Pack Fall to Sound Tigers in Preseason Opener
Sep 28, 2017By Meghan O'Reilly
Kristers Gudlevskis stopped all 16 Wolf Pack shots in a 2-0 Bridgeport Sound Tiger win Thursday at the XL Center, in the AHL preseason opener for both teams.
Matt Gaudreau scored for Bridgeport in the first period, and Chris Langkow had a power-play goal in the second. Chris Nell and Alexandar Georgiev split the game in net for the Wolf Pack, Nell allowing one goal on 13 shots and Georgiev surrendering one on 11 shots.
Wolf Pack head coach Keith McCambridge commented afterward that these games, “[are] a really good chance to evaluate [players], trying to get a little bit of chemistry, [and] playing in an AHL exhibition game is real beneficial.”
The visitors outshot the Wolf Pack in the first period 12-5, and held Hartford without a shot in the first nearly eight minutes. After killing a Wolf Pack two-man advantage, the Sound Tigers scored what would turn out to be the winning goal at 12:16. Gaudreau intercepted an Adam Chapie pass in the Bridgeport end and was off on a breakaway, eventually beating Nell with a move to the backhand.
The second period was enlivened by a fight between the Wolf Pack’s Jack Nevins and Bridgeport’s Yannick Turcotte at 4:30, and a slashing penalty against Langkow at 5:01 put the Wolf Pack up five-on-three again.
Hartford put a shot off the goal post during the man advantage but could not score, and the Sound Tiger power play would double the Bridgeport lead at 13:05, with Brenden Kotyk off for delay-of-game. Langkow got the goal on a deflection, tipping a shot from the middle of the blue line by Frank DiChiara past Georgiev.
The second fight of the period occurred as retaliation for a high hit by Bridgeport’s Mike Cornell. Henrik Samuelsson dropped the gloves with Cornell at 15:07, receiving a roughing minor in addition to his fighting major. Cornell also was hit with a minor penalty, an elbowing call.
The Wolf Pack had another five-on-three, this one for 1:44, midway through the third period, but could never solve Gudlevskis.
The Wolf Pack’s second and final preseason outing is this Saturday night, September 30, when they re-match the Sound Tigers at the Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center in Worcester, MA. Faceoff is 7:00 PM.
The Wolf Pack open their 2017-18 regular season next Friday, October 6, with their home-ice opener vs. the Charlotte Checkers. Faceoff is 7:15 PM. Tickets for that, and all 2017-18 Wolf Pack home games, are on sale now at the Agera Energy Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.
Season ticket information for the Wolf Pack’s 2017-18 AHL campaign can be found on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com. To speak with a representative about all of the Wolf Pack’s many attractive ticketing options, call (855) 762-6451, or click here to request more info.
Bridgeport Sound Tigers 2 at Hartford Wolf Pack 0
Thursday, September 28, 2017 - XL Center
Bridgeport 1 1 0 - 2
Hartford 0 0 0 - 0
1st Period-1, Bridgeport, Gaudreau 1 12:16. Penalties-Nevins Hfd (slashing), 1:21; Herbert Hfd (slashing), 3:03; McNally Bri (interference), 6:26; Cornell Bri (slashing), 7:14; Cullity Bri (cross-checking), 9:59.
2nd Period-2, Bridgeport, Langkow 1 (DiChiara, Kubiak), 13:05 (PP). Penalties-Turcotte Bri (interference, fighting), 4:30; Nevins Hfd (fighting), 4:30; Langkow Bri (slashing), 5:01; Kotyk Hfd (delay of game), 11:48; Cornell Bri (elbowing, fighting), 15:07; Samuelsson Hfd (roughing, fighting), 15:07; Herbert Hfd (slashing), 19:13.
3rd Period- No Scoring. Penalties-Samuelsson Hfd (tripping), 4:21; Cullity Bri (hooking), 9:53; K. Jones Bri (hooking), 10:09; Kovacs Hfd (holding), 12:19.
Shots on Goal-Bridgeport 12-7-5-24. Hartford 5-6-5-16.
Power Play Opportunities-Bridgeport 1 / 6; Hartford 0 / 7.
Goalies-Bridgeport, Gudlevskis 1-0-0-0 (16 shots-16 saves). Hartford, Nell 0-1-0-0 (13 shots-12 saves); Georgiev 0-0-0-0 (11 shots-10 saves).
A-7
Referees-Jeremy Tufts (78), Terry Koharski (10).
Linesmen-Kevin Briganti (39), Nick Briganti (58).