AHL Bridgeport Islanders

Sound Tigers Steal Home Ice Advantage From Manchester

Published on April 14, 2003 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


Opening the playoffs on the road, the Sound Tigers won the first two games of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal versus the Manchester Monarchs, 2-1 Saturday and 6-3 Sunday. The Sound Tigers lead Manchester two games to none and can clinch the best-of-five series this Friday at Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard.

SAT APR 12th at MCH, 2-1 W: JEREMY ADDUONO opened the scoring mid-way through the first period, TRENT HUNTER scored the eventual game-winning goal late in the second period, and STEPHEN VALIQUETTE made 27 saves. The Sound Tigers never trailed in the game and outshot Manchester 31-28 including 15-5 in the third period. They were 0 for 3 on the power play while the Monarchs were 0 for 2.

SUN APR 13th at MCH, 6-3 W: Manchester took a 2-0 lead on a pair of goals by ERIC HEALEY and JEFF GIULIANO 1:35 apart early in the first period, but the Sound Tigers tied the score late in the opening frame on goals by DANIEL TKACZUK and SVEN BUTENSCHON. JEREMY ADDUONO, MARTIN CHABADA, TRENT HUNTER and Butenschon, again, then scored as the Sound Tigers built leads of 3-2, 4-3, 5-3 and finally 6-3. Butenschon also added an assist while Chabada and ERIC MANLOW had two helpers apiece. STEPHEN VALIQUETTE made 35 saves as the Monarchs had a 38-35 shots on goal advantage. The Sound Tigers' special teams were nearly perfect going 3 for 4 on the power play and 3 for 3 on the penalty kill.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK – G STEPHEN VALIQUETTE

Valiquette has now won five straight games, two in the playoffs and three during the regular season. Last week, he was 2-0 with a 2.00 goals against average and a .939 save percentage. The week before, Valiquette stopped 90 of 93 shots to go 3-0 with a 0.99 goals against average, .968 save percentage and one shutout. He is 2-0 this postseason with a 2.00 goals against average and a .939 save percentage. Valiquette was 15-14-3 with a 2.63 goals against average, .912 save percentage and two shutouts in 34 appearances with the Sound Tigers and also dressed for three NHL games with the Islanders during the regular season.

THIS WEEK – Sound Tigers Look To Advance This Weekend At Home The Sound Tigers can win their best-of-five Eastern Conference Quarterfinal versus Manchester this Friday, April 18th at 7:35 p.m. at Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard. Game four, if necessary, will be played this Saturday at 7:05 p.m. at Harbor Yard. The series schedule is as follows:

Game One in Manchester – Saturday, April 12th; 2-1 Sound Tigers

Game Two in Manchester – Sunday, April 13th; 6-3 Sound Tigers

Game Three at Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard – Friday, April 18th at 7:35 p.m.

Game Four at Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard – Saturday, April 19th at 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)

Game Five in Manchester – Tuesday, April 22nd at 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)

FRI APR 18th vs. MCH, 7:35 p.m. & SAT APR 19th vs. MCH, 7:05 p.m. (if necessary): This will be the first-ever playoff meeting of the teams in Bridgeport. The Sound Tigers are 3-2-2 all-time during regular-season play versus the Monarchs. They were 2-1-1 this year, including 2-0 at home, versus Manchester who finished the regular season in second place in the North Division and fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 97 points and a 40-23-11-6 record including 23-11-6-0 at home and 17-12-5-6 on the road. The Monarchs have now lost four straight playoff games since taking a two-games-to-one lead over the Hartford Wolf Pack in last year's Eastern Conference Quarterfinals which they lost three games to two with the final contest decided in double overtime.

SOUND TIGERS PLAYOFF LEADERS

Goals – S. BUTENSCHON, J. ADDUONO, T. HUNTER; 2

Penalty Minutes – DANIEL TKACZUK, 6

Assists – several, 2

Wins – STEPHEN VALIQUETTE, 2

Points – SVEN BUTENSCHON, 4

Goals Against Average – STEPHEN VALIQUETTE, 2.00

Plus / Minus – J. ADDUONO, D. TKACZUK; +3

Save Percentage –STEPHEN VALIQUETTE, ..939

SOUND TIGERS PLAYOFF SPECIAL TEAMS

Power Play – 3 for 7, 42.9%; 1st

Shorthanded Goals Against – 0

Penalty Kill – 5 for 5, 100%; tied-1st

Shorthanded Goal For – 0

SOUND TIGERS STREAKS

The Sound Tigers have won six straight games, two in the playoffs and four during the regular season. • They also won their last four regular-season home games. • The Sound Tigers have won three straight road games, two in the playoffs and one during the regular season. • G STEPHEN VALIQUETTE has won five straight games, two in the playoffs and three during the regular season. • C DANIEL TKACZUK (4g,6a), LW JEREMY ADDUONO (5g,5a) and RW TRENT HUNTER (5g,5a) are all on six-game scoring streaks, two in the playoffs and four during regular season. Adduono is on a three-game goal streak, Hunter a two-game goal streak and Tkaczuk a six-game assist streak. • The Sound Tigers are on a two-game, penalty-killing streak (5 for 5, 100%). • C JUSTIN MAPLETOFT was on a three-game assist streak (3a) when recalled by the Islanders April 4th. • C JUSTIN PAPINEAU had goals and points (7g,1a) in all five games he played with the Sound Tigers before being recalled by the Islanders March 25th. • G RICK DiPIETRO was on a five-game winning streak and was unbeaten in six straight games, 5-0-1, when recalled by the Islanders March 9th.

SOUND TIGER BITS

The Sound Tigers are 4-1 all-time in playoff series openers. • They are 3-0 in postseason series when winning game one and 0-1 when losing game one. • The Sound Tigers are 3-3 all-time when in position to win a playoff series. • Both Eastern Conference series that have been decided this postseason have been won by the lower-seeded teams, the Springfield Falcons and the Manitoba Moose. • As the AHL's KILPATRICK TROPHY Regular Season Champions, the Sound Tigers had home-ice advantage in all four of their playoff series last season. The series with Manchester is the Sound Tigers' first as a lower-seeded team. • The Sound Tigers were 5-3-11 in overtime games, 3-2-4 at home and 2-1-7 on the road, this regular season including 1-0-1 versus Manchester winning 3-2 at home on November 27th and skating to a 4-4 tie on the road on January 18th. • They were 2-3 in the extra session during last season's run to the Calder Cup Finals. Two of those games were decided in double overtime with the Sound Tigers beating the St. John's Maple Leafs 3-2 on the road in game three of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals and losing to the Chicago Wolves 4-3 on the road in the fifth-and-deciding game of the Calder Cup Finals. • The Sound Tigers were 8-4-2-0 versus North Division teams, 6-0-1 at home and 2-4-1 on the road, as well as 35-17-7-1 versus Eastern Conference teams, 22-6-2 at home and 13-11-5-1 on the road, this season.

SOUND TIGERS TRANSACTIONS

G RICK DiPIETRO, C JUSTIN PAPINEAU, RW ERIC GODARD and C JUSTIN MAPLETOFT are on recall to the Islanders. • LW GRAHAM BELAK remains with the Sound Tigers on recall from the East Coast Hockey League's Cincinnati Cyclones. • G SCOTT STIRLING remains with the Sound Tigers on a professional tryout contract. • C ADAM EDINGER and C TYLER RENNETTE signed PTOs with the Sound Tigers Thursday.

SOUND TIGERS ON THE AIR

All Sound Tigers' games are broadcast live on "News/Talk 960" WELI-AM and at www.soundtigers.com. • WSTC/WNLK 1400/1350 AM also broadcasts road games. • Fans can click on the Ask The Broadcaster link at www.soundtigers.com and email questions and comments to Voice of the Sound Tigers BILL McLAUGHLIN who will respond live on the air.

SOUND TIGERS PLAYOFF TICKETS

Sound Tigers' 12-game, playoff-strip, ticket packages can be purchased by calling 203-334-GOAL. • Individual tickets for game three can be purchased at the Harbor Yard box office, on-line at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 203-368-1000. Individual tickets for game four will go on sale as soon as it becomes necessary to play the game.

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE

The Sound Tigers will practice at Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard Tuesday and Thursday at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. and Friday and Saturday at 10 a.m. Call 203-334-4625 to confirm practice times and locations.

Check out the Bridgeport Islanders Statistics

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American Hockey League Stories from April 14, 2003


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