There are now 12 points between Bridgeport and Springfield. A couple of Sound Tigers wins this week would’ve made it a chasm between them, the equivalent of nine games with 30 to play. Now, it’s not exactly tight, but…
“I think with a team like that, you know what you’re going to get from them every time,” Kyle Burroughs said.
They’ve seen enough of them. They will see enough of them from here on out, four more times beginning Tuesday. And yes, they’re glad they’ll see the Thunderbirds again Tuesday.
“We’ve got an opportunity against the team that just beat us to respond,” Brent Thompson said, “to play against Springfield and get those points back.”
It was atypical in lots of ways. The Thunderbirds forced turnovers. The Sound Tigers looked hesitant at times. When Bridgeport had chances, with limited exceptions, it seemed to be looking for a more perfect chance. The desperation was clear from the Thunderbirds, especially after Bridgeport took a lead (more below).
The end result wasn’t pretty, and one more winning streak stuck at eight. Thompson said it highlights how teams are going to come at them: They’ve earned a reputation as a hard-working team now, and teams are going to look to work just as hard, so Bridgeport’s going to have to raise its game, too.
Still, they’re 9-3-1-1 since New Year’s.
“Like when we were winning, we’ve got to turn the page,” Thompson said. “We’ve got to learn from it. There are things we can do better in the game, things we need to do better.”
….
Did Burroughs give Reto Berra any kind of different look on that shot 5:24 in, which had Berra pushing off to the right and leaving an open net? “Maybe it was my devilish good looks,” Burroughs deadpanned. Either way, his first goal of the year (and his first in the AHL that wasn’t against Hartford). “It felt good, obviously,” Burroughs said. “I’d rather have the two points than the goal, but it’s nice to get that one off my back.”
Ryan Pulock said he was OK afterward. He struggled to the bench after a blocked shot in the third period; he said he took it right off the top of the knee, numbing his leg for a moment. He didn’t miss a shift, though.
Hershey won to move two points ahead of Bridgeport. The Sound Tigers have a .614 points percentage to the Bears’ .609, so the league standings keep Bridgeport in fourth with two games in hand. Providence was off, and Lehigh Valley lost big to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, which is playing a different game than everybody else at this point.
The Devils visited Binghamton tonight in a chilling vision of things to come.
Caught one “Falcons” in my game story. See how often I call Atlanta the Thunderbirds tomorrow. Team’s off. More Monday.