Soundin' Off

What was 27 players a few days ago was down to 23 today (though it’ll be 24 shortly). The Islanders are reassigning newbies Yannick Riendeau and Marc Cantin to Reading. “They’ve got to play some games,” Brent Thompson said. “With our numbers right now, we don’t have the ability (to give them the time they need).” So that leaves here 14 forwards (the 12 that played last night plus Romano and Gallant) and eight defensemen (last night’s six minus Cantin, plus Oleksy, Sinkewich and Katic).

A swap in goal, too: Nick Niedert rejoined to Wheeling, as he tweeted last night, and Bridgeport is bringing in Riley Gill from Kalamazoo. He was coming in Saturday, so Leni DiCostanzo was in the other net from Kevin Poulin. Thompson joked DiCostanzo was starting tomorrow, that he looked good. I said it was about time.

AHL transactions have Providence signing Olivier Labelle, so might see him tomorrow. He hadn’t been called up from Reading since Bridgeport sent him back there 13 months ago. The B’s had been very banged up going into last night; not sure if they lost anybody else, but I think they were dressing their only 20 healthy bodies. Will be interested to see what their lineup looks like tonight against Worcester. Goalie Michael Hutchinson, normally in tandem with injured Anton Khudobin, has been sick, but after watching Tuukka Rask go down just now against the Islanders, wonder if Hutchinson’s next stop is Boston. (Edit: appears so. Edit2: Paille’s injury brings Lane MacDermid up, reducing Providence’s “Mac” contingent slightly.) If not, Adam Courchaine is on an NHL deal, too, if necessary. (And should they decide to go outside, looks like they have one contract spot to play with. Edit4: Here’s the Providence box score, missing leading scorer Carter Camper. Courchaine started but got yanked after two goals.

Joe Fallon, one of Bridgeport’s several call-up goalies this year, signed a PTO with Houston.

A couple of big AHL names on the move last night: Patrick O’Sullivan to Peoria; Brett Sterling to Portland. Edit3: Dave Eminian reports tonight that San Jose will send Alex Stalock, in a crowded crease in Worcester while coming back from last year’s skate-cut nerve injury, to Peoria.

And if you saw the Sound Tigers behind-the-scenes feature that MSG aired today, I’d be interested in your thoughts. Looked like a neat thing when they were filming.

Sacred Heart plays its last Harbor Yard game of the season, and in case I’m running around a bit post-that-game/pre-pro-game, just wanted to get the framework of the pregame post up. Should be Anders Nilsson vs. Jason Bacashihua (per Joe Paterson via Tim McManus last night, and give that story a read for the tough time Matt Ford has gone through lately). Riley Gill, the Kalamazoo goalie you may remember from last season, signs a PTO to back up for Bridgeport.

BRIDGEPORT
F: Riley-Frischmon (A)-Marcinko
Howes-Colliton (C)-Backman
DiBenedetto (A)-Cizikas-Rakhshani
Ullstrom-Mouillierat-Haley
D: Landry-Jackson
Gentile-Cunningham
Donovan-Oleksy
G: Nilsson
Gill

ADIRONDACK
F: Hamel (A)-Holmstrom (C)-Ford
Zolnierczyk-Roe-Harper
McGinn-Brown-Akeson
Klotz-Pither-Rowe
D: Manning-Eddy
Lauridsen-Thomas
Gustafsson-Jancevski (A)
G: Bacashihua
Leighton

R: T.Koharski. L: Galvin, Redding.

Tony Romano had an assist credited Friday night, but it was taken away in his first game with Chicago. We’d talked at practice about the former Sound Tigers there; I’d forgotten there were that many, not to mention that they were playing against a former BST. (If you feel like some minor trivia, go ahead and name the seven (unless you have another) former BST players or staffers involved in that game.) Meanwhile, on his first shift since October, Chris Langkow scored. Unfortunately for the Aces, they didn’t score again.

And got a start on the day at Fairfield University for the Special Olympics floor hockey tournament. The shots some of those kids were taking, sign ‘em up.

*-Maybe. Tell you for sure in like two hours**. He’s an assistant coach for Holy Cross now.
**-Holy Cross 3, Sacred Heart 2.

Early-Saturday news, which may be updated:

–The Islanders called up Mikko Koskinen for tonight’s game with Ottawa. Tonight’s backup here is expected to be Riley Gill, who was with Kalamazoo. Here’s a story on him from Kalamazoo last spring, when he joined the Wings while finishing up at Western Michigan.

–Pat Bingham said Jean Bourbeau will be back this week. There was a thought about trying to get him back tonight, but the weather left too many variables, so he’ll likely be here for Monday’s practice.

–Tony Romano skated in the morning. They’ll see how he’s feeling in the afternoon before deciding if he’ll be in tonight.