Deeper and deeper

Even before the Bridgeport game started, Albany was outshooting Binghamton 13-4 and outscoring the Sens 2-0. That's the easy Albany schedule we all expected.

It was over, for all intents and purposes, before the Bridgeport second period. It was over, really, in the third... as Bridgeport was giving back a 2-0 lead, then a 3-2 lead.

But they got it done in the bonus round, Jamie Johnson and Allan Rourke scoring on the first two chances. David Krejci -- "obviously that first shooter for them is a pretty good hockey player," Jack Capuano said -- walked around Thompson's pokecheck and slipped the puck in. "I tried to be Dubie with that pokecheck there," Thompson said. "That's not my game. I went back to what works for me."

He stopped or forced wide the next four, and it's on to Albany, still dead even with five to go. The winner -- and like tonight, there has to be a winner -- reaches Easter in fourth place alone.

"Special teams and goaltending down the stretch is going to win hockey games," Capuano said. "It always does. Billy played with confidence, and Molesy did the other night."

How crazy is this race?


LINEUPS
BRIDGEPORT
F: G. Johnson-Desharnais-Regier
Comeau-Smith-J. Johnson
Magowan-Rank-Pitton
Marjamaki/Malec
D: Fata-Berry ('A')
Fraser-Wotton (C)
Rourke (A)-Gervais

PROVIDENCE
F: DiCasmirro-Thompson (A)-Downey
Bentivoglio-Krejci-Karsums
Pelletier-Walter-Trevelyan
Packard-Rosa-(Glenn-scratch)
D: Zinger (A)-Dempsey
Lashoff-Curry
Stuart-Leach (C)

Malec played D. He is also too honest: I thought he blocked a wide-open shot early in the game. He said the guy just missed it.

A solid night for Mark Wotton. And I don't mean his goals.

Early deadlines and one edition tonight, so no quotes in print. My deadline was about two minutes before the shootout ended.

So here's one: "They're a good hockey team. Give our guys a lot of credit. That's the way we have to play, really. We have to play with a lot of desperation in our game, a lot of heart and desire."

If you're thinking that lineup thing sounds familiar... The same thing happened to Bridgeport on Nov. 23, 2003, against Binghamton, with Rob Collins' No. 19 circled instead of Mattias Weinhandl's No. 11. "I said before the game, it's one of those games where you've got to really sharpen your focus on the little things," Greg Cronin said. "What do I do? I fill out the lineup card wrong."

It almost happened Feb. 20 this season, but Brandon Nolan noticed that Petteri Nokelainen had been announced as a starter instead of him, and he got off the ice for the opening faceoff. I thought it might have happened in Hartford one trip or another, but if so, Hartford didn't catch on.

Dan Marshall said he wasn't sure what happened there tonight.

Andrew MacDonald was in the house after the game.

Philly's loss and Albany's win eliminated the Phantoms. Despite its loss, Hartford clinched a playoff spot with Lowell's loss. Only one significant clinch possibility I can see for Saturday: Hartford clinches home ice with a win and a Worcester regulation loss. The Wolf Pack can also clinch a finish ahead of Providence with a win of their own, with a Bruins regulation loss, or with a Hartford overtime loss plus a Bruins loss of any sort.

Nice pregame tribute on the video board to Marilyn Goldstone of AMR, who died Tuesday. Goldstone was involved in a lot of charity work, including the Sound Tigers' Teddy Bear Toss.

Around the league: Mike Haviland is coach of the year. Hamden's Jon Quick is going to Manchester on an ATO as southern Connecticut continues to take over the AHL one player at a time.

Adam Rubin points out the cover of today's Philly Daily News in his blog. It shouldn't make me laugh, should it?

Fine story by Gary Smith in Sports Illustrated about Little Rock Central's football team and life at the school as it was integrated 50 years ago. It's online here.