AHL Bridgeport Islanders

Winning streak snapped at five after two early Albany goals doom Sound Tigers

February 22, 2008 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


The Albany River Rats scored two goals in the first period and it would prove more than enough for the 4-1 win and snapping the Sound Tigers' five-game winning streak. Michael Leighton finished the game with 42 saves and collected an assist to earn the victory stealing two points from the Sound Tigers, dropping the Sound Tigers to fifth place in the East Division.

About a minute after the opening face-off, the River Rats took the 1-0 lead on Pat Dwyer's seventh goal of the season. Albany center-man Mike Angelidis sent a turn-around shot on net that Sound Tiger starting goalie, Joey MacDonald stopped but allowed a rebound to sneak into the slot for the easy tap-in for Dwyer. Nicolas Blanchard had the second assist on the goal. The River Rats would make it 2-0 on the power-play when Jerome Samson scored his 20th goal of the year and sixth this season against the Sound Tigers. Jakub Petruzalek fed a pass to Joey Mormina at the point where Mormina wired a slap shot towards MacDonald that Samson was able to tip past the screened net-minder. The tally came 8:09 into the opening frame.

Before the period would end, the Sound Tigers would score a big goal to trim the Albany lead to 2-1. Dustin Kohn set up in the River Rats' zone at the left point and by the time the Sound Tigers recorded the goal, he was behind the net. Mark Wotton sent a pass to his defense partner, Kohn, at the point and Kohn walked down the half-wall, eventually winding up behind the goal-line where he feathered a pass to Trevor Smith in the slot. Smith one-timed the puck on River Rats' starter, Leighton, who made the save but the rebound popped back into the slot. Smith caught the puck in his skates, kicked it up to his fore-hand and snapped the puck over Leighton's right pad with 1:28 remaining in the period.

In the second period, the Sound Tigers threw 12 shots on Leighton, but to no avail as he turned aside each attempt. MacDonald stopped the five Albany shots he faced.

Albany would tack on their third goal of the game when Joe Jensen slapped at a loose puck in front of the Sound Tigers' net past MacDonald for the 3-1 lead. Steve Ward and Casey Borer assisted on the goal. Former Sound Tiger Jamie Johnson would seal the victory for the River Rats when he scored his 14th goal of the season while MacDonald was pulled for the extra attacker. Dwyer and Leighton assisted on the final marker coming at 18:44.

MacDonald finished the game with 24 saves on 28 shots while Leighton stopped 42 of the 43 shots he faced. The Sound Tigers finished 0-for-8 on the power-play while going 3-for-4 on the penalty-kill.

The Sound Tigers will return home tonight before driving up I-95 to Hartford for a match-up against the Wolf Pack. Face-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. On Sunday the Sound Tigers will take on these same River Rats at 4 p.m. at Arena at Harbor Yard.

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