RIP, Jimmy Breslin. Read Derrick Nunnally’s tweets on working for him.
The last time Bridgeport’s Big 4 was not together on defense was Jan. 13 at Binghamton, the last game Ryan Pulock missed with the wrist injury. Since then, you could pencil 14-6 and 7-8 into your line rushes before they started.
That appears to continue today. Ryan Pulock’s apparently good to go today, which makes 30 consecutive games of the pairing with Kane Lafranchise. And this one’s as big as any of the last 29, with Bridgeport sitting two points behind the Bears. Aaron Ness (lower) sits out for them; Mattias Backman steps in.
Connor Jones warmed up but appears to be out. Kellen Jones and Justin Danforth are out for Darren Nowick and Brant Harris, and Jesse Graham’s in for Jon Landry.
The franchise comes into today 599-501-31-59-53. (Yes, I missed the 500th regulation loss last Saturday against Albany. Sorry.) Of course, 60 of those wins came by way of shootout, so do they really count?
BRIDGEPORT
F: Verhaeghe-Kearns (A)-Rowe
Dal Colle-Winquist-Fritz
Johnston-B.Holmstrom (C)-J.Holmstrom
Nowick-Schempp-Harris
(C.Jones-scratch)
D: Lafranchise-Pulock (A)
Toews-Burroughs
Graham-Leduc
G: Halak
McAdam
HERSHEY
F: C.Bourque (A)-Stephenson-Mitchell (C)
Carey-Boyd-Galiev
Vrana-Gustafsson-Barber
R.Bourque-O’Brien-Thomas
(Walker-scratch)
D: Djoos-Gilbert (A)
Backman-Lewington
Labrie-Bowey
G: Copley
Vanecek
R: T.Koharski, Schlenker. L: Colby, E.Ernst.
Bridgeport scratches (believed healthy unless noted): Gibson (lower body), Leduc, Bernier (upper body), Boulton, C.Jones (upper body), K.Jones, Markison, Travis St. Denis (lower body).
Scoreboard watching (EastWatch ’17): Utica at Providence.