Up here in the boondocks, the Bridgeport black aces were in the suite next to us. Between regulation and OT, as I went to the back of the box to send the punk story*, I caught Justin Papineau’s eye. Wide eyes on one side, long exhale on the other.
This was some game for Bridgeport.
It’s redundant to talk about Wade Dubielewicz, isn’t it? The man just keeps making saves. Didn’t have much chance on Filewich’s goal, off a good Ryan Lannon keep and some quick passes. Had to face the talented Krys Kolanos on a breakaway, and that’s what Kolanos is gonna do for you.
But there wasn’t panic. It was calm, composed, play-yer-game-boys hockey. Caldwell scored through Regier’s screen — Regier in front on the power play? Creating traffic? There ya go — and then Collins and Koalska worked this nifty, rush-the-puck, give-and-go, draw-the-man, get-open-and-snap-it play.
The game was tied. The game was tied?
And then they kill off Harlan Pratt’s hooking penalty, and then the third line finds itself on against the fourth line and the third pair — the fourth line and the third pair? And Marjamaki’s shot hits Regier’s leg, and Regier goes and gets it and takes the hit to get it to Masse, and Masse fires it to the front, and it hits Marjamaki’s skate and sits in the crease, and Marjamaki reaches and backhands it…
And all of a sudden it’s the Sound Tigers’ series to lose again.
LINEUPS
BRIDGEPORT
F: Bergenheim-Colliton-Nilsson
Tambellini-Koalska-Collins (A)
Marjamaki-Regier-Masse
Comeau-O’Marra-Thompson
D: Jarrett (A)-Gervais
Pettinen (A)-Caldwell
Grebeshkov-Pratt
WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON
F: Stone-Talbot-Filewich
Hussey (A)-Christensen-Corupe
Dixon-Endicott-Kolanos
Carcillo-McLean-Bonvie (A)
D: Lannon-Whitney
Welch-Kelleher (A)
Bissonnette-Fata
Tip of the hat to the league office’s Jason Chaimovitch on this one: 1992 Calder Cup Finals, Adirondack defeated St. John’s in seven games — all victories for the road team. That’s the history these teams are chasing, Barry Melrose vs. Marc Crawford.
Bruce Boudreau and the rest of the Hershey braintrust, no surprise, were several suites to the right.
Griffins-Marlies was postponed tonight because of a power failure at Ricoh Coliseum. They’ll play tomorrow at the big barn down the expressway.
*-STILL hasn’t seen the light of day. Poor Dustin Kohn. And the funny thing is it’ll still be my punk for Friday.