Big win

Overall, a pretty solid game. “You can always improve,” Brent Thompson added after this 6-2 win, on his way out the door to Manchester. Defensively; handling the rush, perhaps.

There were moments when the Whale took it to Bridgeport. Early on, but as usual lately, the penalty kill helped slow that. Late, but by then, it was pretty much over, unless Wes O’Neill stepped out in a white sweater for his annual Black Friday heroics.

Bridgeport was short a few key players. Hartford was without probably its three best. “They’re a good hockey team no matter who they’ve got in there,” Thompson said. But Bridgeport got contributions up and down the lineup. The Sound Tigers were good on the forecheck, forced turnovers, pressured the Whale all over the ice. It all added up to something unusual so far this year. Bridgeport’s first nine wins included seven one-goal wins and two by one goal plus an empty-netter. The 10th was a four-goal game.

…..

Trevor Frischmon missed five games for Syracuse in 2009-10, three of them while on recall to Columbus. He hadn’t missed an AHL game since April 2, 2010, going for 102 in a row. Lower body, day-to-day, said Thompson, not going further. The coach said again that DiBenedetto will come along to Manchester and get a good test in the morning, and if all breaks right, he could play Sunday.

Good return for de Haan, with a goal and some good work defensively.

These jerseys would appear early on if this post were written today (#bst11thyear ?) I think they remind me of no one’s sweaters so much as theirs. (bonus New Haven reference!)

Tony Romano’s hockeyfights.com card before tonight.

Matt Donovan finished plus-4, which took him from minus-7 to dash-3.

Impressed that referee Jean Hebert took the time to talk to the goal judge on the Audy-Marchessault goal in the third period. Though apparently the goal judge (who’d never put the light on) didn’t change Hebert’s mind.

Looks like a crazy evening in Wilkes-Barre.

Michael Fornabaio