CRAWFORD: (SAT) SOUND TIGERS KNOCK OFF WOLF PACK
Bridgeport Sound Tigers 4, Hartford Wolf Pack 2
BY: Bob Crawford, Hartford Wolf Pack
Bridgeport, CT, September 28, 2019 – The Bridgeport Sound Tigers earned a split of a back-to-back AHL preseason set with the Hartford Wolf Pack Saturday at Webster Bank Arena, defeating the Wolf Pack 4-2 in the preseason finale for both teams.
The Wolf Pack had won the first of the two games, 2-1, Friday at Trinity College in Hartford.
Goals 13 seconds apart by Bridgeport’s Oliver Wahlstrom and David Quenneville in the third period wiped out a 2-1 Wolf Pack lead, and Cole Bardreau iced the game with a shorthanded empty-netter.
Both Wolf Pack goals were on power plays, Tim Gettinger scoring in the second period and Nick Jones getting his third in two games in the third.
Bridgeport grabbed the game’s first advantage at 7:51 of the first period. Kyle MacLean won a faceoff to the right of Wolf Pack goaltender Adam Huska (18 saves), and Nic Pierog grabbed the puck and fired immediately, beating Huska to the glove side.
The goal was the first given up in two preseason appearances by Huska, who stopped all 12 shots he faced in 28:59 of work Friday.
“I thought the first period, we were a little flat,” Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch said. “And throughout exhibition, the first two games, our first period has been by far our best, but really we didn’t generate very much. It was kind of a ‘blah’ period. The second period was our best, and then the third period, we got into special teams, and we only managed today to get the two power play goals. Not much five-on-five offensively.”
Gettinger tied the score for the Wolf Pack at 9:22 of the second period, with Wahlstrom serving a tripping minor. Darren Raddysh fed the puck off of the right-wing boards to Gettinger, who moved into the slot before lifting a nifty backhand shot past Bridgeport starting goaltender Christopher Gibson.
The Sound Tigers changed goaltenders 38 seconds later, with Jared Coreau replacing Gibson, who made 13 saves.
The Wolf Pack were awarded a five-minute power play at 8:30 of the third period, after a scuffle that was touched off by a big hit laid on Bridgeport’s Tanner Pond by Mason Geertsen. They both dropped the gloves, as did the Sound Tigers’ Ben Thomson, who was hit with a non-coincidental fighting major, as well as a game misconduct for being the third man in an altercation.
Hartford capitalized at 9:23, as Jones’ shot from in tight on Coreau’s right got by the Bridgeport netminder on the short side.
The Sound Tigers killed the rest of the power play, though, and tied the game back up only 31 seconds after the major expired, at 14:01. Wahlstrom got the goal, wheeling across the slot and sending a snapshot past Huska’s stick side.
Then, at 14:14, Quenneville got what would turn out to be the winning goal, on a shot from the left point that fluttered on Huska, eluding his catching glove.
The Wolf Pack power play got another chance at 17:28 when Bridgeport took a bench minor for too-many-men-on-the-ice. Hartford got Huska to the bench for an extra attacker with 1:14 left in the period but were unable to threaten Coreau’s net before Bardreau hit the empty Wolf Pack cage at 18:06.
“Preseason’s about, yes, you want to establish your game and your system,” Knoblauch said, “but the most important thing is that you’re getting a good evaluation of the players so that you have the right guys for the regular season when it starts.”
The Wolf Pack open their 2019-20 regular season next Saturday, October 5, with a home-ice contest vs. the defending Calder Cup-champion Charlotte Checkers. Faceoff is 7:00 PM. Tickets for that game and 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 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 hartfordwolfpack.com.
Hartford Wolf Pack 2 at Bridgeport Sound Tigers 4
Saturday, September 28, 2019 – Webster Bank Arena
Hartford 0 1 1 – 2
Bridgeport 1 0 3 – 4
1st Period-1, Bridgeport, Pierog 1 (MacLean), 7:51. Penalties-Wotherspoon Bri (holding), 11:50.
2nd Period-2, Hartford, Gettinger 1 (Raddysh, Newell), 9:22 (PP). Penalties-Wahlstrom Bri (tripping), 7:53; Gettinger Hfd (hooking), 12:30.
3rd Period-3, Hartford, Jones 3 (O’Regan, Di Giuseppe), 9:23 (PP). 4, Bridgeport, Wahlstrom 1 (Burroughs), 14:01. 5, Bridgeport, Quenneville 2 (MacLean), 14:14. 6, Bridgeport, Bardreau 1 (Jobst), 18:54 (SH EN). Penalties-Fogarty Hfd (tripping), 0:18; Thomson Bri (cross-checking), 3:16; Geertsen Hfd (fighting), 8:30; Pond Bri (fighting), 8:30; Thomson Bri (fighting, game misconduct – third man in), 8:30; Burroughs Bri (boarding), 15:25; served by Wahlstrom Bri (bench minor – too many men), 17:28.
Shots on Goal-Hartford 7-10-10-27. Bridgeport 7-6-9-22.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 2 / 7; Bridgeport 0 / 2.
Goalies-Hartford, Huska 0-1-0 (21 shots-18 saves). Bridgeport, Gibson 0-0-0 (14 shots-13 saves); Coreau 1-0-0 (13 shots-12 saves).
A-
Referees-Brandon Blandina (39), Mason Riley (79).
Linesmen-Brent Colby (7), Luke Galvin (2).
