Sound Tigers Nip Wolf Pack, 3-1

Nathan Lawson made 28 saves Friday at the Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, as the Bridgeport Sound Tigers defeated the Wolf Pack, 3-1, despite being outshot by a margin of 29-17.

Bridgeport got goals from Jamie Fraser, Jesse Joensuu and Micheal Haley, and Ben Walter and Jeremy Colliton had two assists each. Artem Anisimov scored the Wolf Pack’s only goal, his team-leading 12th of the season.

Fraser opened the scoring for Bridgeport at 14:41 of the first period. After Wolf Pack goaltender Miika Wiikman had denied two tries from near the goal crease by Colliton, the puck came to Fraser at the left point and he shot it through a crowd and past Wiikman.

The Sound Tigers made it a 2-0 lead with 1:07 left in the period, as Joensuu beat Wiikman with a wrist shot to the glove side.

The Wolf Pack dominated the second period, outshooting Bridgeport 13-3, and they got on the scoreboard with Anisimov’s goal at 9:51. Set up by linemates Dale Weise and Justin Soryal, Anisimov cut in off left wing and beat Lawson with a snapshot to the glove side.

Hartford enjoyed an 8-4 shots advantage in the third frame, but the Sound Tigers scored the only goal, Haley’s first in 10 AHL games on the season, at 15:33. Jason Pitton dug the puck out of the right-wing corner and sent it to the front of the net, and Haley backhanded it past Wiikman from close range.

The loss was only the second in regulation for the Wolf Pack in the last eight games (5-2-0-1).