Travis Hamonic Leaves Game as Sound Tigers Woes Continue

Despite salvaging a regulation point on Saturday, things didn't improve over the weekend for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, who have now lost most of the games over .500 they had when they started the season 10-4.

Their record now stands at 10-9-0-1, and they're still searching for answers and lamenting the same problems (slow starts, penalties, not playing "a certain way").

Worse, though it doesn't appear serious, they had to finish Sunday's game against Norfolk without Travis Hamonic, who left after a hard boards collision with John Mitchell.

The risk of injury to NHLers like Hamonic is another annoying thing about this lockout. Granted, injuries happen at both (and all) levels, but an Islanders fan can't escape the feeling that Hamonic -- already a standout defenseman at the NHL level -- is having wear and tear added in the AHL for little benefit.

(On that note, Colorado faces seeing Semyon Varlamov fall to a knee injury while playing in the KHL. And as long as you're there, interesting story about Matt Duchene ripping his teammates in Sweden and waxing about how many Canadians would kill for their jobs.)

Fortunately for Bridgeport, at least after this weekend they get back at it Wednesday in Hartford; no stewing on the lost weekend for a week this time.

But the team is giving up well over three goals a game (Connecticut and Bridgeport have both given up a conference-worst 70 goals), its goaltenders both have sub-.900 save percentages now, and the team continues to have slow starts that have them playing catch-up.

By and large the prospects are still doing well, but the team now finds itself in the bottom half of the conference and in need of a rebound.