Speed kills: Manchester postgame

Even when Manchester wasn’t getting shots on Kenny Reiter’s net in the first, it was spending time around his net. The first period was right in front of us in the press box. J.F. Berube had to stop two shots for about the first 17 minutes.

And by that time it was, hard to say it, pretty much over.

Berube’s best saves came in the third. The Sound Tigers came out conservatively to start the game, trying to slow the Monarchs down; nothing slowed them down. They got more aggressive, threw a few different forechecks at them. They still scored seven, took 43 shots.

“We came in with a game plan, and we weren’t able to execute it the way we would’ve liked,” Scott Pellerin said. “We got in penalty trouble early. That put a lot of stress, and they scored two goals (on power plays in the) first period.”

“Speed” was the word of the night, if not “penalties.” One kind of led to the other, I guess. The Monarchs had it tonight. Bridgeport, meanwhile, hasn’t scored at even strength in two games, hasn’t scored more than two since the last game of the winning streak.

There’s an assortment of turnover that may explain some of it, not that they’re willing to use it as an excuse.

…..

Bridgeport shortened the bench to pretty much 10 forwards for most of the second, but facing the three-in-three, it more or less rolled four in the third: Persson-Clark-Langlois intact, Martin-Broda-Pistilli, Quine-Mangene-Johnson, and the old familiar Gallant-Langkow-Vaughan.

The Sound Tigers’ worst loss in three years and two days. Justin Johnson almost scored a goal in both, nearly beating Berube inside the left post in the third, but not quite. (Although then this wouldn’t have been the worst loss in… never mind.)

Guy Leboeuf’s debut: “He stepped right into the fire here,” Pellerin said. “He did a lot of good things. A lot of good first passes.” Had to be a quick study, going over systems before the game. “He made some good plays.”

Kevin Moore definitely got the loudest ovation from the friends-and-family waiting area after the game. A few of his pupils were in attendance.

Tough three-stars call. I think we voted before they changed the scoring on Brian O’Neill’s third goal — it had been Bodnarchuk’s — so Weal still had three assists to his credit when we did. It turned out to be a rare night when (a) a goalie got a shutout but didn’t get a star; and (2) a night when guy scores four points and isn’t No. 1. (I had Berube third, for what it’s worth; considered Weal, considered Reiter.) O’Neill took nine shots in all.

Prescout; a little drama in the PVD. Winner tomorrow wins the season series. I know, the excitement pulses.

Trivia answer, in order of non-appearance: Dan Lombard, Jim Sanca, Sebastien Laplante, Gregg Naumenko, Nick Boucher, Brett Abel, Leni DiCostanzo, Alex Petizian (who appears, or rather kind of doesn’t, in that 7-0 game three years ago), Nick Niedert, Nic Riopel, Dan Clarke. Kevin Moore becomes No. 12, unless something changes.

Nice to be back here, always. Was joking (and I think have joked here, now that I think about it) how it used to feel like I lived here. Lots has changed since then. Anyway. More tomorrow.

Michael Fornabaio