On the rebound: Hartford postgame

After Friday’s disaster, this could have gone south. Not tonight

“You couldn’t ask for anything better,” Brent Thompson said. “We’ve obviously got great character in the locker room, the leadership. All year we’ve done that, responded. I didn’t expect anything less.”

(Maybe it’s not stunning for a team hovering near “real” .500, but Bridgeport’s track record in back-to-backs is remarkably symmetrical, whether they’ve been part of a three-in-three or not. Like, they’ve swept seven, been swept in seven and split 13 or something like that. It’s usually roughly like that, but not quite so rigidly. But I digress. (But what else is new.))

Sebastian Aho continued to produce. Thompson singled out Kyle Schempp and Jeff Kubiak, getting the job done. Eamon McAdam stopped pucks, 32 in all, 14 in the first.

“It’s always good to get a few shots,” McAdam said. “(Kristers Gudlevskis) has been playing really well. It’s a matter of waiting for a chance to get in.”

Schempp got a tip. Mitch Vande Sompel scored on the power play. Connor Jones got a tip. (Sebastian Aho had five primary assists in five games.) Ben Holmstrom scored short-handed, putting it under… Jones, who’d tumbled into the net. And Steve Bernier scored on a rebound. (Secondary for Aho. Ah well.)

“We’re just trying to … do what we can do to make us get to the playoffs,” Aho said. “We can’t control what other teams do.” Indeed, Charlotte took care of its own business in Syracuse; Greg McKegg again. The magic number is six. “If we win our games, we’ve got a chance to make the playoffs. That’s our goal. All season, that’s what it always is. You don’t want to go home at the end of the regular season.”

…..

McAdam took a penalty, tripping Scott Kosmachuk, then drew a penalty, getting his leg tangled up with Matt Beleskey as Beleskey skated through the crease. Good night when you do both? “Balances out,” McAdam said with a grin. If he’d put a shot on goal, totally would’ve christened that the Eamon McAdam Hat Trick. First penalty minutes for a Bridgeport goalie in a little over 15 months, since a former Bridgeport goalie fought a current Bridgeport goalie.

Toronto won its league-record 29th road game. Only one of them beyond regulation, too.

Good wishes to the Gaudreau family. Matty was chosen first star tonight as Worcester stayed a point behind Wheeling. Down to the home stretch there, and the Railers have two games in hand. One of them is tomorrow at Glens Falls. The Railers visit Reading on Wednesday, then have a home-and-home with Manchester to close it. The Nailers end with the routine Brampton-Friday, Fort Wayne-Saturday roadie.

Tanner Fritz scored tonight for the Big Club. (They did not win.)

They’re off tomorrow. Happy Easter. Then it’ll snow Monday, but they’ll practice, and we’ll see how some of the injured are. And then one more morning game. And then two three-in-threes. And then we’ll see.

Michael Fornabaio