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| Kieffer Bellows netted two goals including the game-winner in the second OT to lead the Sound Tigers to a 3-2 victory in Game 1. |
By the end of the weekend, that fact was eminently apparent.
Friday night was Kieffer Bellows’ time to shine. Indeed, the 20-year-old son of former NHL star Brian Bellows—the No. 2 overall pick by the Minnesota North Stars in the 1982 Draft—netted his second goal of the contest nearly 14 minutes into the second overtime of his professional playoff debut to give Bridgeport a 3-2 win in Game 1. The game, destined to be a classic in Sound Tigers’ history, took exactly four hours to play.
The 20-year-old rookie’s multi-goal performance came in his professional playoff debut and guided Bridgeport to its first win in a postseason contest since 2010. Steve Bernier also beat Hershey’s Ilya Samsonov with the game-tying goal in the final three minutes of regulation in front of 4,381 electric fans.
Chris McCarthy and Jayson Megna each scored for the Bears, while Christopher Gibson made 29 saves on 31 shots. All three Sound Tigers’ goals came on the power play.
Bridgeport controlled the majority of the opening period and outshot the Bears 15-5, but both goaltenders were strong in the first 20 minutes. McCarthy broke the scoreless deadlock with the first tally of the series at 8:16 of the second. At even strength, Steve Whitney found McCarthy in the left circle and the latter ripped a shot past Gibson’s glove to make it 1-0. The tally was initially waved off and the officials huddled, and debated, if goalie interference was a factor, but the marker ultimately stood.
Less than five minutes later, Megna doubled Hershey’s lead with a shorthanded goal at 13:02. With Mike Sgarbossa in the box on a high-sticking double minor, Oliver Wahlstrom failed to hold the puck in the offensive zone when it jumped his blade and slid through center. Megna turned on the jets and beat Sebastian Aho in a race to the puck before depositing a forehand shot past Gibson’s glove to make it 2-0.
The Sound Tigers got one back at the 14:21 mark when Bellows potted his first goal of the night from the doorstep. On that same Sgarbossa penalty, Koivula settled Matt Lorito’s pass and muscled his way near the right post where he backhanded a centering feed to the crease. Bellows moved in and scored his first playoff goal to make it 2-1.
The contest remained in Hershey’s favor until the final three minutes of regulation, despite several golden chances for the Sound Tigers. In addition, the Bears had a handful of opportunities, including a 2-on-1 rush midway through the third that turned into a frightening situation. Former Sound Tigers captain Aaron Ness darted to the crease at full speed and was bumped from behind, which sent him crashing head-first into the end wall. He was removed from the ice with a stretcher and taken to an area hospital for further evaluation.
Bernier evened the score with a clutch, 5-on-3 power-play goal at the 17:52 mark when he jammed home a rebound in the crease following Sebastian Aho’s shot. Lorito also earned an assist, his second helper of the night.
The Sound Tigers outshot Hershey 11-5 in the first overtime and 6-3 in the second extra frame, until Bellows played hero with the thrilling winner. Sgarbossa was accessed a tripping penalty at 13:00 of the second overtime and on the ensuing advantage, Wahlstrom slipped a pass to Bellows above the left hash marks, where he turned and wristed home the deciding goal through Bernier’s screen. It was assisted by Wahlstrom and Chris Bourque at 13:36.
Bridgeport finished the game 3-for-8 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill. The Sound Tigers outshot Hershey 52-31, while Samsonov made 49 saves in the Bears’ crease.
THE SKINNY: GAME 1
Bears Rebound
Saturday night was a completely different story. While the Sound Tigers were able to manage 39 shots on goal, none were able to elude Hershey goaltender Vitek Vanecek was lights out en route to his first career shutout in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Bridgeport netminder Jeremy Smith also was also solid between the pipes—just not as solid as Vanecek. Smith turned aside 32 of the 33 shots taken at him by the Bears. The end result was a 2-0 Hershey victory before 5,022 fans at the Webster Bank Arena.
The Bears gained control of the contest when Mike Sgarbossa redirected home his first goal of the postseason at 11:15 of the opening frame. Lucas Johansen snapped a wrister on net, and Sgarbossa got a piece of it, deflecting the puck in stake the Bears to a 1-0 advantage.
Riley Barber put Hershey up 2-0 3:53 into the second stanza. Sgarbossa and Barber entered the zone on an odd-man rush, with Barber finishing with a slick forehand-to-backhand move. It was the first goal of the playoffs for Barber, who found the back of the net a career-high 31 times for the Bears during the regular season.
While the Sound Tigers made a serious third-period charge, throwing 18 shots on net, Vanecek proved to be up to the task.
The Sound Tigers finished the night 0-for-5 on the power play, and outshot the Bears 39-34. Bridgeport was also 3-for-3 on the penalty kill, and is a perfect 8-for-8 on the PK after the first two games of the series.
THE SKINNY: GAME 2
While the 1-1 split in the series thus far gives the Bears the home-ice advantage for the remaining five games of the seven-game series (if necessary), home ice hasn’t exactly been all that thus far in the playoffs when you consider that both Atlantic Division series, both Pacific Division series and one Central Division series are split 1-1 after two games. The only division in which home ice has held is the North Division. It does, however, mean that the Sound Tigers must steal one game in Hershey or face a quick exit from the postseason.
The Sound Tigers now head to Pennsylvania where they will challenge the Bears on Tuesday night in Game 3 of the Atlantic Division Semifinals at Giant Center. First puck drops at 7 p.m. and 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. Game 4 will also be in Hershey on Thursday at 7 p.m. before the two teams return to Bridgeport on Saturday for Game 5. Face-off will be at 7 p.m. For tickets, visit the Webster Bank Arena box office, call 203-345-2300, or click HERE.
—Staff Reports
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