Sound Tigers Split Two in Charlotte

By Bob Phillips

The Bridgeport Sound Tigers split a two-game set in Charlotte last weekend
with the Charlotte Checkers, the AHL affiliate of the Carolina
Hurricanes ... who once upon a time were the Hartford Whatlers.

After dropping their season opener last week, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers split a two-game set over the weekend vs. the Charlotte Checkers, the AHL affiliate of the Charlotte Hurricanes (the team formerly known as the Hartford Whalers), in North Carolina.

On Friday night, Scott Eansor scored twice and Sebastian Aho notched the game-winner with his first North American goal as Bridgeport topped Charlotte, 5-3, before 7,118 fans at Bojangles Coliseum. Tanner Fritz (one goal, one assist) and Steve Bernier also found the back of the net, while Kristers Gudlevskis stopped 18 Charlotte shots between the pipes in his debut with the Sound Tigers. It was Bridgeport's first win vs. Charlotte in the fifth all-time meeting between the two teams.

For Eansor, a 21-year-old rookie center from Englewood, Colo., it was his second and third goals in his first pro campaign. Last season, he netted a career-high 18 goals in 40 games for the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League.

The Sound Tigers were 0-for-5 with the man advantage, while the Checkers were nearly as bad—1-for-7—on the power play. For the game, Bridgeport owned a  huge advantage in shots on goal, 32-21.

On Saturday night, the Sound Tigers scored twice on the power play in their rematch against the Checkers, but suffered a 3-2 loss before 8,012 fans at Bojangles Coliseum.

Eansor’s marker was his third of the weekend and fourth of the season, while Bernier’s was his second in two days. Christopher Gibson (0-2-0) made 23 saves in net for the Tigers, but also surrendered a pair of power-play goals.

Speaking of which, the bad news is that Sound Tigers finished 0-for-5 on the power play, but the good news is that they went 6-for-7 on the penalty kill. Bridgeport outshot Charlotte 32-21, with Checkers goalie Jeremy Smith (1-1-0) turning aside 27 shots.

Of local note, Charlotte defenseman Philip Samuelsson, son of former Whaler star Ulf Samuelsson, scored his first goal of the season when he finished off a scramble in the crease at 10:36 of the second period. It was the only tally of the night that was scored at even strength.

The Sound Tigers pulled Gibson with less than 90 seconds remaining in regulation, but the Tigers could not find the back of the Charlotte net despite relentless pressure in the final seconds including a shot from Bernier that bounced off the side.

Both teams finished the game 2-for-4 on the power play, while the Sound Tigers, who stand at 1-2-0-0 (2 points) early in the 2017-18 season, outshot the Checkers 30-26. Alex Nedeljkovic (2-0-0) made 28 saves in net for Charlotte.

The Sound Tigers now travel to Allentown, Penn., to conclude their season-opening four-game road trip when the will face the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Friday. First puck drops at 7:05 p.m. at the PPL Center, and the game can be heard on the Sound Tigers Radio Network, with a live videocast on AHL Live, beginning with the pre-game show at 6:45 p.m.

The Tigers then will finally come home to Bridgeport to open the home schedule against the Laval (Quebec) Rocket, the new AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens, at the Webster Bank Arena on Saturday. Faceoff is at 7 p.m. The first 3,000 kids in attendance (14 years of age and younger) will receive a free Sound Tigers backpack courtesy of All Electric Construction and Communication. In addition, Big Y presents a Kids Zone on the Plaza beginning at 5:30 p.m. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

On Sunday, the Tigers will host the Hartford Wolf Pack in the first meeting of the 2017-18 season between the archrivals. First puck drops at 3 p.m. For tickets, CLICK HERE, or call 203-345-2300 ext. 7 to speak with a Sound Tigers ticket representative. More information can also be found on the team’s website.

Schedule Change

The game against against the Rochester Americans, originally scheduled for Saturday, Mar. 17, at the Webster Bank Arena moved to Thursday, Mar. 15. Faceoff at the WBA will be at 7 p.m. All tickets purchased for the Mar. 17 game will be honored on Mar. 15.

—with staff reports