…well, they sure weren’t beating them on the ice, not today, not the way they came out. “We didn’t come out with that jump we have been coming out with,” Mike Iggulden said. “It just took us a while for our legs to get going.” No start turned into a rough finish.
No Mitch Fritz. Capuano’s thoughts on that are in the gamer. But when you look down a Norfolk lineup with Brent Henley (6-6, 258, onetime BST tryout), with Jay Rosehill (6-3, 215), with Zenon Konopka (6-1, 213, captain intensity, and oh, if he’d only signed with the Islanders), with Chris Lawrence (6-4, 217), and you mix in a 6-1 score (OK, 6-3 score), what do you get? Apparently, you get the first pro career fighting majors for Tyler Haskins and Sean Bentivoglio, that’s what you get.
“I guess they have a few physical players. They like to play that game,” Iggulden said. “We showed a lot of character. It kind of brought the team together a bit.”
You hear “bringing the team together” around here, and you may think of Feb. 1, 2002, at Springfield, the debacle of a 7-1 loss and the goalies fighting for the heck of it. That game turned Bridgeport’s season around. Don’t think this one will be remembered quite so long.
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Norfolk’s power play scored on its first three chances. “We made some key mistakes on the PK, for sure,” Capuano said. “I don’t know if a little bit of fatigue set in on us.” Packard and Morency were out to kill the last minor.
The first Sound Tigers goal is likely to be changed to Andrew MacDonald, taking away Trevor Smith’s three-point night. It did appear to go through cleanly.
Second time the Sound Tigers have reinserted the starting goalie after making a change. The first was opening night, ’06-07, when Frederic L’Ecuyer wouldn’t let Wade Dubielewicz take care of an equipment issue; Billy Thompson came in for 35 seconds. Lawson was in a little longer — but just a little; they’re seeking a backup goalie for tomorrow. (Get your resumes in quickly. If you’re thinking Mike Mole, well, that wasn’t the immediate talk. The Utes are in Idaho tonight (losing 4-1 at this writing), and I can’t imagine the logistics of getting someone and his gear from Boise to Boston by 2-ish are much fun. If you can sneak back to Salt Lake for the redeye in the next two hours, there’s a chance. Otherwise?)
Prescout. It’s a bit more interesting from the other side after Colton Fretter finished a hat trick during a Anssi Salmela’s hitting-from-behind major. Buffalo meanwhile recalled Nathan Gerbe, one of the two rookies Jesse Joensuu is chasing on the goals list. (The leader is Hershey’s Oskar Osala, if you were wondering. And if you’d been wondering, as was I, about the other part: OH-sa-la.)
The Rangers called for Corey Potter, the first move they have had to make after playing the first quarter with six and only six defensemen. And the Islanders can’t keep ’em healthy.
Hershey lost another defenseman. Didn’t matter, of course. They could dress the Junior Bears right about now.
Jaime Sifers is back down with the Marlies without getting into an NHL game.
Nothing for Chelios tonight. Aw.