Cough: Thanks, Jackie, for correcting the header…
I just finished reading Along the Cherry Lane, a memoir/oral-history-style book about the life and career of Milt Okun, as told to his son-in-law. Accord biases from there as you will, but it’s a fun read, and Okun’s had a remarkable career: producer, arranger, publisher, working with people like Harry Belafonte, Tom Paxton, Laura Nyro, the Chad Mitchell Trio, John Denver, Placido Domingo.
The story that stuck out most to me is of meeting Peter, Paul and Mary and being asked to cobble them into a cohesive group. You hear those harmonies on record now and you think, wow. But to read him tell how they did it… He’d said he’d have Peter Yarrow sing the melody, then he’d sit next to whoever was next, say, Mary Travers and sing her part into his ear. Keep doing it until she got it right. Then he’d move on to Noel Stookey and sing his part into his ear. And by the time he got it right, she’d be off again. And they’d start over.
That story came back to me on the drive home last night (single digits the whole way), and I kind of wonder in the back of my mind if that isn’t how the Bridgeport coaching staff feels some days.
(The book is totally worth a read if the music business or that type of music is of interest. It’ll be back at at least one local library in the next few weeks.)
Anyway. Very sorry to miss the last ride into Manchester — well, if Bridgeport should get into the playoffs, there’s a good chance it’d start in Manchester, but that’s a long ways away in more ways than one — where I spent a boatload of time in the early years of the franchises. As mentioned, I’m planning little retrospectives when those three teams come to Bridgeport for the last time.
The box should be here, and out in Hershey, that prescout box should be here. We’ll be listening to the legendary Ken Cail (audio link on Manchester’s site/pay-per-view) and following Alex Hall, Paul and @MonarchsHockey.
From the NHL, the history that Mark Arcobello has made this year.
More closer to gametime.
–R: Nicholson, Reneau. L: T.Whittemore, Stagnone.
Neat curiosity on that: Last night’s was Reneau/Whittemore, Stagnone. Not often you see the same crew, or even like tonight the same crew plus a second ref, in two different cities.
–Belatedly: Leggio vs. Bartosak today. Word from up there is that Bridgeport looks like:
BRIDGEPORT
F: Sivak-Mouillierat (A)-Langkow
Persson-Quine-Zolnierczyk (A)
Conacher-Sundstrom-Gillies
Courtnall-Stretch-Vaughan
D: Ness (C)-Reinhart
Pelech-Mayfield
Lashoff-Czuczman
G: Leggio
Poulin
–Manchester is a man short, according to the box.
–Teams trade too-many-men minors early on. Bridgeport’s power play did little. (Lashoff was in the spot Graham usually holds down, with, as last night, Conacher-Stretch-Zolnierczyk up front. Not sure if I mentioned last night with the internet issues, but Persson was in McDonald’s usual spot.)
–They’ve got 11 shots on goal for Bridgeport as it gets late in the period. Seems generous, not that it’s been a bad period at all.
–Lashoff starts a breakout late in the first period, it’s pushed up the left wing and put to Persson at the front, and he puts it under Bartosak for a 1-0 lead.
–Bridgeport leads 1-0 after one with a 15-10 shots edge on the board.
–I looked outside as the game was about to start, and it appeared it’d just started flurrying. There’s now a good dusting as the first intermission winds down. So it begins.
–Stretch trips Gravel 45 seconds into the second period in the offensive zone.
–Brian O’Neill, in the neighborhood of the league scoring lead, from the left circle off a defender up and past Leggio’s blocker to tie it 1:53 into the second. Sean Backman gets the second assist. Mersch takes down Zolnierczyk on the next shift, though.
–Manchester has quickly had two three-on-twos on this penalty kill but, fortunately for the Sound Tigers, hasn’t put a shot on goal.
–Three power plays have gone pretty much nowhere.
–Almost a minute five-on-three for the Monarchs. Reinhart kind of jumped on Richards’ back in front on the power play; called a cross-check. Time out, Manchester.
–Paul reports both Bridgeport coaches and Aaron Ness “giving it to the refs.”
–Puck goes in the net on the five-on-three but the whistle’d blown.
–Mersch gets one the second time, putting in a loose puck in front. 2-1 Manchester at 10:44 of the second.
–With Van der Gulik and Conacher off for Van der Gulik sitting on Conacher, Weal takes it around the Bridgeport zone at four-on-four and puts it past Leggio from the right circle for a 3-1 lead.
–That’s how the period ends. Manchester with a slight edge in shots, helped by the power plays I think. Goals at five-on-four, five-on-three and four-on-four for the Monarchs.
–Brent Thompson and, I think, ref Reneau have a chat before the third period starts.
–Bridgeport gets one back on a four-on-four. Mouillierat goes between his legs in front of the net to put away a pass from Conacher. It’s 3-2 with a bit over 15 minutes left.
–Almost the second what-the-heck bounce against Bridgeport in two nights. O’Neill’s rebound goes off the crossbar and lands on top of the net.
–Off the draw, Manchester makes it 4-2 as Sean Backman tips in Andrew Bodnarchuk’s shot straight off the faceoff. Richards beat, at least according to the plus/minus, Langkow on that draw, filling in for Stretch.
–A couple of decent chances on Bridgeport’s fourth PP but for naught. The power play since Ryan Pulock was injured is now operating at a tick under 18 percent.
–Lost the feed, but Twitter says Backman’s put his second of the night into an empty net to make it 5-2.
–Got it back in time to see Sabourin throw a bunch of lefts at Courtnall off the draw. That kind of day.
—Manchester 5, Bridgeport 2, final. Three losses in a row, 2-7-1-0 in the past 10 with those two wins in overtime.
–Bridgeport’s final count at Verizon Wireless Arena: eight wins (plus two in the 2003 playoffs), 18 regulation losses, two ties, two overtime losses and two shootout losses. Bridgeport was 0-5-2-0 in its last seven visits since a win to start 2012-13.
–As everybody gathered, Bridgeport was unhappy with that Griffin Reinhart call to set up the five-on-three. “Griff’s just clearing the front of the net,” Brent Thompson said. He was impressed with the first period: “We were physical, intense. Our one-on-one battles were good. We stuck to the game plan, that was the big thing in the first period.” The Monarchs strike on the power play; “I thought we were positionally sound; you’ve got to tip your hat to a guy for scoring a goal.” Goals on the five-on-three are going to happen, he figured; the penalty that set it up seemed to be the thing that most bothered him. “We’re in the game, still,” and then there’s a breakdown of coverage on the four-on-four.
But in general, he was happy with the competition against a good team. “I don’t think we executed well enough,” he said.
They’re on their way home. Hopefully everyone does all right with this storm. More tomorrow.