What a shift

That was the header idea after one period. It meant something entirely different then.

It’s funny, isn’t it? Last night, and after 20 minutes tonight, you’re doing the math to see when they can catch Hershey (which didn’t need a shootout to beat Hamilton). Now, you’re wondering how they’re going to regroup to play in 17 hours against a team that destroyed Springfield 10-1.

It was amazing at the start of the third to feel the electricity in the building.

There was none.

An announced 5,000 people (do your own math), and there was no buzz. Stunned disbelief, to steal from Gary Thorne.

What an amazing first two minutes. What a solid first 12 minutes. What an effective first 20 minutes.

What happened?

BRIDGEPORT
F: Tambellini (A)-Walter-Keith
Bentivoglio-Mosienko-Smith
MacArthur-Haskins-Fretter
Desrochers/K.Johnson
D: Fata (A)-Ford
Kohn-Sertich
Fraser-Wotton (C)

WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON
F: Stone (A)-Gove-Wallace
James-Smith (C)-Filewich
McLean-Brent (A)-Minard
(Bonvie-sadly-scratch)-Daoust-Johnson
D: Nasreddine-Lovejoy
Bissonnette-Engelland
Goligoski-Lannon

I’m not sure I’d have blown the whistle on the Wallace/Sertich hit. I could have understood if Jeff Smith did, but I’m not sure I blame him for not. It didn’t look life-threatening from way the heck up here. Plus, the fact that the Penguins have a three-on-one the other way, that shouldn’t enter into the decision… but maybe it does. I don’t know, I guess, is the long way around to it. Sertich had the shoulder problems the last time and had his arm braced up tonight afterward.

(I had Trevor, Nathan and Jeff Smith all referenced in the story tonight. Lots of checking for first names.)

Four goals for Chris Bourque in that Hershey game. Local angle the last time a Bear did it.

Only three teams in the league had Saturday off — Binghamton, Albany and Philly, all in the East. All three play Sunday, as do Bridgeport and Hershey, all against non-division opposition.

Brilliance in warmup. The teams skated out to find no pucks. Tambellini got someone to get the bucket; he dumped it and split the pucks up. Then, John Curry skated across the ice to the bench. Joey MacDonald was stretching there, on Bridgeport’s side. He faked that he was about to flip a puck at Curry, and then they had a little laugh, and MacDonald gave Curry a friendly swat on the pads with his stick. Good stuff.

Nice touch to bring Bonvie out for a curtain call.

Frans Nielsen returned with the go-ahead goal. It didn’t stay that way.

And finally: Who’s buying these?

Michael Fornabaio