WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON 3, BRIDGEPORT 2
Comeback falls short for the Sound Tigers
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 10:00 pm - The Sound Tigers had several good chances in the final 5 minutes but could not complete the comeback and lost tonight to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 3-2 at the Coliseum.
Rob Hennigar scored off a perfect passing play from Mike Iggulden and Trevor Smith with 2:48 left in the second period to pull Bridgeport within 3-2. Smith put the Sound Tigers on the board with a goal with 5:15 left in the second period off a feed from behind the goal by Iggulden.
A goal by Luca Caputi mid-way through the second period gave the Penguins a 3-0 lead. W-B/S scored a controversial goal just 1:22 into the game on a power play. In a goalmouth scramble in which Chris Minard scored, Bridgeport goalie Nathan Lawson was high-sticked in the head but the referee missed it – even as Lawson’s helmet flew off his head. With 1:09 left in the period and Jesse Joensuu in the penalty box, the Penguins made it 2-0 on a power play goal by Dustin Jeffrey.
Shots on goal: Sound Tigers 32, Penguins 25
Official attendance: 4,927.
Tonight was Game 1 of the opening round, best-of-7 series in the American Hockey League playoffs. Game 2 is Saturday night at 7:05 pm at the Coliseum and Game 3 is Sunday in Pennsylvania at 5:05 pm.
LINEUPS
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Bill Thomas – Jeff Taffe – Chris Minard
Janne Pesonen – Mark Letestu – Nick Johnson
Luca Caputi – Dustin Jeffrey – Tim Wallace
Paul Bissonnette – Joe Vitale – Jean-Michel Daoust
Joey Mormina – Ben Lovejoy
Alex Goligoski – Deryk Engelland
Andy Wozniewski – Jon D’Aversa
John Curry
Adam Berkhoel
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Jesse Joensuu – Ben Walter – Kyle Okposo
Trevor Smith – Rob Hennigar – Mike Iggulden
Sean Bentivoglio – Tyler Haskins – Jon Sim
Michael Haley – Tomas Marcinko – Pascal Morency
Mark Wotton – Chris Lee
Joe Callahan – Jack Hillen
Andrew MacDonald – Dustin Kohn
Nathan Lawson
Peter Mannino
Injured: Jeremy Colliton, Junior Lessard, Kurtis McLean, Blake Comeau
Extras: The Bridgeport “Black Aces” worked out at the Coliseum at noon today after the morning skates of the Sound Tigers and Penguins. The group includes several Islanders prospects. The Black Aces for today were…
Forwards: Justin DiBenedetto, Ryan Duncan, Robin Figren, Dennis Packard, Mitch Fritz, Joel Rechlicz, Max Gratchev
Defensemen: Mark Katic, Jamie Fraser, Jon Gleed
Goaltender: Kevin Poulin
Notes: Former Islanders defenseman Eric Cairns is behind the bench with head coach Jack Capuano and assistant Pat Bingham. Assistant Matt Bertani is serving as the eye-in-the-sky coach.
The game-opening video, as it usually is at home Sound Tigers game, was “Born in Bridgeport.” Current Islanders featured were Rick DiPietro, Trent Hunter, Sean Bergenheim, Kyle Okposo, Bruno Gervais, Jeff Tambellini, Frans Nielsen, Tim Jackman, Joey MacDonald and Blake Comeau.
The Series:
Game 1 – Friday, Apr. 17 – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 3, Bridgeport 2 (NVMC)
Game 2 – Saturday, Apr. 18 – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at SOUND TIGERS 7 p.m. (NVMC)
Game 3 – Sunday, Apr. 19 – SOUND TIGERS at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 5:05 p.m.
Game 4 – Wednesday, Apr. 22 – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at SOUND TIGERS 7 p.m.
Game 5 – Friday, Apr. 24 – SOUND TIGERS at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 7:05 p.m.
Game 6 – Saturday, Apr. 25 – SOUND TIGERS at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 7:05 p.m.
Game 7 – Sunday, Apr. 26 – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at SOUND TIGERS 4 p.m.
Comments.
35 Responses to WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON 3, BRIDGEPORT 2
Comeback falls short for the Sound Tigers
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rob says:
ya i heard its bad
real bad
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Jim says:
4,500 isn’t that bad for an AHL game. The Hartford Wolf Pack had 2,100 at Game 1 last night.
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Matt says:
how does Okposo look?
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For Real says:
4,500 would be great for an Islander game, who are we kidding?
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The islanders manage to draw double digit crowds. and hope its more for tommorow nights game
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Schultz39 says:
they would have drawn more on a friday night if they would have played up here in bridgeport.
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Islanders1984 says:
The reffing was ridiculous.
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hathead68 says:
FYI – John Tavares scores a hat trick (3 straight including GWG in OT) vs Windsor Spitfires in OHL playoffs!!! Attaboy JT, force the Islanders to draft you first overall. Sucks to e you Leafs!!!
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Priest says:
Off topic, but Billy Guerin had two goals tonight including the game winner in OT tonight. Doing his best to make sure we get that 3rd rounder.
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Mike from Philly says:
Congrats to Billy Guerin….huge crowd at the NVMC i see. How did Okposo look?
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db says:
i thought the islanders should have done something on the board showing a video of the islanders winning the draft lottery. i think the crowd would have started a tavares chant.
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drouin says:
Okposo didn’t do much until the third. It was like he decided to play in the last period. Same with Hillen. A. MacDonald had bad game as well.
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mike says:
If they don’t draft JT 4,500 will be a HUGE crowd next season
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The calls were so bad it was like I was watching an Isles game. Seriously, it was crazy. The fight in the 1st, only the baby Pen dropped his gloves- but there were matching penalties. And I remember watching Kyle get blatantly hooked and then they called the Tigers on a penalty (on which I believe the Pens scored the GWG.) Not to mention scoring a goal by slamming your stick in Nathan Lawsons face, thats always fun.
To be honest they looked pretty bad until the last 7 minutes of the 2nd. After that it was a game. Too bad they didnt even it up, but I maintain that the stupid calls in the 1st decided that game.
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JKP in Halifax says:
4,500 does seem small, especially for a playoff game. Here in a city of only 400,000 we’re still able to draw an average of 7,000 a night for a last place Q-league team.
How much were tickets?
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Lawrence Teller says:
I was there – it was more like 3,000 in attendance. Refereeing in the AHL (1 ref not two) must be different because, like what was mentioned – there were many non-calls. The first goal was batted in with a high stick that caught the B’Port goalie in the mask – how it wasnt called a no goal, much less a high stick is beyond me.
The Sound Tigers didnt wake up until the second period. KO was not all that noticeable, nor was Jesse. Sim was.
Very odd seeing Islanders type Unis with No.s 5, 9, 23 on the ice.
I sat paid for Sec 303 Row D Seats 14,15 = $36. I moved to Sec 103 Row A Seats 14,15 after the first – no on bothered me.
The B’Port wives,girlfriends were in the row behind me – nice group of ladies – funny to overhear their conversations… Jack Hillen’s GF didn’t understand why he started his playoff beard 2 days early, but she likes the way his hair comes out of the ear holes and back of his helmet – thought you should all know.
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MiKeT239 says:
Oh Poop! Go Soundtigers dammit!!! Wilkes Barre sucks!
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Heineken says:
Well im sure tons of fans work friday’s from CT who are current season ticket holders to the S. Tigers who just couldnt make the trip down to the Island. 4500 isnt bad at all considering it being on the island, tomm should be double that for sure.
Hopefully the game will be better tomm since im attending….
How were drink / beer / prices ? Same as isles im guessing rip off? -
mapisles2025 says:
If we do not draft tavares, we deserve to move to KC.
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Dank516 says:
Hey everyone,
How’s about a way to go Guerin on last nights overtime win in pitts. So happy for the guy!Dank
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Travelchic59 says:
WOW! That was THE worst officiated game I have ever seen! I almost lost my mind when Nathan Lawson was assaulted and lost his mask and the moron refs just stood there staring at him. I was asking the people around me if this is normal for the AHL. And they are saying 4,500 people were there? They are dreaming. 3,000 the most.
I also noticed that Kyle Okposo looked like he was not into this game one bit, but I also noticed how much higher his skill level was compared to the rest of the team except for Jack Hillen. His passes were crisp and tape to tape where the rest just looked like one jumbled mess. I really wonder if the the Isles forced him to play these games just to raise the profile of the Sound Tigers and to get Isles fans to go to these games.
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Justin says:
I was thinking the same thing about Okposo. Hasn’t he played enough? And isn’t he going to play in world championships also? He’s certainly established himself as the franchise player right now, why risk him to injury? Can’t be just to give him “playoff experience.”
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Section 320 rocks!!!!!! says:
The refs were terrible as others have said and the crowd was very small. 3000 at the absolute max. Not more and id be suprised if it was that much.
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BR says:
(11) – Duchene has moved up to 9 in OHL playoff scoring with 9 goals for 18 points in 12 games. Tavares is 14th with 8 goals and 16 points in 11 games.
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Dan says:
i was disappointed with the crowd tonite the most. For the prices I figured that there would be more people there especially with Okoposo playing and the Isles getting the first pick in the draft. Hope to see more people there tonite. Come on out everyone….
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Refs were terrible. Love hoe Lawson got slashed in the face and no penalty was called. Noticed how both KO and Hillen’s game was far superior to the rest of the team. Jon Sim looked terrible, must be NVMC or the NHL that brings out the suck in him.
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Greg says:
Did anyone notice who was in the box with Wang?? None other than Alexi Yashin and Carol Alt. What is that all about????
This was one of the worst officiated games ever.
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MSA says:
I hate to even go there, but the reason for the attendance disparity was, as usual, the Islanders gave out boatloads of free tickets, and count them in their announced numbers. I am surprised they didn’t push the announced “attendance” even higher, but I guess it would have been too blatant. I had tickets to last night, but couldn’t find anybody to go (I did have a last minute cancellation to try and fill in) and plan to be there tonight, but you know my empty seats were counted, just like at Islanders games when they announce 12,000 and you know it isn’t more then 7-8,000.
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@30 – If you have to hand a guy millions to do nothing (buyout) I guess you might as well hang out with him, and his former Supermodel girlfriend, and get your monies worth!!!
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greg says:
Went to the game and the reffing was terrible and I swear on my life around the last few minutes bridgeport fired one in the top left hand corner and it hit the inside of the white netting of the inside post. It was a goal, there was no noise off the post like it should have been.
They did play a terrible first period though.
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Brother Rat says:
AHL attendance depends on location…but so far the Coliseum attendance places the Sound Tigers at # 3 of the 8 playoff series on so far:
http://stats.theahl.com/stats/schedule.php?view=attendance
We’re ahead of the Wolfpack, Peoria, Hamilton, Milwaukee, and the Philly Phantoms (in the *other* battle of PA). Not too shabby.
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3000 does sound low for an AHL playoff game, 4500 even maybe a bit… but how much was this game advertised? I’m not in the area, but I don’t miss much Isles news and I didn’t know the game was at NVMC until yesterday afternoon. Last season I went to the Hamilton Bull Dogs final game of the season, against the Marlies. Thats Toronto and Montreal’s farm teams playing about an hour from Toronto and the attendance at it was pretty low as well. More than 4500 probably, but not a lot more.
Blatant penalties that are no-calls make me furious when I am playing hockey, and I am a very honest player… I can only imagine what Lawson feels like on such a big stage like that in a crucial game.