While we adjust to our new computer system and work out the kinks…
Here’s the missing jump to today’s story online, at least in my own unedited file.
Continued from C1
good shape, too. Haskins scored a beautiful goal to give the Sound Tigers a 3-1 lead. The duo killed penalties and, for the second night in a row to open the season, worked together with Mitch Fritz on an effective fourth line.
“We’re confident in one another,” Pitton said. “We enjoy being on the ice. We go out and work hard every shift. That’s all we can do.”
Trevor Smith scored two goals, Kurtis McLean added another, and Mike Iggulden had two assists on the first line to make a winner of Yann Danis (30 saves), who lost a hard-luck, 2-1 game Friday at Philadelphia.
In the end Saturday, it was the fourth liners, with Jeremy Colliton in place of Fritz, to kill the final 51.4 seconds.
“I was a bit surprised there,” Haskins said. “It’s always nice, being put in those situations. Those are the situations you want to be in. You want to get out there and block shots, if not score. I thought we did a good job. It’s more confidence from the coaching staff.”
What he did at the other end didn’t hurt, either. He took the puck around a defenseman, cut to the net, went around goalie Justin Peters — his junior-hockey teammate for three seasons — and slipped the puck in for a two-goal lead.
“We’ve been working on it in practice, driving wide, putting the shoulder down, going to the net,” Haskins said. “I was really surprised how the defenseman really didn’t try to finish me into the boards.”
It was easily the Sound Tigers’ prettiest goal of the night, but after scoring only one Friday amid some funny breaks, they will take the other three.
McLean, planted in front, converted a five-on-three rebound with 15.4 seconds left in the first period after Iggulden’s pass deflected on goal. Midway through the second, Iggulden’s lofted pass bounced past McLean at the front, right to a driving Smith.
“I thought we played with more energy” Saturday than Friday, Capuano said. “You don’t ever want to lose two in a row.”
Smith made it 4-1 early in the third when Colliton, tied up in front, knocked him the puck for a shot at a wide-open net. Friday night, Smith fanned on a similar shot, but not Saturday.
“Buried my back-door opportunities,” Smith said. “I think we moved the puck really well (Saturday). All the lines played really well. We had some trouble with discipline, took some penalties. We need to address that. … We can play five-on-five with anybody.”
Albany’s Mark Flood scored short-handed in the first after Dwight Helminen slipped away from two defenders behind the Bridgeport net. Helminen scored on a scramble around the net on a power play with 10:56 to play. Danis and the defense were perfect after that.
The Sound Tigers dressed the same lineup as they had Friday night in Philadelphia, just moving Colliton up between Sean Bentivoglio and Tim Jackman, moving Rob Hennigar between Vladimir Nikiforov and Jesse Joensuu.