Phantoms vs. Bridgeport Sound Tigers 2-27-09: First Period

Scratches: Klotz, Gratton, Ross
Starting Lineup: Munroe, Guenin, Syvret, Matsumoto, Laliberte, Maroon

Boy, we started the game on a hair-raising note. We got hung up in our own slot and the Tigers gort a couple of good opportunities before we finally cleared the darn puck. I'm surprised to see only one shoton goal credited to Bridgeport, as they had at least three slarming-lookng attempts before we got the puck out of harm's way.

Kalinski is centering a line with Nodl and Kane. Bartulis and DeSantis are our second D pair. Our third line is Radunsm Clackson, and Szwez. Curry nd Ratchuk are our last D pair. Ratchuk nearly got a clean SOG from the slot, but the puck looks like it might have rolled on him or something because the shot kind of drifted off to the left.

Bellamy, Sirianni, and Beaulieu are our fourth line.

Four minutes into the period, that one shot on goal by the Sound tTgers remains the only time that a puck was credited with reaching the net.

Paddock seems to be just rolling the lines in order early on.

NICE keep-in, Oskars! Ditto for a nice move by Curry to bat a puck away from our net, a shift later. I ike to see our D doing good things. Maybe having a dose of Kukkonen helped everyone turn it up a notch... if not from having the chance to play alongside someone with a lot of experience, then because of the knowledge that they will have to make the top six D or sit out. Oh, NICE hit by Beaulieu in the Bridgeport end. He buried someone down at the half-boards.

Crud. With 12:11 left and the SOG 1-1, Bridgeport scores on their second shot on goal. And of course I have a group of eight Sound Tigers fans behind me when it happens, arrrgh. But said group was kind of in the wrong row, so during the ensuing stoppage of play they shifted over to their actual group of seats. 1-0, Bridgeport.

Ah, a Flyers update. They're playing across the street right now, and we ony get updates when things are going well for the Orange and Black. Lupul scored to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead over Montreal.

The Phantoms get the first PP of the game, for the first time in a while. Matsumoto's line is out with Curry and Syvret. The SOG at the time of the infraction was 2-2. Maroon is stationed at the crease's edge, but his attempt to cash in a rebound didn't quite work.

Next up is Kalinski's line, with Ratchuk and DeSantis (four of our five skaters are rookies). After them, Matsumoto's line and Curry/Cyvret came back out. We're trying, but we aren't creating a lot of opportunites this time around. At the endof the PP, SOG were 3-3.

Matsumto and Maroon get a 2-on1. Matsumoto's shot goes of the glass. Drat. Next shift, Beaulieu and Sirianni get the two-on-1 and crash the net. But we didn't get the puck ON net. In fact, with under four minutes remaining in the period, the SOG are still 3-3, the same as they were when our PP ended. That's a good five minutes since anyone gave one of the goaltenders something to do.

Curry gets hold of the puck at the top of the slot, and his attempted shot on goal is causing a scramble down in front of the Sound Tigers crease. Fans down at that end of the ice gave a big AWWWW, so one fo the several attempts must have JUST missed its mark.

With 2:39 left in the period, SOG are 4-4 now. So there's been a wee bit of activity in the offense department. We also have a PK right now, with Clackson sitting. Matsumoto, Laliberte, Guenin, and Syvret are out for us. Halfway through the infraction, we successfully clear the puck and change lines: Raduns, Kane, Bartulis, and Curry. Next up, Nodl, Kalinski, Guenin, Syvret.

The penalty is over, and SOG are Sound Tigers 7, Phantoms 4. There's less than one minute remaining in the period.

At the end of the period, SOG are Sound TIgers 8, Phantoms 4. Ths core is 1-0, Bridgeport.