Michael Dal Colle’s and Devon Toews’ absences this morning made it apparent, and then the Islanders made it official soon after: Dal Colle and Toews were called back up at the end of the all-star break.
Dal Colle’s departure, though, comes as it appears John Stevens is good to go for the first time this year. They’ve only ever said lower-body on him, and no one was eager to go deeper, but it seems he should be in tomorrow night against the Phantoms.
Matt Lorito and Stephen Gionta practiced and seem to be getting closer, Gionta closer than Lorito. Mike Sislo remained out.
Aside from removing Dal Colle and adding Stevens, Bridgeport looked much the same as it did in its last game before the break, when it played an outstanding first 20 minutes and, though that didn’t translate immediately on the scoreboard, went on to win. “If we play like that consistently for 60 minutes in every single game, now we’re putting ourselves at the top of the league,” Brent Thompson said. “We have to make sure we’re playing consistent and predictable, like we did in the first. I think we drift away too many times, which gives other teams opportunities to attack. If we play a simple game like we did in the first period, it definitely puts teams on their heels.”
The Phantoms will be a bit different, too. Carter Hart, who made 20 saves in that first period, is up, as is Mikhail Vorobyev. Philadelphia sent Mike McKenna down on conditioning yesterday and sent Dale Weise to the Phantoms earlier in the week, a couple of veterans.
Worcester lost in a shootout Wednesday morning at Brampton, and now they’re bound for ol’ St. John’s. (Well, they got there.)
Alan Letang is now an OHL head coach. (Interim, at least.) Think we’d caught at some point that he and Jordan Hill were assistants together. Speaking of that era of team history, tip of cap to Antoine Vermette, who announced his retirement today. Vermette was a rookie in 2002-03 and a big part of that inaugural Binghamton Senators team that played an amazing six-game series against Bridgeport that spring.
The story of Charlie Capalbo and his family has been well-known around here for the past couple of years. Another chapter comes this week, when his brother, Will, donates bone marrow to Charlie. Will did this Tuesday night in Norwalk.
And RIP, James Ingram and Dick Miller.