AHL Bridgeport Islanders

Sound Tigers outpower Hershey 5-4 in OT

Published on March 29, 2006 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, scored a power-play goal on a two-man advantage, turned six-on-three during a delayed call, to beat the Hershey Bears 5-4 in overtime at home Wednesday. With their win in Bridgeport and a 5-0 victory by the Philadelphia Phantoms over the Norfolk Admirals, the Sound Tigers moved into third place in the East Division with 81 points and a 37-28-4-3 record. The Sound Tigers also reduced their magic number for clinching a berth in the AHL's Calder Cup Playoffs to eight with Wednesday's win.

The Bears opened the scoring on a goal by Joey Tenute, his 17th of the season, on assists from Boyd Kane and Jakub Klepis at 6:17 making the score 1-0.

With the Sound Tigers on a power play and 8:15 remaining in the first period, Hershey's Dave Steckel walked in alone off a turnover in the high slot but was denied on a pad save by Sound Tigers goaltender Wade Dubielewicz. Less than a minute later, Jeremy Colliton scored his 20th goal of the season, on the same power-play, off assists from Rob Collins and Justin Papineau, who was skating in his first game since suffering a serious shoulder injury on November 2nd.

The Bears regained the lead at 2-1 just 36 seconds into the middle frame when Kris Beech scored his 22nd goal of the season off assists from Graham Mink and Tomas Fleischmann.

However, Colliton knotted the score back up at 2-2 at 5:47 with his 21st goal of the season, and second of the game, when he streaked across the crease and buried a shot just under the cross bar, out of the reach of Hershey netminder Frederic Cassivi. Tomi Pettinen and Dubielewicz picked up helpers on the goal, Dubielewicz's first of the season.

Less then a minute after the Colliton equalizer, the Sound Tigers went on another power play and took their first lead of the evening when Ryan Caldwell blasted home his third goal of the year off assists from Masi Marjamaki and Cole Jarrett at the 8:39 mark.

With 2:12 remaining in the second, Dubielewicz denied Tenute on a breakaway which sprung the Sound Tigers back up the ice, and Steve Regier was able to re-direct his 16th goal of the season off a shot by Caldwell, with Marjamaki adding the other assist.

After pulling Cassivi in favor of Kirk Daubenspeck to start the third period, the Bears rallied to tie the game with a pair of special-teams goals. Beech made it 4-3 with an unassisted, shorthanded tally, his second goal of the game and 23rd of the season, at 2:28. Beech then helped set up the power-play equalizer by Fleischmann at 8:23, with Lawrence Nycholat also assisting on the play.

In overtime, Hershey took a pair of penalties five seconds apart to put the Sound Tigers on a two-man advantage. With another delayed call in effect, Papineau stuffed home the winner, his sixth goal of the season, on assists from Collins and Mike Omicioli 3:37 into the extra session. Collins is now on a seven-game assist streak; the longest, active such run in the league; while Omicioli has helpers in all four games on a tryout contract with the Sound Tigers.

Dubielewicz finished with 38 saves while Cassivi had six and Daubenspeck made nine. The Bears held a 42-20 shots on goal advantage. The Sound Tigers were 3 for 5 on the power-play and 3 for 4 on the penalty kill. Colliton was the first star of the game with two goals, Beech the second with three points and Dubielewicz the third.

Prior to the game, the Sound Tigers announced the assignment of center Mark Lee to the ECHL's Trenton Titans after the Islanders returned Collins and Colliton to Bridgeport.

The Sound Tigers will visit the Philadelphia Phantoms this Friday at 7:05 p.m. and return home to host the Providence Bruins this Saturday at 7:05 p.m. and the Binghamton Senators this Sunday at 4:05 p.m. Information regarding Sound Tigers ticket packages, promotions and upcoming games is available on-line at www.soundtigers.com, by emailing info@soundtigers.com or by calling 203-334-GOAL.

All Sound Tigers games are web-cast live at www.soundtigers.com. Fans can also watch all AHL games live on the Internet via the B2 Networks pay per view.

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American Hockey League Stories from March 29, 2006


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