Sound Tigers, Wolf Pack, Open 2016-17 Season With Victories

The Wolf Pack opened the season with a 6-3 win over St. John's.

Both Connecticut teams opened the 2016-17 American Hockey League season on an upnote as the Hartford Wolf Pack defeated the St. John’s IceCaps on Friday night , and Bridgeport Sound Tigers topped the Providence Bruins on Saturday night.

On Friday, six different players found the back of the net for Hartford as the Wolf Pack commenced their 20th anniversary season with a 6-3 victory over the St. John’s IceCaps before 6,971 fans at the XL Center. Adam Tambellini opened the scoring floodgates for the ’Pack when he found the back of the net just a buck 50 into the contest. Defenseman Michael Paliotta and centerman Philip McRae picked up helpers on the score.

The Johnnies knotted the score at 11:47 when center Charles Hudon beat Hartford goalie, Magnus Hellberg, to tie the game at 1-1. It didn’t stay tied for long, however, as McRae put Hartford back up by one with his first tally of the young season just 15 seconds later. But the IceCaps rebounded when Chris Terry buried a power play goal to tie it back up at two goals apiece at the 14:36 mark.

The Wolf Pack took the lead again with 7:39 remaining in the middle stanza when right winger Robin Kovacs picked up his first-ever North American professional goal to stake the ’Pack to a 2-1 lead. Hellberg turned aside 13 St. John’s shots in the second period.

The third period featured the same type of fireworks as the game’s first 20 minutes. Hartford’s Boo Nieves put one past St. John’s netminder xxx just 27 seven seconds into the period. Just over two minutes later, however, the Johnnies responded with a goal of their own, as captain, Max Friberg beat Hellberg at the 2:46 mark. The ’Pack fired right back when rookie defenseman John Gilmour recorded his first career goal to give the Wolf Pack a 5-3 lead at the 3:53 mark. The ’Pack put an exclamation point on the game when assistant captain Marek Hrivik scored an empty net goal with just four seconds remaining in the contest, with Nieves and Gilmour getting credit for assists.

After the game, Wolf Pack head coach Ken Gernander praised his club’s resolve, saying, "I liked the team character, and I liked the response."

On Saturday, however, the Wolf Pack came back to earth when the dropped a 6-2 decision to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins before 6,159 fans at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Special teams ultimately played a huge part in the contest: The Wolf Pack were unable to convert on six power play opportunities, while the Penguins scored on both man-advantage situations they were availed to.

Mackenzie Skapski was peppered with 35 shots in the Hartford net, stopping 29, while Jarry Tristan turned aside 24 of 26 shots between the pipes for the Pens.

Next up for the Wolf Pack is a trip to Allentown, Pa., where the ’Pack will visit the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, on Saturday night. Faceoff is 7:05 p.m., and all of the action can be heard live on News Radio 1410 WPOP, on-line at www.newsradio1410.com, and via iHeartRadio. Video streaming is available at www.ahllive.com. The ’Pack then return home for a rematch with the IceCaps on Sunday, Oct. 23. First puck drops at 5 p.m. Each Sunday home game features the Wolf Pack’s “Click It or Ticket Family Value Pack” which includes two tickets, two sodas and two hot dogs, for just $40. Tickets for all Wolf Pack 2016-17 home games are on sale now at the Agera Energy Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.

Bridgeport Stops Providence

In Bridgeport, meanwhile, Christopher Gibson stopped 38 of 39 shots and Bracken Kearns scored the game-winning goal midway through the third period as the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, AHL affiliate of the New York Islanders, defeated the Providence Bruins, 2-1, before 5,012 fabs at Webster Bank Arena on Saturday night.

After a scoreless first period, Bridgeport’s Kyle Burroughs looked to bring some life to his team by dropping the gloves and doing the two-fisted tango with Providence’s Sean Kuraly just 2:50 into the middle frame. Later, with less than three minutes left in the second, Ross Johnston beat Providence netminder Malcolm Subban’s glove side to give Bridgeport a 1-0 lead. Ryan Pulock created the chance when he crossed the blue line and slid a saucer pass to Johnston in the left circle who buried it with a low shot at the 17:01 mark.

Kearns doubled Bridgeport’s lead at 10:02 of the third period. Travis St. Denis began the rush when he hustled out of the penalty box to collect the puck in the trapezoid, which negated an icing call. He then passed it to Kearns, the Sound Tigers’ scoring leader from a year ago, who wristed it over Subban’s blocker to make it 2-0.

Christopher Gibson turned away 38 of 39 shots in Bridgeport's season opener.

The Bruins only tally came on the power play at 18:48 of the third period. During a mad scramble at the doorstep, Matt Bartkowski cleaned up the scoring chance by flipping the puck over a sprawled out Gibson in the crease, cutting the Tigers’ lead in half.

Bridgeport finished the game 0-for-4 on the power play, but also successfully killed off all four Providence man-advantage shifts. Subban (0-2-0) made 26 saves and suffered the loss for the second straight night. Gibson’s (1-0-0) win came in his 100th AHL appearance. For the game, Providence outshot Bridgeport 38-29.

The Sound Tigers conclude opening weekend tomorrow afternoon with a 3 p.m. matchup against the Springfield Thunderbirds at Webster Bank Arena. It’s “Kid’s Free Day,” giving fans the opportunity to buy one (1) adult ticket and receive one (1) free ticket at the Click It or Ticket Box Office.

The first 2,000 fans into the building on Sat., Oct. 29, will receive a free Storm garden gnome courtesy of Buckle Up Connecticut. In addition, AAA members will receive a $2 discount off game tickets at the box office by presenting their AAA membership cards. For additional details, or to reserve seats for any of the 2016-17 giveaway and theme nights, call the Sound Tigers’ ticket office at (203) 345-2300. Group outings at a discounted rate are also available. For information, call the group sales hotline at (203) 345-2300 Ext. 7.

Isles Fall To Caps, 2-1, in Preseason Opener

Photo by Bill Harper

The Washington Caps scored two power play goals Saturday.

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - Big time hockey returned to Bridgeport Saturday night as the Washington Capitals scored two power play goals en route to a 2-1 victory over the “home” team, the New York Islanders, before 6,432 fans at the Webster Bank Arena. Islanders are the parent team of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the team’s American Hockey League affiliate and a primary tenant of the WBA. It was the preseason opener for both teams.

The Islanders did not seem particularly sharp in the early going. Case in point: The Isles were gifted a 5-on-3 midway through the opening stanza, but could not capitalize. Washington broke the ice nearly 14 minutes into the contest. With New York’s Tanner Fritz in the penalty box for cross-checking, Chandler Stephenson fired a shot from the left circle that JF Berube, the Islanders’ starting netminder, stopped. But when the rebound flew out to the high slot, defenseman Nate Schmidt was there to beat Burube to the top shelf. That staked the Caps to a 1-0 advantage which they took into the locker room at the first intermission. The Isles led in shots, 11-10.

The teams skated through an uneventful, scoreless second period, in which the Caps outshot New York 10-7.

Islanders knotted the score 3:50 into the third period. After Ryan Pulock’s slapshot from the right point was stopped by Washington netminder Braden Holtby. Anders Lee, the former Notre Dame star who played 59 games in Bridgeport from 2013-2015, sent the rubber biscuit top shelf past Washington netminder Holtby to knot the score at one goal apiece. If Holtby was showing a little rust, it’s understandable. He recently returned from the World Cup where last year’s Vezina Trophy winner was, incredulously, slotted as the No. 3 goalie on Team Canada’s depth chart and received absolutely no playing time.

Washington took the lead midway into the third period when. With Steve Bernier in the penalty box, Lars Eller sent a one-timer from the right circle over Holtby’s left shoulder to give the Caps a 2-1 lead with 9:26 left in regulation. And that proved to be the game winner.

The Islanders left many of their top veterans home, though four recent first-round draft-pick forwards were in the lineup, including Michael Dal Colle and Josh Ho-Sang, who are likely to wind up with the Sound Tigers.

“It's nice to get the f

irst one out of the way,” Lee said. “We played a pretty decent game tonight, but we put ourselves in trouble with penalties. But it’s preseason, and we'll learn from our mistakes.”

The Sound Tigers will open their preseason against the Hartford Wolf Pack at Trinity College in Hartford, and then will return to Bridgeport to entertain the Providence Bruins on Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Wonderland of Ice. The regular season begins at home Oct. 15 vs. the P-Bruins.