Three games without a win and with 18 goals against, and the Sound Tigers’ coaching staff responds with today’s practice, where the team was on the ice until almost noon (when they’d typically be done around 11, give or take). “It’s a great week for us,” Scott Pellerin said. “It’s a three-day mini-training camp.” A back-to-basics kind of week sounds like it’s coming up. There were six coaches on the ice: Bridgeport’s three, plus Bernie Cassell, Brent Thompson and Steve Valiquette.
Missing today was Ty Wishart; Pellerin called that a maintenance day after he was banged up this weekend. Casey Cizikas took part in a good deal of the practice, though, wearing red for no-contact, a couple of weeks after his own injury that was hoped to be day-to-day. (Don’t have any reason to believe their injuries are similar.) No apparent changes in the lines at the moment, but it’s early in the week.
Housekeeping: You may have noticed a sharp decline in the number of Tuesday chats. It’s a decision from elsewhere with nothing to do with you or me, but they’re out for at least the time being. That said, I’d hope you always feel free to drop a comment, on- or off-topic. You guys have always been great about keeping it clean and respectful toward each other. Hopefully I’ve done the same. We can carry on the conversation there. (/sings Kumbaya) Onward.
Meanwhile, it’s a big day here and in Massachusetts (and I’ll imagine in a few other states as well): First day of high school hockey practice. It’s the day before state quarterfinals in football, so why not a wild realignment discussion? (Bridgeport: Naugatuck Valley Ext.? Though Joe Palladino in Waterbury notes that Central and Harding are former NVL members. Fascinating. I don’t even really go back to the MBIAC, so I’m no one to talk.)