Czuczman, all-stars: Tuesday early notes

Only one change to the Bridgeport lineup this morning: Kevin Czuczman, wearing No. 24 on his helmet, joined the defense after the Islanders sent him down.

“He adds, to me, a top-end defenseman, big, mobile, physical,” said Brent Thompson, who coached him at the end of last season on the Island. “He can really do a lot of different things.”

Things otherwise looked the same, right down to the occasional mix-and-match of defense pairs. Same lines as they await the Islanders’ final decisions this afternoon.

“Right now, work ethic’s key for us. We’re going to be a work in progress as far as structure, refining,” Thompson said. “Special teams, we touched on it a little, and we’re going to work on it every day from here on out. It’s a big challenge this weekend, the Calder Cup finalists coming into our building.”

(Appears those IceCaps bring Peter Budaj, too, though Mike Cornell was let go today.)

The All-Star Game is going to Utica, Jan. 25-26.

Probably more later, not least because I know I’m forgetting a link.

Michael Fornabaio