Shutout streaks: Springfield postgame

Christopher Gibson’s shutout streak, beginning in the first period a week ago Friday, continuing yesterday and concluding in the third, ran 158 minutes, 40 seconds. Kevin Poulin’s three-shutout streak went for 221:54 in 2012 (well, beginning with a little bit of 2011). Rick DiPietro had a streak of 156:09 in 2002 that I think was the second-longest in team history. So stress that “was” now.

Things got crazy once Springfield scored. The (double check) Thunderbirds scored again not two minutes later. Brent Thompson called time out. What’d he tell them?

“Relax. Play our game,” Thompson said. “We’re a good hockey team. Play our game, refocus and get ready to play. Our leadership knows that.”

They hung on.

It was a fun game to watch, for sure. The Connor Jones-Jayce Hawryluk history made it testy. They’re two hard-working teams, as you may remember about Springfield from last year.

“They’re a good, fast team,” Thompson said. “We’ve got to respect their speed.”

Bridgeport got some speed of its own back in Tanner Fritz, who assisted when Josh Ho-Sang got off the deck to score the first goal, then scored one on a knucklepuck in the second.

“He’s a big piece of our hockey team,” Thompson said, liking the chemistry of him between Ho-Sang and Michael Dal Colle. “He gives you a little bit of energy, fresh legs. He plays the game the right way.”

Fritz wasn’t sure how fresh his legs felt, but “my body felt great,” he said. “It was good to get back.”

……

Kristers Gudlevskis tomorrow. Rest of lineup TBD. Speaking of, prescout. Feels like I just saw them yesterday. They evidently took out yesterday’s frustrations on Hartford.

It’s been two full years since Bridgeport has had shutouts in back-to-back games: Nov. 7-8, 2015, Stephon Williams and the first of Gibson’s two in a week.

Stephen Gionta (lower) has resumed skating. They’ll take it slow, but that’s progress.

Carter Verhaeghe had been out injured; he made his season debut with two points today for Syracuse.

Worcester got a Loic Leduc vs. Chris Langkow tilt on Slap Shot Night. It also got another win over Reading.

Hung out and watched Sacred Heart put together a strong 60 minutes and beat Canisius 6-2. Teams play again tomorrow at 2 at Harbor Yard. The Fightin’ Conachers Griffins scored on a power-play rebound and a broken play on the rush, and the shots only evened up in the last 15 minutes or so. Quite impressive work by Ruslan Rakhmatov, who amassed 36 penalty minutes in a college game. A hooking minor, an interference minor and a whole lotta unsportsmanlike conduct. The teams meet again Sunday at Harbor Yard at 2.

Hat trick for one Nolan Stevens tonight.

More tomorrow, after we (mumbles mnemonic) fall back. That’s an extra hour of sleep, right? (Or more likely an extra hour squandered somehow.)

Michael Fornabaio