Tambellini ties, then wins game in shootout
Published on December 21, 2007 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release
Joey MacDonald turned aside 33 shots for the Sound Tigers, keeping his team in the game long enough for Jeff Tambellini to tie the score at 1-1 with less than two minutes to go in the third period. Tambellini would seal the victory in a shootout for the Sound Tigers snapping a shot over the glove of Montoya to give the Sound Tigers their fourth straight victory.
The Wolf Pack opened the scoring at 3:33 when Hugh Jessiman stole a loose puck on the Sound Tigers' blue-line, streaked into the zone and back-handed a shot past Sound Tigers' starting goalie, Joey MacDonald's blocker for the 1-0 lead. Jessiman's seventh goal of the season was unassisted.
Goaltending was the story of the second period as both MacDonald and Hartford net-minder Al Montoya kept both teams off the score-board. MacDonald turned aside six shots as Montoya stopped 10, holding the Sound Tigers scoreless entering the third period. Frans Nielsen had the best chance for the Sound Tigers on the power-play when he snatched a loose puck in the crease away from Montoya but could not chip a shot over the blocker of Montoya.
Jeff Tambellini would tie the score at one with just under two minutes to play in regulation. Montoya tried to move the puck around the boards but the puck took a bad bounce and Montoya lost sight of the puck. Montoya scrambled to the front of his net not knowing where the puck was but at the last second felt it as Tambellini threw the puck off the goal-tender's skate for his 13th goal of the season, unassisted. The goal sent the game to overtime where neither team could bury the winner so the Connecticut rivals went to a shootout.
In the shootout, MacDonald would set the tone, stopping Hartford's Pierre Parenteau on the first attempt. Frans Nielsen would shoot next and back-hand a shot over the glove Montoya to grab the 1-0 lead in the shootout. Greg Moore, who was recently reassigned by Hartford's NHL affiliate, the New York Rangers, tied the shootout at 1-1. The Sound Tigers buried their next two chances, the first by Steve Regier and the clincher by Tambellini to win in comeback style 2-1 over the Sound Tigers.
MacDonald finished the game with 33 saves on 34 shots and Montoya had 24 saves on 25 shots. The Sound Tigers finished an impressive 8-8 on the penalty kill and were 0-3 on the man-advantage.
The Sound Tigers will return to action tomorrow night against the Manchester Monarchs for the first time this season, face-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
American Hockey League Stories from December 21, 2007
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- Falcons lose to Rampage 3-1 - Springfield Falcons
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- Monarchs Experience Penguins' Arctic Freeze - Manchester Monarchs
- Admirals Comeback Overridden by Senators - Norfolk Admirals
- Devils Dominated By Bruins, 6-1 - Albany Devils
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