No Hershey for us. (Brent Thompson did chirp us Friday night, saying Hershey’s only an hour further than Lehigh Valley, and yeah, Tommer, if I had a nickel for every time I’ve said that…)
Again, we’ll be keeping up through Alan (Mixlr audio / AHL Live audio/pay-per-view) somehow. We’ll follow Alan, the team, Hershey, Bears broadcaster Zack Fisch and whoever else we can find.
The box should be here (R: P.Lambert, Puddifant / L: C.Gates, B.Lyons).
Elsewhere, Charlotte had it so easy last night that it signed its broadcaster to taunt the Bruins. Or rather, Jason Shaya’s the Checkers’ emergency backup today.
Utica’s off tonight, so prescout, though the Comets play Rochester (who’ll be perhaps with 100 percent more Seth Griffith) on Wednesday.
Quite the Vancouver Province profile on Geoff Courtnall. Justin gets mentioned (and Bridgeport may also, quietly).
And RIP, Steve “Snapper” Jones.
More in a bit.
–Oh, yeah, forgot: Dylan Strome made me a liar last night when I called Chris Bourque the league’s leading scorer. Don’t think Ryan had a tear quite like that in that-few games.
–Parker Wotherspoon in for Kane Lafranchise, who took that hard shot last night and missed a few shifts. Kyle Schempp in for Josh Holmstrom, and on a line with three centermen, they say he’s on the wing:
BRIDGEPORT
F: R.Bourque-Fritz-Bailey
Eansor-St. Denis-Johnston
Dal Colle-Stevens-Gionta B.Holmstrom (C)
Schempp-C.Jones-B.Holmstrom (C) J.Holmstrom
D: Toews-Burroughs (A)
Wotherspoon-Aho
Helgeson (A)-Vande Sompel
G: Gibson
Gudlevskis
HERSHEY from the Bears
F: C.Bourque (A)-Boyd-Simpson
Gazley-Langlois-Barber
O’Brien-Gustafsson-Bau
M.Mitchell-Sill (A)-Peluso
D: Siegenthaler-Williams
Johansen-Lewington (A)
Labrie-Bindulis
G: Copley
Vanecek
–Alan’s conversation with Brent Thompson says Stephen Gionta sits rather than Josh Holmstrom, and that’s how it appears to be on the sheet online. We’ll see how they align. Yep, J.Holmstrom is on the bench.
–Looks like Ben Holmstrom in Gionta’s spot and Schempp-Jones-J.Holmstrom on the fourth line.
–Vande Sompel draws a hooking penalty. Bridgeport’s top unit has Ben Holmstrom in front with St. Denis, Fritz, Toews and Aho. A tip-in is waved off quickly for a high stick.
–Same second unit, and a Vande Sompel penalty cuts Bridgeport’s PP short by 18 seconds.
–90-second PK shift, Boyd gets Jones down up high, passes up a shot through traffic in the high slot, probably a good idea when you’ve got a Chris Bourque in the left circle. 1-0 Bears at 8:47.
— RT @zackfisch Bourque now alone as #8 all-time in goals with Hershey at 187. My partner Mitch Lamoureux is next at #7 with 194. #HBH
–Vande Sompel’s penalty was for playing with a broken stick. Joins the exclusive fraternity with Evgeny Tunik, Jeremy Colliton, Chris Lee, Mike Keenan, Adam Pelech, Mike Halmo and Ryan Pulock.
–Copley stops Ben Holmstrom on a breakaway sprung by Michael Dal Colle. Holmstrom was in behind two guys at the blue line; Dal Colle angled it across the neutral zone.
–Better Bourque Right Now is probably still Chris. Scores his second on the rush, again from Boyd, under the bar as Gibson tries to shrug it off… WAIT we’ve got an answer from the little brother nine seconds later. Ryan Bourque blasts one past Copley off a Fritz faceoff win with 1:46 left in the first. 2-1 Hershey.
–Bailey shootin’ again on a late power play, of which 29 seconds will carry over to the second. Hershey leads Bridgeport 2-1 after 20. Shots 15-8 Bridgeport.
–Second power play coming for Hershey 1:50 into the second. Ben Holmstrom tripped Chris Bourque.
–Penalty killed, and some good flow until Connor Jones and Colby Williams go at the top of the Bridgeport zone. It’s quick; Williams winds up on top of Jones. Meanwhile Jason Chaimovitch sums up the first period for us.
–Someone got an initial penalty on that fight, and now a faceoff violation on the second draw of the penalty, so a long five-on-three.
–Actually a Josh Holmstrom slash, not a faceoff violation.
–Hershey calls its time out with 46 seconds left in the five-on-three. Gibson’s made stops on Boyd and Chris Bourque on either side of the net… and now a Chris Bourque trip, dumping Burroughs, makes it a 41-second four-on-three instead.
–Back even.
–Penalties on penalties. Dal Colle for holding at 13:20 of the second, 2-1 Hershey still.
–Dal Colle back (awhile) and stopped going to the left post with 1:45 left.
–Gibson stops Boyd’s one-timer from the right side on the rush. Bailey hits a post the other way. It’s still 2-1 Hershey after two.
–Last week wasn’t a three-in-three but felt like it. This week is… and kinda does.
–Fritz and Bailey on a two-on-one doesn’t work out; Barber crashes into the net after it breaks down. Still 2-1 Hershey with 15 and a half to go.
–Gibson stops Mason Mitchell on a rebound off a tipped shot with about 13:40 to go.
–Lines are mixed up: Top line stays the same, but Eansor-St. Denis-Jones, Dal Colle-Stevens-Johnston, and Schempp with the Holmstroms.
–Toews throws a big hit in the offensive zone, but that leaves Burroughs alone as the Bears come up ice. Burroughs grabs Gazley as he goes by, a holding call with 3:40 left. The Bears’ sixth power play.
–Aho nearly springs Toews for a short-handed breakaway. Bridgeport kills it off, but the Bears maintain possession. Gibson stops Siegenthaler with 1:27 to go and holds it.
–Brent Thompson calls time out.
–Gibson out after another save with about 1:10 left, and then Bailey had his stick broken. Labrie to the box with 59.4 to go.
–Redirection goes in with 34.8 to go to tie it — late, again — on the six-on-four. Who else, Ryan Bourque: His tip caromed up over Copley’s right shoulder.
–Overtime.
–Gibson sends Dal Colle in two-on-one with Vande Sompel. Dal Colle drags around a defenseman; Copley stops his first, and his second is tipped out of play.
–Bridgeport had a three-on-one break down in front of the net. Hershey nearly went the other way, but Vande Sompel broke it up. But soon after, a power play for the Bears with 2:08 to go. Too many men.
–Bonus round, first time this year.
–Fritz and Bailey counter Chris Bourque, and Bridgeport 3, Hershey 2, final (SO). Five points out of six this weekend and a 11 point in the past six games.
–Looks like Ryan Bourque got first star and, maybe, a nice hand. Clapped back for the fans.
–Ahhh, and looking back, Chris went to the Bridgeport runway to give his brother a little fist-bump when he came out, too.
–“Typical three-in-three,” Brent Thompson said. “They got the lead, and we’re chasing all game. When you’re chasing in a three-in-three, it’s hard on your body physically, and mentally. Fortunately we got that goal at the right time.”
Said Gionta was a little sore, so a maintenance day at the end of a three-in-three. Lafranchise was sore also after last night. “We want him ready for next week.”
More Tuesday.