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.
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