Break time

Odd game. Seems like a decent start: no shots on goal. Seems like Bridgeport’s doing OK: down 1-0. Seems like it’s doing fine, getting chances: down 2-0.

Scott Pellerin was a little concerned about the body language as things went against them, dealing with the frustration. He was concerned about the 60-minute consistency. He was concerned about capitalizing on chances. “Once we got that first goal, the energy changed, the momentum changed,” he said.

They had chances to tie it, pretty much from right after they gave up the first goal on a bounce. They never did.

They’re 3-1-1-1 in the past six, which is a lot better than the previous eight, though this obviously isn’t how you want to hit the break. “Tonight I thought we did a lot of good things,” Brandon DeFazio said.

“It was a little too late.”

….

How glad was DeFazio to get back? “It seemed like forever,” he said. Speaking of breaks, those two and a half weeks, “it felt like I was back in college.”

Brett Gallant pummeled Zack FitzGerald twice, if you’re into that sorta thing and will seek out the video moments from now. Impressed that FitzGerald is still connected with his senses.

Pellerin said no personnel moves planned over the break.

Prescout. Seeing a lot of them next week.

Isles draft pick Ville Pokka is on Finland’s WJC roster.

Elsewhere internationally, Kurtis McLean and onetime Beast of New Haven Byron Ritchie are in some lockout-enhanced company for the Spengler Cup this year. The tourney also includes Greg Mauldin’s (and long-ago Ranger/Wolf Packer Christian Dube’s) Fribourg-Gotteron team and the Adler Mannheim team of Ken Magowan and Stratford’s Jaime Sifers.

Neat bit from Jonathan: WBS Pens assistant equipment manager Josh Richards has turned pro.

Keith Aucoin keeps climbing the ladder.

And Michael Cignoli noticed that Terry Murray, Kjell Samuelsson and Riley Cote were wearing green ribbons at the Phantoms bench. A beautiful, painful, emotional night around here, for all involved, I think.

….

The team goes on break; some guys will get out of town, others will hang out, still others will split the difference and take a short trip nearby.

Get in the mood with Stan Rogers and the Enchanters. (I apologize in advance for the latter.) If they don’t do anything wacky the next couple of days, we’ll leave it at that until Wednesday.

May it be peaceful. Merry Christmas.

Michael Fornabaio

Break time

Odd game. Seems like a decent start: no shots on goal. Seems like Bridgeport’s doing OK: down 1-0. Seems like it’s doing fine, getting chances: down 2-0.

Scott Pellerin was a little concerned about the body language as things went against them, dealing with the frustration. He was concerned about the 60-minute consistency. He was concerned about capitalizing on chances. “Once we got that first goal, the energy changed, the momentum changed,” he said.

They had chances to tie it, pretty much from right after they gave up the first goal on a bounce. They never did.

They’re 3-1-1-1 in the past six, which is a lot better than the previous eight, though this obviously isn’t how you want to hit the break. “Tonight I thought we did a lot of good things,” Brandon DeFazio said.

“It was a little too late.”

….

How glad was DeFazio to get back? “It seemed like forever,” he said. Speaking of breaks, those two and a half weeks, “it felt like I was back in college.”

Brett Gallant pummeled Zack FitzGerald twice, if you’re into that sorta thing and will seek out the video moments from now. Impressed that FitzGerald is still connected with his senses.

Pellerin said no personnel moves planned over the break.

Prescout. Seeing a lot of them next week.

Isles draft pick Ville Pokka is on Finland’s WJC roster.

Elsewhere internationally, Kurtis McLean and onetime Beast of New Haven Byron Ritchie are in some lockout-enhanced company for the Spengler Cup this year. The tourney also includes Greg Mauldin’s (and long-ago Ranger/Wolf Packer Christian Dube’s) Fribourg-Gotteron team and the Adler Mannheim team of Ken Magowan and Stratford’s Jaime Sifers.

Neat bit from Jonathan: WBS Pens assistant equipment manager Josh Richards has turned pro.

Keith Aucoin keeps climbing the ladder.

And Michael Cignoli noticed that Terry Murray, Kjell Samuelsson and Riley Cote were wearing green ribbons at the Phantoms bench. A beautiful, painful, emotional night around here, for all involved, I think.

….

The team goes on break; some guys will get out of town, others will hang out, still others will split the difference and take a short trip nearby.

Get in the mood with Stan Rogers and the Enchanters. (I apologize in advance for the latter.) If they don’t do anything wacky the next couple of days, we’ll leave it at that until Wednesday.

May it be peaceful. Merry Christmas.

Michael Fornabaio