Live from Bridgeport: Springfield Falcons vs. Sound Tigers - 4/10

Hello fans, I'm back here in Bridgeport, Connecticut, along with fellow blogger Mike Schuerlein, as the Sound Tigers are set to take on the Springfield Falcons. I'll be providing live play-by-play commentary tonight and try to give you a good feel for what's going on during the game.

Here's a brief run-down on each team's leaders...

BRIDGEPORT SOUND TIGERS
47-23-8 -- 102 pts., 2nd East Division

Goals – Trevor Smith (30)
Assists – Mike Iggulden (40)
Points – Mike Iggulden (63)
Plus/Minus – Jesse Joensuu (+21)
PIM – Pascal Morency (100)

Power Play – 71 for 393; 18.1, 8th
Penalty Kill – 297 for 356; 83.4, t-14th

SPRINGFIELD FALCONS
24-42-12 -- 60 pts., 7th Atlantic Division

Goals – Ryan Potulny (35)
Assists – Ryan Stone (37)
Points – Ryan Potulny (58)
Plus/Minus – Ryan Stone (+4)
PIM – Guillaume Lefebvre (197)

Power Play – 58 for 390; 14.9, t-24th
Penalty Kill – 334 for 412; 81.1, 25th


Projected Line Combinations

SOUND TIGERS
Goaltenders
52 Nathan Lawson
1 Peter Mannino

Defensemen
3 Jamie Fraser - 4 Mark Wotton
2 Andrew MacDonald - 5 Dustin Kohn
25 Joe Callahan - 24 Chris Lee

Forwards
20 Ryan Duncan - 23 Trevor Smith - 37 Mike Iggulden
27 Junior Lessard - 9 Ben Walter - 6 Jesse Joensuu
16 Jon Sim - 10 Tyler Haskins - 14 Sean Bentivoglio
55 Pascal Morency - 11 Rob Hennigar - 18 Micheal Haley

SPRINGFIELD FALCONS
Goaltenders
40 Devan Dubnyk
30 Dany Sabourin

Defensemen
27 Milan Maslonka - 33 R.J. Anderson
10 Mike Gabinet - 5 Bryan Young
37 Cody Wild - 25 Dinos Stamoulis

Forwards
32 Ryan Stone - 17 Ryan Potulny - 26 Jordan Eberle
44 Rob Schremp - 7 Charles Linglet - 21 Shane Willis
14 Guillaume Lefebvre - 15 Tyler Spurgeon - 18 Colin McDonald
12 Jeffrey Lee - 22 Ryan O'Marra - 13 Viacheslav Trukho

There you have it. If you're listening to AHL Live, I'll be a guest on tonight's first intermission report, so make sure to tune in.

First Period
Springfield wins the faceoff and we're underway. First shot of the game goes to Colin McDonald of Springfield, which Nathan Lawson turns aside and goes up into the protective netting.

Bridgeport gets their first, shot...Tyler Haskins gets oneon net that Devan Dubnyk gathers and holds on.

Wild richocet that almost caught Dubnyk off guard as he went to play the puck. That was a close call for Springfield.

Bridgeport applying the forecheck, Joensuu sends a centering pass to Lee, who fires one on net, that Walter tips and almost finds its way past Dubnyk. He managed to get a skate on it. Play to the other side of the ice, Springfield gets one on net and Lawson holds on.

Fourth lines out for both teams, Hennigar passes one over to Micheal Haley who lets a wrist shot go and just trickles over the goal line past Dubnyk for the 1-0 Sound Tigers lead.

1-0, BRIDGEPORT GOAL: Micheal Haley, 5 (Hennigar), 3:22

Sound Tigers go back on the forecheck, Jon sim with the hit that turns the puck over. Sean Bentivoglio gets the shot on Dubnyk, who holds on.

Dubnyk getting a lot of action early, Sound Tigers caused another turnover that made its way to the Springfield goaltender that had to hold on to.

Springfield buzzing in the Birdgeport zone, Ryan Stone, the teams leading assist man just turned the puck over, as Springfield will start over deep in their zone.

Breakout pass fails, and they'll go back.

Deep in the zone, Micheal Haley and Dinos Stamoulis drop the gloves away from the linesmen. Haley drops Stamoulis, but holds off on letting the punches fly with no linesmen around. The striped men eventually make their way to the fight and escort both men to the box.

Both men get five for fighting, which makes Haley one assist away from a Gordie Howe hat trick.

Springfield takes it deep in the Bridgeport zone. But a cycle fails and Duncan will pass it off to McDonald who clears. Springfield back to the Sound Tigers zone, they manage to keep it in the zone, but Bridgeport takes over.

Both teams exchange chances as its back and forth mid way through the first period.

Lawson breakout pass to Morency and Bridgeport will control. Scoring chance just excaped the stick of Morency off a Smith pass as Springfield heads back up the ice.

Haskins centering pass just missed Dustin Kohn, but Springfield will dump it and Bridgeport will head back the other way. Sound Tigers get caught offside and we'll take a TV timeout.

Back to live action, puck goes off of Schremp's stick and into the Springfield bench and we'll start over.

Odd man rush for Bridgeport, Lessard gets a shot on Dubnyk, but Joensuu runs into the Springfield goaltender and gets called for goaltender interference. Springfield goes to the powerplay.

BRIDGEPORT PENALTY: Jesse Joensuu (Goaltender interference), 11:34

Sound Tigers win the faceoff and Fraser clears. Wotton led a 2-on-1 rush, but goes offside to kill the rush.

Springfield failing to register a shot in the first minute of the powerplay. Schremp missed the net, but the puck will be called dead as a puck hit a Falcons high stick.

Ryan Stone gives Lawson a tap and Lawson reacts, so coincidental penalties.

SPRINGFIELD PENALTY: Ryan Stone, (Tripping), 13:08
BRIDGEPORT PENALTY: Nathan Lawson (Slashing), 13:08

Charles Linglet gets robbed by a sliding save by Lawson as Joesnuu's penalty expires.

Get keep in by Ryan Duncan to Joensuu, who sends a cross-ice pass to Iggulden and gets a shot on Dubnyk who holds on.

Good pressure by the Sound Tigers fourth line, but a bad centering pass by Haley gets stolen and Springfield heads back to the Bridgeport zone. Cycling by the Falcons leads to a turnover, Hennigar dumps and both teams will change.

Shane Willis gets a shot on Lawson, but he'll hold on and a faceoff deep in the Sound Tigers end. Sound Tigers win the faceoff and dump it.

Forechecking but the Tigers, and Sim will send a shot on Dubnyk, who has to hold the puck against the post. Some shoving goes on but nothing major.

Play resumes as Bridgeport will dump, and force Springfield to bring it out. Falcons over the blue and turn it over in the Bridgeport zone. Lee with a slapshot that Joensuu just misses the rebound.

Potulny over to Stone. Lawson tries to get at it and collides with Stone, the ensuing rebound comes back out to Potulny who puts it past a sliding Lawson to tie the game.

1-1, SPRINGFIELD GOAL: Ryan Potulny, 36, (Ryan Stone, Jordan Eberle), 17:08

And right away, Springfield goes to the box for a Bridgeport powerplay.

SPRINGFIELD PENALTY: Colin McDonald (tripping), 17:28

Lee to McDonald, but he can't get it through a crowd. Sim sees powerplay time here. Lee down to Iggulden, but Dubnyk holds on. Shots are 10-7 Sound Tigers so far with 1:45 left in the first period.

Sim wins the faceoff. Lee rips it from the blue line with goes up high on Dubnyk, but he'll hold on for the faceoff.

Sound Tigers throwing plenty of shots on net. Iggulden sends one to Smith who just deflects it wide. McDonald shoots with Smith delfects, but the puck flies up and Dubnyk grabs it. 19 seconds left on the powerplay

Puck jumps over Callahans stick over the blueline. Penalty over.

That's it. First period over.

END OF PERIOD ONE: Score tied 1-1

Second Period
Springfield wins the opening faceoff, but dumps it and Sound Tigers come back. Bridgeport is offsides 17 seconds in and play stops.

Fraser and Duncan play catch as the puck goes behind the net. Iggulden in front to Smith, doesn't get much a shot and Dubnyk holds on.

We're gonna get a Springfield penalty as the Sound Tigers will go to their second power play of the game

SPRINGFIELD PENALTY: Rob Schremp (Hooking), :49

Lee sends a shot that Dubnyk kicks aside, but Sim gets the rebound and roofs it to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead.

BRIDGEPORT GOAL, 2-1: Jon Sim, 13 (Chris Lee, Mike Iggulden), :56 - PP

Bridgeport back in, and a centering pass close up goes to Lessard and that's an easy put in.

BRIDGEPORT GOAL, 3-1: Junior Lessard, 13 (Jesse Joensuu, Ben Walter), 1:35

Bridgeport controls again, but Springfield leads a 2-on-1, but nails iron. Lawson doesn't know where it is, but it's behind the net. Offsides on Springfield, so the faceoff goes outside the zone.

Faceoff won by Bridgeport, but they ice it.

Puck deep in the Bridgeport zone, Fraser with the breakout pass, and the puck deep in the Falcons zone.

Oddman rush for Springfield, Eberle shot wide. Sliding stop by Smith, Iggulden the other way and gets a shot up on Dubnyk that he turns away. Duncan will go off for a Springfield powerplay.

BRIDGEPORT PENALTY: Ryan Duncan (Hooking), 4:17

Springfield controls after the faceoff. Shot block by Morency and Lee will dump it. Springfield breakout fails and Wotton dumps.

Back they go, and Springfield nets it, I believe Shane Willis got the wrist shot past Lawson

SPRINGFIELD GOAL, 3-2: Shane Willis, 5 (Charles Linglet, Ryan Stone), 5:15 - PP

Walter tries to advance in the Springfield zone, but goes flying, which will lead to a Sound Tigers powerplay.

SPRINFIELD PENALTY: Guillaume Lefebvre (Tripping), 6:02

Faceoff deep in the Springfield zone won by Smtih. Shot by Lee got up and hit R.J. Anderson in the face. Ouch. Play goes on as it wasnt that bad.

Lee tees it up from the blueline, kick save by Dubnyk. Then Iggulden gets one off that goes out of play.

Play resumes deep in the ridgeport zone as they'll advance. Lessard shot deflects off of Smith that just slides off the post, and Dubnyk will cover it for the faceoff. Springfield will get another penalty. 29 second 5-on-3 for Bridgeport.

SPRINGFIELD PENALTY: Bryan Young (Hooking), 7:34

Sound Tigers work it. Lee with the slapshot saved by Dubnyk and the Falcons clear. MacDonald with the shot goes wide as the first penalty ends.

Centering pass just wide of Smith and the Sound Tigers have to go all the way back again.

Play behjind the Springfield net, gets on a Falcons stick and they'll clear.

30 seconds left as Bridgeport will go the length.

Lessard to Joensuu for what looked like an easy put in but he shanked it and put it wide. Play goes the other way and a puck is smothered by Lawson and a faceoff will be deep in the Bridgeport zone.

Sound Tigers take it back as the fourth line generates pressure, shot goes off of Dubnyk and out of play.

Springfield in the Sound Tigers zone...puck deflected off of Trukho's stick kicked aside by Lawson.

Back in the Sprigfield zone, the Falcson will try to advance but are foiled. Hennigar tries to pass off to Smith, but that plan is scrapped as play goes back into the Bridgeport zone.

Other side, Sound Tigers generating pressure in the Falcons zone, Sim tries a cross ice pass to Hennigar, but he couldn't get a hold on it. Sim gets a shot off and Dubnyk deflects it over the netting.

Cycling by the Sim-Haskins-Bentivoglio line generating pressure for a good minute now. MacDonald in deep, goes out to Haskins, good work there.

Joensuu's centering pass picked off as Springfield crosses the Bridgeport blue.

Back and forth Lessard deflects it in the Falcons zone, but that fails, and we'll go back and forth again.

Joe Callahan centers in front that Dubnyk gets a piece off, but Joensuu is in the right spot and lifts it over a fallen Dubnyk for the 4-2 lead.

BRIDGEPORT GOAL, 4-2: Jesse Joensuu, 20 (Joe Callahan, Nathan Lawson), 14:56

Rob Schremp with a nifty move, but turns it over. Hennigar takes it to the other end but gets thwarted, and Dubnyk will cover.

Springfield will try to take control deep in the Bridgeport zone. Puck goes out to the blue line. Stamoulis sends a shot to Lawson, who gloves it and holds on.

Sim gets a loose puck and fires a shot on Dubnyk who blocks it over the net.

Bridgeport cycling deep in the Springfield zone. there's a delayed penalty. Springfield touches and Bridgeport goes up again.

SPRINGFIELD PENALTY: Milan Maslonka (Holding), 17:52

Iggulden side steps a check, but Springfield gets a short-handed 2-on-1 break. Easy put in for Potulny for his second of the game.

SPRINGFIELD GOAL, 4-3: Ryan Potulny, 37 (Ryan Stone), 18:33 - SH

Another Springfield chance as this kill is strong for the Falcons.

Bridgeport gets control but the puck plays tricks and jumps over Fraser's stick.

Schremp gets a loose puck, and fires a shot on Lawson, the puck squeaks by, but Wotton gets back and swats the puck away and ends the second period.

END OF PERIOD 2: BRIDGEPORT LEADS, 4-3

Third Period
Springfield wins the opening faceoff, but Bridgeport ices the puck.

Bridgeport crosses the red and dumps it in and will apply pressure. Point blank by Sim turned aside by Dubnyk. Puck goies out of play and the faceoff will be in the neutral zone.

Wicked carom off the boards goes off of Lawson, but Springfield goes offsides.

Bridgeport can't clear and Springfield continues pressure. Potulny dings one off the goal post.

Lessard dumps as Brideport clears and we'll start over. Fourth line out for Bridgeport.

Good hold by Fraser on a bouncing puck. Wotton in deep as Haley mans the blueline. Springfield comes the other way.

Back and forth, and we'll go deep in the Bridgeport zone. Sound Tigers ice the puck and we'll head back again.

Add an assist to Nathan Lawson on the fourth goal.

Lawson kicks aside some great point blank shots from Springfield, keeping the Sound Tigers in the game.

Bouncing puck, corraled by Walter who sends on a shot on Dubnyk. Wotton from the blueline, goes wide.

Fraser gets tripped, and we'll have a Bridgeport power play.

SPRINGFIELD PENALTY: Tyler Spurgeon (Tripping), 5:57

The Springfield penalty kill is emboldened, they're generating chances. Bridgeport sets back up.

Smith turned aside by a skate save by Dubnyk...30 seconds left. MacDonald fires off a skate

Pass to MacDonald deflects off a Springfield stick and into the crowd. 10 seconds left on the power play.

Penalty over, Sound Tigers go scoreless, but Joensuu gives up the puck. Lessard deflects a puck into Cody Wild's face...yikes. He's ok though.

High puck taken down by Haskins, shot goes through Dubnyk's legs, but Springfield clears it before it can cross the goal line. Offsides Bridgeport and play stops.

MacDonald clears off the faceoff and here comes Springfield. Behind the Bridgeport net, shot off the side of the net. Bridgeport clears and icing is waved off.

Springfield comes up again, over the blue, red, blue.

The side of the net is lively tonight, making tons of noises. Big battle with Trukho and Callahan. Bridgeport getting called for a penalty here.

BRIDGEPORT PENALTY: Chris Lee (Slashing), 10:59

Lawson wraps it around the glass and Fraser holds it deep and Springfield comes back up. Potulny tries for the hat trick, but denied by a good kick save by Lawson.

Score update: Hershey down 4-1, Wilkes-Barre up 4-2 both in the third period....interesting.

30 seconds left, Springfield holds it in the Bridgeport zone. Lively puck again.

Cross ice feed stopped by Bridgeport as teams are even stregnth. Hennigar clears and he'll come away with it. The stick breaks as he shoots.

Lee leads the rush, passes off to Lessard and gets a shot on Dubnyk. He'll hold on and we got a stoppage of play.

Walter deflects it into the Springfield zone, Dubnyk will hold it for another faceoff.

Lessard looked like he got high sticked but no call, play goes the other way and Lawson holds.

Play goes the other way, Sim leads a 2-on-1 rush, and fires a shot that goes off a skate and into the crowd.

4:57 left in the third.

Smith generates pressure deep in the Springfield zone, but Gabinet steals and back we go. Shot knocked down by Lawson. Fraser to Joensuu to Lessard, shot wide.

Back the other way, Wild shot blocked by Walter, and back the Tigers go into the Falcons zone. Walter shot blocked, and back Springfield goes.

Shot defelcted by Potulny, who's gunning for the hat trick. Two and a half to play.

Icing negated by the Sound Tigers, and they'll send the puck to the front of the net which Dubnyk eats up to stop play.

Springfield generating pressure deep in the Bridgeport zone. Sound Tigers clear, forcing Falcons to go the distance.

One minute left.

Iggulden holding the puck at center. Dubnyk goes to the bench, but an attempt to get at the empty net goes into the crowd.

Timeout Springfield with 37.6 seconds left.

Wilkes-Barre wins 4-2.

Faceoff in the neutral zone won by the Falcons. Lawson clear actually rims around the boards and just goes wide of the Springfield net.

Falcons try to get it over, bbut the Sound Tigers thwart them and that's the final

FINAL: BRIDGEPORT WINS 4-3

THREE STARS OF THE GAME:
1. Jesse Joensuu: Game winning goal, assist
2. Ryan Potulny: Two goals
3. Nathan Lawson: Assist, 26 saves