Getting old

They actually got shots tonight, and it wasn't enough. They got one from Regier in front on the power play, and it wasn't enough. They stopped a penalty shot, making opponents 0-for-8* all-time, and it wasn't enough. They were pretty responsible in their own end: not enough.

Suppose it's a lot easier to chalk it up to "one of those nights" when this isn't the sixth one in the past seven.

First goal was just a point shot that got through Mole. Second one was a nifty deflection. The third was a power-play rebound.

Yeah, it's better than it was against Norfolk and Hershey and Wilkes-Barre, but how much better?

WARMUP LINEUPS
BRIDGEPORT
F: Comeau-Colliton (A)-Nolan
Tambellini/Nielsen
Boguniecki-Regier-Ferraro
Marjamaki-Nokelainen-Pitton
D: (Fata-scratch)-Berry ('A')
Mitchell-Wotton (C)
Goulet

SPRINGFIELD
F: Healey (A)-Corso-Milley (C)
Boisclair-Jones-Kvapil
Lascek-Cavanaugh (A)-Spina
(Fritz-scratch)-Rowe-Dufresne
D: Smaby-O'Brien
Rosehill-Rogers
Egener-Delmore

A stronger reminder than usual that those lineups are from warmups. Things changed -- the roster changed -- in the next 20 minutes:

Fata took warmup but couldn't go; he hopes to be good for Sunday. Nilsson was announced as a scratch -- perhaps just somebody's assumption because he didn't take warmups; I didn't see the actual cards -- but arrived on the bench after the anthem. Fraser -- second Tiger and first skater to wear 40 -- showed up on the bench five minutes in and made his debut 10 minutes in, on the right point. He got involved, joined the rush, took some shots, tried some things. I thought he fit in. Berry was listed with the second A but wasn't wearing one.

Add 9 to 7/51, and those are basically what Bridgeport used. The D pairs in the first were basically Wotton with whoever was up, or if Wotton needed a minute, Berry with whoever was up. I've seen DII high school teams rotate 'em more. In the second and third, there was a much more regular 5-D rotation, but still, I think Wotton came close to playing every second on the PK.

First-unit power play was five forwards: Boguniecki, Regier, Nilsson with Tambellini and Nielsen on the points. Neat when they first pulled Michael Mole: They sent out Nokelainen's line and Nielsen's line in full, with Tambellini and Nielsen again on the points.

On the penalty shot, Spina did a little drag to the left, but Mole kept the leg out and stopped it.

First time Mark Hulshof has reffed the Sound Tigers.

Hartford sent Hugh Jessiman to Charlotte today. Mark Lee remains.

Check out Andy Hutchison's feature on Dan Marshall's musical career on the AHL Web site.

Haydar you kidding me or somethin'? (Yeah, that was the worst pun ever written.) I look forward to the press release.

Two points for Ben Guite as Albany extends the lead to six points. Providence's Jonathan Sigalet assists on all four goals, and it's not enough. Hershey scores three goals in four minutes to beat Norfolk and a Bochenski hat trick. And me, I'm just impressed Jason LaBarbera got a night off. (And Manch wins, no less, taking 17 shots.)

Chris Ferraro scored the fastest goal in Rampage history Friday night.

*-The caveat is the goal that was awarded to Hartford last year, when Rob Collins threw his stick to keep Dwight Helminen from scoring into an empty net. It's special circumstances, but it would be a penalty shot with the goalie in the net.