[Bits] Sound Tigers Highlights Cap Shootout Weekend for Islanders

If you didn't get enough hot shootout action during the New York Islanders' opening weekend, their farm team finished the weekend with the extra-time breakaway drill as well.

John Persson finished the shootout in Bridgeport's 4-3 Sunday home win over Norfolk, with the team killing off a lengthy 5-on-3 at the end of regulation, a unit of Johan Sundstrom, Scott Mayfield and Joe Finley fronting Anders Nilsson, who was forced to make several saves (and make amends for a DiPie-sque puckhandling miscue).

Highlights: 4-3 (SO) over Norfolk, Oct. 6

Lines:

Forwards
Lee-Strome-Diamond
Persson-Sundstrom-Bruton
Halmo-Wetmore-Kabanov
Gallant-Clark-Johnson

Defensemen
Finley-de Haan
Ness-Mayfield
Pedan-Jackson

The bottom six were shuffled slightly from the night before (see below).

Sunday's two points repaired an opening night loss to the Baby Penguins, where Anders Lee and Kirill Kabanov got the Sound Tigers off to a 2-1 lead in what became a 5-2 loss.

Highlights: 5-2 Loss to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Oct. 5

Lines:

Forwards
9 Anders Lee-18 Ryan Strome- 39 Joey Diamond
23 John Persson-28 Johan Sundstrom-16 Chris Bruton
72 Jason Clark-19 Riley Wetmore-77 Kirill Kabanov
14 Greg Miller-22 Alan Quine-49 Justin Johnson

Defensemen
12 Calvin de Haan-52 Joe Finley
3 Andrey Pedan-21 Dallas Jackson
27 Aaron Ness-10 Scott Mayfield

Anders Nilsson played both games.

Pedan on the opener:

"We don’t know each other 100 percent, but we’re getting closer," Andrey Pedan said. "We’ve got a great team. There are just little things we need to work on, and we’re going to win games."

Bits

• More from the weekend, here there and elsewhere:
• On Bridgeport, Michael Fornabaio has quotes from Scott Pellerin on structure improving Sunday, and Joe Finley on standing up after Ryan Strome took a big hit. Also: More in the recap proper.
  
• Also, linked this above in Pedan's quote, but Fornabaio had the opening night special teams personnel too. And the team faulting itself for too many penalties.
  
• Here's the view from the Penguins side.
• As for the Islanders (which we covered the win here and the loss here), Newsday has Jack Capuano talking about the third-period blown lead to Columbus, with a focus on how the offense didn't push. Not so much collapse as fail to assert. Also: Decision on Cal Clutterbuck's availability for Tuesday(!) could be made today.
• Even if Clutterbuck comes back, you get the feeling they dig Brock Nelson too much to have him be the roster casualty.
• A few more quotes from the post-game locker room via 7th Woman.
• On the Isles captaincy and continuity.
  
• And then there was the shootout zamboni incident.
• Catching up with Matt Donovan's father on his son being the first Oklahoman NHLer.
• Thorough Q&A with Butch Goring about the new season at Eyes on Isles.
• College previews note promise for Islanders 2013 goalie draftees Stephon Williams (sophomore Minnesota State) and freshman Eamon McAdam (Penn State) along with forward Taylor Cammarata (Minnesota).

Elsewhere

• Tuesday's opponent, the Coyotes, are allowing a lot of shots. Saturday Mike Smith stopped 47 of them.
• Oilers assistant Keith Acton has a few words for John Tortorella.
• On the nature of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins' injury, and whether he's coming back too soon given the Oilers' poor center depth.
• MacArthur sounds off on former coach Carlyle - Sportsnet.ca
• Operation Save Wardo: The Thrilling Rescue of Joel Ward - Japers' Rink
• Teemu got another standing ovation in Winnipeg, surely his last appearance as a player there.