Carter Verhaeghe is 29-41-70 and plus-23. Cory Conacher, who has more playoff wins in this building than Bridgeport since May 2010, is 21-38-59. Alex Barre-Boulet set the Crunch rookie goals record last night with 31.
This team brings it. Last night’s defensive effort was huge for Bridgeport. Tonight’s is going to have to match it, maybe exceed it.
For it, Josh Ho-Sang and Parker Wotherspoon get back in. The vets rotate, too; looks like everybody healthy who sat out last night plays tonight, in fact (except Grant Hutton, whom I will call “Carter” at some point, I warn everyone in advance, as I’ve almost done it like seven times already). Mitch Vande Sompel remains out. The defense rotates, too.
Syracuse, which clinched a playoff spot last night, goes to Atte Tolvanen for his pro debut out of Northern Michigan.
BRIDGEPORT
F: Bellows-Lorito-Sislo
St. Denis – Kubiak – Ho-Sang
C.Bourque-Koivula-Bernier (A)
Eansor-Stevens-B.Holmstrom (C)
(Jones-scratch)
D: Wotherspoon-Burroughs
Helgeson (A)-Casto
Aho-Cornell
G: Smith
Gibson
SYRACUSE
F: Volkov-Dumont (C)-Conacher
Verhaeghe-Andreoff-Raddysh
Walcott – Colton – Barre-Boulet
Katchouk-Brassart-Tammela
D: Labrie-Foote
Masin-Spencer
Sosunov-Valleau
G: Tolvanen
Pasquale
R: Sitarski, Howard. L: T.Baker, K.Briganti.
Bridgeport scratches (believed healthy unless noted): Hutton, Rathgeb, Vande Sompel (lower), R.Bourque (veteran), Gionta (veteran), apparently Jones.
First Bridgeport game for referee Andrew Howard.
Scoreboard watching: Hartford at Charlotte; Hershey at Cleveland; Springfield at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. They’re all in the second period. The magic number can drop as far as six.