Jones lifts Sound Tigers in OT

Eamon McAdam stops 33 shots in victory

Something had to give.

Entering Friday night’s game at Webster Bank Arena, Bridgeport’s goalie Eamon McAdam was undefeated at 3-0 while Wilkes Barre-Scranton’s Casey DeSmith sported a spotless 5-0 mark. Fortunately for the Sound Tigers, it was McAdam who remained perfect for the season, back boning the local icemen to a 3-2 overtime win. McAdam finished with 33 saves and DeSmith gloved 23.

Connor Jones potted the game winner at the 3:55 mark of the extra frame, sending the crowd of 3,366 into a frenzy. The victory was Bridgeport’s fourth straight win to improve its record to 12-5 for the season. The Sound Tigers are tied for third place in the AHL’s Atlantic Division with the Hershey Bears with 24 points, two points behind the second place Penguins (12-4-0-2).

Defenseman Jon Landry started the game winning rush picking up a tipped puck and feeding Steve Bernier who fled down the right boards. Bernier sailed toward the net and dished to Jones who was crashing the crease in front of DeSmith. Jones converted the pass past the goalie and the red light was lit. Officials reviewed the play, but the initial call stood and Bridgeport had its fifth overtime win against zero defeats.

The Sound Tigers wasted little time taking a lead in the contest, scoring a minute in on the first shot of the game. It was Bernier who did the damage for Bridgeport, beating DeSmith high after taking a pass from Devon Toews who had carried the puck up the left side of the ice. Toews had two assists on the night.

Bridgeport carried the 1-0 lead into the second period as McAdam continued to sustain his teammates with some outstanding netminding. With Jones in the penalty box for roughing after a scrum with Wilkes Barre-Scranton’s Chad Ruhwedel, the Sound Tiger backstop made a series of dazzling saves as penalty kill was spent nearly entirely in the Bridgeport zone.

The Penguins pressure finally paid off, however, as Jarrett Burton beat McAdam off a pretty feed from Dominik Simon. The goal was Burton’s first of the season.

The visitors kept the pressure up and had an almost goal that was overturned after video review. Seconds later, Ross Johnston crashed the net and beat DeSmith giving Bridgeport a 2-1 lead at 8:22 of the second period.

For most of the rest of the stanza, Bridgeport kept the Penguins under siege but could not dent DeSmith. McAdam also had a sterling moment, robbing the Penguins’ Josh Archibald with a fifty glove save on a 2-on-1 breakaway.

The third period was all Wilkes Barre-Scranton as the Sound Tigers attack went to sleep and Archibald made his hosts pay with 3:34 left in the game, pushing it into the net amidst a crowd of players.

Bridgeport proved more than capable in the overtime period, though.

Tiger Bites: The referees were lustily booed for a good part of the game and especially after the Penguins tied the game in the third. Mostly the fans were upset that there were a great deal of non-calls against the visitors…Wilkes Barre-Scranton outshot Bridgeport 35-26 and 10-4 in the third period…The three stars of the game were Jones (1), Archibald (2) and Toews (3)…The two teams continue their home-and-home series Saturday night in Pennsylvania.