Ragged heavens open up

Here’s the thing: For all that about the slow start, just check out that first shift.

Coupla forced turnovers. Picture-perfect cycle. Sure, nothing on net, but that Bentivoglio-Walter-Jackman line was fierce, right up until the time Hershey took the puck out of the zone and Jackman took it out on Josef Boumedienne.

“That’s what we want to do, a good first shift and give the team a little bit of a lift,” Walter said in an exclusive interview (because we went and stalked the autograph line after sending our story). “We really just want to get the puck down low, work in deep, work the D.”

And then he made a note: “It was a slow first five minutes, with all the fights.”

Yes, folks, violence is fun but has side effects. Anyway.

Morrison did a nice job throughout; the goals were a 2-on-0 low, and a one-on-three in the crease where the puck just bounced in. He looked good. He felt good. He made some key saves in big spots.

Good stuff on the rush for the first and third goals; Walter was happy about that, doing it against a team like Hershey. Tambellini laser-beams home the fourth goal at four-on-four.

Hey, 3-1. Not bad.

LINEUPS
BRIDGEPORT
F: Bentivoglio-Walter-Jackman (A)
Tambellini (A)-Nielsen-Colliton
Regier-Smith-Comeau
Morency/Brennan
D: Fata-A. MacDonald
Kohn-Spiller
Fraser-Wotton (C)

HERSHEY
F: Bourque (A)-Klepis-Clymer (A)
Potulny-Wilson-Barney
Laing (C)-Morgan-Gordon
Robitaille-Joudrey-(Beagle-scratch)
D: Sloan-Pollock
Boumedienne-Hunt
Pokulok-Collins

Three penalties (four minors, actually) drawn by Pascal Morency in his first game. Thought having him and Louis Robitaille in the same place might end the world. Or they’d agitate each other to death.

Luke Galvin wore the pin-on stripes for the first 13:47-plus. Ryan Fraser was apparently stuck in traffic. No word if Jamie gave his cousin the business for being late.

How come Garrett Timms isn’t in the “Born in Bridgeport” video?

Dale Purinton got 25 games from the AHL for a hit to the head Wednesday night. He’ll be out until after Christmas. (If anyone’s got video…)

David Desharnais signed with Hamilton.

Today would be Dave Guard’s 73rd birthday, hence the header. “We’re bound for better weather.”

Michael Fornabaio