Monthly Archives: April 2009
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 10:00 pm - The Sound Tigers had several good chances in the final 5 minutes but could not complete the comeback and lost tonight to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 3-2 at the Coliseum.
Rob Hennigar scored off a perfect passing play from Mike Iggulden and Trevor Smith with 2:48 left in the second period to pull Bridgeport within 3-2. Smith put the Sound Tigers on the board with a goal with 5:15 left in the second period off a feed from behind the goal by Iggulden.
A goal by Luca Caputi mid-way through the second period gave the Penguins a 3-0 lead. W-B/S scored a controversial goal just 1:22 into the game on a power play. In a goalmouth scramble in which Chris Minard scored, Bridgeport goalie Nathan Lawson was high-sticked in the head but the referee missed it – even as Lawson’s helmet flew off his head. With 1:09 left in the period and Jesse Joensuu in the penalty box, the Penguins made it 2-0 on a power play goal by Dustin Jeffrey.
Shots on goal: Sound Tigers 32, Penguins 25
Official attendance: 4,927.
Tonight was Game 1 of the opening round, best-of-7 series in the American Hockey League playoffs. Game 2 is Saturday night at 7:05 pm at the Coliseum and Game 3 is Sunday in Pennsylvania at 5:05 pm.
LINEUPS
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Bill Thomas – Jeff Taffe – Chris Minard
Janne Pesonen – Mark Letestu – Nick Johnson
Luca Caputi – Dustin Jeffrey – Tim Wallace
Paul Bissonnette – Joe Vitale – Jean-Michel Daoust
Joey Mormina – Ben Lovejoy
Alex Goligoski – Deryk Engelland
Andy Wozniewski – Jon D’Aversa
John Curry
Adam Berkhoel
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Jesse Joensuu – Ben Walter – Kyle Okposo
Trevor Smith – Rob Hennigar – Mike Iggulden
Sean Bentivoglio – Tyler Haskins – Jon Sim
Michael Haley – Tomas Marcinko – Pascal Morency
Mark Wotton – Chris Lee
Joe Callahan – Jack Hillen
Andrew MacDonald – Dustin Kohn
Nathan Lawson
Peter Mannino
Injured: Jeremy Colliton, Junior Lessard, Kurtis McLean, Blake Comeau
Extras: The Bridgeport “Black Aces” worked out at the Coliseum at noon today after the morning skates of the Sound Tigers and Penguins. The group includes several Islanders prospects. The Black Aces for today were…
Forwards: Justin DiBenedetto, Ryan Duncan, Robin Figren, Dennis Packard, Mitch Fritz, Joel Rechlicz, Max Gratchev
Defensemen: Mark Katic, Jamie Fraser, Jon Gleed
Goaltender: Kevin Poulin
Notes: Former Islanders defenseman Eric Cairns is behind the bench with head coach Jack Capuano and assistant Pat Bingham. Assistant Matt Bertani is serving as the eye-in-the-sky coach.
The game-opening video, as it usually is at home Sound Tigers game, was “Born in Bridgeport.” Current Islanders featured were Rick DiPietro, Trent Hunter, Sean Bergenheim, Kyle Okposo, Bruno Gervais, Jeff Tambellini, Frans Nielsen, Tim Jackman, Joey MacDonald and Blake Comeau.
The Series:
Game 1 – Friday, Apr. 17 – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 3, Bridgeport 2 (NVMC)
Game 2 – Saturday, Apr. 18 – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at SOUND TIGERS 7 p.m. (NVMC)
Game 3 – Sunday, Apr. 19 – SOUND TIGERS at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 5:05 p.m.
Game 4 – Wednesday, Apr. 22 – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at SOUND TIGERS 7 p.m.
Game 5 – Friday, Apr. 24 – SOUND TIGERS at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 7:05 p.m.
Game 6 – Saturday, Apr. 25 – SOUND TIGERS at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 7:05 p.m.
Game 7 – Sunday, Apr. 26 – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at SOUND TIGERS 4 p.m.
Comments.
As I wrote a week ago, the Islanders were not finalists. It looked like Toronto and Vancouver for the longest time, but I heard they backed off the insistence on a one-way deal from Gilroy’s camp. Best wishes to the pride of North Bellmore, who went from Boston University walk-on to Hobey Baker winner to the owner of a two-year, one-way contract from the New York Rangers. He’ll enter camp in September at age 25 and with a lot of people fascinated in his immediate transition from college to the NHL. Comments.
Howard Weitzman is the Comptroller for Nassau County. Point Blank received the following statement of support for the Lighthouse Project from his office:
“The Lighthouse Project should be the top priority of all the governments involved. Nassau County is a mature suburb that needs to find new ways of creating revenue if we are to avoid the never-ending cycle of increasing property taxes. This project would create 35,000 to 75,000 construction jobs, thousands of permanent jobs once finished, will provide a steady flow of sales and property tax revenue, and will be the central attraction Nassau currently lacks. I can not overstate the importance of this project. We simply need to get it done.” Comments.
Last summer Jim Kelley of Sports Illustrated dot-com wrote coaches like Bob Hartley and Paul Maurice didn’t care that they didn’t get the Islanders job. Kelley didn’t bother to check with Bob and Paul. Take my word for it, they were, uh…let’s just say “disappointed” Scott Gordon got the nod. Now Jim writes one of the reasons why an Islanders-Toronto trade for John Tavares is possible is because Toronto can provide the NYI with “some cap relief.” BHAHAHAHAHA! [Insert Jack Edawards-like cackle here]. Ah, yes. The Islanders, the team that will need to make a few moves (like last summer) to reach the salary cap floor. I worship SI The Magazine, which has fact-checkers. Comments.
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers made the bus ride from Fairfield County to Nassau on Thursday afternoon in preparation of their road-home games on Friday and Saturday at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Bridgeport takes on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in an opening round, best-of-7 American Hockey League playoff series. (Coincidentally, the Baby Pens got a mention in Thursday’s ep of “The Office.”)
One regular Sound Tigers observer provided us with this prediction of Game 1 lines:
Jesse Joensuu – Ben Walter – Kyle Okposo
Trevor Smith – Rob Hennigar – Mike Iggulden
Jon Sim – Tyler Haskins – Sean Bentivoglio
The fourth line will be comprised of three of the following: Micheal Haley, Pascal Morency, Tomas Marcinko and Dennis Packard.
Notes: As in the NHL, don’t expect to see many fighters in the AHL playoffs, or at least much fighting among AHL heavyweights…The Sound Tigers have been carrying several young Islanders prospects, including Robin Figren, Justin DiBenedetto, Mark Katic, Max Gratchev (unsigned Travis Hamonic has gone home). Although you can be certain Bridgeport will go with a more veteran lineup for most, if not all of the series, our money is on the 20-year old DiBenedetto as the kid most likely to get a look.
University of North Dakota star Ryan Duncan, signed to an ATO last week, is also likely to be part of the “Black Aces” at the start of this series…Like the Islanders, the Sound Tigers have been hit hard by injuries. Junior Lessard has not practiced all week. The absence of strong AHL vets Jeremy Colliton and Kurtis McLean is a big blow to Bridgeport.
On defense, you could see the following:
Jack Hillen – Joe Callahan
Andrew MacDonald – Dustin Kohn
Jamie Fraser – Chris Lee
Jon Glead – Mark Wotton
In goal, expect Nathan Lawson to get the call as No. 1. But with three games in under 72 hours, Peter Mannino will likely see action in the series.
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Fornabaio’s Preview: We asked for a brief email analysis from the great Mike Fornabaio, who covers the Sound Tigers every day of the year for the Connecticut Post. Check out his blog and the paper’s site for his prediction and additional info. Here’s what Mike was kind enough to write especially for us:
“As Jack Capuano has said a couple of times this week, these are two teams that play a similar game, that love to pressure, that can play at a high tempo. They both send out talented forwards who excel when they get the puck deep; both have more than one line that can score. Both have defensemen who can move the puck.
“Bridgeport has to contain the Penguins’ transition; the Sound Tigers got in trouble a few times when the Penguins got loose for odd-man rushes. And whether Capuano decides on Nathan Lawson or Peter Mannino (if only for a given night), that goalie has to at least match John Curry, who won 33 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
“If you’re looking for some other players to watch, aside from Curry: D Ben Lovejoy (steady presence in the back), LW Janne Pesonen (first year over here, though not a kid; top scorer), C Jeff Taffe (big AHL scorer, playing only his second playoff), RW Chris Minard (sniper). Connor James, fearless and speedy little captain, has been out of practice with one of them lower-body injuries.”
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Capuano’s Take: Sound Tigers coach Jack Capuano, on the phone this morning to Point Blank:
“They’ve got speed, deception, grit. Ben Lovejoy was plus-42. John Curry in goal has been tremendous for them.
“I’ve told our team that the little things are going to be the big things. It’s going to come down to discipline, turnovers, territorial battles.
“No matter who we’ve put in the lineup, these guys have given us their all. Win or lose or draw, I guarantee you they will work extremely hard and play for each other.”
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The Series:
Game 1 – Friday, Apr. 17 – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at SOUND TIGERS 7:30 p.m. (NVMC)
Game 2 – Saturday, Apr. 18 – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at SOUND TIGERS 7 p.m. (NVMC)
Game 3 – Sunday, Apr. 19 – SOUND TIGERS at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 5:05 p.m.
Game 4 – Wednesday, Apr. 22 – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at SOUND TIGERS 7 p.m.
Game 5 – Friday, Apr. 24 – SOUND TIGERS at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 7:05 p.m.
Game 6 – Saturday, Apr. 25 – SOUND TIGERS at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 7:05 p.m.
Game 7 – Sunday, Apr. 26 – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at SOUND TIGERS 4 p.m.
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Point Blank will have coverage of Games 1 and 2 from the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and will blog throughout the series. Kevin Schultz and I will be at Game 1 and Kevin will take care of Game 2.
As I’m sure you know by now, although their season is over, 24/7 coverage of all things New York Islanders has not ended on Point Blank. Although we have not nailed down our long-term future at this, we can guarantee daily coverage until at least Memorial Day. Please continue to spread the word. Thanks as always.
Comments on this post only. Comment Guidelines. Draft Poll results and conversation continue in next thread. The draft is more than two months away. Pace yourself!
Thank you to the more than 600 individual readers who participated. If you have a follow-up thought, please note this is also a one-Comment-per reader thread. Next up: a preview of Bridgeport vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
What a bizarre dynamic, this notion in some quarters of the Toronto media that somehow they and the Maple Leafs are above the game because – you know – hockey is very popular there.
Where does this come from, the idea that John Tavares somehow belongs to them and teams like the Islanders are not worthy?
Maybe it’s because the Hockey Hall of Fame is there. No wait, I got it. It must be all the Stanley Cups captured in Ontario over the last four decades.
After the lottery on Tuesday night, I wrote about how Leafs Prez Brian Burke would immediately go to work on his “fawning media corps.” Sure enough, he did yesterday morning. He called Garth Snow and then he let word out that he called Garth Snow. Of course, the media jumped all over it – never mind the fact the Leafs do not have anything of value to offer the Islanders.
Anyway, I received an email from a major Toronto sports columnist taking exception to “fawning media corps.” It was from a writer I’ve known for a while and I like and respect, in large part because he doesn’t fawn. He’s tough, he stands by what he writes and he doesn’t let anyone – let alone a GM or PR flak – try to tell him what to do.
But instead of him bashing me in the email for what I wrote, he managed to turn it into a dissertation of how hockey matters in Toronto and doesn’t on Long Island.
“Should I interpret ‘fawning media corps’ to be a reference to hockey media in a town where people actually care about the team and thus significant numbers of media people actually get paid by independent media organizations to cover the team, not just blog from their basements? Too funny coming from Long Island of all places.”
(Ah yes, the ol’ everyone-blogs-from-their-basements counterpunch. I’m surprised he didn’t say we all write in our pajamas at mom’s house).
The hockey haughtiness in some parts of Toronto can be a little scary. Correct me if I’m wrong, but did any local sports columnist write that A.J. Burnett should sign with the Yankees and bolt the Blue Jays because baseball is much more popular in New York?
Funny thing about that email on Long Island’s lack of passion for their hockey team. Around the same time the Toronto writer sent it, Islanders fans were pounding this blog with more than 300 comments in the first 20 minutes after I posted a draft poll.
In Toronto, you have a Sun columnist telling John Tavares for two months that he shouldn’t join the Islanders. There’s the recent piece in the supposedly higher-standard Globe & Mail advising Burke to essentially tamper with Tavares (“the right phone call here, the proper whisper there.”).
A radio reporter breathlessly bragged in his online column about how he called JT right away to tell him the wonderful news that Burke wanted him. Okay, while you’re at it you might want to let the kid know the Leafs don’t have anything to offer. Remember now, Luke Schenn – the next Scott Stevens, the way he’s billed in TO - is already untouchable.
And then there was the excellent, pre-eminent Star columnist who authored a fairly respectful column on the Islanders, but chose not to take one minute to make a phone call or Google to get some vital facts correct: “Owner Charles Wang is threatening to move if he can’t get public money for a new arena on Long Island.” Besides the fact Wang isn’t looking for public money, the deal is already done with Nassau County for the land and the entire project is centered around a renovated NVMC and not a new arena, the columnist got everything in that sentence right.
The Toronto writer ticked off about my “fawning media corps” comment and I exchanged some follow-ups. I told him my jab wasn’t aimed at him. I made my baseball in New York analogy. I defiantly boasted that he could thumb his nose at hockey bloggers in New York all he wants, but I work as hard and I’m as passionate about the sport as any writer in Toronto.
He countered that I should have been specific, that by taking a broad swipe at every media person in his city, I brought down a lot of hard-working people. That was completely fair, and I told him I was wrong to do that. For the record, there are countless members of the Toronto sports media who are outstanding, dedicated, accurate and who are not Leafs booster club members.
And then I informed him I write most of this blog in my den, not my basement.
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