If not exactly the way they drew it up — lots of time in their own end, not a lot of consistent offense — Brent Thompson was still smiling afterward.
“I thought guys were focused, for the most part. I thought we had a few hiccups defensively. We obviously have a lot of things to work on as far as tracking, defensive responsibilities, structural things that need cleaning up. It’s early in the year. I did like that there was an effort in the third period. We were pretty intense as a team. I thought our guys were vocal on the bench. I was happy with that part of it, disappointed in the result.”
It’s nice, said Jeff Kubiak, to play a game, get back in the rhythms.
“You practice all week against your own teammates, and you’re so excited to get that game feeling,” Kubiak said. “You smell the season right around the corner.”
He said he went home to Tinley Park, south of Chicago, for the summer, and it was a different kind of summer after his rookie pro season.
“It changed my training scheme, worked out with a different trainer all summer, worked on some things I was told at the end of last year that I could use some work on, to help my game this year and in the future.”
BRIDGEPORT
F: Dal Colle (A) – Eansor – Ho-Sang
Bellows-Hitchcock-Koivula
Sorkin-Kubiak-Hudson
Turcotte-B.Holmstrom (C)-J.Holmstrom
D: Panico-Quenneville
Mueller-Cornell (A)
Rathgeb-MacKinnon
G: Gibson
Smith
HARTFORD
F: Leedahl-Fogarty (A)-St. Amant
Melanson-Gettinger-Butler (A)
Lindqvist-Fontaine-O’Donnell
Ronning-Bourbonnais-Meskanen
D: Pratt-Gilmour (A)
Lindgren-Savage
Day-Pedrie
G: Halverson
Nell
R: Labonte, Sheehan. L: Colby, Galvin.
They’re off tomorrow. Decisions will be made over the next day or so and were still to be discussed, Thompson said. He had some ideas to run past GM Chris Lamoriello, he said.
Yannick Rathgeb took a high-stick up high early in the game and missed about the next 15 minutes. He came back and scored from the right circle off a Josh Ho-Sang setup in the second period.
Goalies were busy. Smith nearly got Shawn St. Amant’s second goal, reaching back with the glove a split-second too late.
Kevin Schultz found a beauty on eBay: the Bridgeport sweater (presumably) that was made up for Alexei Yashin during his March 2004 conditioning stint. (“He’s not going to PLAY,” Greg Cronin said.)
And Brian Lockhart on the new rinks set for downtown, Wonderland and, um, Alexei Kovalev.
WOLF PACK 2, SOUND TIGERS 1
Bridgeport 0 1 0—1
Hartford 1 0 1—2
First Period — 1, Hartford, St. Amant 1, 12:33 (sh). Penalties — J.Holmstrom, Bpt (tripping), 2:35; Meskanen, Hfd, double minor (high-sticking), 2:35; Day, Hfd (tripping), 11:09; Dal Colle, Bpt (tripping), 17:07.
Second Period — 2, Bridgeport, Rathgeb 1 (Dal Colle, Ho-Sang), 5:04. Penalties — Bellows, Bpt (roughing), 8:04; Melanson, Hfd (roughing), 8:04; Bourbonnais, Hfd (tripping), 9:10.
Third Period — 3, Hartford, St. Amant 2 (Fogarty, Leedahl), 4:18. Penalties — Hudson, Bpt, major (fighting), 8:21; Lindgren, Hfd, major (fighting), 8:21; Eansor, Bpt (tripping), 16:50.
Shots on goal — Bridgeport 5-9-8—22. Hartford 15-15-13—43.
Power play opportunities — Bridgeport 0 of 3, Hartford 0 of 2.
Goaltenders — Bridgeport, Gibson (30 shots-29 saves), Smith 0-1-0 (start third, 13-12). Hartford, Halverson 1-0-0 (22-21).
Attendance — N/A. Referees — Labonte, Sheehan. Linesmen — Colby, Galvin.