Game No. 9 - Bucks vs. Jackalopes

Starters: Bucks - Jeff Bes (F), Sebastien Centomo (G), Serge Dube (D), Mike Gooch (D), Rick Kozak (F), Darryl Smith (F); Jackalopes - Jean Bourbeau (F), Colin Circelli (F), Garrett Gruenke (D), Mike Lesperance (F), Juha Toivonen (G), Dave Van Druden (D).

As always, you can follow the game stats live here.

First Period: The puck has gone out of play 8:22 into the opening period...and the Bucks have yet to take a shot on goal. I'm starting to understand how the Jackalopes got 54 off against the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees last Friday. They are credited with seven, but have actually taken eight. ... First penalty of the game has been called at 8:41 as Brian Swiniarski will go to the box for interference after taking a big shot on Vincent Zaore-Vanie. Apparently Adam Rivet really didn't appreciate Swiniarski's actions as he seemed to want to pick a fight when the whistle blew. ... The Bucks finally have their first shot of the game, taken during the power play. ... Jackalopes lead 1-0 after Jonathon Labelle got one by Centomo while everyone was distracted by a ridiculous open-ice hit by Bourbeau on Erick Lizon, who couldn't even stand up straight enough to get himself to the bench after the fact. Somehow, that goal did not result in a shot being added to the Jacks' tally, which still stands at seven, but should be nine. The goal came following a turnover at center ice that gave the Jackalopes a four-on-one breakaway. Centomo didn't really have much of a chance. Jeff Pierce gets the assist. ... Okay, good, the shots have been increased to nine. .. Second penalty of the game has been committed, and we are already over 13 minutes in. This one goes sent Lesperance to the box for high sticking. ... Just a few seconds into the power play, the Bucks turned the puck over and set up a pretty nice shorthanded situation for the Jacks, but they didn't get anything on it. ... Alex Goupil has been called for the Bucks' first penalty, high sticking, which will make it 4-on-4 for 1:03, then a Jackalopes power play for 57 seconds. ... With 4:58 to play, the Bucks have finally taken their second shot. Coach Ruskowski will probably have a bit to say in the dressing room between periods. ... Just an FYI, Ryan Salvis has been skating a decent amount of shifts in spite of Ruskowski saying he planned to use the center "sparingly" in his first game in Laredo. ... I am usually not a fan of talking about my teams' games until they're over, but holy cow, the Pens are kicking some butt. They lead the Oilers 5-0 with just under six minutes to play in the middle period. ... I guess Zaore-Vanie decided Bourbeau needed some punishment for that hit he put on Lizon, because they just got into a rather lame fight directly across the box from the Bucks' bench. Each will spend the remainder of the period in their respective penalty boxes, unless the refs decide to send them to the dressing room early. ... And now Goupil and Dominic Leveille are exchanging words just inside the Jacks' zone. Oh boy. The opportunity came after Leveille was called for tripping, a penalty he committed against Devin Featherstone. But, for some reason, Sebastien Thinel will be serving it. I'm confused! With only 2:10 to go in the period, the Bucks will be on the power play until only 10 seconds are left. ... Well, at least the Bucks got three shots off during the advantage, but the Jacks killed another one to send the game into the first intermission 1-0 in their favor. Rivet had tried to send the puck down the ice and let the final seconds tick off but accidentally sent it over the glass, requiring the least passionate faceoff I've ever seen with 0.03 seconds to play in the period. ... There is a reason I try not to talk about games I care about before they're over...and that is why Fernando Pisani just put the Oilers on the board. Haha. ... Some notes from that period: Jacks lead 10-5 on shots; apparently the refs changed the call to Thinel, which explains his trip to the box; the Goupil, Jason Dixon, Bobby Russell line I mentioned seeing at practice on Tuesday is skating together tonight; some of the Jackalopes have pretty awesome names. They are overloaded on French players, and French is one of those nationalities that provides for really neat pronunciations.

Second Period: Bes has just tied it up with his third goal and team-leading 15th point of the season. It was an easy one for him as he brought the puck down most of the length of the ice on his own and flipped it right over Toivonen's left shoulder. No assists so far, and I don't think there will be any coming. ... Seriously, I will never say a word about a Penguins game until it is over again. Their lead has been cut to 5-3 less than four minutes into the closing period. Yikes. ... The Bucks just had six skaters on in preparation for a penalty call against the Jacks, but Igor Agarunov hesitated and tried to pass it out, hitting a Jackalopes player's stick in the process. Sometimes selflessness isn't the best trait for an athlete to have. ... Smith just had a great chance, but Toivonen made an incredible save to keep the score 1-1. By the way, it was Van Druden who went to the box, for interference. ... Bes just made a great pass to Kozak to try and set up a goal, but Kozak seemed a little unaware of what was going on and missed the puck entirely. ... Bucks got a few good chances on that one but couldn't score. Can't say they didn't try, though, as they took six shots in that two-minute span to tie the shots for the game at 13. Back to 5-on-5 now, as Van Druden is out of the box. ... Russell just took one of the hardest shots I've ever seen at this level, and Toivonen blocked it with his chest, resulting in a trainer's visit. He is clearly shaken up but claiming to be just fine. That had to hurt. ... The Oilers just scored a shorthanded goal to make it 5-4...and Sid was on the ice. Plus, the Oilers keep picking fights with all the Pens players. I am going to scream. ... Well, apparently some other people require a little less to actually yell, as the refs just missed a call against the Bucks, resulting in some very vocal protests from Jackalopes broadcaster Brian Rea and some members of their organization (owners, it seems) sitting in the stands in front of the press box. ... Bucks are on another power play as Thinel has been called for tripping. Shots read 15-15 heading into it; we'll see what they can do. ... No sooner had I typed that than Dube sent the puck over to Goupil, who slapped it from the left circle into the net. That is No. 7's seventh goal of the season. Rivet gets the other assist. Bucks lead 2-1, and this crowd is showing that the fans are starting to love Goupil, who joined the team in the middle of last season, just as much as the guys who have been in Laredo for years. ... Zaore-Vanie just got called for holding, and now Steve Weidlich is headed to the box for slashing. Thanks to the delayed call, the Bucks will only have to fight the 5-on-3 for 41 seconds. ... Centomo is truly a ton of fun to watch; he just made an incredible save, then quickly recovered to make a less incredible, but no less important one. His ability to stay focused after initial blocks is a huge asset to the Bucks. ... The Jackalopes just tied it up on a power play goal by Leveille. Honestly, if the Bucks can't clear the puck for even short spurts during their penalty kills, there's only so much Centomo can do. ... Bes has been sent to the box for hooking with 40.2 left in the middle period, putting the Jacks on their fourth power play. ... Kory Karlander got the same call 20 seconds later, meaning it will be 4-on-4 to close this period and start the third, barring a goal by either team. ... The period is over, and these teams will enter the final one tied 2-2.

Third Period: The Bucks are on their seventh power play of the game, as Karlander just got called for high sticking. ... Jacks killed that one and now get an advantage of their own on a Weidlich hooking penalty. ... Jacks lead 3-2 on their second power-play goal. Circelli scored it on an assist from Mario Joly. Interestingly enough, Weidlich was the Buck in the penalty box for each of the Jackalopes' power-play scores. ... Make that 4-2, as Phillippe Plant just netted one on an assist from Karlander. Just over 10 minutes left for the Bucks to catch up. ... Things are not looking good for the Bucks, as the Jackalopes have taken a 5-2 lead on a goal by Pierce that just ripped by Centomo's glove. Each of the Jacks' goals tonight has come from a different skater. ... Another hooking call against Weidlich has put the Jackalopes on another power play.

Game Over: Jackalopes win 5-2. They improve to 5-2-1 (10 points), while the Bucks fall to 5-4-0 (10 pts.). ... That postgame interview was the angriest I have ever seen Ruskowski, and that includes the Conference Finals losses last season.

NHL Scores: Bruins 5, Maple Leafs 3; Capitals 3, Hurricanes 2; Thrashers 4, Islanders 3; Rangers 5, Lightning 2; Penguins 5, Oilers 4; Senators 4, Flyers 1; Wild 3, Avalanche 1; Flames 7, Predators 6; Canucks 1, Coyotes 0; Kings 3, Panthers 2; Blues 5, Sharks 4 (SO).