb. 25, 2012) - Sound Tigers captain Jeremy Colliton recorded his 200th career AHL point as he scored the game-winning goal with 7:39 left in regulation and Bridgeport erased a three-goal deficit to beat the Providence Bruins 5-4 at Webster Bank Arena on Saturday night. With the win, the Sound Tigers have won six straight home games and have recorded a point in 20 of their last 21 games as they improve to 29-18-3-3. The Bruins fall to 26-24-3.3

Kirk MacDonald put the Bruins ahead midway through the opening period. Shortly after a Providence power play expired, MacDonald buried a rebound from a Trent Whitfield shot for his fourth goal of the season as the Bruins led 1-0 12:11 into the game.

The Bruins extended their lead to two with a power play tally 3:10 into the second period when Maxime Sauve knocked a feed from Zach Hamill past Poulin to give Providence a 2-0 advantage. Steven Kampfer went coast-to-coast at 11:44, sneaking through the slot and backhanding a shot past a sprawled out Poulin as Providence held a 3-0 lead midway through the game.

While Blair Riley's scoring streak ended tonight, his fight with Kevan Miller sparked the Sound Tigers comeback. Riley dropped the gloves with Miller at 14:00 of the second period, earning a decisive victory in the fight and giving the Sound Tigers a power play as Miller went to the box for cross-checking. Justin DiBenedetto scored 19 seconds later on a one-timer from below the right circle to put the Sound Tigers on the board, and Trevor Frischmon cut the deficit to one with just 46 seconds left in the middle frame. Sean Backman fired on net from a sharp angle as Anton Khudobin made the initial save, but Frischmon crashed the net and sent the puck through the Providence netminder as the Sound Tigers trailed 3-2 heading to the final period.

Michael Hutchinson relieved Khudobin in net after he allowed two goals on 31 shots, but it didn't stop the Sound Tigers charge as Micheal Haley's first goal of the night brought the Sound Tigers even 4:14 into the third period. Scott Howes gathered the puck below the right circle and sent a backhand, no look pass into the slot that Haley deflected home to tie the game at three. Haley put the Sound Tigers ahead at 8:47, firing a shot from the left point that deflected off a Providence defenseman's stick and past Hutchinson to give the Sound Tigers their first lead of the game. Kyle MacKinnon answered for Providence 34 seconds later, shooting from a sharp angle through Poulin's legs to tie the game 4-4.

However, Colliton would put the Sound Tigers ahead for good with 7:39 left in regulation. After Aaron Ness pinched along the left boards to keep the puck in the offensive zone, cycling below to DiBenedetto. DiBenedetto fed Colliton at the right post, who backhanded the puck high off Hutchinson and in for his ninth tally of the season.

The Sound Tigers will look for their seventh straight win tomorrow afternoon when they host the Albany Devils at 3:00 p.m.

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American Hockey League Stories from February 25, 2012


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