Sens vs. Sound Tigers 3/20/04 Articles: Sound Tigers lose top two centers, then game to Senators
March 21, 2004

Posted by: Bob Howard
Credit: Michael Fornabio of Conn Post.com

Sound Tigers lose top two centers, then game to Senators

By MICHAEL FORNABAIO mfornabaio@ctpost.com

BINGHAMTON, N.Y.

The Bridgeport Sound Tigers' top two centers are out for the rest of the regular season. One of their top defensemen just might join them after the ankle injury he suffered in Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Binghamton Senators.

But even without Eric Manlow and Justin Mapletoft and, for the last 48 minutes of the game, Brandon Smith, the Sound Tigers played an excellent road game, tying the game with 9:17 left in front of a sellout 4,717 at Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.

Then, referee Justin St. Pierre assessed Steve Webb a major penalty for boarding with 8:59 left. Serge Payer scored from the left wing with 7:43 remaining, and the Senators held on despite being outshot 21-6 in the third period.

"Tonight, I was never worried. From the start to the end, (Binghamton) never got a cycle going," Bridgeport coach Greg Cronin said. "I thought we had far, far better chances than they did, but they had 13 minutes of power play time, we had six. That's a joke."

Webb got the major penalty for hitting Brian McGrattan into the boards to the right of Binghamton goalie Billy Thompson (35 saves).

"The referee said (McGrattan) was cut pretty good," Bridgeport captain Alan Letang said. "Any time there's a cut, blood, it's got to be a major, he said."

Just 76 seconds into the penalty, Payer scored on Binghamton's fifth power play of the night. The Sound Tigers had only three, and none after the midway point of the game, which aggravated Cronin.

"They got 13 minutes of power play, we got six, and they're the second-most-penalized team in the league," Cronin said. "I thought the refereeing was very average. The guy (McGrattan) is 230 pounds and turns into the boards."

Denis Hamel added an empty-net goal to put away the Sound Tigers, who are now without Manlow, who suffered a broken wrist Friday in Hartford, and Mapletoft, who had an ankle broken last Sunday, and winger Mike Souza, who took a stick in the face over a week ago.

Things got worse for the Sound Tigers with 8:30 left in the first, when a Jody Robinson clear attempt on Bridgeport's first penalty kill hit Smith on the inside of the left ankle. Smith, on crutches after the game, said he thought it was just a bruise. Cronin wasn't sure.

"This is getting a little old, isn't it?" Cronin said. "Our top two centers, now our top defenseman. And the thing is, I loved the way we played. I don't understand how the guy calls these stupid penalties."

The loss squandered Bridgeport's game in hand on Philadelphia. The teams are tied in points with 11 games remaining for both; the Phantoms have a tiebreaker if the teams finish even in points.

Blaine Down tied the game for the Sound Tigers, with defenseman Steve Munn picking up his first AHL assist after Rob Collins won a faceoff.

Defenseman Julien Vauclair scored on a four-on-four in the second period, scoring on a second rebound.

SOUND BITE

"Webby (Steve Webb) is always hitting people, and most times, that's a lift for our bench. It was just a (bad) break."

Bridgeport's Alan Letang, on Webb's penalty