A little stir-the-imagination note: A couple of sources have mentioned the possibility that Bridgeport — hang on to your hats — might actually play teams from the Western Conference next season. The Texas teams again, in particular. The breakdowns aren’t set yet, and all that could still fall through, and insert every other caveat you can think of, but that’s the preliminary indication. It’d be different, at least.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled offseason.
We got us another Game 7, with help from a blast from the past: Peter Tsimikalis, just up from the ECHL, hops in the lineup and scores the first of three Marlies goals in the third period. Bates Battaglia’s stands up as the winner. Game 7 is Monday at Ricoh Coliseum.
Belarus again gets outshot dramatically (43-18), again forces a shootout — and again loses, this time to the Czechs. Ales Kotalik scores with 6:22 to go to tie it for the eventual victors, then clinches the shootout. Sergei Fedorov and Alex Ovechkin scored in the third as Russia survived Sweden; Mattias Weinhandl scored the first goal. The only way the top four (RUS, CZE, SUI, SWE) teams in that group get broken up is if Denmark wins its last two in regulation and Switzerland loses its last two in regulation; they meet Sunday.
In the other pool, Canada annihilated Germany; five points apiece for Eric Staal (four goals) and Martin St. Louis (all assists). Germany’s loss clinches a quarterfinal berth for the United States; Latvia needs to beat Norway today to stay alive.