Maybe not flawless, and it’s never going to be gorgeous in a three-in-three. But in the closest thing to a must-win without being a must-win… they won.
“There’s nothing else we can do but take care of our business right now,” Ben Holmstrom said. “If we don’t win, (other results) don’t matter.”
Eamon McAdam was good when he had to be. Three quick goals gave him a lead. They needed all three, but they got it done.
“For the past month, every game has felt like a must-win,” McAdam said. “They haven’t been coming easy, even when the game’s 3-0 into the third.”
A deflection kicked things in gear for the Wolf Pack. They got another on another end-boards carom.
But Bridgeport killed one more penalty — it’d killed off Parker Wotherspoon’s high-sticking double minor when he caught Carey in the second period — and finished off its home season with a win it needed.
“Our penalty kill was strong,” Brent Thompson said. “I liked the way the guys were aggressive.”
The magic number is six. There’s not a heck of a lot of margin for error. But one way or another, win on Friday and there’ll be something to play for Saturday.
…….
Hey, it’s that time of the year again: Fake Team Awards time. Vote if you wanna. Vote early, vote once.
Awaiting the final player decisions after the Islanders’ season ended. Bridgeport’s off Monday, anyway, so no huge rush. And waiting to see officially who, if anyone, comes up from Missouri. They were still finalizing that decision.
McAdam, playing his third game in three days, didn’t pass up his shot this time. “As soon as they wrapped it, if I got it cleanly, I knew I was going for it,” McAdam said. “It didn’t settle down enough.”
He stopped the wrap behind the net and to his left; Brandon Halverson had just gone to the bench. McAdam’s shot up the middle drifted wide right and stopped a little short. Excitement or heart attack, Brent Thompson? “At that point, with full possession, the right play was to play it,” Thompson said. “I was a little nervous throwing it up the middle, but he does handle the puck well.”
I had completely forgotten Jon Landry had played forward in the Central League. And, honestly, in his ATO game for Portland against Bridgeport. (Hazy months.) “Just a steady, reliable presence on the wall,” Thompson said. “I thought he played a good game. He’s a bigger body. He’s got pretty good offensive feel. Having him back on the power play, one of his best assets, that was great to have.”
Thompson said Travis St. Denis was playing Sunday no matter what happened Friday and Saturday. “The plan was to get him playing so we get him prepared for next weekend and the playoffs,” Thompson said. “We wanted to get him back as soon as possible. If we could’ve played him against Providence, we would’ve.”
St. Denis said he felt good, got better as the game went on.
“The doctors said four to six weeks, so I was kind of hoping last weekend to play,” St. Denis said; today was five weeks on the dot. “The start of last week, it was still kind of 50-50. I just took it day-by-day and kept getting better and better. I kind of knew Sunday would be the day I could push it.”
Thompson also said it looks like Tanner Fritz could be back in two to four weeks. (Now they just have to play that long.)
Holmstrom didn’t remember ever scoring on his birthday before. “It’s hard to get a game to fall right on the day,” he said. “I know a few youth games I played when I was little, but I don’t remember if I scored. It was a nice little bonus.” One of these days I really have to look up Sound Tigers on their birthdays. It feels like goals happen all the time.
Awesome to celebrate penalty timekeeper Frank Camera’s 80th. Many, many more.
Also awesome to see Nick Niedert. Looked for a moment like he might get in an AHL game when Halverson was slow to get up from a collision. Not to be. Got the call about 11 a.m., got his stuff together quickly and got here around 1.
Attendance was 5,000 straight-up tonight. I guess we were due for that. Season total: 148,291, an average of 3,902, which is 38 fewer than last year and second-lowest (3,654 in 2005-06) in team history. Not sure how that shapes up revenue-wise.
Hershey captain Garrett Mitchell made his NHL debut tonight.
Doyle Woody wrote a gorgeous column on the Alaska Aces’ last game.
Lindy Ruff won’t return in Dallas.
And Chris Elsberry on Charlie Capalbo’s cancer fight and the support he’s received.
More Tuesday, unless warranted.