Must-won

So Tambellini walks out the door -- well, no he didn't, he waited patiently for your game to finish, 'cause he was going home with you before heading to the NHL, but wasn't permitted to play -- 15 minutes before game time. What are you do do?

Well, you promote someone to top-line left wing (Magowan). Then you move someone else up one spot (Marjamaki). Then your spare forward ('cause you only had 10 to begin with) moves up into the gap.

And that's how Jason Pitton, Jamie Johnson and Cam McCaffrey put on a show tonight.

This one was simply one Bridgeport had to have, and they came out like it. Frans Nielsen deflected one past the kid not three minutes in. And when Binghamton tied it, Stephen Wood tucked a loose puck back under Dubielewicz, and a couple of minutes later, the floodgates opened.

And if you had J.Johnson and McCaffrey for seven combined points, you'd have won some scratch...

LINEUPS
BRIDGEPORT
F: (Tambellini (A)-scratch)-Nielsen-Regier
Galbraith-G. Johnson-Magowan
Marjamaki-J. Johnson-Pitton
Rourke (A)/McCaffrey
D: Berry-Wood
Fraser-Wotton (C)
Malec-VanBallegooie

BINGHAMTON
F: Pecker-Ebbett-Heerema
Bois (A)-Hennessy-Vesce
Luttinen-Koalska-Robins
Sgroi/Saurette
D: Allison (C)-Virtue (A)
Petruic-Cook
Kudelka-David

Lines as they actually ran:

F: Magowan-Nielsen-Regier
Galbraith-G.Johnson-Marjamaki
Pitton-J.Johnson-McCaffrey
D: Berry-Wood*
Fraser-Wotton
Malec-Rourke*

*-VanBallegooie spotted in for Rourke early and Wood late.

So yeah, I get back upstairs, and LeagueStat has unofficial final: Hamilton 2, Albany 1, and Eric Manlow's first goal of the season is the game-winner. Wow, I'm thinking, that's two or three grafs of the gamer in itself. But the next time I refresh the page, Albany's Pat Dwyer has tied it late, and Hamilton finally won in a shootout. Oh. That's different. (Someone before the game mentioned that Hershey-Worcester game last week, when LeagueStat had a 6-3 Hershey lead -- a score which never occured before the game finished 6-6 with a bonus for Worcester.)

So apparently they got concerned when Colliton's shoulder wasn't improving, and the MRI showed something wrong. They'll operate next weekend, if I understood correctly, which will give him some good rehab time before heading home for the summer.

Pretty sure Wilkes-Barre clinched a playoff spot (Albany can only tie the Pens and lost the season series; the Pens would even win a three-way tie with Bridgeport to take third). (Ah: the Pens agree, and also got Robert Nilsson back.) (Three parentheticals in a row, top that, but check out the penalties at the end tonight in Wilkes-Barre.) (Make it four: Somebody's got to do that with Stan away.)

Binghamton is eliminated and, just like that, can finish no higher than sixth. (Neither can Springfield.)

Had I not caught myself, Marjamaki's first-period penalty would have been for "hoarding" in tomorrow's paper. That's something entirely different.

Interesting stuff from Todd Fedoruk in this Pierre LeBrun story. And here's one from Calgary based around Eric Godard and referencing the Mike Wilson knockout near the end of that March 30, 2003, debacle.

Check this out: If Albany beats out Bridgeport, it'll play its first-round home games in Glens Falls. That's in addition to four home games there next year.

Speaking of GF, Rick Carpiniello remembers...

Interesting night to be Catholic in the press room: Even the salad had ham in it. (A little fried rice and a couple of cookies. Yeah, that's a healthy dinner when you're sick.)