Unchanged, except: Thursday notes

Same lineup, same pairs… with a few exceptions.

The most immediately apparent was that there were only two guys on the ice in green, and they looked a lot alike. The Jones boys’ linemate, Josh Ho-Sang, was inside; under the weather, Brent Thompson said, but he’s expecting Ho-Sang to be available Friday at Allentown.

The other was a new forward, Yale captain Ryan Hitchcock, Long Islander and 2017 Islanders rookie-camper. So he knew the coaches and a few of the players. “I’m grateful for the opportunity,” Hitchcock said.

Straight ATO right now. As for whether he might play, “I don’t want to throw him into the fire without having a couple of practices,” Brent Thompson said. He won’t play tomorrow, but sometime this weekend was a possibility. (Playing at home also helps manage the matchups.)

Mitch Vande Sompel continued to practice. Thompson said to take the “week to week” label off him and make it “day to day.” The pairs looked unchanged, and he didn’t practice with the power play, so guessing that means not tomorrow for him, either.

But, yeah, otherwise, exactly the same.

Unfortunately won’t make the Allentown trip. One more time, blame the weather.

Worcester lost in Wheeling yesterday morning. Meanwhile, Ralph Keller.

Michael Fornabaio