Status quo, more or less, at an unusual Monday practice. That meant still no Mike Sislo, who has been out a week and a half with a lower-body injury. “I know he’s seeing the doctors; they’re working on him,” Brent Thompson said. “I don’t know the final result of what’s happening. We’re waiting to see what the doctors come up with.”
Two days until Laval comes in.
Meanwhile, Worcester’s season ended yesterday with an overtime win, so as that team breaks up, presumably some guys find their way down here. Which of them is to be determined. Chris Lamoriello was in town this morning, and Thompson figured they would talk as a staff about it.
The playoff picture trickles a bit more into focus yesterday: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s routine 10-6 loss at Allentown clinched a playoff spot for Hershey, and it shrank Bridgeport’s possible playoff opponents to three: The Bears (with Bridgeport as the second or third seed), Providence (again as the second or third seed) and Charlotte (as the fourth seed). Providence came from behind to beat Utica and leave its magic number at one: both Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Lehigh Valley remain alive if the Bruins lose out in regulation. But the Penguins would have to win out, too. The Phantoms would also have to win out (no shootouts) and hope the Penguins lost at least once, and because the tiebreakers would come down to goal differential, the Phantoms would have to outscore their opponents in those three games by at least 24 goals. No big deal. (Heck, they play Providence on Friday. Win by 13 and you’re right there!)
(Also while thinking through that I kind of excited myself:
Whoa wait hang on: Potential "goalie pulled in a tie game late in regulation" scenario Friday, Lehigh Valley at Providence! (Phantoms need to win out in non-shootouts and can't let Providence have a point… and need to make up 27 goals' worth of differential while we're at it)
— Michael Fornabaio (@fornabaioctp) April 8, 2019
The Phantoms have to beat Hershey to get to this point, but hey, just the possibility, I’ll take it.)
Bridgeport needs one point to clinch a finish ahead of Providence (and avoid Charlotte) and five to finish ahead of the Bears. As noted the other night, one more non-shootout win for Bridgeport clinches the tiebreaker against the Bears for the Sound Tigers, dropping the magic number by one. If Hershey loses one more game or wins once more in a shootout, that also clinches the tiebreaker for the Sound Tigers. So, yes, Hershey can beat the Phantoms tomorrow night in a shootout and drop the Sound Tigers’ magic number to clinch second. Which would ruin the Friday night goalie-pull scenario.)