BRIDGEPORT — It's about as savvy a power-play unit as an AHL team can ice. Rob Collins, Travis Brigley, Jeff Hamilton, Allan Rourke and Wyatt Smith — three talented, certified AHL veterans and two other experienced talents — produced a couple of chances Wednesday night for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. That was their first game together, with Brigley returning from back spasms and Hamilton returning from Russia.

While almost every other facet of the game is clicking for Bridgeport, which has won six in a row while allowing just seven goals going into tonight's game at Hartford, the power play has sputtered. The Sound Tigers have gone 22 chances, more than 35 minutes, without a goal on the man advantage. If this group clicks, the way they were moving the puck in practice Thursday — watch out.

All except Brigley have played the point for the Sound Tigers. Collins and Hamilton both have treacherous shots from anywhere in the zone. "We're interchangeable on the half-wall, and Smith on the point," Hamilton said. "Brigs in front, he's a moose with great hands."

Coach Dave Baseggio said the only difficulty in having that much talent together is that the power play sometimes gets too fancy. "They'll try to make the perfect play instead of shooting the puck when they can shoot the puck," Baseggio said. Hamilton, rusty after not playing a game in three weeks, blamed himself for a couple of botched plays Wednesday. "I was the weak link in that

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chain," he said. "We're going to be dangerous.

Hamilton returned at a good time to get in game shape. Wednesday began four games in five nights ("Welcome back," he said with a laugh), fortunately for him without much travel. Hartford tonight is the only road trip in the bunch. Springfield comes to town Saturday, then 13-0-1 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Sunday. The Penguins beat Bridgeport twice, 8-1 and 8-3, in October, so Sunday could be a benchmark for how far the Sound Tigers have come in a month. "Wilkes-Barre's obviously a great team," Baseggio said, "but if we look past Hartford and Springfield, we're in trouble."

Paul Flache, banged in the head Wednesday and left with a mild concussion, sat out Thursday's practice.

The Sound Tigers were likely to bring in Reading Royals defenseman Jeff State to fill in for Flache. State, 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds, had 47 penalty minutes in nine ECHL games with Reading; he had seven points and 156 penalty minutes in 63 games for the Danbury Trashers of the UHL last year. He also has 49 games of AHL experience with Hartford.

Rookie forward Luch Aquino will likely either be assigned to Trenton of the ECHL or return to the junior Ontario Hockey League for his overage season. Aquino had been scratched from four of the past six games, and Hamilton's arrival meant his playing time would dwindle further.

"He just needs to play," Baseggio said. Bridgeport Sound Tigers at Hartford Wolf Pack WHEN — Tonight, 7

WHERE — Hartford Civic Center

ON THE AIR — No radio; Webcast at www.soundtigers.com

RECORDS — Bridgeport 8-6-1-0; Hartford 7-5-1-2

SEASON SERIES — Hartford leads 1-0. LAST MEETING — The Wolf Pack won 3-2 Oct. 29 at Hartford. ABOUT THE SOUND TIGERS — Bridgeport has won six games in a row. In four-plus regular seasons, only two times has the team had a longer streak. ... RW Rob Collins is 6-12-18. ... D Paul Flache (mild concussion) sat out of practice Thursday. ... Bridgeport has won three in a row on the road. ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK — G Al Montoya (broken finger), who made 51 saves when the teams met last, is out. ... C Jarkko Immonen leads the team at 7-6-13. RW Chad Wiseman (4-8-12) and LW Alexandre Giroux (5-6-11) are right behind. UP NEXT — Saturday vs. Springfield, 7:05 p.m.

— MICHAEL FORNABAIO