I’m trying something: The 3M line. (Where was this two days ago?)
They mine (in the corner for pucks). They manufacture (scoring chances for themselves, at optimum).
And Minnesota? Let’s not start.
Masi Marjamaki, (David) Masse, and Matt (Koalska, St. Paul’s own). They combined for four goals and nine points tonight. They helped put the game away, a remarkable 7-0 win at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Bridgeport’s first win in this barn since Game 4 of the 2004 East Division semifinals.
Add another M: Most lopsided win in team history. They’ve scored seven five times before, with one 7-1, a 7-2, two 7-3s and a 7-4.
And it was the first trip back since opening night. There’s a little in the story about coming back after that 8-1 debacle of a Bridgeport loss. Both teams have vastly different rosters, though, from that time, and the Penguins have a new coaching staff after theirs was promoted to the NHL. In fact, Saturday night, the Penguins had only one defenseman — captain and former Sound Tiger Alain Nasreddine — who played professionally in North America before this year.
But local cult hero Andy Chiodo was in goal. Guaranteed win, no? No.
Just 23 seconds in, Rob Collins wraps it around — trying to get it to Steve Regier at the right post — and banks it in. Four minutes later, Sean Bergenheim barrels to the net for the rebound of a Bruno Gervais shot off Collins’ setup, and it’s 2-0.
Now here’s where goaltending comes in handy in a 7-0 win. Frederic Cloutier was unconscious for the next six minutes. Out of his gourd. Stoned Stephen Dixon twice point-blank. Three saves on a penalty kill. Out of his gourd. The Pens were outshooting Bridgeport 10-5 midway through the first period.
And here’s the funny thing: Shots were 10-9 at the end. It wasn’t quite all Bridgeport from there, but after the period ended it certainly was.
There could have been a turning point after the midway point of the game. Daniel Carcillo was getting a penalty for tripping up Marjamaki, and then Erik Christensen knocked Koalska over from “behind” and got hit for cross-checking. Chiodo made six good stops on the two-minute five-on-three, and Ryan Stone blocked a few shots and a few passes. And then right after that, the Pens came down, and Carcillo had a good slapper from the slot. Had it gone in, the Penguins could easily have turned it on, gotten another, got back into it. But Cloutier stopped it and calmed everything down again. Masse scored with 7.4 seconds left, and 4-0 is a lot tougher than 3-1.
LINEUPS
BRIDGEPORT
F: Bergenheim-Colliton-Nilsson
Tunik-Brigley-Regier
Marjamaki-Koalska-Masse
Smith (A)/Collins
D: Caldwell-Karpa (A)
Rourke (A)-Gervais
Bouchard-Jarrett
WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON
F: Carcillo-Christensen-Filewich
Hussey (A)-Fata-Corupe
Mihaly-Stone-Dixon
McLean/Bonvie (A)
D: Nasreddine (C)-Lannon
Welch-Bissonnette
Schneider-Fernholm
This might take some digging, but I think this was the earliest game-winning goal in a BST game. That Blaine Down goal in 2004 was at :30 of the first, the 1-0 game against Albany, when the then-biggest crowd in team history was still coming in.
Cody Rudkowsky might have gone again after his strong Friday-night game, except he hurt a knee; sounds like a strain, but the way this season has gone, I’m gonna leave it at “sounds like.” There was talk Rudkowsky could miss the ECHL All-Star Game. He did back up Saturday, though.
Vince Macri was scratched with Gervais’ return.