Did that really...

I don't think I've ever seen that live. TV, maybe. Live? If so, don't remember it.

I'd love to see stats on the ol' empty-netter-on-a-delayed-penalty bit. Obviously, that's how Billy Smith scored. The Rangers did it (to the Islanders, maybe?) almost 20 years ago, memorable in part because the goal was originally credited to Bob Froese (it was changed to James Patrick) and in part because I heard it while on the way home from a Nighthawks game. It happens.

Just not often.

Masi Marjamaki told me something that, on second thought, I think I'd heard before, but it didn't come back until later: In Europe, that goal wouldn't have counted. The team about to be penalized can't receive credit for a goal.

Anyway. The story of the night is those two early shifts, without which this is another pretty good game for the Sound Tigers, especially at the end of a long, long week of travel. Just got to find ways to 1) Score, 2) Score at home, 3) Score in front of Billy Thompson.

Two quotes that got left out:

"It's a mental game, and we had a couple of mental breakdowns, but overall, we played well. We just kind of ran out of time." --Jeremy Colliton

"I'd like to get some garbage goals. I like garbage goals; I don't like the pretty goals. Pretty goals are nice sometimes, but I'd take garbage goals." --Dan Marshall

LINEUPS
BRIDGEPORT
F: Comeau-Ferraro-Boguniecki
Marjamaki-Colliton (A)-Pitton
Tambellini-Nielsen-Regier
Aquino-Ogorodnikov-Nilsson
D: Fata-Berry
Mitchell-Wotton (C)
Campoli

HARTFORD
F: Korpikoski-Helminen-Callahan
Byers-Dubinsky-Weller (C)
Falardeau-Petruzalek-Moore
Purinton (A)-(Immonen-scratch)-Jessiman
D: Liffiton-Degon
Lampman (A)-Girardi
Kasparaitis-Richter

Allan Rourke said he'd have his foot checked out Monday after blocking a shot with it Saturday, but he figures he's OK. Dan Marshall said he expected Johan Halvardsson to be ready for next week's games, and he hopes Petteri Nokelainen will be 100 percent this week.

Fastest goal for a Sound Tigers opponent: 12 seconds, Oct. 12, 2001, Ken Gernander of Hartford. (Bridgeport won 6-3.) Purinton, even if his first shot had gone in, missed by seconds.