Bridgeport Sound Tigers Fall to the Adirondack Phantoms 4-2

MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com-BRIDGEPORT, CT – Brian Boucher made 29 saves to record his 60th career Phantoms victory, Jared Ross posted his 200th career AHL point and Jason Ward's 100th career AHL goal was the game-winner as the Adirondack Phantoms beat the Bridgeport Sound Tigers 4-2 Sunday afternoon at the Arena at Harbor Yard.
 
Just prior to the game, the Philadelphia Flyers assigned goaltender Brian Boucher to Adirondack for a conditioning game and the veteran goalie met the team in Connecticut.  The Sound Tigers jumped out to an early lead 25 seconds after Phantoms forward Krys Kolanos was penalized for tripping.  Defenseman Dustin Kohn absolutely unloaded on a slap shot from the blue line, hammering a shot over Boucher's catching glove at 5:12 to give Bridgeport the 1-0 lead.  But Adirondack clawed back to level the score with a power play goal of their own at the midpoint of the period.  Jon Matsumoto stuffed in a rebound from Oskars Bartulis and David Laliberte at 10:13 for his first goal of the year.  Two minutes later the Phantoms attack cashed in with the go-ahead goal as captain Jared Ross scored from a Kolanos feed at 12:23, beating a stranded Lawson to the near post, for his first goal of the season.
 
The Phantoms turned on the pressure in the second period, out-shooting the Sound Tigers 13-8 in the frame and used the power play to get some insurance.  Right wing Jason Ward took a perfect pass from Ross at the right side of the crease and pulled the puck around Lawson as he slid a backhand into the net at 12:56 for a 3-1 lead.  The goal, assisted by Ross and Michael Ratchuk, was Ward's 100th career AHL goal and was Ross' 200th career AHL point.
 
Adirondack did a good job of managing the game in the third period as they tried to slow the tempo and stifle the Bridgeport offense.  But the pace changed when a power play goal from Greg Moore at 13:20 brought the Sound Tigers back to life.  As the intensity lifted Bridgeport pressed to find an equalizer, but Boucher and the Phantoms' defense held strong.  With 20 seconds left Kolanos bagged an empty net goal to seal Adirondack's first road win of the year.
 
Brian Boucher made 29 saves on 31 shots to record the victory in his Phantoms season debut, helping Adirondack improve to 3-2-1-0.  Nathan Lawson suffered his first loss of the season, making 26 saves on 29 shots as Bridgeport fell to 4-2-0-0 on the year.  The Sound Tigers out-shot the Phantoms 31-30 in the game and went 2-for-6 on the power play; Adirondack was 2-for-3 with the man-advantage.
 
Adirondack now returns home to a week of practice to prepare for their next game on Friday, October 23rd as the Phantoms host the Hartford Wolf Pack, the New York Rangers AHL affiliate, at 7:30 pm at the Glens Falls Civic Center.


FINAL BOX SCORE
 
Adirondack Phantoms 4 At Bridgeport Sound Tigers 2 - Status: Final
Oct 18, 2009 - Arena at Harbor Yard


Adirondack 2 1 1 - 4
Bridgeport 1 0 1 - 2


1st Period-1, Bridgeport, Kohn 1 (Haskins, MacDonald), 5:12 (pp). 2, Adirondack, Matsumoto 1 (Bartulis, Laliberte), 10:13 (pp). 3, Adirondack, Ross 1 (Kolanos, Bourdon), 12:23. Penalties-Clackson Adk (fighting), 3:36; Rechlicz Bri (fighting), 3:36; Kolanos Adk (tripping), 4:47; Curry Adk (roughing), 5:37; Gleed Bri (roughing), 9:51; Bourdon Adk (tripping), 17:47.


2nd Period-4, Adirondack, Ward 1 (Ross, Ratchuk), 12:56 (pp). Penalties-Ross Adk (interference), 1:02; Smith Bri (high-sticking), 11:57; Joensuu Bri (hooking), 17:33.


3rd Period-5, Bridgeport, Moore 3 (MacDonald, Mauldin), 13:20 (pp). 6, Adirondack, Kolanos 2 (Ward), 19:40 (en). Penalties-Clackson Adk (slashing), 8:55; Bartulis Adk (delay of game), 13:14.


Shots on Goal-Adirondack 12-13-5-30. Bridgeport 12-8-11-31.


Power Play Opportunities-Adirondack 2 of 3; Bridgeport 2 of 6.


Goalies-Adirondack, Boucher 1-0-0 (31 shots-29 saves). Bridgeport, Lawson 1-1-0 (29 shots-26 saves).


A-2,781


Referees-Shaun Davis (31).
Linesmen-David Spannaus (8), Luke Galvin (2).

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