CRAWFORD: PACK PUMMELED IN POST-BREAK SHOWDOWN IN BRIDGEPORT

Bridgeport Sound Tigers 5, Hartford Wolf Pack 1

BY: Bob Crawford, Hartford Wolf Pack

Bridgeport, CT, December 27, 2019 – Andrew Ladd scored twice, and Otto Koivula had three assists, for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers Friday night at Webster Bank Arena, in a 5-1 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack.

A Boo Nieves shorthanded goal was the only Wolf Pack score.  Hartford outshot the hosts 31-22 in the game, but Jared Coreau made 30 saves in the Bridgeport net.

The game was the first for both teams since Saturday night.

“I thought we did a lot of good things, especially for the first game after a long break,” Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch said.  “One thing I didn’t think we did very well was, we gave up too many odd-man rushes, and they capitalized on those.  But overall, there was a lot of good performances.”

After a scoreless first period, in which the Wolf Pack outshot Bridgeport 9-5, the Sound Tigers would score a pair in the second frame.

The Bridgeport power play broke the ice at 8:57, after Darren Raddysh was called for instigating a fight with Bobo Carpenter at 7:31.

Wolf Pack goaltender Adam Huska (17 saves) stopped a shot from the right-wing circle by Matt Lorito, but Kieffer Bellows found the rebound and held the puck long enough to find some room to Huska’s right through which to flick it in.

Ladd doubled the lead with 22.7 seconds left in the second, with his eighth goal in 20 AHL games on the season.  Koivula sliced down the left side in the Wolf Pack zone before feeding across the slot, and Huska had no chance on Ladd’s quick shot.

Nieves cut the lead in half 2:55 into the third period, while teammate Nick Jones was serving a holding minor.  Nieves intercepted a Ladd pass in the Wolf Pack zone and broke out on a 2-on-1 with Steven Fogarty.  Fogarty’s pass from the right side in the Sound Tiger zone went off of Bridgeport forward Travis St. Denis’ stick to Nieves, and he put a shot past Coreau high on the stick side.

Ladd restored the two-goal margin with his second of the game just 3:08 later, though, at 6:03.  A fine pass by Koivula set Josh Ho-Sang up with open ice in the middle of the Hartford zone, and he found a wide-open Ladd on the left side for an easy finish behind Huska.

Grant Hutton made it a 4-1 Bridgeport lead only 3:01 after that, at 9:04.  Sebastian Aho slid a pass from the right boards to Hutton at the middle of the blue line, and his long drive beat Huska to the glove side.

Parker Wotherspoon completed the scoring with an empty-net goal with 33.9 seconds left, connecting from the corner of his own zone, after Carpenter won a faceoff to Coreau’s left.

The Wolf Pack are back in home-ice action at the XL Center Saturday night, hosting the Providence Bruins.  Faceoff is 7:00, and the first 2,000 fans will receive a free Wolf Pack pennant flag, courtesy of NBC Connecticut.

Tickets for  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 on line, go to hartfordwolfpack.com.

Hartford Wolf Pack 1 at Bridgeport Sound Tigers 5
Friday, December 27, 2019 – Webster Bank Arena

Hartford     0 0 1 – 1
Bridgeport 0 2 3 – 5

1st Period– No Scoring.  Penalties-No Penalties

2nd Period-1, Bridgeport, Bellows 10 (Lorito, Quenneville), 8:57 (PP). 2, Bridgeport, Ladd 8 (Koivula, Wotherspoon), 19:37. Penalties-Raddysh Hfd (instigating, fighting, misconduct – instigating), 7:31; Carpenter Bri (fighting), 7:31; Schilkey Bri (slashing), 10:34.

3rd Period-3, Hartford, Nieves 3 (Fogarty), 2:55 (SH). 4, Bridgeport, Ladd 9 (Ho-Sang, Koivula), 6:03. 5, Bridgeport, Hutton 3 (Aho, Koivula), 9:04. 6, Bridgeport, Wotherspoon 3 (Carpenter), 19:26 (EN). Penalties-Jones Hfd (holding), 1:08.

Shots on Goal-Hartford 9-9-13-31. Bridgeport 5-9-8-22.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 0 / 1; Bridgeport 1 / 2.
Goalies-Hartford, Huska 5-4-4 (21 shots-17 saves). Bridgeport, Coreau 5-8-1 (31 shots-30 saves).
A-6,271
Referees-Dan Kelly (45), Alex Normandin (65).
Linesmen-Nick Briganti (58), Andrew Bell (43).