Late development: Michael Dal Colle went back to the dressing room very early in warmup. I was counting Devils heads and didn’t see what, if anything, led to it. It had appeared Kyle Schempp would be in for Josh Holmstrom, but Holmstrom just rushed in Dal Colle’s spot. We’ll see what the lineup card looks like. Edit: The card apparently says Dal Colle in, Holmstrom out.
Meanwhile, it snuck up on me how team-historic this current penalty-kill streak is. Bridgeport has killed off 25 chances in a row, six full games’ worth (including one in which it didn’t take a penalty). That’s the ninth-longest streak in team history and the longest in four years (to the week). Two more to start tonight would tie this streak for second in team history with three streaks from 2006 and 2007. (The record is still a ways away: The last 36 penalties of 2003-04, plus the first 14 of 2004-05.)
Even time-wise, it’s right there. I’ve only got the times of streaks of 23 kills or longer, but of those 14 runs, the only one over 48 minutes is the record (64:07 plus 29:29 the next year for 93:36). This one’s at 46:02 without a power-play goal against.
Quite a run, then. ‘Course now they get to try it with one of their top three PK defensemen on the shelf. (‘Course Pat Cullity’s been a PK guy in the past, and guess who makes his AHL season debut tonight?)
Binghamton, meanwhile, makes its only appearance here this year to complete the season series. Most-likely mistakes on Twitter: (1) “Albany”; (2) “Sens”; (3) “Belleville” for some reason. Dalton Prout, just sent down yesterday, was traded this evening for Eddie Lack.
Saw Bracken Kearns this morning; bit of an adjustment for the family, but they’re enjoying Bingo, and all are doing well, he said.
BRIDGEPORT
F: Bourque-Stevens-Fritz
(J.Holmstrom-scratch)-Eansor-Bailey
St. Denis – C.Jones – Ho-Sang
Johnston-Schempp-B.Holmstrom (C)
Dal Colle-early departure
D: Lafranchise-Cullity
Wotherspoon-Burroughs (A)
Helgeson (A)-Vande Sompel
G: Gibson
Gudlevskis
BINGHAMTON
F: Quenneville-Kennedy-Latta
Pietila (A)-Rooney-Bastian
Thomson-Kearns-Lappin (A)
Baddock-Speers-Mandat
D: Strait (A)-Jacobs
White-MacDonald
Kapla-Dyblenko
G: Appleby
Blackwood
R: Blandina, Gouin. L: N.Briganti, Pincus.
Bridgeport scratches (believed healthy unless noted): Toews (upper), Gionta (upper), and one more (J.Holmstrom).