BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – Travis St. Denis scored twice and added an assist on Saturday, while Stephon Williams earned his first shutout of the season with a career-high 37 saves as the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (15-6-0-0) notched a 4-0 win over the Binghamton Senators (5-13-1-1) at Webster Bank Arena.
Tanner Fritz and Bracken Kearns also tallied a goal as the Sound Tigers won their fifth straight game at home and picked up their seventh win in the team’s last eight contests overall. In addition, Bridgeport improved to 2-0-0-0 against the Senators this season and 5-0-0-0 against North Division opponents.
It was Stephon Williams’ (3-6-0-0) second career AHL shutout and his first since November 7, 2015.
The Sound Tigers started the scoring at 11:30 of the first period when St. Denis notched his second goal in as many nights. Following a shot from the left circle and a mad scramble in front, St. Denis battled for space and found the back of the net with goaltender Matt O’Connor out of position. Andrew Rowe and Jesse Graham also received assists on the opening tally, which came on the Sound Tigers’ first shot of the game.
Just under three minutes later, Bridgeport doubled its lead on the power play. With Chad Nehring in the box for tripping, the Sound Tigers capitalized on the man advantage when Josh Ho-Sang hammered a shot on goal from the right circle, which O’Connor stopped but couldn’t glove down. With the rebound falling to the doorstep, Fritz skated to the loose puck and slid a shot past O’Connor’s pads to make it 2-0 at the 14:23 mark.
After a scoreless middle frame, Kearns made it 3-0 with his seventh goal of the season at 13:09 of the third. Graham created the attack with a heavy shot from the point that missed and bounced off the end wall, but Ho-Sang skated onto it and curled around to the left side from behind the cage. At the post, he directed a pass to the bottom of the right circle for Kearns, who blasted it past O’Connor’s glove.
With less than three minutes remaining, St. Denis made it 4-0 with a highlight-reel tally for his second goal of the night. Michael Dal Colle forced a pass to St. Denis on the right wing, who juked past the defense and flipped a shot top shelf over O’Connor’s glove at 17:14.
Bridgeport finished the game 1-for-3 on the power play and a perfect 5-for-5 on the penalty kill. O’Connor (2-7-1) stopped 24 shots in the loss.
The Sound Tigers were outshot by Binghamton, 37-28.