CRAWFORD: PACK CRUSHED BY SOUND TIGERS IN 2ND PRESEASON GAME 

      VERSUS     

Bridgeport Sound Tigers 7, Hartford Wolf Pack 1

BY: Bob Crawford, Hartford Wolf Pack

Worcester, MA, September 30, 2017 – Dan Catenacci’s goal with 2:53 left in the game saved the Hartford Wolf Pack from being shut out by the Bridgeport Sound Tigers Saturday at the Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center, but the Sound Tigers cruised to a 7-1 win in the Wolf Pack’s second of two preseason games.

Travis St. Denis had two goals and an assist for Bridgeport, and Matt Gaudreau scored twice.  John Stevens and Casey Bailey had a goal and an assist apiece.  Christopher Gibson made 30 saves in the Sound Tiger net.

The Sound Tigers got the only goal of the first period at 13:42, just ten seconds after they finished a penalty kill.  Yannick Turcotte sent Gaudreau off on a breakaway, and Gaudreau slipped a backhand shot in behind Wolf Pack starting goaltender Brandon Halverson (21 saves).

Bridgeport then exploded for four goals in the second frame, starting with another breakaway score at 8:24, this one shorthanded.  Again it was Turcotte making the pass, as his feed led Stevens in all alone.  Halverson got a big piece of Stevens’ shot, but could not keep it out of the net.

The Sound Tiger power play clicked at 12:02 with Brandon Crawley in the penalty box for slashing, starting a run of three Bridgeport goals in a span of four minutes.  Bailey was the trigger man this time on a shot from the top of the left-wing circle, set up by St. Denis.

Ross Johnston made it a 4-0 Bridgeport advantage at 14:37.  He and Jeff Kubiak came in on a 2-on-1, and Johnston was able to pop in the rebound of a Kubiak shot.

Then, at 16:02, Gaudreau struck for his second of the game, firing a shot from the left circle into the top corner past Halverson’s catching glove.

Alexandar Georgiev replaced Halverson in the Wolf Pack net to start the third period, and he got a bad break just 1:14 into the third, as he couldn’t find a loose puck in the goal crease and St. Denis poked it into the net.

St. Denis tallied again at 13:42, deflecting a Patrick McNally shot behind Georgiev (four saves) for a 7-0 Sound Tiger lead.

Gibson’s shutout bid was foiled at 17:07, though, when Catenacci fired a shot off the left wing and beat Gibson on the short side.

The Wolf Pack open their 2017-18 regular season this Friday, October 6, with their home-ice opener vs. the Charlotte Checkers.  Faceoff is 7:15 PM.  Tickets for that and all 2017-18 Wolf Pack home games are on sale now at the Agera Energy Ticket Office at the XL Center, online at hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.

Season ticket information for the Wolf Pack’s 2017-18 AHL campaign can be found online at hartfordwolfpack.com.  To speak with a representative about all of the Wolf Pack’s many attractive ticketing options, call (855) 762-6451, or click here to request more info.

Hartford Wolf Pack 1 at Bridgeport Sound Tigers 7
Saturday, September 30, 2017 – Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center

Hartford 0 0 1 – 1
Bridgeport 1 4 2 – 7

1st Period-1, Bridgeport, Gaudreau 2 (Turcotte), 13:42. Penalties-St. Denis Bri (interference), 0:10; Gropp Hfd (tripping), 3:39; McNally Bri (interference), 8:28; Wotherspoon Bri (high-sticking), 13:53.

2nd Period-2, Bridgeport, Stevens 1 (Turcotte), 8:24 (SH). 3, Bridgeport, C. Bailey 1 (St. Denis, Stevens), 12:02 (SH). 4, Bridgeport, Johnston 1 (Kubiak, McNally), 14:37. 5, Bridgeport, Gaudreau 3 (Fritz, Helgeson), 16:02 (PP). Penalties-Johnston Bri (roughing), 3:41; Fritz Bri (slashing), 6:40; Crawley Hfd (slashing), 8:18; Selleck Hfd (fighting), 8:33; Turcotte Bri (fighting), 8:33.

3rd Period-6, Bridgeport, St. Denis 1 (C. Bailey, Burroughs), 1:24. 7, Hartford, Catenacci 1 (DeSalvo, Schneider), 2:53. 8, Bridgeport, St. Denis 2 (McNally), 13:42. Penalties-Aho Bri (slashing), 13:17.

Shots on Goal-Hartford 9-10-12-31. Bridgeport 10-16-6-32.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 0 / 6; Bridgeport 1 / 2.
Goalies-Hartford, Halverson 0-1-0-0 (26 shots-21 saves); Georgiev 0-0-0-0 (6 shots-4 saves). Bridgeport, Gibson 1-0-0-0 (31 shots-30 saves).
A-565
Referees-Terry Koharski (10), Geoff Miller (28).
Linesmen-Chris Leavitt (65), Todd Whittemore (70).

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