AHL Bridgeport Islanders

Sound Tigers Tame Manchester 4-2

Published on December 10, 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, defeated the Manchester Monarchs 4-2 at home Friday. The Sound Tigers handed the Monarchs, the league's top team overall, just their third loss of the season and only their second in regulation. Rob Collins led the Sound Tigers with three points, including two goals.

Bridgeport got on the board first at 7:58 of the first period when the red-hot Collins scored his seventh goal of the season. Off a pass from Chris Campoli, Justin Papineau raced down the ice and put a deke on Manchester goalie Mathieu Garon. The puck deflected in the air to Collins who knocked it down with his glove and then batted it in to give the Sound Tigers a 1-0 lead. Papineau and Campoli picked up the helpers on the play to extend both of their assist streaks to three games. Collins upped his point streak to three games with the goal as well.

The Sound Tigers extended their lead to 2-0 at 18:39 of the first period when an Eric Godard shot deflected off a Monarch defenseman then the cross bar and past Garon. Sean Bergenheim had the only assist.

Collins scored his second goal of the game and eighth of the season, unassisted and shorthanded, at 9:07 of the second period to increase the Sound Tiger lead to 3-0. On the fore-check, Collins stole the puck in the left face-off circle and took a low shot on Garon forcing a rebound. He found the puck and slid it into the empty net for his forth goal in the last three games. It was the Sound Tigers' second shorthanded goal of the season and the eighth against the Monarchs, the most given up by any team in the league this season.

The Monarchs cut the Sound Tiger lead to 3-1 at 14:20 of the second period on a power-play goal by Tom Kostopoulos, his 11th goal of the season. For Manchester it was their 31st goal on the advantage this season, the most in the AHL. Michael Cammalleri and Yanick Lehoux, the league's top two scorers, assisted on the play.

Manchester made it a one-goal game at 10:26 of the third period when Tim Gleason beat Sound Tiger goalie Wade Dubielewicz with a wrist shot from the left face-off circle. As he was falling down, Gleason gathered the puck and shot it high over the right shoulder of Dubielewicz. Kostopoulos assisted on the goal for his second point of the game.

Kevin Colley put the game away for the Sound Tigers with an empty-net goal, his sixth goal of the season, with 45.2 seconds remaining. Collins assisted on the goal, his third point of the game, taking over the team lead with 17 points on the season. Papineau also assisted on the goal by blocking a shot to start the rush up ice.

The Sound Tigers were 0 for 4 on the power play but held the AHL's top power play to just one goal in nine opportunities. Manchester outshot Bridgeport 34-25.

Collins earned the game's first star with two goals and an assist. Dubielewicz, who stopped 32 of 34 shots, was the game's second star, and Godard was the third star.

The Sound Tigers will visit the Hershey Bears tomorrow at 7 p.m. in a game that will be broadcast live on WICC-600 AM and web cast live at www.soundtigers.com.

Information regarding Sound Tigers ticket packages and sponsorship opportunities is available by calling 203-334-GOAL or logging on to www.soundtigers.com. Groups, organizations, companies, etc. that are interested in having a member of the Sound Tigers appear at an event are invited to call 203-334-GOAL.

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American Hockey League Stories from December 10, 2004


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