BRIDGEPORT, CT – Nathan Perkovich’s second goal in as many nights and a 28-save performance from Mike McKenna propelled the Lowell Devils to a 3-2 victory over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Sunday afternoon at The Arena at Harbor Yard. For the Devils, the win marks their second in a row against the Sound Tigers, who have dropped five straight. With the crowd still filing into their seats, Lowell would notch the opening goal for the fourth consecutive game. Just 1:39 into the first period, and with Trevor Kell setting a screen in front of Sound Tigers goalie Scott Munroe, defenseman Matt Corrente fired a shot from inside the blue line that found its way to the back of the net for his second goal of the weekend. Bridgeport was able to tilt the ice in their favor later in the period, tying the game on Greg Mauldin’s team-leading 7th tally of the season. The Sound Tigers threatened to take the lead during their only power play of the first frame, but McKenna robbed Jesse Joensuu on a breakaway to keep the game tied heading into the break. After scoring early to start the first period, the Devils would strike quickly in the second as well. While skating on the power-play 58 seconds into the period, Perkovich drove home the rebound off a Ben Walter shot to give the lead back to the Devils. Lowell continued to exert control in the period and would make it 3-1 with their second power-play goal of the stanza at 17:58. Nick Palmieri dumped the puck into the attacking zone, where it took a funny hop off the glass and right to Michael Swift, who deposited it past a sprawling Munroe. The Devils outshot the Sound Tigers 16-5 in the period, aided by a five-minute boarding major assessed to Bridgeport’s Andrew MacDonald. Neither team was able to capitalize on a pair of man-advantages in the third period, and the Devils retained their two-goal cushion until the 19:28 mark, when Bridgeport’s Trevor Smith snuck one past McKenna with the extra attacker on. The Sound Tigers would get no closer, and McKenna would finish with 28 saves in picking up his fifth win of the season. The Devils once again used a balanced attack in the victory, with eight different players recording a point. Matt Corrente finished with his second multi-point night of the weekend and has now earned at least one point in three straight games (2g-3a-5pts). Lowell was perfect on the penalty kill, stopping all three Bridgeport power plays and have killed off nine of their last ten shorthanded situations. With the win, the Devils leapfrog the idle Hartford Wolf Pack into a three-way tie for second place in the Atlantic Division with the Worcester Sharks and Springfield Falcons. The Devils will look to overtake the Sharks this Wednesday when they travel to Worcester for a Veteran’s Day matinee at 1:00 p.m. Listen to all the Devils action live on WWZN-1510 AM or online at www.ahllive.com. – devils – |
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