Three-way ties/Johnston up: Lehigh Valley (H) pregame

Ross Johnston got the call to Brooklyn; he’ll presumably make his NHL debut tonight in the regular-season finale against the Flyers. Interesting call. See what happens there.

Bridgeport clinches a playoff spot today with a win here and a Hartford regulation loss to Portland. (The Pack and Pirates were tied at 2 at last look, late second.) Otherwise it waits into next week; Hartford has a roadie that takes it to Toronto on Wednesday and St. John’s to finish up, Friday-Saturday.

And that’s something that could make Sunday kinda crazy.

There is still a (microscopic, but play with me here) chance for a three-way tie for fourth in the Atlantic, and thus the final two playoff spots, at 89 points, 36 real wins. Hartford would have to win out in regulation. Providence needs one more regulation/overtime win, and to keep it from getting more than 89 points, that win would necessarily have to be against in Bridgeport next Sunday.

To join that party, Bridgeport can’t win another game in regulation/OT (it’d win a tiebreaker cleanly then). If they all finish 89/36, it goes to record in the combined season series; Bridgeport won both handily, so it gets the highest spot. That leaves head-to-head for Hartford and Providence, and the Wolf Pack won that 11-10. That’d leave Providence out.

Now, like I said, play with me: If this is to happen, Hartford will have posted its last win Saturday night and be in the clubhouse at 89/36. Providence would come to Bridgeport at 87/35. Say Bridgeport somehow only has three points in the next three games 88/36. Providence would need a regulation win to make the playoffs; give Bridgeport a point, and it can’t win a tiebreaker. Bridgeport, meanwhile, would need a point of any kind to make the playoffs. That would be a wacky season finale.

(This is the stuff that keeps me up at night, people. It’s sad.)

You probably came here for lines. (Or at least plausibilities.) Things look similar to last night; Josh Holmstrom steps in for Johnston, and Parker Milner gets the start to wrap up the weekend.

One to scratch on defense. Carkner has the ‘A’ on, so it looks like Finn. The Phantoms had 19 guys out for warmup, including 13 forwards, but neither Danick Martel nor Phil DeSimone rushed with the fourth group. Your guess is as good as mine. Edit: By the sheet, Petr Straka’s the last scratch, and both DeSimone and Martel are in.

BRIDGEPORT
F: Wright-Cliche-Barnes
Halmo (A)-C.Jones-Fritz
Florek-B.Holmstrom (C)-J.Holmstrom
Gomes-Schempp-Markison
D: Czuczman-Carkner (A)
Lafranchise-Burroughs
Wotherspoon-Cullity
(Finn-scratch)
G: Milner
Williams

LEHIGH VALLEY
F: Lindblom-Brent (A)-Conner
Leier-Bardreau-McDonald (C)
(Straka-scratch) – Swavely – Aube-Kubel
Smith-Padakin
Martel/DeSimone
D: Morin-Alt
Drewiske (A)-Willcox
Sanheim-Hagg
G: Stolarz
Knapp

R: Rank, Lemelin. L: Colby, Giorgio.

This should be the box.

Scoreboard watching: Portland-Hartford, important for the Bridgeport clinching scenario; Hershey-WBS (Round 2); Providence-Springfield; Utica-St. John’s. At this writing: HFD 2, POR 2, end second; HER 1, WBS 0, late first; SJ 6, UTI 1, late third)

Bridgeport scratches (believed healthy unless noted): McAdam, Whitney (right leg), Rowe (lower body), Vaive (upper body), Collberg (sick), Finn.

Michael Fornabaio