AHL Bridgeport Islanders

Sound Tigers Go Up Three Games To One

Published on April 20, 2004 under 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, scored three unanswered goals, including a pair 1:21 apart late in the second period and early in the third en route to a 4-2 road win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Tuesday and now lead their best-of-seven Calder Cup Playoff East Division Semifinal three games to one. The Sound Tigers can win the series at home in game five at Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard this Thursday at 7:05 p.m.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton opened the scoring with its third power-play goal in as many games when Patrick Boileau blasted a slap shot past Sound Tigers Goaltender Wade Dubielewicz for his first goal of the playoffs 14:46 into the game off assists from Penguins Captain Tom Kostopoulos and Tomas Surovy.

Ryan Kraft, who missed game three Sunday in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton while his wife gave birth to the couple's first child, tied the score then gave the Sound Tigers their first lead of the contest with his first two postseason goals. First, he slipped a back-hand shot past Penguins Netminder Sebastien Caron 8:17 into the middle frame off assists from Luke Curtin and Brandon Smith to make it 1-1; Smith is now on a three-game assist and point streak. Kraft then put another back-hander past Caron off an assist from Curtin with just 1:07 left in the second period to make it 2-1.

Before another rowdy crowd of nearly 6,000 fans had settled back into their seats, the Sound Tigers took the largest lead of the game just 14 seconds into the third period when Kevin Colley, in his first game back after a two-game suspension for a game-one boarding penalty, gloved down a Sean Bergenheim pass and beat Caron from the slot for his first goal of the playoffs to make it 3-1. Bergenheim is now on a three-game assist and point streak.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, who was just 2 for 33 on the power play during the eight-game regular-season series, notched its second goal on the advantage of the game, and fourth of postseason, to pull to within 3-2 with 7:18 left to play as Eric Meloche corralled a funny hop in the slot and fired home his fourth goal of the playoffs off an assist from Boileau.

With the Penguins pressing for the equalizer, Jeff Hamilton moved slowly up the right wing on a two-on-one rush with Martin Kariya and pushed a tough-angle shot around Caron while falling down for his third marker of the postseason, an unassisted goal, with 1:43 left to play to ice the win at 4-2.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton pulled Caron in favor of an extra attacker with just under a minute and a half to play but could not score.

Kraft was the first star of the game, Boileau the second, and Hamilton the third. Dubielewicz made 23 saves as the Sound Tigers won despite being outshot 25-16. Caron made 12 saves. The Sound Tigers were 0 for 3 on the power play. The Penguins were 2 for 6 on the advantage and are now 4 for 24 in the series.

Should the Sound Tigers fail to win game five at home this Thursday, game six will be back in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this Friday at 7:05 p.m. with the seventh-and-deciding game slated for Sunday in Bridgeport at 4:05 p.m. if needed.

All games are web cast live at www.soundtigers.com.

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American Hockey League Stories from April 20, 2004


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