It’s not like they’re back to the drawing board after a five-game winning streak came to a what-the end tonight.
But they’re lamenting not so much the 17 shots for naught (and almost to naught) in the third as the 12 shots against in the first.
“For sure, we took it to them in the third, and at times in the second,” Pat Cullity said. “We still had a bit of a slow start in the first.”
“You can’t play one of the best teams in the league for only 20 minutes,” Brent Thompson said. “I don’t think we were mentally sharp early.”
They had Kristers Gudlevskis, at least, getting across to stop assorted two-on-ones, but Greg Carey put an end to all that in the second.
Bridgeport put 40 shots on goal tonight and nobody had more than Travis St. Denis’ five. Pat Cullity and Parker Wotherspoon each had four. The only skaters with none were both Jones twins, who might’ve fed Cullity most of his, and Stephen Gionta, who said John Stevens gave him a great pass on that two-on-one late in regulation but he should’ve settled it rather than one-timing it.
So it’s seven points with 16 to go.
“We need to be better in situations,” Thompson said. “Playoff hockey’s tight. It’s our goal to get there — we’re playing playoff hockey right now.”
…..
Time change. Be alert. You know I’m gonna try to sneak a John Anderson quote in the paper tomorrow. (Bring everyone, bring your dog, but bring your Allegra.)
(As I watch the clock turn over to midnight here, please substitute “Sunday” for all “tomorrow”s. Thank you. Oh, man, time change.)
Thompson said Josh Ho-Sang was feeling better and was hoping to have him in against Springfield, which comes in at .500 for the first time since it was 0-0-0-0. Mitch Vande Sompel is also a possibility; they’ll talk about it.
Ben Holmstrom, found out on the way back upstairs, suffered a pretty good gash to the face late in regulation. Hopefully OK.
Appropriately against a Flyers farm team, Steve Bernier took the shortest route to the puck and arrived in ill humor. He always plays a physical game; does that ramp up this time of year? “I try,” he said. “You don’t want to run around and get out of position, give a team an opportunity to score just to get a hit. Obviously, (losing) 3-1, I’m just trying to play hard, and one way to do that is to play physical, try to intimidate them from playing. It’s the way I’ve played all my career.”
Charlotte beat Hartford, and Alex Nedeljkovic did this to finish it off and become the 13th AHL goalie credited with a goal. He also did it in the ECHL last season.
The Blackhawks called up Greenwich’s John Hayden from Rockford, and he scored a goal against the Bruins.
Worcester’s off tonight but hosts Adirondack on Sunday afternoon.
Among the college seasons ending tonight: Quinnipiac, and on a Mercyhurst overtime power play, Sacred Heart.
More in petrifyingly few hours.