We are eight days shy of the 10th anniversary — seriously? How the heck — of the seven-second-delay game, in which Greg Cronin let loose on a Wes McCauley no-goal call in his postgame interview, complete with visual aids (the game film).
Brent Thompson didn’t break out video on us for this one, so it’s not going to be quite as memorable. But he was… irate. Furious. A chair may have feared for its life.
And it all comes back to something we’ve been talking about awhile.
“Our … (penalty) killers are getting bagged every night,” Thompson said. “It’s not structure. It’s not … anything. It’s willingness to do the right thing.”
It’s facing too many, too soon — though, really, if the league’s top-ranked power play pops one in early on the league’s 28th-ranked PK, is this game different? Who knows — constantly. They’re adding up. They’ve faced over six a night in this 11-game dip, which followed a 14-game surge in which they’d faced closer to four and a half.
The number was eight tonight, officially, with Brett Gallant’s battles with Pierre-Luc Leblond and Bobby Farnham leaving the Sound Tigers short for the last 16 seconds (and Gallant seven PIM short of Eric Godard). So call it seven. They allowed two power-play goals — and Derrick Pouliot’s is both pretty and kind of inexcusable at the same time — but really, with Tom Kostopoulos’ deflection coming as Peter Sivak’s stepping out of the box serving Kevin Poulin’s minor, three.
Even game, 1-1, at even strength (though not by the Corsis and Fenwicks and what have you, where my loose count had Bridgeport up 25-13 and 19-12, respectively, through two periods, then again in the third). Not so at special teams.
It’s a … problem.
……
There are games where you look at these power plays and go yeesh come on let ’em play a bit. Hard to get on ref Darcy Burchell, who may’ve let some stuff go.
Peter Sivak (59) serving for Kevin Poulin (60) is a heck of a number combination.
Sebastian Collberg has a couple of goals at this writing for Stockton tonight in Colorado. It’s 6-5 at this writing, so everyone may have two goals. West Haven’s Mike Pereira, just recently off IR, got his first for the Thunder to open it all. (He had a goal for Worcester last year on his ATO, so not his first pro goal.)
Prescout. They’re off tomorrow night, too, after playing Thursday night (and beating Albany). In contrast to this game, Hartford-Worcester combined for just four power plays all night. Until a minor with 5:40 to go, Evgeny Romasko and Olivier Gouin had Bingo: one minor each period.
Norfolk had Ilya Bryzgalov and Dany Heatley tonight. Unfortunately for them, Springfield has fulfilled its loss quota for the week. Bryzgalov made 32 saves.
Far afield, when unintentional comedy runs into unintentional (artistic) tragedy.
As far as I know, the team doesn’t have ice tomorrow, so we’ll be watching the Big Club’s roster situation. Otherwise, more Sunday, most likely.