So after days and days of random speculations and tea-leaf readings… seven defensemen is a possibility for Bridgeport tonight in Hartford. That could partly be because somebody’s banged up and, well, if he isn’t healthy, they’re carrying 11 healthy forwards for the moment. Seven partly would be special-teamy, where Mitch Vande Sompel would likely play the power play and Parker Wotherspoon may kill penalties. We’ll see who gets scratched. Everybody rushed, Vande Sompel and Wotherspoon trading off.
Edit: It’s Ryan Bourque. Believe banged up the last time they met.
Seven D would be the first time since they got Wotherspoon in that way on April 7, and as noted in there, that was the first time in a while.
Chris Nell is also banged up, so Hartford signed goalie Charles Williams, late of Ferris State, Canisius and the Manchester Monarchs, to a PTO. (He actually dressed this morning for the Monarchs.) Filip Chytil remains out ill for the Wolf Pack. Adam Tambellini is back in, though, as is Vince Pedrie for Tony DeAngelo.
BRIDGEPORT
F: (Bourque-scratch)-Fritz-Bernier (A)
Johnston-St. Denis-B.Holmstrom (C)
Eansor-Stevens-Bailey
Dal Colle-Schempp-J.Holmstrom
D: Lafranchise-Aho
Toews-Burroughs
Helgeson (A)-Vande Sompel/Wotherspoon
G: Gibson
Gudlevskis
HARTFORD
F: Whitney (C)-Catenacci-Kosmachuk
Schneider-DeSalvo-Lettieri
Gropp-Fogarty-Tambellini
Selleck (A)-Fontaine-Cracknell
Chapie
D: Graves (A)-Pionk
Gilmour-Sproul
Crawley-Pedrie
G: Georgiev
Williams
R: Sewell, Gouin. L: Simeon, Wahl.
Bridgeport scratches (believed healthy unless noted): Cullity, Gionta (lower), C.Jones (lower), and one more.
Don’t think I’ve ever made better time eastbound through Waterbury, and no idea why. Where was everybody? Am I dead? I’m probably dead.