You know all those funny bounces at the Arena at Harbor Yard, the caroms off the home-runway door, the kicks off the stanchions?
Hartford can go ya one better .
It is like a bad Jordan-Bird commercial: off the stick, off the stanchion, off the goalie’s back, nothing but net.
You see it once in a while, but it’s still freaky when it happens.
Top it off with what Matt Keith insists, insists was a puck off his chest, not his hand — never got a good look at the replay to get a good opinion going — and they got bounced out of the Civic Center* tonight.
It was, at once, better than Friday and not good enough, but they still probably deserved better than a 5-2 loss.
BRIDGEPORT
F: Tambellini (A)-Smith-Jackman (A)
Regier-Bentivoglio-Okposo
Pitton-Colliton-Keith
Bourne/Morency
D: Fata-Ford
Fraser-Wotton (C)
Kohn-Spiller
HARTFORD
F: Moore (A)-Hossa-Parenteau
Byers-Anisimov-Jessiman
Bourret-Korpikoski-Dupont
(Graham-scratch)-Ouellette-Owens
D: Baranka-Taylor (A)
Potter-Hutchinson (C)
Pock-Sauer
Bridgeport’s actual lines from the start were, in order of appearance:
Tambellini-Smith-Jackman
Keith-Colliton-Okposo
Regier-Bentivoglio-Bourne
Pitton/Morency
They established themselves quickly: The first whistle didn’t happen until 15:11 remained in the first. The second whistle didn’t come until 7:35 remained. I thought the people behind me, politely waiting for a whistle to go to their seats, were going to riot. The goal was only the fifth or sixth whistle, I think, with 4:45 to go.
First Ian Croft game for Bridgeport. I’m sure Matt Keith looks forward to the second.
Mike Sillinger is done for the year. Bye, Frans. (With technical exceptions for Clear Day and maybe late in the season.)
Joe Jensen continued his hot streak as Albany won in overtime. Hershey came from three goals ahead to lose to Philly. Syracuse scored late and beat Wilkes-Barre. Justin Mapletoft led Binghamton in shots today. With two. So five points still separate second-through-sixth in the East. Bridgeport is three points out.
Brandon Nolan didn’t play tonight. Tom Rowe last night, courtesy of the Albany media and Phil Janack’s transcription, on the Ford hit on Nolan: “It was a good, clean hit. That kid’s an honest player. I’ve got no problem with him at all. He’s a hard-nosed defenseman, a big, strong kid. It was a good hit.” Nolan: “Technically, it was a clean hit, but it was a pretty vulnerable spot. He was coming pretty fast.” That was one of those hits that you get a feeling watching, that it might be bigger after the game, especially in a rivalry like this. Maybe, because it was so early, things cooled down just fine. Trevor Gillies for one obviously didn’t like it. One to go…
Interesting sighting in the game before the game: Lockout-year Sound Tiger Jason Sessa is playing for the NYPD team. He retired earlier this season to join the force, and he’s in the Academy right now.
David Desharnais set an ECHL record tonight; he has an assist in 18 games in a row.
*-Whatever. You know.