NORFOLK — It only seemed like a penalty was called every shift
Friday during the Norfolk Admirals' season opener at Scope. And
their 7-4 loss to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers only looked vaguely
like pro hockey as you've known it.

Special Offer! Under ironclad orders to call everything that even
resembled a hook, hold or interference, referee Jeff Smith whistled
30 minor penalties in a game with less hard contact than a sorority
pillow fight.

The first penalty came after 35 seconds. The second period's first
foul was called after 32 seconds, and the first one of the final
stanza after 67 ticks of the clock. Ever vigilant, Smith also
awarded a penalty with 19 seconds left in the game.

Norfolk finished 2 of 13 on the power play and Bridgeport 3 of 12,
numbers that would have been bizarre aberrations last season, before
the NHL and AHL instituted zero tolerance on obstruction.

"You just saw a soccer game,'' said frustrated Norfolk defenseman
James Wisniewski, whose team hosts Bridgeport again tonight. "We're
going to have to learn that you can't play with your stick on
someone parallel to the ice and you can't take a hand off your stick
to grab a guy.''

Five of Friday's first six goals came on power plays, three of those
with a team enjoying a two-man advantage.

"They want more goals, and that's going to happen when you're giving
out seven 5-on-3's a game,'' Wisniewski said. "You used to see one
of those a month.''

Although Bridgeport pulled out of a 3-3 tie midway through the game
with four even-strength goals, some Admirals felt their struggles to
adapt to the new rules were still a factor.

Shawn Thornton wondered how a player could fight for the puck in the
corners without moving opponents aside, and Wisniewski said Norfolk
landed on the meek side of the fine line between legal and breaking
the law.

"You feel like you can't touch anyone, so you start letting them
move around your net,'' he said. "But we have to be more disciplined
and come out and play smarter tomorrow.''

Rookie defenseman Dustin Byfuglien and newly arrived forward Mark
Cullen each had two goals for Norfolk, which held a 32-21 shot
advantage. But Bridgeport, routed 8-1 Wednesday in its season
opener, scored its fourth, fifth and sixth goals from within about
20 feet.

"You can't battle in front of the net anymore because if you push
someone there, it's a penalty,'' Thornton said. "The poor goalies
are facing five and six rebounds off one scoring chance because all
we can do to help them is lift a guy's stick.

"But if you lift it too hard, that's a penalty, too. So you're not
really sure what to do.''

Notes: The Virginian-Pilot's three stars: Bridgeport's Rob Collins
(1) and Kevin Colley (2), each with a goal and two assists, and
Norfolk's Byfuglien (3). ... Norfolk's scratches were Mike Brown,
Matt Keith (broken toe) and Anton Babchuk, who served the final game
of a five-game suspension dating back to when he hit a child with a
thrown water bottle in last season's playoffs. ... The second
intermission was taken with about four minutes left in the second
period after a power outage in the region around Scope killed the
lights for a couple of minutes. ... Box-seat holders at Admirals
games this season can order food such as burgers, chicken tenders
and taco salads from wait staff. Cost is about $9 per item.