What a Day

Three flight delays and some other unpleasantness after my last post, I arrived in San Antonio and called Coach Ruskowski to get some more information on everything that went down today because I figured I may as well be on the safe side and not wait to get back to Laredo.

I have to say, he sounded like he was having the same kind of day (week, month, year...) that I was having, as a lot of his responses were preceded by the kind of laughter you only hear from someone who knows they have nothing to laugh about.

Obviously, losing a player like Jeff Bes to the IR for the first time since the start of the 2006-07 season is going to be taxing on a coach, and the other circumstances surrounding this situation just make matters worse.

Ruskowski made it clear that this weekend is do-or-die time for his team, mentioned that Bes will be out "for a while," and even said he's willing to "get people Visas" to bring them down here if that what it takes.

In response to the comments on my post about the trade, here's the deal: equipment manager Matt Brayfield will be suiting up as the backup again this weekend and until Ruskowski finds someone who is currently available and is "worth the money" the team will have to pay him.

As far as Centomo's "slump," Ruskowski made a good point - the guy's own team scored three goals against him last time, one when he wasn't even on the ice. Ruskowski said he has "a ton of faith" in Centomo and is not worried about his ability based purely on the results of a few off games for the whole team. He even said Centomo played very well against the Mudbugs, expecially for someone who hadn't been on the ice in a while.

And as far as Traylen...never say never, I guess. I do know that he is home in Quebec as of the current point in time, but that doesn't necessarily mean he'll stay there and follow through on his plans to go back to school if the Bucks want him back. So far as I know, his girlfriend's family is here, so it certainly isn't too far-fetched to think he may return. But you know what they say about assuming, so I'm not going to do that just yet.

Obviously, bringing in another goaltender is not Ruskowski's only concern, as he has been trying to bring in some new players for a while now. If what he said to me today is any indication, some of the team's current defensemen should not feel all too secure about their job situation.

"Now that I have two D-men hurt, obviously I'm trying to bring some in," he said. "But I've been trying for a while now, and it's almost impossible to find a good, solid defenseman who you can bring in and have help your team. That's why I've kept all these defensemen around. It's very, very tough to find good defense right now."

Speaking of job security, you have to feel for Gibb getting shipped off to a team that purportedly is having trouble paying its staff and taking care of equipment. Hopefully his trip to Colorado (where I imagine he'll be meeting up with his new club) is a pleasant and safe one.

Stephens should be getting here in time for tomorrow night's game, but it's doubtable that he'll be able to attend the morning skate after driving all day today to make it here in time. Ruskowski said he needs Stephens to be here for tomorrow night, and I'm sure being needed by a two-time CHL champion coach is something Stephens is enjoying already.

Anyway, I'm going to head out now because I am completely wiped (Seriously, if the Pens had lost tonight, this would have gone down in bad-day history.), but I will be waking up early tomorrow to head to the morning skate and talk to Ruskowski a bit more in-depth about the losses to the RiverKings and Mudbugs, the trade, Bes' injury and anything else of relevance. If you have any specific questions you can think of before 10 a.m. tomorrow, let me know.

I guess it's time to catch up on scores from yesterday and tonight, and I'll have more details on some of these games when I blog tomorrow. Yes, the Gorillas really did beat the Eagles in Colorado. They really seem to have issues with holding on to leads and winning in regulation, though.

Tuesday's CHL Scores: Mudbugs 2, RiverKings 1; Jackalopes 7, IceRays 2.

Tuesday's NHL Scores: Bruins 3, Capitals 2 (OT); Blue Jackets 3, Red Wings 2 (OT); Rangers 3, Hurricanes 2; Devils 4, Senators 1; Lightning 5, Canadiens 3; Panthers 3, Flyers 2; Wild 6, Maple Leafs 1; Stars 2, Thrashers 0; Ducks 7, Coyotes 3; Sabres 10, Oilers 2; Sharks 3, Avalanche 0.

Tonight's CHL Scores: Rush 2, Thunder 0; Sundogs 4, Rage 2; Gorillas 6, Eagles 5 (SO).

Tonight's NHL Scores: Penguins 6, Rangers 2; Flames 5, Sabres 2; Blackhawks 3, Ducks 2; Predators 5, Canucks 3.