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AHL Bridgeport Islanders

Tigers Defeat Senators 6-5 in Shootout

December 5, 2008 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


Binghamton, NY - Jesse Joensuu recorded his ninth and tenth goals of the season and would convert the game-clinching tally in the shootout to help the Sound Tigers to a 6-5 shootout victory over the Binghamton Senators. Trevor Smith, Mike Iggulden and Ben Walter would each record a goal apiece to snap the Sound Tigers' two-game losing-streak. Nathan Lawson started in goal for the Sound Tigers and made 46 saves on 51 shots to keep his perfect record alive at 5-0. Binghamton had goals from Peter Regin, Neil Petruic, Drew Fata and Ryan Shannon. Brian Elliott started for the Senators, making only three saves on six shots before he was pulled in favor of back-up net-minder, Jeff Glass. Glass held his team in the game, turning aside 20 shots. The Sound Tigers improve their record to 16-5-1-2 with 35 points to climb two points closer to the first place Hershey Bears.

Smith broke the scoreless tie 4:17 into the first period with his ninth goal of the year. Iggulden chipped the puck along the boards, back to the point where Kohn gathered it in a fired a shot on net. Smith, parked in the slot, was able to redirect the puck through Elliott for the 1-0 lead. About five minutes later, Joensuu would also tally his ninth goal of the season when he snapped a shot past Elliott's glove. Blake Comeau carried the puck into the Senators' zone and passed the puck behind the net to Ben Walter. Walter was pressured and sent the puck back to Comeau in the left corner where he quickly sent a feed to Joensuu at the back-door. Wasting no time, Joensuu ripped the puck past Elliott to give the Sound Tigers the 2-0 lead. With the Sound Tigers carrying the play for the first half of the opening period, it was Senators' forward, Regin who was able to steal the momentum from the Sound Tigers. Regin skated into the Sound Tigers' zone, after grabbing a turnover at center ice and snapped the puck past Lawson's blocker to cut the Sound Tigers' lead in half, at 2-1. The unassisted goal was Regin's third marker this season. About two minutes later, Regin would bury his second goal of the game and fourth of the season when he one-timed a pass from Denis Hamel past Lawson's out-stretched glove to tie the game at 2-2. Tomas Kudelka had the second assist on the tally coming on the power-play. Iggulden would regain the lead for the Sound Tigers two minutes later. Joe Callahan hit Kurtis McLean with a breakout pass entering the Binghamton zone along the right wing boards. McLean slowed up and hit a trailing Iggulden in the high slot where he back-handed a shot off Elliott's stick and into the back of the net for his team-leading, 13th goal of the season. Following the goal, Senators' head coach Cory Clouston had seen enough from his starting goaltender and replaced him with the team's back-up, Jeff Glass.

Walter would reclaim the two-goal advantage at 4-2 for the Sound Tigers, 6:31 into the second period. Fata, the former Sound Tiger defenseman, broke the puck out from behind his net and misplayed the outlet pass, allowing Walter to skate in and grab the puck. Walter made a quick fake, pulled the puck back and chipped a shot over Glass' glove for his fifth marker this season. Binghamton would not go away, tightening the score at 4-3 with five minutes to play in the middle frame. Senators' defenseman Petruic, wristed a shot from the right point that sailed over a screened Lawson for his first tally this season. Ilya Zubov and Danny Bois had the assists.

Comeau and Joensuu would connect once again half-way through the third period for Joensuu's tenth goal of the season giving the Sound Tigers the 5-3 lead. Fata would make up for his mishap in the second period when he blasted a slap-shot from the right point past Lawson for his second goal of the season to make the score 5-4. Derek Smith and Josh Hennessy had the assists on the tally. With the Sound Tigers clinging to a one-goal lead, Binghamton would go on the power-play and tie the score when Shannon one-timed his sixth goal of the season past Lawson to tie the score at 5-5. Zubov fed the cross-ice pass to Shannon at the left post to collect the first assist, while Tomas Kudelka also had an assist on the game-tying power-play goal.

Both Lawson and Glass would keep the game tied at 5-5 in the overtime session, sending the contest to a shootout.

Regin would shoot first for the Senators and fire the puck past Lawson to give the Senators a 1-0 lead. The Sound Tigers would counter however and score on their next three attempts from McLean, Smith and Joensuu. Lawson held the fort and denied the final three shooters to earn his fifth victory of the season and help the Sound Tigers to a 6-5 victory.

The Sound Tigers finished the game 0-for-3 on the power-play and 3-for-5 on the penalty-kill.

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