Solving for x: Springfield postgame

I don’t mind doing the math, though it always gets tricky in Base 60. Had plenty to do in the second intermission. Going into the third period, Niklas Treutle had gone 207:11 without allowing Bridgeport a goal in regulation time (though Mike Halmo beat him in overtime on Jan. 27). It’d been at least 131 shots since the Sound Tigers put one past him in regulation.

They managed four in the third period. That annihilated Treutle’s regulation-time goals-against average vs. Bridgeport, shot it all the way to 1.26. Vicious. (Since Justin Vaive’s goal in that first game he faced them, Treutle’s GAA against Bridgeport is 1.07. Insane. But still.)

So they win in a place where they usually find a way to lose, against a team that has given them fits. They’ve got points in six out of seven games in March (5-1-0-1) and in 18 of the past 22 (15-4-1-2) since falling to .500.

“We’ve gotten a lot of contributions from a lot of different guys,” James Wright said of the last little while. “It showed in the last game, (Justin Florek) scoring three. He’s been a reliable PK, energy, forecheck guy.”

Wright got the winner out of the right corner, beating Philip Samuelsson to negate an icing, spinning away from Samuelsson, going to the net and squeaking it through a tiny hole inside the post to make it 3-2. Tanner Fritz got one after Alan Quine and Mike Halmo converged on Henrik Samuelsson and got him to give up the puck.

They’ll have a couple of games this weekend before they vacate the premises for the women’s regional.

…..

Connor Jones was hurting after blocking a shot late in regulation, but he seemed (and said he was) OK afterward.

Solid 19 saves for Stephon Williams, and two minor penalties on top of it, one for poking at the puck in the no-fly zone, another for freezing the puck above the crease. He also could’ve had an assist: Brent Thompson said Alan Quine’s shot hit the crossbar and fell in at the end of the first period. There was much talk about how the red light could’ve come on if the period had expired; the green light should lock it out, if everything’s functioning. But the refs had ruled it a goal initially, and Cameron Voss didn’t need much time at the Replay TV to overturn that. Counting down on AHL Live, it seemed bang-bang at best.

All it did was wind up costing Williams the sweet trifecta of a win, four PIMs and an assist. Other Bridgeport goalies have had more penalty minutes in a game, obviously (Joey MacDonald). There’s at least one other guy who got two minors at two different times: Dieter Kochan, Jan. 8, 2005, in Norfolk, a slash and an interference minor.

Williams joins Rick DiPietro and Scott Munroe as the only Sound Tigers goalies to get called for playing the puck outside the trapezoid. I don’t see a cool coincidence involving those two in this game, unfortunately. (Munroe’s came in relief of DiPietro in 2009-10; DiPietro’s came against Munroe in 2012-13.) No, wait: I think Munroe’s the only other Sound Tigers goalie to be called for covering the puck outside the crease, earlier in 2009-10. There you go.

Two home games this weekend. The BST Booster Club is collecting washed redeemable cans and bottles to raise money for Ovations for the Cure of Ovarian Cancer, in honor of the late Cheryl Chizmadia.

Missouri clinched the Central Division tonight with a 6-3 win.

Milwaukee is changing arenas.

Adieu, postseason cult-hero shortstop Ruben Tejada. Good luck in your next stop where you inevitably put it all together, which I assume will be in the Bronx.

And RIP, Frank Sinatra Jr.

Optional tomorrow. I may take the option. Been a few busy weeks. More Friday unless warranted.

Michael Fornabaio