After missing the playoffs for the second straight season, the 2018-19 Bridgeport Sound Tigers came into their season with a lot of new faces, and many returning to Webster Bank Arena as the Sound Tigers also joined the Lou Lamoriello era of the Islanders. Chris Lamoriello took over as Assistant General Manager and General Manager of the Sound Tigers, while the coaching staff remained the same.

Familiar Names in New Places

With the new front office, Lamoriello added a slew of veterans to join the mostly returning roster. Former AHL All-Stars Matt Lorito, Mike Sislo, goaltender Jeremy Smith, and future AHL Hall of Famer Chris Bourque all joined the Sound Tigers, with Bourque being reunited with his brother Ryan for the second time in their career. Joining them in Bridgeport were a lot of returning faces. Steve Bernier, Josh Ho-Sang, Tanner Fritz, Devon Toews, Connor Jones, Sebastian Aho, Christopher Gibson, and co-captains Ben Holmstrom and Kyle Burroughs, were just some of the players returning to Webster Bank Arena.

The Sound Tigers were determined to have a better season in 2018-19 than the past two seasons. With a very solid crew assembled, the team would have speed bumps. Matt Lorito missed the entire first half of the season with an injury, while Devon Toews earned a full-time NHL job at the new year.

A Fantastic Season

The Bridgeport Sound Tigers finally had a consistent balance of defense, offense, and solid goaltending. After the first month, The Sound Tigers sat at .500, but finally turned it on and ended 2018 with a record of 21-9-5 and second place in the Atlantic Division. At the All-Star Break, they cooled off a lot as they only won three games in January.

Bridgeport still was in the playoff hunt and as they hit February, Matt Lorito officially joined the team, as did Stephen Gionta from the Islanders. The Sound Tigers had a ten-game point streak from February 9 all the way through March 6. The Sound Tigers had a season-changing win in Toronto, on NHL Network where Otto Koivula won the game with the “Forsberg” move, just after future teammate Dmytro Timashov pulled a “Kucherov” move on Jeremy Smith. At the end of the season, the Sound Tigers knew they were going to the playoffs, and as April hit, the team acquired three NCAA players on Amateur tryouts (ATO). Grant Hutton (Miami (OH)) and Bobo Carpenter (Boston University) both signed deals with the Islanders after being undrafted free agents out of college, while top prospect Oliver Wahlstrom departed Boston College early to sign his entry-level contract with the Islanders and an ATO for the rest of the year in Bridgeport.

Before the season could end, on April 6, the Sound Tigers beat Providence to clinch a playoff spot and then clinched home ice for the first time since 2012. In the playoffs, the Sound Tigers were only separated by one point to the three-seed, Hershey Bears, who they would meet for the second time in the two teams’ playoff history. The Sound Tigers finished with a record of 43-24-6-3, good for 94 points and is the fourth-best season all-time in the team’s history.

The Playoffs

The Bridgeport Sound Tigers had not won a game in the playoffs since April 18, 2010, at home against Hershey. Nine years and one day later, the Sound Tigers hosted Hershey in the first game of the first round. The first period was quiet, but Chris McCarthy and Jayson Megna put the Bears up 2-0 in the second period, while Kieffer Bellows made it a one-goal game about a minute after Megna scored.

Down by one, Bridgeport needed to score, and they did as Steve Bernier tied it up with 2:07 left in the third. That would be the last goal scored until the second overtime, the first for the Sound Tigers in 17 years. At 13:00, Hershey’s Mike Sgarbossa took a tripping penalty and Bridgeport’s power-play, which had been 2/7 on the game, set up, and Kieffer Bellows posted up in the slot and took a pass from Oliver Wahlstrom and won the game for the Sound Tigers, giving them their first playoff victory in a game in nine years and cemented itself as one of the biggest goals in team history.

The next day at Webster Bank Arena, Bridgeport came out very tired, couldn’t convert, and were shut out 2-0 as Vanacek out-performed Jeremy Smith in goal. Bridgeport was without Travis St. Denis who was suspended for boarding former Bridgeport Captain Aaron Ness in Game One.

Returning to Hershey

Game three was in Hershey, and Ilya Samsonov was back and got the start for the Bears. Chris Gibson was back in goal for Bridgeport. Liam O’Brien opened it up, but  Josh Ho-Sang immediately answered for the Sound Tigers. It was tied all the way until the third, where Hershey again took the lead and won 2-1 and took a 2-1 series lead.

Game four began just like the third game as Hershey took a 1-0 lead. Stephen Gionta tied it up, the game wasn’t tied for long as Jayson Megna put home a shorthanded goal to give the Bears a 2-1 lead headed into the third. As the third began, Oliver Wahlstrom answered and tied the game up at two. For the second time in the playoffs, Bridgeport and Hershey headed to overtime, and it wouldn’t take long as Matt Lorito ripped a shot past Vanecek, sending both teams back the Bridgeport for a decisive fifth game.

Game Five

Game five would be the first win-or-go-home game in Sound Tigers history since game seven back in 2006, and Bridgeport also looked for its first playoff series win in 16 years, dating back to 2003 where they beat Manchester in the first round. Hershey decided to put Samsonov back in goal, even with Vanecek playing lights out throughout the series.

Back and forth action was the key to this game. Every team had a big chance but couldn’t capitalize. Early in the first, Matt Lorito scored his second straight goal and Bridgeport was up 1-0 after one. Steve Whitney responded early in the second for the Bears and tied it at one, but six minutes later, Bellows and Wahlstrom connected for a Wahlstrom goal, his second of the playoffs. Before the period ended, Riley Barber potted his second of the series to tie the game at two.

After no scoring in the third period, it resulted in the third overtime session between the two teams. A lot of chances came up for both teams but then a turnover in the middle of the ice gave the puck to Garret Pilon, son of former Islander Rich. Pilon found Brian Pinho who would split through Grant Hutton and Mitchell Vande Sompel and as he released a shot, his stick hit Hutton’s causing the puck to slow down and evaded past Chris Gibson through the five-hole, and Hershey was headed to the second round against Charlotte, while Bridgeport lost their eighth straight playoff series.

For many fans, they were disappointed. For some fans, they had never seen a playoff series win. It was a sad finish to a fantastic season, but who would return to Bridgeport in 2019-20? The 2018-19 Sound Tigers season was definitely one to remember.

Christian Gardecki

A Native of Danbury, CT. Christian is one of the longest tenured Drive4Five writers, Christian Gardecki began writing for Drive4five In May of 2017. Christian covers Minor League Hockey and the Bridgeport Islanders for Drive4Five. Outside of Drive4Five, Christian was the captain of his High School Hockey team and currently attends Hofstra University with a major in journalism. Christian was the play by play broadcaster for the Danbury Westerners summer collegiate baseball team during their 2021 NECBL Championship. Christian also was the Public Address Announcer for the Danbury Hat Tricks Minor Pro Hockey team in the Federal Prospects Hockey League and NAHL Junior team from 2019-21.