The Islanders announced this morning that they’ve reassigned Kirill Petrov back to Ak Bars Kazan, whence he came. That retains his rights, and as Arthur Staple noted, that leaves open the possibility he could return to North America after his KHL season ends.
Without him, the Sound Tigers will try to stave off a little unhappy franchise history, albeit a weird little piece of it. When Hartford went 9-1 against the Sound Tigers in 2006-07, five of those wins were here (the first in a shootout), and it won the first game here the next season, too. Those six games made up the longest home unbeaten streak for an opponent in Bridgeport in Sound Tigers history. Last night, the Pirates matched that, albeit with their second parent club during the streak. Since Jan. 11 of last year, Bridgeport is 0-5-1-0 in the past six against Portland at Webster Bank Arena.
(Hershey has won its past five visits, including that shootout win here a week ago.)
More immediately, the Sound Tigers are winless in four against anybody anywhere. Portland, with Jonathan Racine injured last night, called up Josh Brown from Manchester (ECHL), which still feels weird to type. He’ll make his AHL debut tonight. Dave Bolland is also out for the Pirates (injured, notes Jeff Mannix), so Wayne Simpson gets in. Bridgeport looked unchanged from last night except for the goaltender, including Matt Finn on as the apparent last scratch.
BRIDGEPORT
F: Whitney-Kearns-Halmo (A)
Vaive-Wright-Beck
Florek-B.Holmstrom (C)-Collberg
Gomes-Root-J.Holmstrom
D: Pelech-Mayfield
Czuczman-Pulock
Carkner (A)-Graham
(Finn-scratch)
G: Gibson
Williams
PORTLAND
F: McFarland-Schremp-Balisy
Rau-Olson-Harper
Wilson (A)-McKegg-Simpson
Turgeon-Megan-Flick
D: Matheson-Regner (C)
Gaunce (A)-Brown
Acolatse-Weegar
G: McKenna
Brittain
R: Binda, South. L: Dussureault, Simeon.
Bridgeport scratches (believed healthy unless noted): Johnston (lower body), Quine (lower body), Jones (lower body), Leduc, apparently Finn.
Think this is the first game in Bridgeport for linesman Francois Dussureault. He had the Sound Tigers’ game in Utica last month.