MIKE4DEVILS
04-13-2005, 10:42 PM
ALBANY, N.Y. (April 13, 2005). The Albany River Rats, winners of eight of their last 10 games (one of the two losses was in overtime), continued their hot hand tonight, decisioning the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, 5-3. They held the lead despite playing down two men for almost two full minutes after referee Harry Dumas penalized coach Robbie Ftorek for protesting too vocally a marginal "too many men on the ice" call.
Along the way, graduating Senior, Barry Tallackson (he, of the Minnesota Golden Gophers) made his professional debut, scoring a goal and adding an assist.
Ari Ahonen was exceptionally sharp, turning aside 29 of 32 Bridgeport shots, including some odd-man rushes and cross-ice passes.
Tallackson scored on his first American Hockey League shot. He was headed towards the net and took Bobby Allen's pass from the high slot in stride, tapping it past Wade Dubliewicz midway through the first period.
Tallackson's own work behind the Sound Tigers' net led to the second goal. He controlled the puck and gave it to Ryan Murphy. Dean McAmmond, skating left to right at the paint put a backhander past the Bridgeport goalie.
The next goal, scored by Bridgeport, was the result of greed by Albany. At the tail end of a River Rats' power play, three Albany forwards were behind the Bridgeport net. When they lost the puck and a defenseman fell down, it was an odd-man rush the other way. Barrett Heisten capitalized, working the give-and-go with Steve Regier to cut the Rats' lead in half.
Tuomas Pihlman roofed one stick-side high on Dubliewicz early in the second period, off a head-man pass from Adrian Foster.
When Aleksander Suglobov fell down at center ice, Bridgeport's top line of Justin Mapletoft, Justin Papineau and Rob Collins took full advantage. Mapletoft grabbed the puck from Suglobov, while Collins made a bee-line for the left side of the net. After Papineau relayed the disc to Collins, it was, once again, a one-goal game.
Albany restored its cushion with the next two goals. First, Brian Gionta darted in and out of traffic, using a fallen teammate, Bryan Miller (who was tripped after passing the puck to Ivan Khomotuv) as a pick. When the defender had to skate around the fallen Miller, Khomotuv had already relayed the puck to Gionta, whose hard drive to the net on the left side hit paydirt.
A pretty give-and-go drop pass from Aleksander Suglobov, just inside the Bridgeport blue line to former Sound Tiger, Ray Schultz, resulted in the Rats' fifth marker of the night. Suglobov dashed to the right circle, took the return pass from Schultz, and rifled one over Dubliewicz' shoulder.
A late second period goal by Bridgeport cut the Rats' lead to two goals. Tim Sestito found himself unguarded at the left side of the net as Bobby Allen was out of position. When Jason Guerriero feathered a pass through the paint, Sestito tapped it past Ahonen. In frustration, Allen clocked Sestito, who then traded punches.
The Sound Tigers found themselves on a power play that carried over into the third period. Coach Robbie Ftorek showed confidence in rookie (4 games out of college) defenseman Bryan Miller by playing him on the penalty kill to start the third period. Arguably, that shift, with 47 seconds of Bridgeport power play, was one of the most important in the game, since it could (and did) preserve the two-goal lead for Albany. Had it gone the other way, momentum would have shifted to Bridgeport.
Miller was also called upon later in the game in an even more intense penalty-kill situation. At 17:22, a too-many-men penalty was called against Albany. It may (or may not) have been justified. Probably, Bridgeport also should have been called for interference since a River Rat was in the velcro grip of a Bridgeport player as he was trying to get off the ice. When Rats' bench-boss Robbie Ftorek persisted in questioning referee Harry Dumas on that call, the referee assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct bench minor against Albany. That whistle, at 17:46, gave Bridgeport a two-man advantage for 1:36. Why Bridgeport coach Joe Cronin (about to depart for a college coaching job at Northeastern) failed immediately to pull the goalie (to get a 6-on-3) is a mystery.
In any event, the Rats, with some excellent saves from Ari Ahonen in that sequence (Rob Collins was robbed in close), killed off the double minor and went on to prevail, 5-3.
The three stars: third, to Justin Papineau of Bridgeport, with two assists; second, to Dean McAmmond of Albany, with a goal and an assist; and, in his professional debut, rookie Barry Tallackson of Albany garnered first star with a goal and an assist.
This writer would have given Ari Ahonen second star. His stellar stops included thwarting Nathan Gillies late in the first, Steve Regier at the end of the first period, Justin Mapletoft early in the second, a nifty cross-ice pass from Tom Sestito to Nathan Gillies early in the third, and Rob Collins' salvo, with a two-man advantage, in the final minute and change.
For Bridgeport, defenseman Jarrett Cole saved a goal early in the third period. Ahren Nittel of Albany beat Dubliewicz with a hard shot that trickled through his pads as he fell down. The puck was inching toward the goal line when Cole swiped it out of harm's way.
The unsung hero of the night for Albany was rookie defenseman, Bryan Miller, who fared quite well in some pressured situations, added an assist and ended up with a "+1" on the night.
Full fanfare, though, belongs to Barry Tallackson, who had an impressive debut. Aside from the goal and assist, he was a force in the corners and back-checked with enthusiasm.
Along the way, graduating Senior, Barry Tallackson (he, of the Minnesota Golden Gophers) made his professional debut, scoring a goal and adding an assist.
Ari Ahonen was exceptionally sharp, turning aside 29 of 32 Bridgeport shots, including some odd-man rushes and cross-ice passes.
Tallackson scored on his first American Hockey League shot. He was headed towards the net and took Bobby Allen's pass from the high slot in stride, tapping it past Wade Dubliewicz midway through the first period.
Tallackson's own work behind the Sound Tigers' net led to the second goal. He controlled the puck and gave it to Ryan Murphy. Dean McAmmond, skating left to right at the paint put a backhander past the Bridgeport goalie.
The next goal, scored by Bridgeport, was the result of greed by Albany. At the tail end of a River Rats' power play, three Albany forwards were behind the Bridgeport net. When they lost the puck and a defenseman fell down, it was an odd-man rush the other way. Barrett Heisten capitalized, working the give-and-go with Steve Regier to cut the Rats' lead in half.
Tuomas Pihlman roofed one stick-side high on Dubliewicz early in the second period, off a head-man pass from Adrian Foster.
When Aleksander Suglobov fell down at center ice, Bridgeport's top line of Justin Mapletoft, Justin Papineau and Rob Collins took full advantage. Mapletoft grabbed the puck from Suglobov, while Collins made a bee-line for the left side of the net. After Papineau relayed the disc to Collins, it was, once again, a one-goal game.
Albany restored its cushion with the next two goals. First, Brian Gionta darted in and out of traffic, using a fallen teammate, Bryan Miller (who was tripped after passing the puck to Ivan Khomotuv) as a pick. When the defender had to skate around the fallen Miller, Khomotuv had already relayed the puck to Gionta, whose hard drive to the net on the left side hit paydirt.
A pretty give-and-go drop pass from Aleksander Suglobov, just inside the Bridgeport blue line to former Sound Tiger, Ray Schultz, resulted in the Rats' fifth marker of the night. Suglobov dashed to the right circle, took the return pass from Schultz, and rifled one over Dubliewicz' shoulder.
A late second period goal by Bridgeport cut the Rats' lead to two goals. Tim Sestito found himself unguarded at the left side of the net as Bobby Allen was out of position. When Jason Guerriero feathered a pass through the paint, Sestito tapped it past Ahonen. In frustration, Allen clocked Sestito, who then traded punches.
The Sound Tigers found themselves on a power play that carried over into the third period. Coach Robbie Ftorek showed confidence in rookie (4 games out of college) defenseman Bryan Miller by playing him on the penalty kill to start the third period. Arguably, that shift, with 47 seconds of Bridgeport power play, was one of the most important in the game, since it could (and did) preserve the two-goal lead for Albany. Had it gone the other way, momentum would have shifted to Bridgeport.
Miller was also called upon later in the game in an even more intense penalty-kill situation. At 17:22, a too-many-men penalty was called against Albany. It may (or may not) have been justified. Probably, Bridgeport also should have been called for interference since a River Rat was in the velcro grip of a Bridgeport player as he was trying to get off the ice. When Rats' bench-boss Robbie Ftorek persisted in questioning referee Harry Dumas on that call, the referee assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct bench minor against Albany. That whistle, at 17:46, gave Bridgeport a two-man advantage for 1:36. Why Bridgeport coach Joe Cronin (about to depart for a college coaching job at Northeastern) failed immediately to pull the goalie (to get a 6-on-3) is a mystery.
In any event, the Rats, with some excellent saves from Ari Ahonen in that sequence (Rob Collins was robbed in close), killed off the double minor and went on to prevail, 5-3.
The three stars: third, to Justin Papineau of Bridgeport, with two assists; second, to Dean McAmmond of Albany, with a goal and an assist; and, in his professional debut, rookie Barry Tallackson of Albany garnered first star with a goal and an assist.
This writer would have given Ari Ahonen second star. His stellar stops included thwarting Nathan Gillies late in the first, Steve Regier at the end of the first period, Justin Mapletoft early in the second, a nifty cross-ice pass from Tom Sestito to Nathan Gillies early in the third, and Rob Collins' salvo, with a two-man advantage, in the final minute and change.
For Bridgeport, defenseman Jarrett Cole saved a goal early in the third period. Ahren Nittel of Albany beat Dubliewicz with a hard shot that trickled through his pads as he fell down. The puck was inching toward the goal line when Cole swiped it out of harm's way.
The unsung hero of the night for Albany was rookie defenseman, Bryan Miller, who fared quite well in some pressured situations, added an assist and ended up with a "+1" on the night.
Full fanfare, though, belongs to Barry Tallackson, who had an impressive debut. Aside from the goal and assist, he was a force in the corners and back-checked with enthusiasm.