Getting back: Springfield postgame

The goals against Jaro Halak went high-blocker, as did the first shootout goal; the decider was funkier, as the T-birds’ tweet’ll show you.

The goals, though: One was a guy alone in front of Halak (how Brody Sutter doesn’t get an assist for knocking Michael Dal Colle’s clear right to Rau is a tough break); the other was a blast against the grain one-on-one.

“It’s been a long time for me playing in the NHL, but obviously it’s a different league than the NHL,” Halak said. “There are young players here. I haven’t seen any of them, pretty much, up there.”

That made for some tough reads, and he said he felt a little rusty — I felt sorta funny asking how he felt; it’s not like he’s been out for a month, but then again, he only had the one practice in a week, too — but he felt OK with his game.

“I was glad to get the first one behind me. The result was not ideal,” Halak said.

They battled back, grabbing a point in the last minute. They’d found all kinds of ways to get two for the first two months of the season; doing that in the past month has been more difficult.

“It’s still disappointing. We felt we should’ve won,” Bracken Kearns said.

……

Does 200 goals mean anything to you, Bracken Kearns? “I didn’t even think about that. It’s kinda cool, I guess,” he said. The tying goal was credited to Steve Bernier, but Kearns’ fist-pump should’ve tipped us off that it was actually 201. (Kearns has been critical of the ice here and was again today. It was rather warm in here, at least upstairs, for what that’s worth, after today’s 50-degree day.) (I am also kinda dreading going outside.)

I didn’t have Dal Colle on the ice for the last three minutes or so of regulation or overtime; he did get a chance in the shootout. (Also didn’t catch up to Brent Thompson to ask about it. Perhaps tomorrow.)

Adam Pelech said he felt fine physically after his first game since Nov. 28. “I felt OK, a little rusty after not playing in a month. It was good to get back on the ice,” he said.

Two separate incidences of overtime four-on-four. Total of 1:38. Actually only one shift, 11 seconds, of three-on-three. Fun.

Bridgeport released Lukas Lofquist from his AHL contract earlier today. Not sure of his destination. He’d been in Missouri since early in training camp.

New Canaan’s Max Pacioretty, etc.

It’ll be USA-Canada in tomorrow night’s World Junior gold-medal game.

RIP, Ron Smith.

And RIP, Hall of Famer Milt Schmidt.

Michael Fornabaio