BRIDGEPORT, CT - Sound Tigers defenseman Jon Landry scored the game-winning shootout goal in the bottom half of the fifth round, and Anders Nilsson stopped 21 shots in addition to saves on all five Hershey shooters to set a Sound Tigers record with his eighth straight victory, as Bridgeport downed the Bears 2-1 at Webster Bank Arena on Sunday afternoon. With the win, the Sound Tigers have recorded points in 16 of 17 games and improve to 27-18-3-2 overall. The Bears record stands at 29-15-4-5.
Both sides had relatively few chances in the opening frame, as the Sound Tigers and Bears combined for just 14 shots in the first 20 minutes. Hershey applied pressure in the final moments of the period, but Nilsson made a couple of pivotal saves to keep the game scoreless after one period.
A majority of the two teams’ 15 power play opportunities in the game came in the middle frame, and each netted a goal with the man advantage. Hershey’s Chris Bourque sent a slap shot from the slot past Nilsson with a two-man advantage at 11:56 of the second period to give the Bears a 1-0 lead. David Ullstrom tied the score on the power play at 16:37, firing from a sharp angle below the right circle past Hershey netminder Braden Holtby for his 19th goal of the season to even the score at one.
Neither side would break the deadlock in the final period despite the Sound Tigers outshooting the Bears 12-3. Overtime could not settle the score either and the two sides went to the bonus round tied 1-1. The Sound Tigers chose to shoot second and Nilsson was spectacular, stopping all five shooters he faced. That set the stage for Jon Landry, and the PTO defenseman sent the fans home happy with a quick low snap past Holtby to give the Sound Tigers the extra point.
The Sound Tigers conclude their six-game homestand tomorrow afternoon when they host the Albany Devils at a special start time of 1:00 p.m. on Kids Free Day. All kids 12 and under get in for free tomorrow by visiting the Webster Bank Arena Click It Or Ticket Box Office.
