Happy playoffs: Hershey Game 1 pregame

The NHL has its effect quickly, with Devante Smith-Pelly called up from Hershey to replace the injured T.J. Oshie. Meanwhile, the Islanders won’t need to make a move at the moment, but Johnny Boychuk is out a few weeks up top.

Josh Ho-Sang is in; Ben Holmstrom is not, though that appears to be a coach’s decision and not a lingering effect of the check he took in the season finale.

Liam O’Brien serves out the last of his three-game suspension tonight. Riley Barber and Garrett Pilon, both injured late in the regular season, both are in tonight for the Bears.

Every team is different. New personnel, etc. But as we are fond of saying, Sports is a Series of Shared Experiences, so: Bridgeport has lost seven playoff games in a row, including four in a row at home, since the last time the Bears were here for a playoff game, nine years ago yesterday.

BRIDGEPORT
F: St. Denis-Lorito-Wahlstrom
C.Bourque-Koivula-Bernier (A)
Bellows – Stevens – Ho-Sang
R.Bourque-Jones-Gionta
(Kubiak-scratch)
D: Aho-Burroughs (C)
Vande Sompel-Hutton
Wotherspoon-Helgeson (A)
G: Gibson
Smith

HERSHEY
F: Snively-Sgarbossa (A)-Barber
Walker (A)-Megna-Whitney
Gersich-Pilon-Malenstyn
Steman-McCarthy-Pinho
D: Ness-Lewington (A)
Leach-Sproul
Johansen-Hobbs
(Geisser-scratch)
G: Samsonov
Vanecek

R: Blandina, O’Donnell. L: Tobias, Richetelle.

This should be the box.

Bridgeport scratches (believed healthy unless noted): Gillam, Casto, Cornell, Quenneville, Rathgeb, Carpenter, Eansor, Hitchcock, B.Holmstrom (veteran), Jobst, apparently Kubiak, Sislo (veteran/lower), Turcotte.

Michael Fornabaio