Bits: Sound Tigers lose in OT, Ness loses teeth; Visnovsky; CBA permutations

We haven't had many "bits" or news sampling posts since the NHL lockout canceled Christmas. We haven't had actual NHL games since our site redesign. We'll fire these up again and see if it pleases the masses.

Last night Bridgeport lost another one-goal game, in a season that begs for patterns and narratives (great start here, winless streak there, hot run here, string of close defeats there). Things started well with yet another early goal, NHL aspirants David Ullstrom and Nino Niederreiter combining to set up Johan Sundstrom.

The teams traded leads for the rest of the game. Hershey claimed the final one with an overtime winner. The Sound Tigers were down to four defensemen after Aaron Ness lost teeth and Nathan McIver took a hit.

Michael Fornabaio has coverage in the blog here and in the Post here. Official site recap here.

The Islanders are Coming Back

• The official site on Kyle Okposo making his wife drive the car (and other details)...
• ...and with Jack Capuano and others on returning to camp (hey, did you know Matt Moulson has brothers-in-law in hockey?). Also: Anyone else concerned that some of the Isles' weakest players didn't get games in during the lockout?
• Rick DiPietro says he's rip-roaring and ready to go, or some other such "R" sounding phrase.
• The NHL continues to insist all NHLers spending the lockout in the KHL will come back. That means Lubomir Visnovsky...and also Ilya Kovalchuk.
• Cosmo says John Tavares is one of the league's hottest players or something, but if you click that link you are part of the downfall of Western civilization. (Seriously, don't click.)

Lockout Aftermath

• Does anyone know what the new rules are? Not really, but here is how teams can trade cap space.
• Here's a general overview of tenets of the new CBA, yet to be ratified.
  
• Implications for Roberto Luongo, who was -- perhaps you've heard -- once an Islander.
  
• And here's a primer on what all 30 teams did before the league told you Santa isn't real.
• A nice embed at Grantland on what it was like covering the lockout's final, absurd, grueling days.
  
• Forbes asks if the fans will come back but has no answer. Still, it's written by Kurt Badenhausen, which is German for "My name could not be more German if it was Klaus und Sauerbraten."
• Ancient Kovalev in Panther's camp?
• Hey, remember when Mario Lemieux was so shocked, SHOCKED, that he "seriously reconsidered his involvement with the game"? Yeah, uh huh.
• Sucks: Kristian Huselius has to retire.
• Okay, perspective: Dominic Moore's wife, R.I.P.

Well, expect CBA ratification by Saturday, training camps by Sunday. Looks like we're really doing this thing.