Points in 11: Lehigh Valley postgame

Jake Brenk goes the full Terry Koharski in this one in the last 10 minutes, as a stick rides up and catches Justin Vaive up high; tough to tell where, can’t tell whose, and I didn’t catch the stick the first time. Neither did Bob Rotruck, apparently, because he gives Brenk credit for a good no-call; don’t want to decide a one-goal game with a penalty like that.

Which becomes funny a second later, when Brenk calls Vaive for an unsportsmanlike minor. Because yeah, that’s the kind of penalty that should decide a one-goal game.

That penalty didn’t; Matt Carkner’s hold with 2:17 left did, as Taylor Leier scored his second of the game (kid set a screen on an earlier PPG) to tie it. There was, honestly, an angle from which that probably did appear to be a hold; optics, physics, speed and such. Carkner got two more and a misconduct at that whistle for his words with Brenk.

Bridgeport got out of it with two points, anyway. Shootout win. Didn’t watch all of it; mostly jumped to the goals and interesting penalties, avoiding as much as possible the shots of all 9,000 in attendance at every stoppage. (You could at least superimpose the clock somewhere, Phantoms.) Two beneficial points. Assorted thoughts on the little I saw and the statsy stuff:

–When they actually keep the puck in the zone, the power play is pretty good. Vaive went out to keep one in on a wall battle in the first period, then wound up screening Anthony Stolarz when Jesse Graham — welcome back — scored on a left-circle one-timer. First of three assists there for Kane Lafranchise.

–Curious what the reason was on the Phantoms’ waved-off goal seconds later, whether Brenk was blowing the whistle because he lost the puck under Christopher Gibson, or whether he called Palushaj for incidental contact. Bob wasn’t sure, and the PA announcement was a simple “no goal.” Thanks, bud.

–Good little battle for Jared Gomes, promoted to the top line, to help set up Taylor Beck’s goal in the second period.

–Connor Jones, at last, scores. Weight off his shoulders, I am sure, not to mention that it’s his first game out of the press box in a while. (Graham back from the Coast: scores. Jones back in the lineup: scores. If Carkner had scored, I’d be making a joke about how many I’d have had in my first game in anger in 19 years.)

–Quine’s goal reminded me of that Wright goal against Albany last week: Halmo gets it in, loses it, gets it back, starts a play.

Been a long time since this one got a new row:

a-active *-playoffs. **Tambellini twice, Hunter, Collins, Walter, T.Smith, Joensuu, Strome, Quine.

And then there’s…

*-Through Feb. 20

BRIDGEPORT
F: Gomes-Kearns (A)-Beck
Wright (A)-Quine-Halmo
Vaive-Holmstrom (C)-Florek
Collberg-C.Jones-Markison
D: Czuczman-Burroughs
Lafranchise-Pulock
Carkner-Graham
G: Gibson
Williams

–Nifty move by Graham in the shootout, taking it to his backhand in tight and holding it there long enough for Stolarz to commit, then swinging it back hard to his forehand.

–Seven games in a row for Gibson; longest streak for a Bridgeport goalie in just about exactly two years (Anders Nilsson’s eight-game streak ended Feb. 22). Also gets a tripping penalty, 10 days after Parker Milner got one in relief in Hershey.

–Bridgeport now third on points and fourth on percentage in the division. So long, Toronto!

–Thanks for following along with the wrestling on Twitter. First meet in I can’t remember how long. They moved it along efficiently, though, so much credit. And those kids are something else.

–OK, we’re almost closer to tomorrow’s game now than tonight’s. More then.