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| Matt Lorito (14) scored the game winner in OT to send the Sound Tigers home where they will face the Hershey Bears in the fifth and deciding game of the AHL Atlantic Division playoff series. |
HERSHEY, PA—The Bridgeport Sound Tigers have been living on
the edge this postseason, and last night was no different. Staring down the
barrel in a win-or-go-home game, Matt Lorito scored the game-winning goal 73
seconds into overtime to lift the Sound Tigers to a 3-2 victory in Game 4 of
their Calder Cup Atlantic Division semifinal series against the Hershey Bears before
6,858 fans at Giant Center Thursday night.
Stephen Gionta
and Oliver Wahlstrom each scored in regulation, but Bridgeport never led until
Lorito fired home the game-winner off Vitek Vanecek’s glove at 1:13 of
overtime. It was Lorito’s first playoff game-winner since May 27, 2017, when he
was playing for the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Hershey opened the scoring for the fourth consecutive time when Ryan Sproul’s followed up his
game-winning tally on Tuesday night with hia second goal of the series. Beck
Malenstyn created a flurry of chances in the Sound Tigers’ zone when he
hammered a shot above the right circle that Bridgeport netminder Christopher
Gibson turned back. Brian Pinho gathered the loose puck and ripped another shot
from the right side that Gibson stopped, but Pinho slipped the rebound to the
crease and Sproul pushed it in at the 5:47 mark.
Gionta tied the
game 2:18 into the second period with his first goal of the postseason on a
rebound in front. Vanecek denied Kyle Burroughs on a backhand shot between the
circles and the second chance skipped to Gionta, where he muscled home the
equalizer.
Steve Whitney
took a high-sticking penalty at 15:01 of the middle frame, but Hershey swung
the momentum with Jayson Megna’s second shorthanded goal of the series. Chris
Bourque had the puck jump over his stick at the right point and Megna charged
after it and won a race in transition. He outlasted Bourque to the puck and
tucked a forehand shot between Gibson’s pads to make it 2-1 at the 15:22 mark.
Wahlstrom
responded with his first professional playoff goal in the opening two minutes
of the third period to knot the score at 2-2. Otto Koivula directed a pass to
the right point where Burroughs stepped into a slap shot near the blue line.
His drive was redirected by Wahlstrom in the low slot and beat Vanecek at 1:56.
It was one of Bridgeport’s 17 shots in the third period, but the club’s only
tally, despite outshooting the Bears by 12.
Bridgeport
outshot Hershey 40-24, including 30-11 in the second and third periods
combined. Gibson (2-1) made 22 saves, while Vanecek (1-1) turned back 37 shots.
It was the first time the Sound Tigers have won two overtime games in a
postseason series since 2006.
The best-of-five
series is now tied at two games apiece and heads to Bridgeport for the deciding
Game 5 at Webster Bank Arena on Saturday. The winner of that game will advance
to the Atlantic Division Finals where they will take on the winner of the other
Atlantic Division semifinal series being played between the Charlotte Checkers
and the Providence Bruins. Charlotte currently leads that series 2-1.
First puck drops
at 7 p.m., and tickets are currently available, including the Sound Tigers’ “4
for $44” ticket special. Tickets are available at the Webster Bank Arena, by
calling 203-345-2300 (option 7) or by clicking HERE.
Fans unable to attend can follow the live action via the Sound Tigers Radio Network and AHLTV, beginning with the pre-game show
at 6:45 p.m.
#soundtigers #hersheybears #ahl #CalderCupPlayoffs
—With staff reports
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