CANTLON: (SAT 12/23) SOUND TIGERS DOWN WOLF PACK 5-1 

Cantlon: Sound Tigers Down Wolf Pack 5-1

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BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – With three goals in the third period, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers pulled away from the Hartford Wolf Pack for a 5-1 victory and sending the New York Rangers’ AHL affiliates to their fourth straight loss (0-3-0-1) before 3,508 at the XL Center.

The Wolf Pack were most effective with their offensive zone pressure early in the third period, but it was the Sound Tigers who scored and they never looked back.

After the Pack’s Filip Chytil couldn’t gain control of the puck at the blue-line, Connor Jones picked up a Mitchell Vande Sompel pass and came in off the right wing and snapped a shot that put the puck over the glove of Alexander Georgiev. It was one Georgiev would likely have wanted back. The goal came at 7:48.

Sound Tigers captain Ben Holstrom nailed his second in as many games against the Wolf Pack. Holstrom’s turnaround shot from the left wing faceoff dot took Ross Johnston clear around and then swung behind the net. Johnston, at 6’5, headed to the net and he had Niel Pionk screened. The shot eluded Georgiev at 10:43 and make it 4-1.

Then the coup-de-grace came on the powerplay.

Alan Quine took advantage of the shooter’s gift. Michael Del Colle’s shot rang off the crossbar went right to Quine’s stick. Quine just put the puck into a wide-open net for his first goal after being sent down by the Islanders on Wednesday.

“We saw our compete level in spurts. We had been building an identity to start the season, but we saw only flashes of it. Tonight there wasn’t enough consistency every shift. We didn’t do enough of the right things to come away with the two points.”

After the game, Pack captain Joe Whitney was succinct in his comments, “We didn’t work hard enough to win tonight. There is only one way to get out of this and that’s to work harder. We can’t do anything about it now, just get ready for  tomorrow night’s game.”

The second period the Pack could only manage nine shots that were far too spaced apart and the Sound Tigers were able to maintain puck possession and had some strong chances, but Georgiev was able to make the saves.

“In all three periods, they had more possession than we did. The turnovers we had caused us to give up too many odd-man rushes in the first period. You just can’t have that. Our goalie kept us in the game in stretches, but he is not one of the players I’m focused on, who didn’t play very well.”

The Wolf Pack had a golden chance on a power play when Adam Tambellini saw the puck passed right to him by a Sound Tiger but upon his shot, missed the net completely. A Dan Catanacci drop pass to Alexei Bereglazov was stopped and Gabriel FonFontaine jam attempt at the right side of the net was denied.

The Sound Tigers Josh Ho-Sang, just sent down by the Islanders, connected on his first shift. After Scott Kosmachuk couldn’t snag the puck in the Sound Tigers zone on the left wing wall, Ho-Sang took his Dal Colle’s pass at center ice and went down left-wing with on a two on one with Quine and took his time got around Neal Pionk snapped off a shot off the arm of Alexander Georgiev and into the net for a 1-0 Sound Tigers at 1:21.

The Pack top prospect back in the lineup Filip Chytil answered back. Defenseman Neal Pionk was patient with the puck before making a small deke that got him past his check. Pionk ripped a shot and Sound Tigers goalie Christopher Gibson made the save, but the rebound went right to Chytil who put it off Vande Sompel’s skate and past Gibson and in. For Chytil, it was his second of the season and tied the game at one at 10:16.

The Sound Tigers caught the Pack napping late and Kurt Lafranchise snapped a perfect headman pass to Travis St. Denis and the former Quinnipiac Bobcat went in uncontested. Georgiev came out to try to force a move and St. Denis did and went right around him and backhanded his second goal of the season into an open net at 18:40.

NOTES:

Wolf Pack lines

Dan Catenacci-Cole Schneider-Filip Chytil

Vinni Lettieri-Adam Tambellini-Scott Kosmachuk

Gilbert Fontaine-Joe Whitney-Adam Cracknell

Steven Fogarty-Dan DeSalvo-Ryan Gropp

Ryan Graves-Neal Pionk

Ryan Sproul-Alexei Bereglazov

Vince Pedrie-Tony DeAngelo

Because the Pack has eight defensemen, two will have to sit every game this weekend, John Gilmour and Brandon Crawley sat tonight.

Eric Selleck sat his first game for the Wolf Pack

Scott Kosmachuk was given a fighting major and game misconduct under Rule 46.2 with 3.3 seconds left in the game as he started throwing lefts at Parker Wotherspoon.

Vince Pedrie finished with a minus-3

Chytil clearly is playing less than 100% battling a lower-body injury.

McCambridge had a long postgame meeting with GM Chris Drury.

Hockey jersey of the night; Dan Girardi London Knights and Alex Ovechkin Russian national jersey.

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