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.

You knew 10 defensemen wasn’t going to hold up for long, and the casualty was the one guy on a PTO, Brandon Gentile. Lots of bodies here, obviously, and The List on Monday could constrict things even more, but Brent Thompson’s admiration for the guy was (and has been) clear, and it’s also clear he’d be glad for another chance to coach him at some point. See how things go.

Nick Niedert arrived to fill in for Anders Nilsson, who was recalled yesterday and named AHL goalie of the month today.

The lines and pairs throughout the week have looked pretty similar to the ones that ended last week, but Thompson talked about making sure everybody gets an opportunity as they get into the run toward the playoffs here. One playoff-style thing for sure this weekend: the schedule. Every other day? Is this the Adams Division semifinals?

(Won’t be in Albany, by the way, so be here for the liveblog off Josh Heller’s call.)

Up top, Dylan Reese joined the Islanders in Philadelphia. Edit: In fact, this afternoon they announced he has been activated. That’s seven defensemen up there.

Barry Goers signed a PTO with Lake Erie.

And Syracuse and Anaheim may be breaking up, Lindsay Kramer reports.

“You want to sum it up?” Brent Thompson said. “We got outworked.”

Well, that was easy. Prescout. See you…

….

“We lost one-on-one battles,” Thompson said.

“We showed at some times we were playing well,” Micheal Haley said. “We’ve got to be ready and outwork teams.”

They didn’t look like it. The Whale carried the first nine minutes, even with an early Bridgeport power play. The Sound Tigers escaped, with some help from a sharp Anders Nilsson.

Then Jared Nightingale scored on a point shot. Could’ve been deflating. But Bridgeport came right back, scoring as Haley and Kael Mouillierat dug for the puck in the crease.

And then the Whale scored two quick power-play goals, added another at even strength, and Bridgeport, once again, was trying to dig out of a huge hole.

“We’re upset we didn’t work for 60 minutes,” Haley said. “Right now, obviously, teams are going to have a little more skill.” They’re going to have to outwork them. That didn’t happen tonight.

So they hopped on the bus and will try it in Hershey tomorrow.

….

Haley, Benn Olson, Tyler Ruegsegger and Steve Oleksy were the only Bridgeport skaters not on for a goal against. Oleksy and Olson both fought; Olson’s tilt against Stu Bickel will be worth seeking out when the video appears, if you enjoy that sorta thing.

Brendan Bell’s 200-foot empty-netter was impressive, as well.

Lines for the third: Haley-Mouillierat-Rakhshani stayed together, but then there was Howes-Cizikas-Riley, McNeely-Romano-Ruegsegger, Backman-Frischmon-Marcinko.

Kevin Poulin’s arrival means Nick Niedert will go back to Danbury. He sure seemed to have a good time while he was here.

Prescout. Two-for-six will usually make your power-play percentage go up. If you’re Hershey, that makes it go up just barely. Let’s just say the PK better not get outworked Saturday the way Thompson said it got outworked tonight. (Speaking of Saturday, we’ll liveblog off the radio.)

Mike Milbury was charged with assault and battery on a youth-hockey player. His lawyer is quoted denying the charges.

I didn’t know “pragmatic” was that unusual a word.

This is pretty cool.

And RIP, Christopher Hitchens.

Edit: Just to make it crazier, Brian Rolston suffered a concussion tonight, the Islanders announced. Not counting Nino Niederreiter, who’s technically active but dealing with his own concussion, the Isles are down to 11 healthy forwards and going on the road tomorrow.

A busy morning, one to give you faith in Twitter buzz. The Islanders put Rick DiPietro on injured reserve this morning to clear room for a second call-up. One, expected, was Calvin de Haan. The other, less expected, was Kevin Poulin, who’ll start tonight against Dallas with Evgeni Nabokov not ready to go.

So Bridgeport had to go about replacing them. The rumored goalie was in the opposite net from Anders Nilsson: Nick Niedert, a second-year Danbury Whaler, fresh off a win over Cape Cod after a stint with Pat Bingham in Elmira.

The defenseman wasn’t on the ice for practice but was in the room afterward: Wes Cunningham, who impressed Brent Thompson with Greenville the past couple of years. “We have six defensemen capable of playing,” Thompson said. “It was a concern of, the hole Calvin leaves, to make sure we have that offensive presence. We have it with Donovan, with Ness, with Wishart, but we want that element of puck-moving defense.” He said Cunningham will bring an edge to his game, too. I could have sworn Cunningham’s name sounded familiar. There’s a reason for that.

Last night’s ECHL-transactions reveal, Kael Mouillierat, hadn’t yet arrived. He seems to be a versatile centerman coming to cover for Jeremy Colliton, who still isn’t feeling well, Thompson said, and looked doubtful for Friday at the moment. As of the morning, Tony Romano was in Colliton’s spot between Micheal Haley and Rhett Rakhshani.

Including the injured Chris Langkow, Bridgeport has seven players on pro tryouts at this writing; Mouillierat would make eight. Langkow, Gillies and DiBenedetto all remain out.

Elsewhere, one of last year’s myriad PTOs, Brandon Svendsen, is back with Binghamton.

Hartford looks to be without its leading scorer, Mats Zuccarello.

Alan Hahn’s arrival at MSG, here on Eric Hornick’s blog, notes that he’ll also be involved in hockey broadcasts.

And I feel as if I should have bought HBO just for this.