Deadlines got pushed up, so I never got a second look at whatever I called the Sound Tigers’ so-so record over the last little bit, capped (to date) by this overtime loss in a game where the third was nice, and most of the other 43:04 was meh at best.
(Oh: “soupy.” Ehh. That’s not unreasonable for a 3-2-2-1 eight-game stretch, though, right?)
“I think we started feeling it the last part of the second period,” Brent Thompson said. “The legs started moving a little bit. The intensity level picked up. And our effort level picked up. We only played a 20-minute hockey game tonight. We got one point for playing 20 minutes of hockey. It’s not good enough.”
There were chances along the way, posts hit, a crossbar, plays where they didn’t get a shot off.
“We were a little lackadaisical with our systems. We had glimpses,” said Connor Jones, who blocked a shot off his ankle on the first shift of the third period and didn’t catch a lot of breaks after that, either.
“It was just kind of inconsistent. We weren’t hitting. We weren’t playing physical, getting pucks deep. It’s hard when there’s power play/penalty kill, to get the momentum, get our rhythm. We’ve got to be better and keep things simple, especially early.”
The last shift of the second stood out, Jeff Kubiak, Ben Holmstrom, Mitch Vande Sompel, Sebastian Aho and, not yet off for his brother, Chris Bourque buzzing all around Dan Vladar’s end. Some personnel swaps stuck then for the third. They did all right.
“You can’t really settle on 20 minutes of hockey and expect to win a hockey game,” Tanner Fritz said, “but we can kind of build off that third period, go into Springfield, start like we did in the third there and try to battle for 60 minutes.”
…….
Second overtime penalty shot in Sound Tigers history. The other was in Providence. For Bridgeport. Na na. Hey hey.
Thompson confirmed Steve Bernier was under the weather; day to day. Devon Toews also remains upper-body, day-to-day; hoping he’s back tomorrow but not going to push it. “These games are battles. We want to make sure he’s 100 percent.”
Prescout. Two more for Anthony Greco. If Bridgeport’s ever going to win up there, maybe it’ll happen the day after the T-birds have to come home from Hershey. Speaking of, a nice reunion in Chocotown.
Sounded like a heck of a night on Hempstead Turnpike.
Worcester won Friday; Ryan Hitchcock had a couple of assists and was named third star. The Railers are off tonight but home tomorrow.
Sacred Heart split with Robert Morris.
There’s a Rangers-alumni charity game next Saturday afternoon at The Rinks at Shelton benefiting the Riverhawks.
RIP, President George H.W. Bush.
And RIP, Virginia Miner, grandma to our buddy Stan.
Won’t be in Springfield tomorrow. More… TBD.