By Brian Ring
Hartford, CT, March 9, 2012 – The Connecticut Whale defeated the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, 4-3 in a shootout, Friday night at the XL Center. Kris Newbury forced overtime with a last-ditch effort with 4.9 seconds remaining, and Whale goaltender Chad Johnson made the second life count with a 41-save performance.
Tommy Grant and Jonathan Audy-Marchessault also scored for the Whale, and Tim Erixon had two assists. Bridgeport’s Michael Haley scored twice in the contest.
“We just stuck with it to the end there,” said Whale head coach Ken Gernander. “A shooters’ mentality, just going to the net to get second and third chances.”
Haley gave the Sound Tigers a 1-0 lead at 13:38 of the opening period, taking a bouncing feed from Tony Romano and putting it past Johnson for his 13th goal of the season. Jon Landry also assisted on the goal, the only scoring of the first period.
The Sound Tigers outshot the Whale, 10-9, in the first frame with the Whale having to kill off one Bridgeport power-play opportunity.
Audy-Marchessault would tie the game at one 8:45 into the second period, backhanding a shot from the slot past Sound Tigers goaltender Kevin Poulin (33 saves). Audy-Marchessault got a piece of a shot from Tim Erixon, as the Whale cashed in on their first power-play opportunity of the night just five seconds in. Kris Newbury also assisted on the goal, Audy-Marchessault’s 19th.
The Sound Tigers would retake the lead on the power-play at the 17:42 mark, as Justin DiBenedetto gathered a rebound on the backhand and deposited it past a sprawling Johnson for a 2-1 advantage. Rhett Rakhshani and Matt Donovan recorded the assists, as Rakhshani’s rebound was kicked out to DiBenedetto.
Grant would tie the game for the Whale as the game headed toward the third period, as he buried a centering pass from Jordan Owens while camped out at the right post of the Bridgeport cage at 19:23. Owens’ attempt slid through the goal crease before Grant shot it in off of the left pad of Poulin. Kelsey Tessier would collect the secondary helper.
Haley would score again 4:52 into the third period, as he was left uncovered high in the Whale slot. Steven Oleksy kept the puck in the Whale zone, and then fed Haley, who had time to set himself and fire the puck up and over Johnson for a 3-2 Bridgeport lead.
It looked as if the Whale would fall by that score headed into the waning seconds of the third, but Connecticut would capitalize on a last-gasp, high-intensity forecheck to tie the game with 4.9 seconds remaining.
The puck was dumped deep into the Bridgeport zone and Casey Wellman deflected an Erixon feed in front and to Newbury, who had an open net to tie the game and complete a Gordie Howe hat trick (goal, assist, fight). Erixon earned his second assist of the night on the play.
Neither team would score in overtime, and the Whale were once again headed to the shootout.
Mats Zuccarello, Wellman and Brendan Bell would all score in the tie-breaker for Connecticut, while Johnson capped off his stellar performance with three saves on Bridgeport shooters.
The win closed the Whale to within one point of the Northeast Division-leading Sound Tigers.
The Whale are back in home action Saturday for Connecticut Hockey Hall of Fame night at the XL Center, as they host the league-leading Norfolk Admirals (7:00). A new class of 2012 inductees into the CT Hockey Hall of Fame will be saluted, with that class including Brian Leetch, Blaine Stoughton, Mike Liut, Pat Verbeek, Ken Gernander, Julie Chu and William E. Barnes. There will be an induction ceremony during the first intermission, and fans can take home a special souvenir of the night, as 5,000 Hall of Fame posters will be given away, courtesy of SuperCuts. There will also be autograph opportunities and a classic Connecticut hockey jersey auction. For all the details, log on to www.ctwhale.com. This will be the first class of inductees since 1990, as the CT Hockey Hall of Fame has adopted eight members from the storied Hartford Whalers Hall of Fame.
Tickets to all 2011-12 Whale home games, are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, as well as on-line at www.ctwhale.com and through TicketMaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000.
College students can get discounted tickets to Whale weekday games with the Whale’s “Ditch the Dorms” deal. For Monday through Friday home games, students who show a valid student ID at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center can get $2 off Upper Level tickets and $5 off Lower Level seats.
Save on your tickets, and get the best seats, with a ticket plan for the Whale’s 2011-12 AHL campaign, which are on sale now. For information on season seats, mini plans and great group discounts, visit www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 728-3366 to talk with an account executive today.
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Bridgeport Sound Tigers 3 at Connecticut Whale 4 (SO)
Friday, March 9, 2012 – XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Bridgeport 1 1 1 0 – 3
Connecticut 0 2 1 0 – 4
1st Period-1, Bridgeport, Haley 13 (Romano, Landry), 13:48. Penalties-Nightingale Ct (high-sticking), 14:49.
2nd Period-2, Connecticut, Audy-Marchessault 19 (Erixon, Newbury), 8:45 (PP). 3, Bridgeport, DiBenedetto 16 (Rakhshani, Donovan), 17:42 (PP). 4, Connecticut, Grant 7 (Owens, Tessier), 19:23. Penalties-Riley Bri (fighting), 2:29; Owens Ct (fighting), 2:29; Romano Bri (tripping), 8:40; Galiardi Bri (holding), 12:57; Deveaux Ct (slashing), 17:01; Oleksy Bri (fighting), 18:42; Newbury Ct (fighting), 18:42; Ness Bri (interference), 20:00.
3rd Period-5, Bridgeport, Haley 14 (Oleksy), 4:52. 6, Connecticut, Newbury 21 (Wellman, Erixon), 19:55. Penalties-Poulin Bri (delay of game), 8:47; Vernace Ct (hooking), 12:08; Bell Ct (hooking), 13:23; Haley Bri (cross-checking), 14:47.
OT Period- No Scoring. Penalties-No Penalties
Shootout – Bridgeport 0 (Backman NG, Romano NG, Rakhshani NG), Connecticut 3 (Zuccarello G, Wellman G, Bell G).
Shots on Goal-Bridgeport 10-20-9-5-0-44. Connecticut 9-12-11-4-1-37.
Power Play Opportunities-Bridgeport 1 / 4; Connecticut 1 / 5.
Goalies-Bridgeport, Poulin 17-14-2 (36 shots-33 saves). Connecticut, Johnson 19-12-5 (44 shots-41 saves).
A-3,245
Referees-Ryan Hersey (46).
Linesmen-Luke Galvin (2), Brent Colby (7).
