A mere 20 years ago today, on an Easter Sunday…
A seminal moment in my childhood. A call embedded in my memory. I still don’t know how I slept that night.
New Jersey 38 36 6 82 N.Y. Rangers 36 34 10 82 Pittsburgh 36 35 9 81
It is not inconceivable that we could have a finish like this in the East Division. It wouldn’t be easy to assemble mathematically, but here’s one insane possibility: Bridgeport goes 3-2-1, Hershey goes 2-3, and Binghamton goes 3-1. Hershey leads both by a point going into the final Sunday, on which it plays Binghamton at 5 p.m. The Sound Tigers win at 4 p.m., maybe even with Joey MacDonald or Mike Morrison playing the John Vanbiesbrouck role and pitching a shutout against the Nordiques Wolf Pack. They take a one-point lead over Hershey with the tiebreaker, two over Binghamton (now eliminated) with the tiebreaker. Can you imagine that? An hour after the Sound Tigers and Hartford wrap up, a team huddled around — naturally, this being the AHL and this being 2008 — a computer in the dressing room, waiting on John Walton to tell them what happens the next day? And maybe it even goes to overtime? Lepisto takes a shot, save by Glass…
I’d sign up for that in a heartbeat. Fans concerned about their own heartbeats might not.
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NyIsles1 points out the distant announcement of BPT’s signing of forward Ryan Cruthers, a Long Island boy.
More from (or after) practice, when we (hopefully) figure out who’s playing tonight…