Broken chocolate: Hershey postgame

Shooting gallery in the third. #scoreeffects, maybe part of it. But Bridgeport was all over the Bears in the third period. (Brent Thompson disagrees: “For three periods, we were all over them.”)

They were this close to taking a lead a few times. Hershey went 10 minutes between shots, by which time the game was tied. The Sound Tigers had a shift that kept the Bears pinned for a bit.

Then, snap. (That’s either Adam Pelech’s stick breaking, the spell that Bridgeport had keeping the ice tilted, or both.) Hershey came down, set up, scored, got another after Christopher Gibson went out and played the puck off a Bears stick into the slot, game.

The first 10 minutes of the second, maybe, were a little sloppy, getting in and out, letting the Bears dictate a little more. Most of the other 50 minutes were pretty good for the Sound Tigers. Thompson didn’t like a few breakdowns in the D-zone, giving Hershey open shots from the point on a couple of those goals.

“It’s the whole season we’re looking at, how the season’s going to end,” Thompson said. “There are things we need to clean up, but this gives us a sense, this and (Sunday’s OT win vs. Utica), hey, we were right there with some of the top teams in the league. If we bury some of our chances, it’s a different ballgame.”

But instead it’s a win for Aaron Ness, whose thoughts on returning (to three stitches and a few more lost teeth) should be at that link eventually. He’s got a good little team for himself.

“We really do,” Ness said. “We’re starting to play the right way.”
…….

Carkner, indeed, healthy, a chance to get Leduc in (Thompson liked Leduc’s physical game today) and keep Carkner fresh. Carkner was up here behind me with John Vazzano.

From the story, Aaron Ness sits fourth in games played in team history. The rest of the top 10: Micheal Haley 247, Tomas Marcinko 243, Justin Mapletoft 240, Sean Bentivoglio 226, Rob Collins 220, Trevor Smith 214. So only Ness, Haley and Smith have ever returned as players. (Scott Mayfield is the leader on the current roster; today was 157.)

On the video board today during a stoppage, the handheld camera was out on the concourse as kids got, I think, sno cones or something. Not important: What was important was that they zoomed in on this one kid, who gave a look like “what the heck are you doing?” Right on, kid. I stand with you.

Cleaned up a couple of letters in the pregame post. Needed an initial on linesman Kevin Briganti. And Chris Bourque had an ‘A’ appear after warmup with Mike Moore scratched.

In response to a request: This makes 5-7-0-1 for Bridgeport in Cool Fun 101 games (they started 0-4-0-1), including a shootout win. Adding in 3-2 in Spring Fun 102 games, they’re 8-9-0-1 in home 11 a.m. starts. (Jamie Palatini would be mad if I didn’t point out that they were 6-0 in the morning during his two seasons.)

Mark Arcobello scored in Hartford this morning. I think that’s his first pro game in his native state, right? An assist, a fight and a misconduct for Justin Johnson, too.

The AHL announced a renewed officials development program with the NHL. The release says they’re now aiming for two refs for every game by 2019.

Tim Jackman, who cleared waivers yesterday, last night played his first AHL game since he was a Sound Tiger, seven years ago tomorrow.

And tough news on two NHLers at different ends of their careers: Connor McDavid’s out “months” with a broken collarbone. That stinks. Same with Chris Kelly, who broke a femur last night.

May not make tomorrow’s practice; if not, more Friday.

Michael Fornabaio