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| Hartford's Sean Day (74) fires the winner in OT on Sunday to defeat the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and give the Wolf Pack their first game of the young season. |
HARTFORD—Sean Day’s goal
at 1:28 of overtime Sunday lifted the Wolf Pack to a 4-3 win over the
Bridgeport Sound Tigers before 1,751 fans at the XL Center on Sunday. Hartford’s
win gave the Wolf Pack a sweep of their first two games of the season. The
Wolf Pack opened the season with a 5-3 victory over the defending American
League champion Charlotte Checkers, also at the XL Center, on Saturday night.
Vinni Lettieri
got the Pack on the board early, with the help of Steven Fogarty and Day, with
15:14 left in the first period. This was just the start of an action-packed
first period, as Bridgeport would soon tie it up with a penalty-shot goal by
Matt Lorito at 11:41, which was followed by another Sound Tigers goal from
Oliver Wahlstrom at the 13:46 mark. Wahlstrom snuck his shot past Wolf Pack
goaltender Adam Huska on the short side, to give Bridgeport a 2-1 lead.
It was then the
Wolf Pack defensemen who took charge. Joey Keane ripped a shot from the
right-wing corner past screened Bridgeport netminder Christopher Gibson at
15:30. Ryan Lindgren then put his skills on display, as he made a nearly
rink-length rush and put the puck between Gibson’s legs to give the Wolf Pack a
3-2 lead at the 16:39 mark.
“It was nice to
see [Lindgren] jump in the play like that,” said Wolf Pack head coach Kris
Knoblauch. “We want to create offense and be known that we’re dangerous.”
The Wolf Pack and
Sound Tigers took a more defensive approach in the second stanza, which
ultimately proved to be scoreless.
“Both teams
played defensive [in the second period], but intensity picked up in the third,”
said Day after the game.
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| Ryan Bourque |
Day played the
role of hero in OT for the Pack, skating along the entire perimeter of the
offensive zone before hitting the back bar with a hard snap-wrister.
“Great play by
Sean and great movement in the o-zone,” Knoblauch commented. “Day put it in the
right spot.”
“I want to become
a two-way guy,” said Day, who credits much of his progress to teammate Vincent
LoVerde. “Every day I’m asking LoVerde questions. Having won two Calder Cups,
he has a lot of experience under him.”
Both teams were unable to convert on any of their power play
opportunities, with the Sound Tigers going 0-for-2 on the power play, and the
Wolf Pack going 0-for-3 with a man advantage. Huska needed to make just 16
saves in his season debut, while Gibson turned aside 26 shots between the pipes
for Bridgeport. The game also featured one fight as Tanner Fritz squared off
against Mason Geertsen at 11:17 of the second, following a high hit to Mason
Jobst.
Next Up: The Sound Tigers continue a four-game
road trip to kick off their 2019-20 season on Friday with a 7 p.m. contest
against the defending Calder Cup champion Charlotte Checkers at Bojangles
Coliseum in Charlotte. Fans can follow all of the live action via the Sound Tigers Radio Network and AHLTV, beginning with the pregame show at 6:45 p.m.
Bridgeport's home opener is set for Saturday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. against the
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Tickets are available at the Webster Bank Arena
box office, or by clicking HERE.
Sound Tigers indivicual game tickets, season tickets and flex
plans are on sale now for the 2019-20 campaign. Full-season, 20-game, or
10-game plans are available, and all entitle purchasers to exclusive benefits,
including the ticket holder exchange policy. For more information, contact Brad
Dworin at 203-345-4813 or via brad.dworin@harboryardse.com.
The Wolf Pack’s
next action is this Saturday night, Oct. 12, when they are back on home ice at
the XL Center to entertain the Springfield Thunderbirds. First puck drops at 7:30
p.m., and it will be “Carnival Night.” The first 2,000 fans through the turnstiles
will receive Wolf Pack travel mugs courtesy of 97.9 ESPN. Tickets are available
at the XL Center box office, or by clicking HERE.
Tickets for
all 2019-20 Wolf Pack home games are on sale now at the Sunwave Gas & Power
Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com
and by phone at (877) 522-8499. Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12
or younger start at just $10 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game
increase. To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group
tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (860) 722-9425,
or click here
to request more info. To visit the Wolf Pack online, go to www.hartfordwolfpack.com.
—Staff Reports
#hartfordwolfpack / @WolfPackAHL / #AHL / @TheAHL /
@hartford_wolfpack / #hartford /
#soundtigers / @TheSoundTigers / #AHL / @TheAHL
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