Springfield postgame: I mean, come on

Seriously.

“We had a couple of mistakes on the penalty kill that cost us,” Scott Pellerin said. “It’s going to happen in a game. We had some other opportunities to finish, to get two points; 5.4 seconds away from getting a point? Come on.”

No way: That’s what I said.

He’s frustrated, and it’s hard to blame him. Not sure we can hammer this point too hard: It’s not a knock on the players here to say this team has been bled dry. They’re playing new roles. They’re playing against players that have more experience than their whole team, and talk about shiny prospects all you’d like, it’s not easy to win in this league without experience*. They’re behind the 8-ball to start. And they’ve hung in.

They’re adjusting (“the pace of play,” said Justin Hickman, who scored from the slot off a few nice plays to get the puck to him; “the speed of the game. It’s a lot different than junior, the backpressure”). They’re working. Springfield was worried about a letdown after an emotional game Saturday against Hershey, and Super Duper Foam Party left less-than-ideal ice conditions (but kudos to Cliff and staff for just getting it playable), which may’ve helped slow down a really good Falcons team (which may’ve rested a couple of guys, but still).

That Falcons team picked up its pace in the third, put 17 shots on goal and finally got the last one to go.

…..

No immediate moves apparent after the game. Stockton’s playoff series doesn’t start until Friday. The Big Club wrapped up tonight with a shootout win in Buffalo that included Justin Johnson’s knockdown of John Scott in his first NHL fight and holy cro. (Freeze Frame Fun at :39.) It seemed to be the talk of both dressing rooms here. There was also Gallant-Konopka and Mayfield-Deslauriers. (Those posted by @IslesEnforcers.)

Adirondack won, so Bridgeport falls to 29th overall, two points and a tiebreaker ahead of Portland with a game in hand it’ll burn Monday night.

Micheal Haley won’t be playing Saturday against Bridgeport.

A very neat Jonathan Bombulie piece on the upcoming 10th anniversary of Konstantin Koltsov’s goal in Game 7 of the 2004 playoff series. He was kind enough to ask my recollections, too. (I lean toward the Nasreddine trade as the on-ice turning point of the franchise, myself.)

And they held a moment of silence before the game for two young people we miss already, Jack Title and Emily Yish.

*-Hey, why not: Ryan Craig, who drew the penalty that led to and assisted on the winning goal, came into the season with 648 games toward the veteran rule (NHL/AHL). Bridgeport’s 18 skaters came in with a combined 379. And only six skaters had any. And that includes Alan Quine’s three and Andrey Pedan’s eight.

Michael Fornabaio