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Soundin' Off -- the lifeboat

Sunday, December 31, 2006

Not quite the gamer

The longest postgame meeting in five-plus seasons of Sound Tigers hockey followed Albany's 7-3 victory Sunday at Harbor Yard.

Something obviously had to give after the seventh loss in eight games, arguably the worst of the lot. Lots of yelling early, and lots of talking later.

Talking about competition. Talking about, in Steve Regier's words (though not specifically about the meeting itself), wanting to win.

"We let it all hang out," Regier said. "We got a lot accomplished off the ice. You're going to see a whole new team in 2007. We're going to compete. Everybody working, everybody wanting to win every night. I can promise you, you're going to see it."

Captain Mark Wotton called it an embarrassment. That would be hard to argue after Albany took a 7-1 lead five minutes into the third.

"I think, from the players' side, the passion has to be there," Wotton said. "The passion to work, it needs to be there, and it obviously wasn't today. ... That is unaccceptable. It's not what I stand for. It's not what the New York Islanders stand for. It's not what Howard (Saffan, team president) stands for. It's not what (Islanders general manager) Garth Snow stands for.

"That kind of (stuff) will not be tolerated."

It's hard to believe this followed Saturday's game, a night when the Sound Tigers probably deserved better after generating lots of scoring chances in a 3-1 loss to Springfield. The coaches appeared to have high hopes for Sunday before the game.

That got dashed in a hurry.

"The little things are building," coach Dan Marshall said. "The little things, from the standpoint of getting guys to the net, center-lane drive. They've been building, but (there's) a little bit of slipping."

Albany's top line of Keith Aucoin, Ryan Bayda and Shane Willis turned it into a laugher quickly. Bayda's second of three goals gave the Rats the lead for good at 9:36 when quick passing found him open -- not wide-open like guys had been left in those other ugly losses, but just enough -- to beat Mike Mole.

Then the former locals got busy. Willis (Beast of New Haven) scored on a rush at 16:00, with Ben Guite (Bridgeport, 2001-02 and 2003-04) picking up the second assist; Guite scored on a breakaway off Matt Murley's lead pass 2:08 later after Bridgeport got caught with four deep and Guite broke smartly.

It was 4-1, and you might -- just might, mind you -- have been able to argue Bridgeport had the better chances. The Sound Tigers trailed first because a dump-in hit something along the dashers and kicked into the crease as Michael Mole was going behind the net to play it; Rick Berry (minus-5, were he and Jeremy Colliton) and maybe Mole got a piece of Bayda's first try, but Bayda finished the second. Jeff Tambellini tied it through a screen from the right point on a power play, and Frans Nielsen ran the scoring streak to nine with the second assist.

Bayda finished the hat trick on a two-on-two when Aucoin found him wide right.

Willis made it a five-point night off the post and in 58 seconds into the third, and Johnny Boychuk scored on an extended power play to make it 7-1. Eric Boguniecki and Jamie Fraser (1st AHL) scored 79 seconds apart to finish it off.

(A fond welcome to readers who have wandered over here from print for the first time,
looking for details on this game. Please take a look around.)

To make it look all printy:

THREE STARS
1) SHANE WILLIS, ALBANY -- Five-point night, including two goals.
2) RYAN BAYDA, ALBANY -- Three goals.
3) KEITH AUCOIN, ALBANY -- The man can control a game.
UNSUNG HERO -- Ben Guite. 'Cause as we know well here, when is he not?
UP NEXT -- Friday at Albany, 7:05 p.m.
--MICHAEL FORNABAIO

Albany 4 1 2--7
Bridgeport 1 0 2--3

First Period --
1, Albany, Bayda 4 (Willis, Vernace), 2:02. 2, Bridgeport, Tambellini 17 (Boguniecki, Nielsen), 7:33 (pp). 3, Albany, Bayda 5 (Willis, Aucoin), 9:36. 4, Albany, Willis 12 (Angelidis, Guite), 16:00. 5, Albany, Guite 8 (Murley), 18:08. Penalties -- Love, Alb (tripping), 7:17; Murley, Alb (interference), 12:56.
Second Period -- 6, Albany, Bayda 6 (Aucoin, Willis), 5:37. Penalties -- Boguniecki, Bpt (interference), 2:17; Colliton, Bpt (hooking), 8:07; Boychuk, Alb, minor-major (cross-checking, fighting), 13:33; Nolan, Bpt, minor-major (slashing, fighting), 13:33; Comeau, Bpt (slashing), 15:47; McCormick, Alb (tripping), 18:36.
Third Period -- 7, Albany, Willis 13 (Aucoin, Bayda), :58. 8, Albany, Boychuk 7 (Estrada, Vernace), 5:00 (pp). 9, Bridgeport, Boguniecki 4 (Nielsen, Tambellini), 9:19. 10, Bridgeport, Fraser 1 (Nilsson, Regier), 10:38. Penalties -- Goulet, Bpt (tripping), 3:00; Berry, Bpt (roughing), 4:27; Nielsen, Bpt (roughing), 11:23; Angelidis, Alb, major (fighting), 11:55; Fata, Bpt, double minor-major (slashing, cross-checking, fighting), 11:55.

Shots on goal -- Albany 9-12-17--38. Bridgeport 12-6-5--23.
Power play opportunities -- Albany 1 of 8, Bridgeport 1 of 3.
Goaltenders -- Albany, Weiman 12-4-1 (23 shots-20 saves). Bridgeport, Mole 1-5-0 (38-31).
Attendance -- 2,827. Referee -- Hulshof. Linesmen -- Spannaus, Simeon.

And now on to your regularly scheduled bloggin':

11 Comments:

  • Wotton shouldn't be talking. He doesn't do anything anyways. He messes it all up anyways and he has only 1 goal to show for it. He should have never been named captain. Colliton works hard and should have the C. Also , Marshall needs to do more than just stand there during the games and let Ferras and Capuano do all the work. Either way, I think Marshall's going to be kicked. They need someone that will snap them into shape.... like Baseggio, or even Gunnery Seargent Hartman!!!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:46 AM  

  • Typical, dumb sounding comments from a losing team. If they honestly think that these guys are going to turn it around because they talked to them for 50 minutes then this organization is nuts. They need to make a move. Fire the coach. Sign a couple more ECHL All-Stars and demote the guys who suck (Rick Berry is on the first plane to Pensacola). Bench lines. Scratch top players for the next game when they make a mistake. Make this more like the Stirling days (AHL Stirling not NHL Stirling). I wish a stern talking too would work. It could solve all the worlds problems, but let's be serious. It doesn't work like that.

    By Blogger OneTigerFan, at 1:55 AM  

  • How about Regier actually does what he says he's going to do for once.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:54 AM  

  • It's like I said a month ago. Regier is terrible. How can you not score once in awhile while you are in front of the net. Marshall is gradually shaking this team down to youth team skill level and the playoffs couldn't be further out of site.

    It gets very tiring hearing the rah-rah squads cheering and being overly optimistic when we are clearly drowning. It's gotten to the point where only 8 people in section 105 stand up and clap when they come on the ice. Shouldn't that alone explain the feeling of the crowd?

    http://soundtigersource.blogspot.com/

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:02 PM  

  • That was the worst display of Sound Tiger hockey I ever witnessed in my life as a Bpt fan. I never once felt embarrassed wearing the colors of our team but after that loss I couldn't see anything to be proud of. I saw diehard faithfuls cheering for the Rats to hit double digits and even I was cheering for them at that point. It is time to dump some of our defensemen because you can't expect to win games when teams are moving the puck that easily down the ice. We need alot of things to say the least. But we need a hard-hitting SOB to toughen ourselves up.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:19 PM  

  • So it sounds like we're getting more of the same. Wow I'm really excited now. Welcome to last place folks because that's where this team is headed. What a shame considering the talent and prospects we have amongst the forwards. The "D" is just a joke. (nferr)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:25 PM  

  • Glad to see they didn't pull Mole. The team's problem is not goaltending.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:35 AM  

  • I felt so bad for Mole on Sunday. He had absolutly no back-up on the ice, and the idiots in attendance around me were just bashing him left and right. I know he is not without fault, but I wish people would consider that it is a team and its downfall can not land on one back-up temporary goalie. Although, I would almost like Mole to stay and Thompson to go south for the winter when Dubielewicz comes back soon. Any news on when that will be?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:22 PM  

  • if we still have Marshall on our next home game, I have request for those that yell. Go to the tunnel! he and the players can not hear you from the othner side of the arena or behind the glass. 110 cant here 100...etc..

    let the players know that they are doing bad as a team. Why clap? and then bad mouth here?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4:35 PM  

  • Marshall is pathetic. If he thinks an hour "talking to" is going to turn things around he is barking up the wrong tree. If the team is "so young" schedule more practices (morning, noon and night), more team building exercises, bench the mediocre players not pulling their weight for a game or two, get some heavy hitters in there instead of the ones that check themselves (I tink we all know who I'm talking about), get someone like Boguniecki to cover the net that can actually defend the net and not leave the goalie hanging in the wind. Baseggio did these things last sason and brought the team to playoff contention. Marshall shows no spark, no passion for the game and it is truly evident in the way he doesn't stick up for the team on crappy calls and doesn't do anything to spark moral on the bench when things get tough. Hail Mary's and "woulda-shoulda-couldas" don't get you anywhere...excuses get you in the unemployment line. But then, Marshall has his music career to fall back on doesn't he.

    By Blogger #1tigerfan, at 1:28 PM  

  • From the get-go, Marshall was and is completely unqualified for this position. The players are PROFESSIONALS and will not respect someone who has ZERO experience in their field (not even having Division 1 hockey behind him). He was a mistake from day one, but obviously knew what to whisper in Charles Wang's ear.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:18 PM  

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