You make your own breaks, or something like that, right? Here’s another one of those annoying hypothetical nights where you wonder what would have happened if Bridgeport had popped another one of its scoring chances in early, if it was 3-0 instead of 2-0. Or if Francois St. Laurent called things differently (he had his moments, good and less good, tonight; didn’t think he was the difference). One early break makes up for one late break the other way.
Fact is, Bridgeport didn’t draw another penalty after it took the 2-0 lead on the power play. It had a 10-8 shots lead at that point and got outshot 25-11 the rest of the night. Joey MacDonald stops a penalty shot (not sure about the stick-throw part, but it didn’t matter in the end), but Lowell scores off the draw two minutes later.
Just a random thought: My mumbling, under-the-breath commentary tonight included a lot of “nice play… not so nice.” Take the puck away; lose it back. Get into the zone; get knocked off the puck. Knock the puck away from the opposing player; lose the check.
You know, good start, no finish. Which, in a way, sums up the night.
LINEUPS
BRIDGEPORT
F: Bentivoglio-Walter-Jackman (A)
Tambellini (A)-Nielsen-Colliton
Comeau-Smith-Regier
Brennan/Morency
D: Fata-A. MacDonald
Spiller-Fraser
Kohn-Wotton (C)
LOWELL
F: Mike Pandolfo-Vrana-Marshall (A)
Clarke (A)-Viuhkola-Gionta
Khomutov-Mondou-Bergfors
Ryznar-(Mark Pandolfo-scratch)-Davis
D: Fraser (A) – Magnan-Grenier
Malmivaara – Grand-Pierre
Ruggeri-Moran
(That’s a lot of hyphens. Grand-Pierre has both halves on his back — while knowing nothing about the name, I have a feeling they’re integral — while the other fellow just has “Magnan.” By the way, neither Pandolfo has anything preceding his surname on the back.)
A bit of breaking news: Joe Rullier is coming in on a PTO. He was actually in the house tonight and is expected to skate tomorrow. He was last in camp with Wilkes-Barre. With Bootland and Aaron Johnson sticking up top, Bridgeport had three veteran spots to play with.
Phoenix sent David Aebischer and Freddy Meyer to San Antonio. All the Rangers’ reporters blogs have Thomas Pock on waivers.
Heard from Garry McKay up in Hamilton that Joel Bouchard is signing a PTO there.
Here’s why Ryan Stone was out Saturday night for the Penguins.
Announced attendance: 876. In-house: less than half that. Wouldn’t want to have to sell this game. “Really hate baseball? Let’s go!” (Not that I could sell any other game, either.) I voluntarily went to a hockey game once while my baseball team was playing a playoff game; NHL, with the tickets already bought, so the cost was a bit higher. Plus, the baseball game was an early-afternoon start, and the NHL game was a mid-afternoon start. Unfortunately, the baseball game wasn’t over by the time the hockey game started. Fortunately, it also wasn’t over by the time the hockey game was over. My dad, my brother and I got in the car, sat in traffic, and almost jumped on top of each other in the car when the game ended the way it did.*
*-To place it: It ended with a home run. Kind of.