Game No. 18 - Bucks vs. Killer Bees

Interestingly enough, Coach Ruskowski has chosen to start rookie backup goaltender Ryan Gibb tonight. Not sure if he's just letting the kid keep his streak going or what, but we'll see what happens.

More interestingly, the Killer Bees have managed to add a man to their roster in time for tonight's game. That man, forward Grant Goeckner-Zoeller, will wear No. 22 tonight...and No. 18 tomorrow.

Starters: Bucks - Jason Dixon (F), Gibb (G), Alex Goupil (F), Jaye Judd (D), Joey Olson (F), Adam Rivet (D); Killer Bees - Nathan Ansell (D), Travis Banga (F), Kurtis Dulle (D), Aaron Lee (F), Evan Rankin (F), Wylie Rogers (G).

First Period: The Killer Bees get the first power play of the night at 2:22 in the period, as Bobby Russell has been called for interference. .... They were quick to take advantage, as Brian Bicek grabbed the puck behind the net and fed it beautifully to Jesse Bennefield, who easily flipped it over Gibb's left shoulder into the top shelf. Killer Bees lead 1-0 at 2:48. ... Now Rick Kozak is headed to the box after he welcomed Goeckner-Zoeller to Laredo with an elbow to the helmet. ... The Killer Bees jumped on that one, too, and have taken a 2-0 lead on a goal by Rankin. Lee had the lone assist. Bees lead 2-0 just under five minutes into the game. ... Bucks have been outshot 10-0 so far but now get their first power play on a holding call against Bennefield at 10:49 in the game. ... Rich Bocchini just said, "You may have to go back in the history books to see a start like this in this building for the Killer Bees." Can't say I've seen one like it. Ruskowski told me earlier in the week that the Killer Bees gave his team what he was as its worst loss of the season, and he had no intention of looking ahead to the Sundogs or Brahmas before playing tonight's game. Guess the players didn't get that memo. ... The fans are doing the "Rogers, you suck" chant, which strikes me as odd because I always thought that was supposed to come after your team actually scored on the goalie in question. ... Wow, I'm terrible luck. As I was typing that, Devin Featherstone rocketed a slap shot from the blue line right over Rogers. Killer Bees lead 2-1 with 1:37 to play in the period. Russell had the assist. ... Okay, according to the PA announcer, Russell had the goal and Featherstone had the assist. I guess Russell passed it to Featherstone, then redirected the slap shot out front, but I didn't see anyone touch the puck after Featherstone fired it. ... My apologies to Wylie Rogers for jinxing the heck out of him. The Bucks have tied it, just 21 seconds after that first goal, as Darryl Smith fired one past Rogers with a crowd around the net. The assist situation is being discussed as I type. ... Okay, upon watching the replay, Bes took a shot from the goal line to Rogers' right, then Smith kept hitting the rebounds until he finally got the puck past Rogers. The PA announcer gave the goal to Bes, but that should get changed. ... Steve Weidlich is in the box for tripping (though he really did more shoving) for the remainder of the period and the first 1:36 of the second. Nice recovery by the Bucks. ... They have fixed that last goal, giving Smith his 12th goal of the season and adding to his lead in that category among the league's rookies.

Second Period: During the intermission, an assist was added to Russell's goal, given to Ryan Salvis. Zak McClellan should get an assist on the Bees' first goal eventually. ... The Bucks killed off the rest of that penalty, then got a couple good chances but couldn't get past Rogers. Score still tied at two a couple minutes into the middle period. ... Six minutes in now, and basically all there is to say is that Rogers has made some ridiculous saves. ... After watching his team fire away for nearly 10 minutes, Gibb finally got an onslaught of his own and couldn't handle the fourth or fifth shot that resulted. It seems nobody knows for sure who scored it, but Banga and Lee were around the net. Killer Bees lead 3-2. ... Pointstreak has the goal going to Jay Hardwick with Rankin on the assist. Interesting. ... Goeckner-Zoeller was just sent to the box for hooking, creating the first power play of the period with just over eight minutes to play in it. This is just the Bucks' second advantage of the game. ... Weidlich and Bennefield just got called for simultaneous penalties, making it 4-on-4 for the final 40 seconds of the period and first 1:20 of the third. ... That was an insane period by Rogers, who stopped all 17 shots the Bucks sent his way, including a one-on-one chance for Alex Goupil with just seconds left on the clock. Killer Bees lead 2-1 at the second intermission.

Third Period: Just about 20 saves since the last Bucks goal, Rogers has allowed another, this one actually to Bes, who was falling to the ice and had no clue the puck was coming his way until it got to him but still managed to swing it into the top shelf. That was pretty cool. Smith, whose attempt at a centering pass for Kozak got to Bes instead, got the primary assist and Kozak has the second. Game is tied 3-3 at 2:22 in this final period. ... Make that 4-3 Bucks as Smith has added another goal and another point. That one happened 11 seconds after the faceoff at center ice, as Smith hit the top of the net with a nice snap shot. That kid has skills. ... Goupil was just sent to the box for interference, then Serge Dube got called for tripping 21 seconds later, so the Killer Bees have the first advantage of the period, a 5-0n-3 for 1:39. ... The Bucks did a great job killing that, and just as Goupil skated out of the box, Bicek got called for hooking. Now it'll be 4-on-4 for 19 seconds, then a Bucks' power play for 3:41, as the Bicek penalty was a double-minor. Okay, it was actually two minutes for hooking and two for unsportsmanlike conduct (abuse of officials). But the Bucks still get a long power play. ... Well, it's two minutes shorter now, as Nic Dumoulin drew a tripping call against Adam Rivet to make it 4-on-4 until Rivet comes out and gives the Bucks 17 seconds more on the advantage. ... Apparently Steve Cruickshank has become very fond of his whistle in the past few minutes. The Bucks are now on a 4-on-3 as Daryl Moore is serving time for cross-checking. ... The Killer Bees' defense has completely fallen apart here in the third period. They just allowed the Bucks another barrage of chances, and again, one of them went in. This time, Kozak had the goal. Assists go to Smith and Bes, I believe. The puck looked to have been stopped then bounced in behind Rogers to give the Bucks a 5-3 lead with 6:56 to play. ... Gibb just made a very good falling glove save to keep the momentum going for the Bucks, and his teammates definitely appreciated that. ... Dulle just brought the puck from his own net all the way to Gibb and got it past him to bring the score to 5-4 in favor of the Bucks. ... Ryan Shmyr has been called for roughing and doesn't seem to agree with that decision. Bucks are on the power play again with 2:43 to play in the game. ... Dube and Rivet just collided near center ice, and Rivet was slow getting up from that one. ... Bucks have a bit more comfortable of a lead back as Weidlich has just netted a slap shot for his second goal of the season with 19 seconds left in that power play. Bucks lead 6-4 with just over a minute to play. Goupil and Dixon had the assists.

Game Over: Bucks win 6-4, improve to 13-5-0 (26 points); Bees fall to 8-6-2 (18 pts.). High-scoring night pretty much everywhere but in Bossier.

Other Scores: Mudbugs 1, Thunder 0; IceRays 5, Sundogs 4.

NHL Scores: Penguins 5, Hurricanes 2; Capitals 5, Islanders 2; Devils 3, Flyers 2 (OT); Canadiens 6, Rangers 2; Panthers 2, Sabres 1; Bruins 3, Lightning 1; Red Wings 6, Canucks 5; Predators 3, Avalanche 2; Coyotes 6, Maple Leafs 3; Coyotes 2, Blue Jackets 0.