Jesse Graham comes in today for Kane Lafranchise. It’s the first time since Jan. 13 in Binghamton that Bridgeport’s Big 4 will be broken up: Jon Landry will pair with Ryan Pulock, and Graham will go in Landry’s spot next to Pat Cullity. For perspective on how long that foursome stayed together, the game before Binghamton was Scott Mayfield’s last as a Sound Tiger.
Meanwhile, on New Year’s Eve, Bridgeport was minus-39 in power plays for vs. power plays against. They’ve cut that to minus-9 in the 36 games since. Here’s a weird one: In 15 and a half seasons, Bridgeport had faced one or no power plays 25 times. In the past 24 games, it has happened four times. A little discipline like that will help against the No. 6 power play in a game that’s, you know, kinda big. (The Phantoms’ penalty kill ranks eighth, too.)
Stephon Williams gets his first AHL start in six weeks. That Wallace-for-Verhaeghe swap from last night’s third period sticks. Darren Nowick gets in for Josh Holmstrom.
Hershey leads St. John’s late up there.
Edit: Admit I was watching Lehigh closer than Bridgeport, but they’ve announced Connor Jones as a scratch and Josh Holmstrom in. Edit2: Jones is on the ice as the teams come out.
BRIDGEPORT
F: Verhaeghe-Kearns (A)-Rowe
Dal Colle-Winquist-Fritz
K.Jones-C.Jones-Wallace
Johnston-B.Holmstrom (C)-Nowick
(Markison-scratch) / J.Holmstrom?
D: Landry (A)-Pulock
Toews-Burroughs
Cullity-Graham
G: Williams
McAdam
LEHIGH VALLEY
F: Bardreau (A)-Laughton-McDonald (C)
Martel – Knight – Aube-Kubel
Leier-Miele (A)-Zengerle
Goulbourne-Fazleev-McCarthy
D: Brennan-Wilcox
Morin-Alt
Sanheim-Lamarche
G: Stolarz
Lyon
R: D.Banfield, South. L: Lyons, Murray.
Bridgeport scratches (believed healthy unless noted): Gibson (lower body), Lafranchise, Leduc, Bernier (upper body), Boulton, J.Holmstrom, Markison, Travis St. Denis (lower body).
Scoreboard watching (EastWatch ’17): Providence at Hartford II; Hershey at St. John’s II; Utica at Wilkes-Barre.
There are assorted ideas about whether today’s game is on NHL Network. If you get it and want to take a look, there you go.