AHL Bridgeport Islanders

Sound Tigers Go Up 2-0 With Another OT Win

Published on April 17, 2004 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


BRIDGEPORT, CT - The American Hockey League's Bridgeport Sound Tigers, top affiliate of the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, beat the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 5-4 in overtime at home Saturday to take a two-games-to-none lead in their best-of-seven Calder Cup Playoff East Division Semifinal. Brandon Smith scored the game-winning goal 1:27 into the extra session on the first shot for either team just two days after the Sound Tigers won the first contest in the series 5-4 in overtime on their first shot of that extra session by Derek Bekar. Saturday's win also marked the fastest-ever end to a postseason overtime game involving the Sound Tigers.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton took the first lead 8:45 into the game on Kris Beech's first goal of the playoffs off assists from Tomas Surovy and Tom Kostopoulos, but the Sound Tigers tied the score at 1-1 2:42 later as Cail MacLean notched his first postseason marker off an assist from Smith. However, the Penguins regained the lead with 1:38 left in the opening frame on a power-play goal by Surovy, his first tally of the playoffs, off assists from Toby Petersen and Beech.

The Sound Tigers tied the game at 2-2 exactly nine minutes into the second period as Sean Bergenheim, the first pick of the Islanders in the 2002 NHL draft, notched his first goal with the team off assists from Rob Collins and Bekar.

The Sound Tiger took their first lead of the night, at 3-2, 2:28 into the third period on a power-play goal by Collins, his first marker of the postseason, off assists from Randy Perry and Bekar, but Wilkes-Barre/Scranton tied it at 3-3 48 seconds later on Beech's second goal of the game off assists from Surovy and Kostopoulos. However, the Sound Tigers took back the lead just 1:30 beyond that as Tomi Pettinen scored his first goal of the playoffs, just his third professional goal in more than two seasons of play in North America, at the 4:46 mark off assists from Bergenheim and Collins, but the Penguins rallied one more time as Surovy notched his second tally of the night off assists from Ryan Whitney and Ross Lupaschuk with 6:12 left in regulation.

On the deciding play, Martin Kariya and Graham Belak kept the puck along the end boards and right-wing corner before moving it around to Smith who lofted a soft wrist shot from the outside hash marks of the left face-off circle and just inside the glove-side post of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, the first overall pick in last summer's NHL draft. Kariya and Belak both notched their first points of the playoffs with the assists on the play.

The Sound Tigers are now 4-4 all-time in postseason overtime games while the Penguins are now 5-4 all-time in playoff extra-session play.

Collins was the first star of the game, Smith the second, and Surovy the third. Sound Tigers Neminder Wade Dubielewicz made 37 saves as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton had a 41-21 shots on goal advantage. Fleury made 16 saves. Each team was 1 for 3 on the power play.

The series will shift to the Wachovia Arena in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pennsylvania for game three tomorrow at 5:05 p.m. and game four this coming Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. Game five, if necessary, will be at Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard this coming Thursday at 7:05 p.m. All games are web cast live at www.soundtigers.com.

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American Hockey League Stories from April 17, 2004


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