Game No. 30 - Bucks vs. Killer Bees

Starters: Bucks - Igor Agarunov (F), Sebastien Centomo (G), Devin Featherstone (D), Matt Miller (F), Bobby Russell (F), Steve Weidlich (D); Killer Bees - Kurtis Dulle (D), Jay Hardwick (D), Grant Goeckner-Zoeller (F), Aaron Lee (F), Evan Rankin (F), Wylie Rogers (G).

First Period: Guess I don't have to wait long for my first chance to see Matt Miller live in a game situation, as he is one of the starting wingers. ... Bucks get the first power play in this one, as Daryl Moore has been called for hooking at 2:33 in the period. ... Early on in the advantage, Jeff Bes is playing one of the points with Serge Dube going in toward net. However, Dube is skating his regular shifts as a defenseman. ... Dulle and Rick Kozak just randomly tore into each other chasing a play up the ice. Well, I'm sure it wasn't random to them, but I'm not too sure what was going on between them before that boiled over. They're each getting five for fighting at 4:58 in the period, so things will stay 5-on-5. ... Jesse Bennefield has just given these impressively energetic Killer Bees a 1-0 lead, sneaking the puck around Centomo on an assist from D-man Nathan Ansell. Ryan Shmyr, one of the injured Killer Bees who is in the press box for the night called the play "textbook Jesse Bennefield." Maybe the Bucks should start reading that book. ... The Killer Bees get their first power play of the game at 7:54, as Erick Lizon has been called for hooking. ... Oh boy. Adam Rivet is joining him eight seconds later on his own hooking call. Killer Bees have a 5-on-3 for 1:52. ... Centomo took care of the shots, then Jason Dixon won a fight on the boards to clear the puck just in time for Lizon to get out of the box as the Killer Bees brought it back. That battle happened to take place right in front of the Bucks' bench, and I'm sure Coach Ruskowski took notice. ... Miller has tied things up at 10:33 in the period, scoring his first goal as a Buck at the LEC on assists from Russell and Agarunov. ... The Bucks are going on a power play just 13 seconds after that goal, as Dulle has been sent to the box for a trip. Momentum can be a big thing, so let's see if they can make some luck for themselves on this one. ... Miller has been called for holding not long after that Bucks' power play ended fruitlessly. The Killer Bees will now get one of their own at 13:04 in the period. ... I guess either Tom Steinel or the players heard my story is online-only and thus without a strict deadline, because these penalties just keep coming. Bennefield just got called for slashing Dixon to create a 4-on-4 for about a minute. ... Okay, now holding against Hardwick has made it 4-on-3, then 5-on-3 for the Bucks. ... The Bucks were able to capitalize not long into that 5-on-3 and now lead 2-1 on a goal from Jeff Bes after he slammed home a rebound from a shot by Russell that Rogers couldn't quite keep in his glove. You have to feel for guys when that happens. Well, unless it's Ryan Miller or someone like that. Unluckily for Rogers, the Bucks are still on a power play, and the "You suck!" chants are pouring in. ... Okay, now I really feel for Rogers. He just made a pad save, only to have the puck bounce off his leg and defy physics to fly into the net. Agarunov netted it, and Weidlich has the assist. ... Bucks are getting another power play with 1:49 in the period as Moore has been called for hooking. ... Bucks have taken a 4-1 lead, and this time I don't feel quite as bad because Rogers had distracted himself by shoving around Lizon, who was camped out in front of his net. Mike Gooch had slapped the puck, and Lizon redirected it. Okay, or maybe it wasn't a goal? Time expired right as the puck was netted, so I guess the refs are talking this one out. It's still on the scoreboard, though, and apparently Gooch isn't getting an assist? Yet Weidlich, who passed it to him, is. Yeesh, a goal at 19:59. Those are rough. ... Okay, the goal did count, and the Bucks lead 4-1 in goals and 15-7 in shots heading into the first intermission.

Second Period: Couple good saves to start the middle period, but not much else in the first couple minutes. ... With their win over the Corpus Christi IceRays today, the Texas Brahmas moved into a tie with the Bucks atop the Southeast Division standings. With a win tonight, the Bucks would re-take the lead. ... A hooking call against Miller put the Killer Bees on the first power play of the period 5:43 in, but the Bucks didn't let that slow them down as Russell added to their lead with a shorthanded goal assisted by Bes. That's Russell's second shorty of the season, and I believe Adam Rivet gets the second assist. ... Uhhh, that was weird. Ryan Salvis just got hooked on a kinda sorta breakaway and went flying into the net, then into the wall with the net around him. Rogers jumped straight up in the air to avoid being taken out on that one. Salvis got up a bit slowly but seems fine. Hardwick was the offender and will serve two, giving the Bucks a power play when Miller gets out of the box. ... Nicolas Dumoulin just got sent to join Hardwick after taking a holding penalty then got his name butchered by the PA announcer. And it's such a fun name to say. Bucks have a 5-on-3 for just over a minute now. ... This is starting to feel like a Bucks-Bees game from last season. Okay, pretend I didn't say that, because these poor guys are probably wiped out. However, the Bucks have taken a 6-1 lead on a goal by Dube. Bes and Kozak get the assists, and everyone in the LEC gets a free tiny Frosty should they choose to pursue the matter. ... And this game has officially reached miserable status, as Rogers lost his stick and didn't even seem to care to get it back before allowing Kozak to go five-hole and make it 7-1. Oy. ... Say hello to Christian Boucher, who will be taking over the netminding duties for the Killer Bees at this point. I guess Chris Brooks just doesn't want Rogers to have to deal with any more embarrassment because if he were really trying to win this thing, he would have pulled him earlier. Still about half the second period to play. ... Lizon is in the box for roughing, giving the Killer Bees a power play and maybe a chance to rest their legs a bit here. ... Killer Bees defenseman Stephen Burns just absentmindedly cracked his stick while waiting around for a faceoff. That was odd. ... Yay for pushing and shoving. Oy. Killer Bees are getting their sixth power play of the night as Ryan James Hand has been called for roughing. ... Centomo is making some nifty saves on the rare occasion that the puck gets near him. Bucks are doubling the Killer Bees up on shots, 24-12. ... A bit earlier, Salvis got the blade of his stick caught under the doorboards of the zamboni entrance, which seems to be a habit of his. He nearly impaled himself at practice the other day when he got his stick caught near the player entrance to the ice. It was stuck pretty firmly this time, so he had to leave it out there until the whistle blew. Luckily, no one had to go back behind the Bees' net in the time between. ... Yikes, Kozak just laid Lee out with an open-ice hit that coincided with a delayed penalty call on Salvis for hooking. How little of this game has been played 5-on-5? ... Miller has now been called for "holding a stick." Seriously, we are never going to get out of here. Just about a minute left in the middle period. ... Rivet is big on taking the second penalty to set up a 5-on-3 tonight and has just done so again with a hooking call. ... The Killer Bees will keep their 5-on-3 into the third period as this one is done. Bucks lead 7-1, 25-16 on shots. ... Not that the Bucks need any offense tonight, but just thought I'd share that Matt Summers has a goal for the Mississippi RiverKings tonight, while Joey Olson has an assist for the Rapid City Rush. ... In case you hadn't noticed, each of the Bucks' goals has been scored by a different player, and 10 players have points so far. Bes, Kozak, Russell and Weidlich each have three. Oh, and three goals came on the power play, while one was shorthanded. Ruskowski will definitely be happy with this, but I'm not sure how happy as he is sure to realize that playing against such a depleted team isn't the greatest indicator of what his team can do.

Third Period: Center-ice faceoffs during a 5-on-3 are kind of funny to watch. ... I always love it when Sidney Crosby bats the puck around in the air with his stick, and Russell just pulled that trick out of his bag to save what probably would have been a goal for the Killer Bees after Centomo lost a shot in front of him. ... Dennis Maxwell just caught everyone's attention on the ice for the first time tonight with a fight against Kozak. They each landed some decent blows before the refs broke them up, but Kozak kinda controlled the tempo of that one. ... We went almost half the way through this period without a minor penalty, but Rankin has changed that with  a hooking call. Bucks are on the power play with 10:56 to go in the game. ... These guys really don't want me to leave the arena tonight. Maxwell was just in the right place at the right time and scored a nifty goal as he sent a rebound over Centomo's left shoulder...then Lizon jumped him, and a 5-on-5 brawl broke out behind the net. I'm pretty sure Lizon had Maxwell up against the glass and was punching him in the back of the head. Is that really necessary when your team is up like this? ... Apparently Kozak slapping Lee around is the play of the game somehow. I wasn't much of a fan. Kozak and Lizon have both been sent off the ice with 6:55 to play in the game, and a few other players are in the box. ... In addition to the fighting and misconduct penalties against those two, Featherstone got a roughing, Lee got a fighting and Burns picked up a roughing call. ... Funny how acting like fools can come back and bite you (or your goalie) in the butt. Centomo's stats are no longer getting the boost the rest of his teammates will get from this game, as the Killer Bees were able to capitalize on their 5-on-3 and make it 7-3. Dulle scored it, Zak McClellan had the assist, and we have just over five minutes to play. ... Well, Boucher has now given up his first against the Bucks in a pretty long while, as Salvis netted his second of the game. Apparently his creepy 'stache suits him well. That was a shorty, assisted by Russell. This is now the Bucks' highest-scoring game of the season and first 8-goal game since their March 21 win over the Bees last season.

Game Over: Bucks win 8-3, improve to 19-8-3 (41 points) and retake their Southeast Division lead. The fireworks were terrifying, and I must run. The game story will be online and slightly lacking due to player unavailability and Ruskowski's postgame obligations. 

Other Scores: Thunder 5, Oilers 2; Brahmas 5, IceRays 2; RiverKings 6, Mudbugs 0; Jackalopes 5, Gorillas 2; Rush 4, Rage 2; Sundogs 4, Scorpions 1.

NHL Scores: Islanders 4, Panthers 2; Sharks 3, Wild 2 (OT); Coyotes 3, Avalanche 1; Hurricanes 3, Thrashers 1; Stars 4,Devils 2; Blue Jackets 2, Ducks 0; Flames 6, Oilers 4.

Game Day No. 30, Part 2

As earlier mentioned, Sebastien Centomo will be starting in net for the Bucks tonight. Wylie Rogers will be getting the call for the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees.

These New Year's sweaters are kind of nauseating. 

Obviously, the Bucks could use a win tonight, having lost four straight and six of eight. Well, Coach Ruskowski said he considers those two OT losses against the Rocky Mountain Rage ties, but he's still not thrilled with the team right now.

Going up against a team with only skaters, one of whom had been competing in a rec league prior to tonight, the Bucks players really need to prove themselves to Ruskowski if they want to stick around Laredo.

I guess that's about it for now; the game should be starting in about 15 minutes.

All-Star Reserves

The league has announced the All-Star reserves for this season's game, and goaltender Sebastien Centomo was the only Buck to make the cut.

Forward reserves are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs' Travis Clayton, the Corpus Christi IceRays' Chris Richards, the Mississippi RiverKings' Louis Dumont, the Odessa Jackalopes' Dominic Leveille, the Rocky Mountain Rage's Daymen Rycroft, the Tulsa Oilers' Jeff Christian and the Wichita Thunder's Jason Duda.

Defensive reserves are the Jackalopes' Russ Moyer, the New Mexico Scorpions' Aaron MacInnis, the Oklahoma City Blazers' Tyler Fleck and the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees' Nicolas Dumoulin.

That means all but one of the players I voted for is headed to Loveland, Colo., for the Jan. 14 game...or at least invited. More on this after I take care of a few things for tomorrow's paper.

Game Day No. 30

First things first, I'd like to wish a very happy birthday to Coach Ruskowski. I know he doesn't read this, but it's the thought that counts, right? And if I'm going about it that way, I also have to wish a very happy birthday to my father. So, happy birthday!

Serge Dube and Jason Dixon were at the morning skate today, and both will play tonight against the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees.

Dube will likely be playing as a forward tonight, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him stay near the blue line on special teams.

When I talked to Ruskowski about Dixon not being at practice yesterday, he said he has "no qualms with giving him a day off" because Dixon is not one of the players whose work ethic he would ever question. I wonder who is.

It seems the day off was a good idea, as Dixon was doing well this morning and said he's feeling better. And, as Ruskowski said, it was better for him to save up his energy for tonight.

I saw the Bucks' special sweaters hanging up in the laundry room while I was at the arena this morning, and they're kinda funky looking. I did not see the backs, though, so hopefully the numbers will be easy enough to read.

In addition to the Bucks' seventh annual New Year's Eve clash with the Killer Bees tonight, there will be six more CHL games, most of them rivalry matchups.

My preview for tonight is semi-focused on Darryl Smith's callup because I figured that was the biggest thing to come out of yesterday for the Bucks. What I didn't realize is that the massively shorthanded Killer Bees would lose two more players before the night was over, with veteran forward Robin Bouchard leaving and rookie defenseman Jesse Perrin getting injured. Yeesh.

Brian Sandalow had another item on the depressing front in this story about the inherent lack of job stability for minor-league hockey players.

In better news, to an extent, Ray Bourque's son Chris was the talk of the NHL (at least before games ended) last night as he scored his first goal in the league with the Washington Capitals. Of course, I'll always remember him mostly for taking off after his freshman hockey season at BU.

We have an early deadline today, so I'll get to go home for a bit before tonight's game and then head over to the LEC early enough to complete my game-day blogging there. But, just FYI before I close this for now, Sebastien Centomo will be the Bucks' starting goaltender tonight.

Oh, and here's the link to the Pointstreak pre-game notes.

UPDATE: The Killer Bees will not be quite as depleted as expected, as Sandalow is reporting that Dennis Maxwell is back with the team. Maxwell was the Killer Bees' third-leading scorer last season with 12 goals and 35 assists, but that was in a very different system. Plus, after being semi-retired for a few months, who knows if he was able to get back in playing shape already. Guess we'll see tonight...but 13 is probably better than 12 regardless.

This has nothing to do with the reason for the update, but here's a fun fact (with video) about today thanks to the Steel City Sports Fan (Penguins Edition) Blog:

On This Date in Pittsburgh Penguins History:

Mario Lemieux becomes the first player in NHL history to score a goal five different ways in one game (even strength, power play, short-handed, penalty shot, empty net) in an 8-6 win over New Jersey.



As many of you probably know, Ruskowski played with Lemieux on the Penguins for the 1985-86 and 1986-87 seasons (which I obviously find super cool), and his catchphrase about Le Magnifique (Super Mario, if you prefer) is, "If God put anyone on this earth to play hockey, that was Mario Lemieux." Can't say I disagree.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Back to Maxwell, here are the official announcement and Sandalow's story.

Tonight's Results

Well, the Houston Aeros ended up losing 6-2, and Darryl Smith finished with zeros across the board. Of course, being even on plus/minus isn't too bad in a 6-2 loss, but I wonder how much playing time he got if he didn't take a single shot.

Meanwhile, the Corpus Christi IceRays rallied from 2-0, then 3-1, then broke a 4-4 tie to defeat the Killer Bees 6-4.

Brian Sandalow has more on his blog and in the Monitor...or at least the online edition. Greg Rajan has his own take in blog and Caller-Times form.

Both Northern Conference games tonight went into overtime, one more surprisingly than the other, but the team with the most points eventually prevailed in each.

I guess I've probably said more than enough for one day at this point, but I'll report back after the skate tomorrow morning as far as whether or not Serge Dube will be playing.

Tonight's CHL Scores: Mudbugs 3, Oilers 2 (OT); Eagles 4, Blazers 3 (OT); IceRays 6, Killer Bees 4.

Last Night's NHL Scores: Rangers 5, Islanders 4; Canadiens 5, Panthers 2; Sharks 3, Stars 1; Flames 2, Wild 1; Avalanche 5, Predators 1; Blue Jackets 2, Kings 0.

Tonight's NHL Scores: Capitals 4, Sabres 2; Red Wings 4, Blackhawks 0; Bruins 5, Penguins 2; Canadiens 2, Lightning 1 (SO); Maple Leafs 4, Thrashers 3 (OT); Devils 4, Blues 3; Flyers 3, Canucks 2; Senators 3, Oilers 2.

Catching Up

As of when I am starting to type this, the Houston Aeros and Lake Erie Monsters are tied 1-1 in the second period, and Darryl Smith is a plus-1 in the game. Smith is wearing No. 14, which is the number his e-mail address ends with, so perhaps he prefers that over 18...or maybe that just happened by chance.

Meanwhile, back in Bucks' land, my notebook that ran in today's Times is fairly short due to spacial concerns caused by crazy amounts of Border Olympics scores, but it touches on the problems Coach Ruskowski has seen with his team in its recent skid, which include defensive coverage, physicality and special teams.

Obviously, the first two things on that list are ones that have bothered him throughout the season and areas in which he says he absolutely needs to see improvement.

Prior to Smith's departure, Ruskowski was already out looking for new players to bring in, but now things are a bit more urgent. He is pursuing a few specific guys, but nothing had really come together as of early this afternoon.

As previously mentioned, team captain Serge Dube missed practice today and will likely be turned into a forward should he return to the ice for tomorrow night's game, but the Bucks should still be okay on defensemen...at least as far as numbers go.

Speaking of D-men, when I got to practice this morning, Vincent Zaore-Vanie was riding a stationary bike that he had pulled over to the glass so he could watch practice and work out at the same time. He said his injury still isn't feeling great but that he hopes to be able to skate (leisurely in practice) by the end of the week. I guess we'll see about that.

Okay, now the Aeros are up 2-1. More importantly, the Penguins are down 5-2. Ugh.

Due to last Monday showcasing a game and thus not seeming like a Monday for me, I forgot to mention the weekly award winners.

Amarillo Gorillas defenseman Neil Smith became the first blueliner to nab weekly player honors this season, while Wichita Thunder netminder Tim Boron was named Goaltender of the Week. Those were for games played Dec. 16-21.

In that span, Smith registered a plus/minus rating of plus-4 and handed out two assists, while Boron saved 81 of the 84 shots he faced, including 53 in a win over the Mississippi RiverKings.

Weekly honors for Dec. 22-28 were announced yesterday, with New Mexico Scorpions forward Chris Robertson being named Player of the Week and Arizona Sundogs netminder Marco Emond earning the goalie accolades.

Smith scored four goals, including a hat trick in the Scorpions' 6-4 win over the Colorado Eagles on Saturday, and handed out two assists to lead the Scorps to a 2-1 record on the week. Emond allowed only one goal in his two starts for the Sundogs, saving 62 shots.

Performances of the Week for those spans went to the Eagles' and Sundogs' combined 10 power-play goals in the Eagles' 7-5 win on Dec. 13 and Boron's 53-save performance in the Thunder's aforementioned 2-1 win over the RiverKings on Dec. 19.

This week's nominees are Killer Bees netminder Christian Boucher's 41-save shutout of the Bucks last Monday, Thunder forward Jason Tessier's hat trick in a 6-3 win over the Tulsa Oilers on Friday, Odessa Jackalopes defenseman Russ Moyer's five points in a 7-3 win over the Amarillo Gorillas on Saturday, the Texas Brahmas' 3-goal third period in their 4-3 win over the Oklahoma City Blazers that night and Robertson's hat trick.

Meanwhile, the Killer Bees and Corpus Christi IceRays are playing right now in one of the CHL's three games tonight. Killer Bees lead 3-2 in the second as I type, but I'll post final scores from these games and the NHL matchups later tonight.

Brian Sandalow reported prior to tonight's game that veteran forward Robin Bouchard has left the Killer Bees to attend to some family business and will not be returning. To clarify, I'm only linking that to Sandalow because he had it on his blog before Killer Bees Vice President of Communications Rich Bocchini sent out his press release. Seventeen minutes before, to be exact.

Bouchard's departure leaves the Killer Bees without a veteran on their active roster. Last week, another vet who had left the Killer Bees joined the Flint Generals of the IHL, and his new coach had some interesting things to say.

Now that the Pens have become the Bruins' latest victim, I should probably get back to my more time-sensitive work duties. I'll post all of tonight's (and yesterday's) scores later, as well as final info about Smith's first AHL appearance.

All-Star Starters

The league has announced the voted-in starters for this season's All-Star Game, and I can't say they're terribly surprising.

Recently recalled rookie center Darryl Smith was the only Buck to get the call, but if things go according to plan for his life, he won't be making an appearance.

Arizona Sundogs winger Joel Irving and Rich Hansen of the Rapid City Rush are the other two starting forwards. I wonder if the Odessa Jackalopes' league-leading duo feels slighted.

Amarillo Gorillas defenseman Sam Ftorek and Texas Brahmas D-man Justin Kinnunen will be the starting blueliners.

And, last but far from least voting-wise, Oklahoma City Blazers netminder Andy Franck will start between the pipes.

So, three of the players I voted for will be starting, and I feel fairly certain at least one other one will be heading out to Loveland for the game.

The reserves will be announced tomorrow afternoon.

Player/assistant coach Jeff Bes, team captain/defenseman Serge Dube and goaltender Sebastien Centomo were the other Bucks on this season's ballot.

Bye, Bye Darryl Smith

As you may have noticed on the transactions page, rookie center Darryl Smith has been called up to the Houston Aeros of the AHL, along with Corpus Christi IceRays rookie defenseman John Adams.

Word about Adams' departure was out previously, but the Aeros didn't want the Smith thing announced until he arrived in Houston and signed paperwork this morning. However, that is the announcement I was talking about in the previous post.

Smith is gone already and not at practice right now, while Serge Dube is also missing again and Jason Dixon appears to have called in sick. It looks kind of empty out there.

Obviously, this is a great thing for Smith, and Coach Ruskowski is genuinely thrilled for him. However, it's obviously bad timing for the Bucks as they've lost six of eight and are now losing one of their best players.

Smith is expected to play for the Aeros as they host the Lake Erie Monsters tonight, so I'll be sure to check up on how he does in the game. Ruskowski is looking to replace him A.S.A.P., but doesn't expect anyone to be coming in for tomorrow's game against the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees.

In Smith's absence, there are a few possibilities for top-line combinations, and Ruskowski said they depend mostly on Dube's health and whether or not he can play tomorrow. That decision will not be made until at least tomorrow morning, so I'll be going to the skate to see if he's out there or not.

If he isn't, the Bucks will be down to 16 skaters, putting some pressure on the guys who usually split shifts. Additionally, Ruskowski expects Bobby Russell to center a line tomorrow night due to the lack of centerman he currently has on his roster.

Selfishly, my first reaction to hearing last night that Smith had been called up was that I was disappointed to not be able to see him play on a regular basis anymore. He is always a lot of fun, even when he's just fooling around at practice. However, I obviously wish him all the best.

This announcement wasn't the least bit surprising, other than in timing, as Ruskowski and I, and even Smith and I, had often discussed the possibility of an AHL team giving him a shot. The Aeros were the team that had him try out with them prior to this season, so I guess they called dibs. I was half expecting the Rochester Americans to go after him because his old juniors coach is now helming that team, but guess not for now.

While in Laredo, Smith scored 19 goals and handed out 19 assists to lead the league's rookies with 38 points. He had a plus/minus ratio of plus-17, also the best among rookies. In points and plus/minus, he was only behind player/assistant coach Jeff Bes on the team.

Additionally, Smith had six power-play goals and nine power-play assists, as well as two shorthanded goals and five game-winners.

I'm pretty sure that when you see a kid score a hat trick in his first professional game, you set some high expectations for him, and Smith has not failed to meet those in any way.

Ruskowski has raved about the kid since before he even got here, and his hard work has gotten him exactly where he wanted to go. Now, let's see how the Bucks do without him.

About Today

Sorry about the lack of updates yesterday; the Border Olympics have been keeping us quite busy.

Meanwhile, it turns out the Bucks' press conference today is nothing quite as hush-hush as expected.

The Bucks will be announcing further measures to partner with WINGS (Women Involved in Nurturing, Giving, Sharing) as far as the Jan. 9 game against the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which had already been announced as "Pink in the Rink" jersey night.

I'll write more about this when I get all the details.

For those of you more interested in hockey-related news, there will likely be a pretty important announcement later in the day.

I will leave things at that for now, but you can expect some updates throughout the day, as well as leftovers from the weekend and yesterday.

UPDATE: To clarify, WINGS is an organization that helps provide breast cancer treatment to those who cannot afford it for themselves. The Jan. 9 game will be helping raise money for them and promoting breast cancer awareness in general.

Game No. 29 - Bucks at Rage

Time for the third game in the Rocky Mountains in less than three days...

Two questions: Why does the Bucks' channel on Nifty play the home broadcaster when they are on the road lately? And, why is the video feed from the Broomfield Events Center so dark? Oh well.

First Period: Sebastien Centomo and Scott Reid are your starting goaltenders. ... Not much going on in the first five minutes...other than the Nifty feed getting lost twice already. Bucks are up 3-2 on shots. ... Just in case I get distracted, you can follow the box score here. ... The Rage broadcaster just mentioned that they can improve to .500 for the first time this season with a win this afternoon. I guess that was obvious enough, but I hadn't registered it previously. ... I'm not even going to bother trying to watch this because the video feed is so messed up, but I'll continue listening. Do the rest of you have these issues with Nifty all the time? ... Centomo is 6-0 with a 1.64 goals-against average against the Rage all-time. I'm not sure if their broadcaster is trying to jinx him or what, but that's interesting. He's been awful in his career against the Eagles but still started Friday night. I wonder if Coach Ruskowski took all that stuff into consideration at all. ... Simon Watson has been called for tripping at 11:54 to put the Bucks on the first power play of the game. ... The Bucks were able to take a 2-man advantage with Centomo out of net on a delayed elbowing call against Jarred Mohr. They'll now get a 22-second 5-on-3, then continue on the power play for 1:38. ... Bucks didn't do anything with that or the rest of the period, so this one's headed into the first intermission in a scoreless tie. Quote of the period: "Bucks, again, trouble going D-to-D in front of their own net."

Second Period: There wasn't much going on in the first couple minutes, but Scott Wray has now given the Rage a 1-0 lead on his ninth goal of the season at 2:51 in the period. The score came on the Rage's 10th shot of the game, which evened things up shot-wise. Nick Harloff and Simon Watson had the assists. ... Bobby Russell has been called for hooking to put the Rage on their first power play of the game at 6:11 in the period. ... Jason Dixon is headed to the box for tripping to give the Rage a 5-on-3 for 1:31. ... The Rage couldn't capitalize on that but still lead 1-0 a little over halfway through the period. They've outshot the Bucks 11-3 so far in this one. ... Matt Miller has his first point as a Buck after knocking in a rebound from a shot by Russell after an odd-man rush by the Bucks. Ryan Salvis gets the second assist on the score, which came at 13:01 in the period. Game's tied 1-1. ... Why does the Nifty feed never show fights? Well, not that it would work anyway. Miller just dropped the gloves with Rob Chappell, and the Rage broadcaster doesn't seem to know why, nor is he making it clear who won. ... Yeesh on the penalties here. Apparently Scott Reid slashed Miller, then Miller speared him in response, then Chappell came in to defend his goalie and picked up a few penalties. Pointstreak still hasn't posted all of them, but Chappell and Miller were both sent to their team's dressing rooms. ... I guess Centomo was as lost in all that as I was because as soon as play began, he left the net open for Colt King to knock in a power-play score. David Morelli and Watson had the assists. ... Geeze louise, now Alex Goupil has slashed Mike Bulawka to put the Rage back on the advantage for nearly the rest of the period. ... The Rage will take a 2-1 lead into the second intermission. I'll post all those penalties as soon as Pointstreak does. ... Okay, Chappell got a 2-minute slashing call, five for fighting and a 10-minute instigator misconduct, and Reid got a slashing minor, while Miller got a spearing double-minor (four minutes), a slashing minor and a fighting major. ... Bucks were doubled on shots in that period, with the Rage outshooting them 18-9.

Third Period: Nifty seriously hates my guts. ... Daymen Rycroft has taken a slashing call for his actions against Goupil, putting the Bucks on their first power play since the first period. ... The game is tied 2-2 now...but everyone seems confused as to who actually scored. Okay, guess it was Erick Lizon, giving him his second of the weekend and of the season. Russell is getting the lone assist on that power-play score, which came at 4:47 in the period. ... Salvis just got called for interference in the Bucks' offensive zone to put the Rage on their first power play of the period immediately following Miller's departure from the penalty box. ... Nathan ONabigon has earned a high-sticking double-minor, drawing blood from a Bucks' player...but the Rage broadcaster won't say who. The Bucks will get a 4-minute power play from this one, but I'm not sure how much time is left as the Pointstreak people in Broomfield seem to be on their lunch break. ... Okay, I guess there are about five to play now that the Bucks failed to capitalize on that advantage. How 'bout them Cowboys, eh? ... The Bucks just had an empty-net chance, but Moore blocked a shot to send the game into overtime and assure his team at least one point out of the afternoon. I'm sure the Bucks are thrilled to be playing another OT with the bus ride back to Laredo looming, but at least this time it doesn't mess with my deadline!

Overtime: Tyler Butler sent the puck from the blue line, then Morelli grabbed the rebound from Centomo's save and sent it into the top shelf. The bus ride back here is going to be the longest ride of these players' lives.

Game Over: Rage win 3-2 in overtime, improving their record to 13-13-2 (28 points). Bucks fall to 18-8-3 (39 pts.), having lost four in a row. That hasn't happened in a while. Considering the fact that Ruskowski told me after Monday's loss that he cannot handle losing, he can't be very happy right now. Taking the last two games into extra time did get them two points for the weekend, but that probably doesn't mean much to them at this point.

Other Scores: Scorpions 2, Jackalopes 1.

NHL Scores: Bruins 2, Thrashers 1; Blackhawks 4, Wild 1; Ducks 4, Blues 3; Capitals 4, Maple Leafs 1; Oilers 5, Predators 2; Canucks 3, Senators 0.

Game No. 28 - Bucks at Rage

Sorry; no "Game Day" blog for this one. I work tomorrow, so I'll catch up on everything then, at least on football commercial breaks.

The Bucks and Rocky Mountain Rage will face off in a couple minutes here, while plenty of other games have already begun aroudn the CHL and NHL. I'd say if the Bucks don't win this one, Coach Ruskowski will definitely be itching to make some moves.

You can read Bryan Benway's preview or check out the Pointstreak pre-game notes for some more info.

First Period: In spite of coming in to play the third period of last night's loss, Ryan Gibb is indeed starting in net for the Bucks. ... The Bucks survived an early penalty on a tripping call against Adam Rivet just 1:40 into the game. ... The Rage took five shots before the Bucks took one, according to Poinstreak. ... Rage are on the board first, as David Morelli directed a feed from Colt King past Gibb at 7:38. Pat Sutton had the second assist. ... The top line has finally come through again for the Bucks, as Rick Kozak has tied it at 10:48 in the period on assists from Darryl Smith and Jeff Bes. ... Previously, Matt Miller had given the Rage their second power play on a hooking call, while Scott Wray gave the Bucks their first with an interference penalty. No dice for either team on the advantage. ... Bucks are back on the power play with a tripping call against Mike Bulawka at 13:56 in the period. ... Mike Gooch just dropped the gloves with Daymen Rycroft. Interesting. ... Bucks will end the period on a power play and start the third with the last 34 seconds of the advantage barring a score here as Tyler Butler has been called for holding. ... Nothing doing there; score tied 1-1 heading into the first intermission.

Second Period: Not much going on in Broomfield as far as I can tell without audio/video, but the story in Loveland seems to be a bit different. ... Jason Dixon has given the Bucks the lead on his second goal in as many nights, this one assisted by Steve Weidlich at 7:30 in the period. According to the box score, Bucks are trailing 16-14 on shots, but they lead 2-1 where it matters. ... The Scorpions were leading the Eagles 3-0 when I said what I just did, and now they lead 4-0 on Mark Messier's son's first CHL goal. Yeesh. I am trying really hard to believe I won't be jinxing them; we all know the Eagles could stage a comeback without my help. ... Okay, 4-1. Whoops. ... Bulawka has taken the first penalty of the period, a roughing call at 9:59 to put the Bucks on their fourth power play. ... Smith took a high-sticking double-minor less than a minute later to negate that advantage and give the Rage one of their own, but Rob Chappell's holding penalty not much later evened things up for a while. Ryan Salvis then took a stick-holding penalty at 18:17, but the Bucks, with some help from Kai Magnussen and his roughing call at 19:13, have escaped the second period with their 2-1 lead.

Third Period: Bulawka has tied it up for the Rage at 6:55 in the period on a goal assisted by Morelli and Butler. The Rage lead 23-20 on shots. ... A slashing call against Pat Sutton gave the Bucks the first power play of the period at 10:44, but they fell to 0-for-8 on the advantage as the Rage killed it. ... The Rockets and Spurs are both in double-OT, and the Bucks are still tied here with under a minute to play. I hate these nights when I'm on desk.

Overtime: G-darnit. Someone score, please. ... Oh, how nice; this is the first night there were ever two double-OT NBA games in the state of Texas. And no one scored in Broomfield in the OT.

Shootout: Sorry for the delay in this, but the Rage won the shootout, with Smith, Bes and Salvis being stopped by Marty Magers. Kozak had the Bucks' lone goal. Gibb, who seems his shakiest in these shootout situations, gave up goals to Morelli, former Buck Brent Cullaton and King, while stopping Wray. Cullaton's score turned out to be the game-winner, and I'm sure he was thrilled. Barring a total destruction of the Rage by the Bucks tomorrow afternoon, I'd say Brent's dad may be bragging about this one for a while.

Game Over: Rage win 3-2. Bucks fall to 18-9-1 (37 points), while the Rage improve to 9-12-7 (25 pts.). I don't know much about how the Bucks played in this one due to technical difficulties and a busy deadline, but they were outshot 30-26 and went 0-for-9 on the power play while holding the Rage to 0-for-6. The Scorpions did end up beating the Eagles, by the way, thanks in part to a hat trick by Chris Robertson, who was out with an injury, and thus sitting next to me in the press box, when the Bucks hosted the Scorpions a few weeks ago.

Other Scores: IceRays 2, Mudbugs 1; Thunder 5, Killer Bees 2; Jackalopes 7, Gorillas 3; Brahmas 4, Blazers 3; RiverKings 5, Oilers 3; Sundogs 2, Rush 1; Scorpions 6, Eagles 4.

NHL Scores: Blue Jackets 3, Flyers 0; Canadiens 3, Penguins 2; Bruins 4, Hurricanes 2; Sabres 4, Islanders 3 (SO); Devils 4, Rangers 2; Lightning 6, Panthers 4; Stars 4, Ducks 3 (OT); Blues 3, Sharks 2 (SO); Kings 4, Coyotes 0; Avalanche 4, Red Wings 3 (SO); Flames 6, Senators 3.

Game No. 27 - Bucks at Eagles

First Period: Coach Ruskowski told me special teams would be huge this weekend, and the Eagles proved him right, scoring on their first power play of the game. Steve Haddon netted it at 7:43 in the opening period on assists from Konrad Reeder and Aaron Schneekloth. Bobby Russell was in the box for hooking. The Bucks had a power play a bit earlier on a tripping call against Jay Birnie but couldn't score on theirs. ... Matt Miller's first noteworthy move as a Buck was being sent to the box for interference, thus setting up another power-play goal by Haddon. Reeder had the primary helper on this one, as well. Bucks trail 2-0 at 11:45 in the first. ... What the heck is up in Odessa? The Gorillas are leading 5-2 heading into the second intermission. Bizarre. ... That was a quick period. Bucks trail 2-0 on those two power-play scores by the Eagles heading into the first intermission. Shots are 10-8 in their favor according to Pointstreak. ... Rick Kozak got a delay of game bench minor at the end of the period, so the Eagles will open up the second on another advantage.

Second Period: Either the Eagles' power play is amazing or the Bucks cannot kill penalties to save their lives tonight. Reeder just gave the Eagles a 3-0 lead on another power-play goal, thus picking up his third point of the game. Haddon and Greg Pankewicz had the assists. Shots are even at 10 now. ... I am trying so hard to watch/listen to this thing on Nifty, but it keeps crashing on me, and the Bucks' channel is playing the Eagles' broadcasters. Oh well. ... I had been wondering about this, and the Eagles' announcers have confirmed that Eagles goaltender Andrew Penner is the brother of last season's "enforcer," Alex Penner. Sebastien Centomo is in net for the Bucks. ... Bucks are getting their second power play now as Tom Reimann was called for cross-checking on Ryan Salvis. ... I'm a little confused as to what the lines are for the Bucks tonight, but it seems Miller is playing on the top line with Jeff Bes and Darryl Smith, replacing Kozak. He's wearing No. 22, by the way. ... Eagles are going back on the power play with a hooking call against Bes. ... The Eagles just narrowly missed adding to their lead as Ed McGrane hit a crossbar and started to celebrate before he realized he had a chance to knock it in on the rebound. ... The Eagles' announcers just said that the Bucks "look like a team that's been on a bus for 24 hours." They sure seem to, but that is not a reason Ruskowski will accept for the way they're playing. ... After keeping the Eagles off the board on that last power play and failing to score on one of their own on a tripping call against Ryan Tobler, the Bucks are 0-for-4 on the power play and the Eagles are 3-for-4. ... Listening to the Eagles' broadcasting trio talk amongst itself during radio commercials is kind of disturbing. ... Igor Agarunov has put the Bucks on the board to bring the score to 3-1 in the Eagles' favor. Alex Goupil had the assist on his score. On the ensuing faceoff, Kozak is back out with the top line. Interesting. ... Well, I guess the Eagles can score even-strength, as well. Centomo left the net to try to stop Reeder, I believe, then Pankewicz netted one from the right of the goal. It seems everyone is confused as to who will get credit for the goal and the assists, but there is no doubt that the Eagles lead 4-1 with 3:34 to play in the period. ... And now it is 5-1, as Riley Nelson has a goal on assists from Kevin Ulanski and Birnie. I have to admit I'm glad this wasn't a home game. ... The Bucks will enter the third down by that score as the second period has expired. Shots are even at 20.

Third Period: Ryan Gibb has replaced Centomo in net...wonder if that changes the plans for tomorrow night at all. ... Kozak has scored to make it 5-2 with 14:13 to play in the game. ... Oh my gosh. I went out to the newsroom to send back a page, and when I got back, the score was 5-4. Well, it still is. Erick Lizon, who assisted on Kozak's goal, scored his first of the season not much later, then Jason Dixon added his first since Dec. 6 (and second since Nov. 15). Whoa. At this point, there is 5:11 to go in the game. ... I am terrible luck. The Bucks have just been called for too many men, setting up the first power play of the period. ... Okay, the call has been changed to unsportsmanlike conduct on Kozak. I'm sure Ruskowski is thrilled with that right now. ... The Bucks have killed it, and they now have 1:48 to try to tie it. ... Gibb will go to the bench for a faceoff in the Eagles' zone with 51 seconds to play. ... The Eagles have scored an empty-netter to make it 6-4 with 15 to go.

Game Over: Eagles win 6-4. They improve their league-best record to 22-4-1 (45 points). The Bucks fall to 18-8-1 (37 pts.). Obviously, the third-period comeback by the Bucks was an impressive one, but just as obviously, it wasn't enough. They have a short ride to Broomfield tonight (unless they're staying over in Loveland), and it probably won't be a pleasant one. You can read Bryan Benway's press release about the game or the one from the Eagles for now. I imagine Adam Dunivan will have something up later. The Texas Brahmas also lost tonight (in what appears to have been a great game by the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees), keeping the Bucks' lead in the Southeast Division intact at four points, and the Odessa Jackalopes fell to keep the Bucks within five points in the Southern Conference standings. Bucks are back in action tomorrow night at the Rocky Mountain Rage, who defeated the New Mexico Scorpions tonight. In other news, wow (penalties, not the score). No wonder that game took so long.

UPDATE: That lone third-period penalty has been changed to an unsportsmanlike call against Ruskowski, rather than Kozak. That happened while I still had the game on, and no one said anything to make it seem as though Ruskowski had done anything out of the ordinary. They all thought it was a too-many-men call at first. Weird.

Other Scores: Gorillas 7, Jackalopes 4; Killer Bees 3, Brahmas 0; Blazers 4, RiverKings 3; Thunder 6, Oilers 3; Sundogs 3, Rush 0; Mudbugs 5, IceRays 1; Rage 6, Scorpions 2.

NHL Scores: Penguins 1, Devils 0; Capitals 3, Sabres 2; Islanders 4, Maple Leafs 1; Hurricanes 5, Thrashers 4; Lightning 4, Panthers 3 (SO); Predators 3, Red Wings 2; Blackhawks 5, Flyers 1; Oilers 3, Canucks 2; Coyotes 2, Kings 1.

Game Day No. 27

The Bucks and the Colorado Eagles will face off in about 20 minutes at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, Colo.

These teams are obviously two perennial contenders in the CHL, and they lead their respective divisions at this point, as usual.

Through 26 games this season, the Eagles are a league-best 21-4-1 (43 points), while the Bucks are 18-7-1 (37 pts.).

The Bucks have lost three of their last five and not played up to Coach Ruskowski's standards in any of those games, while the Eagles have won three in a row since falling to the Oklahoma City Blazers in a shootout.

The Bucks had quite a bus ride to get out to Loveland, and the altitude there is something they are not used to playing in, but Ruskowski is not looking for excuses tonight, just results.

In my preview of this weekend's 3-in-3, I talk about some of the problems he has seen and what he and associate captain Adam Rivet think the team needs to do to fix them and come out on top tonight.

You can also read Adam Dunivan's preview from the Loveland Reporter-Herald, which focuses on the Bucks' top line...which may not be playing together tonight, but we'll see. He also discusses the rivalry between these teams on his blog.

And, of course, there is Bryan Benway's preview and the Pointstreak pre-game notes.

The CHL has a full slate tonight, so I'll keep you updated on the Bucks and the rest of the league, as well as NHL scores.

P.S. The Winter Classic commercial just came on MSG Plus (on which I am watching the Penguins play the Devils), and it has reminded me to share it. I'm so excited for that game, even if only because I can actually watch it on a television.



P.P.S. I almost forgot to mention this, but the Bucks will be hosting a press conference on Tuesday. I was told about this the other day but ordered to keep it to myself until it went up on the team's Web site. Of course, I asked if this had anything to do with some people's favorite topic of rumorous conversation, and I was told "absolutely not." I'll still give him a call, though I assume this is going to be some kind of announcement about ticket pricing or something else that will help "get people back in the building."

Merry Christmas!

Hopefully while the Bucks are finishing up their drive to Colorado and I am working in a very empty office the rest of you are having a nice Christmas (or whatever holiday you may celebrate).

My preview for this weekend's games will run in tomorrow's Times, and I'll talk a little bit more about the matchup with the league-leading Eagles on here tomorrow.

I'll post the score from tonight's only game when it's over, but until then, here are some holiday wishes from some people not nearly as camera shy as myself:



Merry Christmas and happy holidays! Hope you all have a safe and pleasant evening.

Tonight's Score: Oilers 3, Blazers 2. Funny how some teams just seem to have another's number. The Oilers are 8-13-3 (19 points) this season and the Northeast's cellar dweller, while the Blazers are 18-5-3 (39 pts.) and lead the division. Yet, the Oilers are 3-2 against the Blazers, having won the past three games of their in-state rivalry.

'Twas the Day Before Christmas...

Practice this morning was tough, but Coach Ruskowski wasn't as hard on the guys as I expected. They weren't falling over or struggling to catch their breath, and most of them left the ice smiling, so I guess that's good.

I talked to Ruskowski and Adam Rivet after practice to get some quotes for my preview of the upcoming games in Colorado, which will run in Friday's paper. I had wanted to talk to Serge Dube, as well, but he wasn't at practice today. Ruskowski said he will make the trip out to Colorado and play on Friday, though.

There were some line shakeups at practice today, with Alex Goupil replacing Rick Kozak on the top line and Kozak moving to the Jason Dixon line with Igor Agarunov. That leaves Erick Lizon, Bobby Russell and Ryan Salvis on the other line, but Matt Miller will likely split shifts with Lizon and take the majority of them when he meets up with the team in Colorado.

I was a bit surprised by the change to the top line, but not at all because I don't think Goupil is worthy. He's proven himself to be a very talented, hard-working player, but he also has great chemistry with Dixon. We'll see how that works out. But, with the team's top three point-getters on the same line, I'm not sure Ruskowski will get the three lines that can score for which he is always looking.

We have an early deadline tonight due to the holidays, and finding material to put in the section for tomorrow was not an easy task. At this point, it's time to finish up pages then go to the post office in hopes that it is holding regular hours. Apparently it's impossible to get in touch with a real person when you call there.

There are no games today in the CHL or NHL, and tomorrow's lone contest is the game between the Oklahoma City Blazers and Tulsa Thunder. I thought this was interesting, though:







So then I looked into it. Apparently, Casey was signed to play only in last night's loss to the Colorado Eagles and make the night a "Ftorek family affair" on behalf of his brother Sam. Their father Robbie, a former NHL coach, helped lead practice on Monday and dropped the ceremonial first puck for the game. Cute.

Christmas Eve Eve

I'm sure last night's game is one the Bucks would love to forget soon...and I'm sure Coach Ruskowski did not give them a chance to do anything of the sort at practice this morning.

Last season, I was told constantly that I was too positive in covering the Bucks. But, honestly, there wasn't too much to be negative about with the way they were playing. Last night, and in the few games prior to that, there has been.

Seeing the completely defeated way the guys left the ice after shifts in the third period last night led me to believe there was no way they could win that game. Obviously, they could not.

I don't mean to take credit away from Christian Boucher or the Killer Bees' defense, but the lack of heart was beyond evident out there.

Due to the fact that I spent the night in the Valley out of fear for driving back here in the dark (especially while it was raining), I did not make it to practice this morning. I'm sure anyone who did got to see some pretty exhausted, unhappy players by the end of it.

I will be heading over to the LEC tomorrow morning to catch up with everyone before they take off for Colorado tomorrow night. The game against the Eagles should be an interesting test.

Anyway, there are four CHL games tonight and a whole bunch in the NHL. Here are the scores:

CHL: Jackalopes 5, IceRays 3; Eagles 5, Gorillas 2; Brahmas 4, Mudbugs 3; RiverKings 8, Thunder 3.

NHL: Thrashers 4, Islanders 2; Bruins 2, Devils 0; Kings 3, Blue Jackets 0; Flyers 6, Senators 4; Capitals 5, Rangers 4 (OT); Panthers 3, Predators 0; Lightning 2, Penguins 0; Stars 8, Maple Leafs 2; Red Wings 4, Blues 1; Wild 3, Hurricanes 2; Flames 4, Ducks 3; Avalanche 5, Coyotes 4 (OT); Sharks 5, Canucks 0.

P.S. Paul Szczechura, who had a goal and an assist for the Lightning tonight, played for Killer Bees head coach Chris Brooks when Brooks was an assistant at Western Michigan University. Can't say I'm a big fan of Szczechura right now, but I thought that was a fun fact.

Game No. 26 - Bucks at Killer Bees

Starters: Bucks - Jeff Bes (F), Sebastien Centomo (G), Serge Dube (D), Mike Gooch (D), Rick Kozak (F), Darryl Smith (F) ; Killer Bees - Nathan Ansell (D), Christian Boucher (G), Aaron Lee (F), Zak McClellan (F), Jesse Perrin (D), Evan Rankin (F).

You can follow the game scoring here or read about it in a bit more detail here or here...

First Period: The Bucks came out a bit early, requiring them to skate around to "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" for quite some time. ... The Bucks are falling all over the place out there. Granted, not completely on their own, but nothing penalty-worthy so far. The Killer Bees got a couple good breakaways but were beaten back. Other than that, not much going on in the first 3:35. ... Puck-handling-wise, these teams are kind of looking sloppy so far, especially in the corners. ... It is very weird seeing Erick Lizon sakte regular shifts; I'm very used to him alternating out. ... Rankin skated right into Centomo, knocking him back into the net, but play didn't halt as the puck stayed alive. ... Jesse Bennefield just threw a punch at Ryan James Hand's face in the middle of action to earn the game's first penalty at 7:11 in the period. He'll serve two minutes for roughing. ... The Killer Bees just missed a shortie, as Brian Bicek and Grant Goeckner-Zoeller took it to the other end on a turnover in their own zone. ... Oops. Now they actually have. How on earth does a goalie get pulled completely out of his net with the entirety of the opposing team in his zone during a power play? Defense? Anyone? The Killer Bees are on the board at 7:56 in the period with a shorthanded goal scored by McClellan. Lee had the assist. Bennefield will stay in the box for the rest of his penalty. ... Both of these teams looked sluggish to start, but the Killer Bees definitely picked it up first. They are playing pretty intensely right now; I'm guessing that shortie didn't hurt. ... Igor Agarunov just fired one at Boucher but right into his pads. The Bucks are purportedly outshooting the Killer Bees 8-6, make that 9-6, but not on very high quality shots. ... The Killer Bees just had another great chance, as defenseman Stephen Burns put a good shot on net, but Centomo made the glove save to keep it 1-0. ... Rankin just lost his stick between Dube's legs due to some incidental contact, and Dube was nice enough to hand it back to him after scraping himself up off the ice...then the Killer Bees got another good scoring chance but apparently missed high. ... Is it a bad sign that Ruskowski can't even look at his players when they come off the ice? Possibly. The top line just bobbled the puck in the crease enough to allow Boucher another easy save...then another off the following faceoff. ... Are the Bucks really outshooting the Killer Bees 14-7? Too bad the Bees are up about 6-1 on quality shots. ... I'm not really sure what to think about Lizon's performance so far. I guess he's not used to this exactly, so I'll cut him a break for now. But he clearly doesn't click with Dixon and Goupil the way they do with each other. I'm not sure if Miller will be playing on that line, but if so, he better hope for his sake that he fills that spot better than the other guys who have tried. ... A couple shifts in this game have looked like a comedy show more than a hockey game. Sorry; I don't know why I'm so cynical tonight. But seriously, with 1:28 to play in this period, these Bucks must know they're going to be getting chewed out soon. ... Dixon and Bennefield just got into a little shoving match...at least I think it was Bennefield, since he's going to the box now and all. I need new contacts. Bennefield is serving two for holding. With 1:05 left in the period, that means the Bucks will start the second with 55 seconds of an advantage...unless anything happens to change that. ... Nothing happened to change that, so now it's time for a ridiculous intermission. I have to say, one of my favorite things about covering the Bucks rather than another team in the league is that they don't have ice girls. The Killer Bees, on the other hand, do. And those girls will now be competing against Hooters girls while both groups are wearing shorts smaller than some people's underwear. Is this really something parents need their kids to see? Oy. ... Shots read 18-12 in the Bucks' favor, by the way. I don't believe that for a second.

Second Period: Yaaay, the Penguins won in overtime. On a goal by Sid, no less. Geno had three assists. Okay, back to the Dodge. ... Couple good saves to start this period and not much else other than a few neutral zone turnovers almost five minutes into it. ... Now we are experiencing a bit of a delay due to some sort of problem with the ice. ... I'm thinking this will be another one of those games that Ruskowski will say could have been much worse if it weren't for his goalie. Please disregard the fact that someone thinks the Bucks have outshot the Killer Bees 24-16. ... Bicek just went one-on-one to the net against Adam Rivet and chose to brake and wait for his linemates. I guess that's a compliment to Rivet or Centomo, to an extent. ... We have reached the point that pretty much every play stoppage results in a 5-on-5 shoving match. Nothing brutal yet, though. ... Rankin just almost inadvertently netted the puck around Centomo, but it went slightly wide. ... Bennefield and Weidlich just got tangled up and exchanged some shoves at center ice, sending Weidlich to the box for the first penalty against the Bucks tonight. He'll serve two for elbowing. ... Centomo was solid gold during that penalty kill, and that's about all there is to say. The Bucks only managed to clear the puck once, but he took care of the rest. ... Goeckner-Zoeller just earned the first tripping call of the game at 14:33 in the period. ... Goeckner-Zoeller just got the puck right out of the box and went on a decent break, but Centomo stopped him even before Devin Featherstone pounced. ... Just as they did in the first, the Bucks will end this period on a power play, as Robin Bouchard has been sent to the box for hooking. It came at 18:21 in the period, so if the Bucks don't score, it'll carry over to the third. ... Boucher made a save at the buzzer to punctuate another period of scoring futility for the Bucks. They'll have a 20-second advantage to start the third.

Third Period: I guess 20 seconds of 5-on-4 doesn't really do much. ... Bicek just fed one to Bennefield that Centomo got a glove on at just the right angle to keep it out of the net. ... I'm not sure if Lizon is creating more chances than everyone else or messing up more than the rest of them, but he's had a few that seemed like they should have been goals...but obviously weren't. ... Nobody seems to agree with this call (for the first time tonight, surprisingly enough), but Rankin is headed to the box for interference at 2:33 in the period. ... Chris Brooks is nodding his head, while Ruskowski seems to be biting at his clenched fist, so I guess you could say this period is more of the same for tonight. ... Bennefield is all over the place tonight. He chased down a puck while outstretched and his stick (followed by his body) knocked Centomo over, then he got a breakaway but sent the puck out of play just seconds later. ... So us press box folk have to look up random information when situations happen to be occurring, and let's just say Jan. 20 is a popular date of discussion right about now, as is March 20, 2007. The Bucks have just under 13 minutes left to try to get into this one. ... Well, shots are at 36-29 in the Bucks' favor now...well, you know. ... I bet Centomo is really regretting the one he let get by now that he's saved dozens of better shots. ... Ruskowski is now using Dube as a forward on the Bes-Smith line. That would be a sign of desperation. ... Smith and Lee just intentionally ran into each other with their sticks across their chest. The linesmen pulled them apart before anything could happen, but I wonder if anything would have. ... Ryan Salvis may have just earned himself a phone-less trip to Colorado with an interference penalty with 8:15 in the game. That puts the Killer Bees, who are clearly more lively than the Bucks already 5-on-5, on a power play. Oh geeze, Rick Kozak took a simultaneous roughing call. Time for some 5-on-3. ... Somehow, the Bucks handled that better than their regular penalty kill, though that was also thanks in large part to Centomo. ... Shots are even at 36 now. Not really. But at least the count has evened up if nothing more. ... The puck just trickled into the net between Boucher's legs...after the whistle. Complimentary shoving match followed. ... Jeff Hopkins (tonight's referee) is getting an earful from Ruskowski, who is possibly going to chop off one of his arms from having them crossed across his chest so tightly. ... Centomo is going to be wiped out tonight. Yikes. Just made about as pretty a pad save as you can, then followed it with a glove deflection. ... The Bucks are trudging off the ice after shifts like they've already lost this one. Not a good sign. There are 78 seconds left, and Ruskowski has called a timeout. ... Centomo is out of the net, and...wow, they do not want the Killer Bees to nail that empty net. Playing with intensity for the last 78 seconds won't win you a game, though. Offsides with 5.2 seconds to go.

Game Over: Killer Bees win 1-0. Wow. Despite what he will tell you to the contrary, Centomo is very unlucky sometimes. ... Ruskowski was beyond angry. Possibly beyond furious. That was his longest postgame lecture this season. Bucks fall to 18-7-1 (37 points), while the Killer Bees improve to 12-11-2 (26 pts.). This means Paul Gillis will most definitely be the All-Star game co-coach, regardless of how the Odessa Jackalopes fare tomorrow night.

NHL Scores: Maple Leafs 6, Thrashers 2; Penguins 4, Sabres 3 (OT); Oilers 4, Coyotes 2; Canucks 4, Ducks 3.

Game Day No. 26

Time for Game No. 7 between the Bucks and Killer Bees this season.

Coach Ruskowski did the Killer Bees a favor by trading for a guy who isn't around to make the numbers a little closer to even...well, at least forward-wise. Guess the Bucks won't need a scratch tonight.

Anyway, here's my preview, Bryan Benway's preview, the Killer Bees' media notes and the Pointstreak pre-game notes. I'll type more in a bit, but it's time to listen to (or watch, if I'm lucky) the first period of the Penguins' game now.

The Bucks have won two in a row, but neither in convincing fashion, while the Killer Bees have lost three straight.

As my preview mentions, the home team has won each of the previous games between these teams this season. We'll see if the Bucks can change that tonight. If not, they're in for an even worse drive to Colorado on Wednesday than it would be anyway.

Coach Ruskowski seems to believe Matt Miller will bring a certain toughness to the team that will help put points on the board, but we won't be able to see that tonight.

Olson Out

It seems Coach Ruskowski has traded forward Joey Olson to the Rapid City Rush in exchange for forward Matt Miller.

Of course I didn't find out about this until I started driving to the Valley, so I'll have more on this move when I get to Dodge Arena tonight.

UPDATE: I am here, and I talked to Ruskowski about this when I got here. Turns out he'd been trying to get Miller since he was with Amarillo last season but wasn't able to nab his rights previously. Miller called him yesterday and said now was the time, so he got it done. Here's what Ruskowski had to say:

"I liked Joey a lot. He was a short, small guy that skated really well, handled the puck well and just didn't get the ice time he probably desreved because I like to get (Erick) Lizon in there, also. I needed a guy that could come in here with Matt Miller's situation. You know I've always been harping about my team not being physical enough, and that's something I want my team to get better at. (Miller) has a presence, he loves the game; he's the first one to practice, the last one to leave. He can score; he had 20 goals last year. He can scrap; he plays physical. That's my kind of player."

Slow Sunday

I somehow persuaded myself to finally start unpacking and cleaning my apartment today, so I won't be blogging as much as planned.

You can read my inappropriately headlined story about last night's 4-3 win over the Corpus Christi IceRays (or Bryan Benway's) or get the other side of it from Greg Rajan's story in the Caller-Times.

Obviously when a game is won in the last seconds like that, it's going to have opposite effects on the teams involved, though Coach Ruskowski was not at all as happy as his players were last night.

Meanwhile, the Bucks will be back in action tomorrow with a rare Monday night game against the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, who have lost two straight after defeating the IceRays on Thursday.

I'll be heading down to Dodge Arena for that game, so I'll be live blogging it for anyone interested.

Today, the Oklahoma City Blazers recovered from their rather surprising 3-2 OT loss to the Rocky Mountain Rage last night with a 4-1 win.

That loss last night helped the Southern Conference leading Odessa Jackalopes (19-6-2, 40 points) move into second place in the league.

As a Penguins' fan, last night's loss and the possibly bizarre comments by Michel Therrien that followed didn't leave me much to be happy about, but this is still kinda cool. Okay, seems that comment was the less offensive option. Good.

Today's NHL Scores: Devils 3, Flyers 2 (SO); Panthers 3, Avalanche 0; Bruins 6, Blues 3; Hurricanes 3, Canadiens 2.

Game No. 25 - Bucks vs. IceRays

These holiday sweaters aren't too terrible, but the socks are a different story...the color combination looks a bit odd, though. And the Bucks on the front look kind of demonic or something. At least they are easy to read!

Ryan Gibb and Dustin Traylen (who finally has his IceRays mask) will indeed be tonight's goaltenders.

Apparently rookie defenseman Ryan James Hand was a scratch last night because his flight back to Laredo was delayed earlier this week, causing him to miss practice on Thursday and Coach Ruskowski to not want him to play right away. He's out there for warmups right now, though.

The warmup music is a bit different tonight than the usual playlist, apparently partially at the request of the Darryl Smith.

Starters: Bucks - Igor Agarunov (F), Devin Featherstone (D), Gibb (G), Bobby Russell (F), Ryan Salvis (F), Steve Weidlich (D); IceRays - John Adams (D), Adam Powell (F), Justin Quenneville (F), T.J. Reynolds (D), Chris Richards (F), Traylen (G).

First Period: Nothing much worth noting happened in the first couple minutes, but Ryan Bennett just gave the IceRays an early 1-0 lead as he flipped the puck over Gibb's right shoulder on his team's third shot of the game. Nicolas Bachand had the primary, and currently only credited, assist. ... The Bucks took only one shot on goal in the game's first eight minutes and are at two shots 8:43 in. The scoreboard still says one, but Joey Olson had one that came right off Traylen's pads not long ago. The IceRays have taken four. ... Bennett has now taken the game's first penalty at 8:55 in the period. He's in the box on a roughing call. The Bucks have three shots heading into this power play; we'll see how many they have when it ends. ... Well, they only got one off in the first 58 seconds, then Jeff Bes got called for tripping to make it 4-on-4, then an IceRays' advantage. ... Ummm, wow. The Bucks just got a major lucky break as Weidlich winded up and drilled a slap shot from just inside the blue line right past Traylen. No way he could have seen that coming...and actually getting the net, especially considering Weidlich misses those on an empty one in practice routinely. The shot came off a rebound of a shot by Bes, I believe, that had drifted out to him. That was Weidlich's third of the year and second that came exactly that way. ... Erick Lizon and Jonathan Trottier decided to follow that up with a fight at center ice. They each landed a couple decent blows, but it ended pretty quickly and Lizon probably got the best of it. Don't know why Trottier, who is 5-foot-11, would put himself in that situation willingly, but he has a sense of humor about the booing while he's in the penalty box. Seems like Lizon may have hurt his hand. ... Salvis just gave the Bucks a 2-1 lead, knocking in a rebound from a shot by linemate Agarunov, then immediately tripped over an IceRays defender and almost wiped out but recovered quickly to stage a celebration. ... This whole goal-fight thing seems to be a habit tonight, as RIck Kozak just absolutely destroyed Bachand. Yikes. That was at least a bit more even of a matchup height-wise. With only 3:31 left in the period, both players will leave the ice. ... I always get very weirded out when I see Bes get into shoving matches...so I am currently weirded out. He and Powell get matching roughing penalties with 2:49 to play in the period. ... The Bucks will take the 2-1 lead into the dressing room for the first intermission. Bryan Benway said prior to the game that he thought it would be determined by the first 10 minutes; if the Bucks are going to win, he better hope the second 10 were more telling. Bucks lead 11-5 on shots now. ... Seeing him in the press box just reminded me to mention that rookie D-man Mike Gooch is the healthy scratch tonight.

Second Period: There was quite a pileup in front of Gibb to start the period, but he was able to keep the puck outside the goal line. ... Lizon was skating with the top line in Kozak's absence and just got a couple great chances but missed them, hitting the crossbar once. ... The Killer Bees, who were down 3-0 to the Jackalopes at one point, have tied the game. ... A shot by Powell just deflected off Hand's skate into the net to tie this game, too. Qunneville is getting the assist. Greg Rajan would like me to note that Powell beat Hand for a spot on the IceRays' roster two years ago when the two were trying for the enforcer spot during training camp. Poor Ryan. ... Olson just had a chance and couldn't get a shot off but did draw a hooking penalty against Reynolds to give the Bucks their second power play of the game. ... The majority of this period so far has been spent in the neutral zone, and the Bucks have seemed pretty out of it on their few scoring chances. Ruskowski does not look happy. ... These guys seem more intent on shoving each other around than doing much else right now. Oh, and the crowd is much smaller than last night, but not as bad as I expected. The people are spread around all of the sections, at least. Not bad for a Week 16 Cowboys' game night. ... Bob Rapoza just got called for tripping Featherstone behind the IceRays' net, so now it's time for power play No. 3 with just over five to play in the period. ... I did not think they were going to score on that, as they were passing the puck around aimlessly to start, but then Russell shot one that got caught up in Traylen's pads and trickled between his legs. Alex Goupil and Jason Dixon had the assists. The Bucks are now 1-for-3 on the power play. ... Gibb just leaped into the air to make a glove save...well, technically just a catch, as that was not a shot on goal. That was kind of funny. ... The IceRays are getting a power play with 13.4 seconds to go, meaning they will start the third period with nearly a complete advantage, on an interference call against Featherstone. ... Bucks will take that 3-2 lead into the second intermission, though they almost seemed to be trying to let the IceRays tie it up toward the end of the period. Bucks outshot the IceRays 13-11 in the period, and shots are now 24-16 for the game. ... Apparently the Killer Bees were jinxed by all of us who spoke of them tying that game, because they now trail 5-3 in the third. ... Matt Summers, who came off the IR yesterday, just scored his first goal since getting back on the power play in the third period to give the RiverKings a 2-1 lead.

Third Period: The Bucks killed off the rest of that power play to start the period but were not at all aggressive on the chances they got to break into the IceRays' zone. Tonight's game is taking longer than I'd hoped; I may only have time to talk to Ruskowski again. ... Chris Richards just tied it up on a very pretty play, as he managed to fire the puck past Gibb with a lot going on around the net. The assist on that one is going to Matt Smyth. ... Holy crap, whoa. There was just an all-out brawl out there, as Weidlich took out Richards, then Powell came out of nowhere jumped him from behind like I've never seen (Well, from anyone other than James Hiebert on a bad day.) in this league. Then everyone started to go at it, including Bes and Smyth, who both ditched their helmets for a short and not-too-violent punching match. That was seriously ridiculous...let's see what the refs do for penalties. ... Okay, Jozef Sladok and Kozak got fighting majors, Weidlich got an interference and Powell got roughing. The teams will stay 5-on-5. Yeesh. ... Hand is headed to the box for interference to crowd it up and put the IceRays on a power play 6:16 into the period. ... The Jackalopes came out on top of their high-scoring tilt against the Killer Bees, winning 7-5. I believe that means Paul Gillis will join Doug Sauter behind the bench for the All-Star game. ... The Bucks have been outshot this period 8-2 just over halfway through. ... The pushing and shoving is still all the rage with these guys right now, and I'm pretty sure Quenneville is trying to egg Hand into fighting him, which is interesting. Every time the whistle blows when they're out there together, he's on his case, and he just smacked him in the helmet last time out. ... Dixon just used some fancy stick work to get a scoring chance but was taken down by Smyth, who will now serve four minutes for high-sticking. If the Bucks don't take advantage of this, Ruskowski might explode. ... So much for that, as Russell has been called for hooking to make it 4-on-4. The Bucks will go back on the power play after his penalty expires, but they'll have less than a minute. ... Right after Russell came out of the box, Adams got called for hooking Salvis...who got called for diving. So it's a Bucks power play for a little under a minute with a little over two to play. ... Wow, the past two nights have seriously been nutty. Smith just flipped a rebound from a shot by Russell past Traylen with 16.8 seconds to play. I have not seen the Bucks celebrate a goal that intensely yet this season. I guess Ruskowski's finally getting the heart he was looking for in them. I'm sure he won't be thrilled with the way they played the game as a whole, but if they can hold onto this, he should be smiling after. Traylen will be out of the net on the faceoff.

Game Over: Bucks win 4-3. Of course, there was a shoving match to follow the final shot from the IceRays. ... Bucks improve to 18-6-1 (37 points). Ruskowski was not smiling after, or at least not until the jersey auction. He didn't have many positive things to say about that game, but I guess I can't blame him too much. The Bucks will play again on Monday at the Killer Bees, and that's going to be a big one before they head out on their Colorado Christmas road trip. I'll be writing a preview tomorrow for the Monday game, so I'll try to stop in and blog a bit, too.

Other Scores: Rush 2, Thunder 1; RiverKings 2, Gorillas 1; Jackalopes 7, Killer Bees 5; Mudbugs 5, Oilers 2; Rage 3, Blazers 2 (OT); Brahmas 8, Sundogs 3; Eagles 2, Scorpions 1 (OT).

NHL Scores: Flyers 7, Capitals 1; Bruins 4, Hurricanes 2; Senators 5, Stars 4 (OT); Red Wings 6, Kings 4; Thrashers 4, Lightning 3; Maple Leafs 7, Penguins 3; Canadiens 4, Sabres 3 (OT); Predators 1, Islanders 0; Blues 4, Wild 2; Coyotes 2, Blue Jackets 0; Blackhawks 3, Canucks 1; Sharks 3, Rangers 2.

Game Day No. 25

The Bucks will face off against the Corpus Christi IceRays tonight, and this one should be a pretty tough test.

Though the IceRays fell to the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees earlier this week and the Bucks beat the Killer Bees last night, all bets are off tonight, with the IceRays coming off a huge 2-1 win over the Southern Conference leading Odessa Jackalopes.

Greg Rajan has more on that game. I think Rick Gasser probably buys into my school of superstition now.

Obviously, the IceRays and Jackalopes both beat the Bucks last week, so the team is probably going to need to be much more consistent tonight than it was last night in order to win.

During last night's game, there were times that the Bucks really impressed me. Then there were times that I was kind of confused as to what they thought they were doing out there. Obviously, Coach Ruskowski saw the same things I did, and he expressed a similar confusion after the fact.

"As a team, there were times we played really well," he said. "But then there were times that I'm going, 'Which team is on the ice right now?' We have to be a more consistent team. We talked about what we have to do, and that's play better away from the puck. What you do with the puck is important, but it's also important how you position yourself away from it."

Ain't that the truth.

Ruskowski said he was impressed by the effort from the Killer Bees, who only have 14 skaters right now, and it was clear (though he did not say this) that they tired a bit by the end of it.

Hopefully tonight's game will be a little less timely than last night's, particular in the intermission department. Here is Bryan Benway's preview, and here are the Pointstreak pre-game notes.

Goalie-wise, we should expect to see rookie backup Ryan Gibb in net for the Bucks, and hopefully he won't have a 47-save performance wasted like last time he faced the IceRays. Dustin Traylen should get the call for the IceRays, as Kris Tebbs started for them last night. Of course, Sylvain Cloutier could choose to stick with Tebbs after he played such a strong game.

As was the case last night, the Bucks need to win to keep Ruskowski in the running for that All-Star game co-coaching spot. If the Killer Bees were to beat the Jackalopes, that would also help the cause...actually, I think it might be a necessity.

Since I haven't put records in all the rest of this, here are the current Southern Conference standings:
















I tried doing them as text, but that just wasn't working out.

As you can see, the Bucks are still leading the Southeast Division and are now three points behind the Jackalopes for the conference lead. The game on Monday at the Killer Bees will also count toward the All-Star coaching decision.

I guess that's about all I have to say for now, but I'm quite curious to see what the crowd is like tonight with the Cowboys playing...