ALBANY, NY – Historically, the Albany Devils have not had much success at Webster Bank Arena. Entering the season, the Devils had only five wins in 31 tries. However, they are finding their groove on the road against the Sound Tigers. After a 5-2 win last week, Albany won again, claiming a 4-1 victory against Bridgeport Sunday.
Paul Thompson registered a goal and an assist and Marc-Andre Gragnani posted a pair of helpers. Graham Black, Rod Pelley and Raman Hrabarenka also found the back of the net.
Between the pipes, Yann Danis registered his 25th win of the season, extending his franchise-record winning streak to eight games. He made 17 stops to become just the second netminder in club history to win 25 decisions. He is three victories shy of tying Jeff Frazee, who had 28 during the 2008-09 campaign.
With an assist, Mike Sislo extended his point streak to 10 games, tying a franchise mark. Michael Swift accomplished the feat between Dec. 11 and Jan. 7 during the 2010-11 season. Sislo has nine goals and seven helpers during his current run.
The Devils jumped out to a 2-0 advantage during the first period. Ryan Kujawinski setup Black for a one-timer in front for his fifth goal of the season at 5:54. Pelley followed with a redirect on Gragnani’s point shot at 13:52. It was Pelley’s sixth on the year.
After Bridgeport’s Taylor Beck pulled the score within one 57 seconds into the second, Albany responded with back-to-back power-play goals. Thompson’s wrister from the left circle beat Bridgeport’s Stephon Williams at 5:32 of the third. He then setup Hrabarenka at the opposite side of the offensive zone at 8:16. Thompson has three goals and five assists in the seven games and Hrabarenka has two goals in four outings.
The win extends Albany’s point streak to eight games (7-0-1-0) and improved to 33-13-8-0. Bridgeport moved to 29-22-3-2.
• The Essentials
Shots: Albany 27, Bridgeport 17
Power Play: Albany 2-4, Bridgeport 1-5
Three Stars: 1. Paul Thompson (ALB), 2. Marc-Andre Gragnani (ALB), 3. Rod Pelley (ALB)
• Next Up
The Devils head to Canada for three straight games, beginning Tuesday with an 11 am outing against the first-place Toronto Marlies. The game will be streamed online at ahllive.com.
