Stuff and Stuff

So, about those Bucks...

As mentioned in the lede of my notebook, practice was surprisingly lighthearted yesterday, which Coach Ruskowski said was due to the meeting he had with the defense before practice. Here's what associate captain Adam Rivet told me:

"You always want to stay light; you don't want to get too down. We still needed to work on our systems; we have a couple guys who just came in, and they're learning the system. We're shortmanned, as well, so you want to stay fresh; you don't want to run guys out. We want to stay positive in practice and this weekend."

Speaking of Rivet, as I mentioned on Tuesday, seeing him fight was quite a surprise for me. I had seen him in minor scuffles before, but that was his first fighting major since I started covering the team.

So, of course, I had to ask him what Jesse Bennefield did to get under his skin so badly in Tuesday's loss. He explained that Bennefield had cross-checked him, and that was pretty much just the last straw, as he was already frustrated because of the way the game was going.

The great thing about talking to Rivet is that he takes full responsibility for his role in any of the defense's problems this season. He said months ago that he thought he wasn't playing "up to par," and hopefully everyone realizes he's trying his best to play the way he knows he can.

That isn't to say that the other Bucks' defenseman aren't honest about the struggles the team has been having on their side of the ice, but it's refreshing to have someone flat-out tell you what they think they're doing wrong and how much they want to fix it.

Obviously, the Bucks do have some fixing to do on defense if they want to keep the Southern Conference's No. 3 playoff seed, much less move up in the ranks.

My preview for this weekend includes some quotes from Rivet and Ruskowski about how important that is, especially with only 18 games left in the season and 12 (including the next five in a row) on the road.

The Bucks' current road woes can be traced back to that fateful December day when I finally made my first trip to Corpus Christi for a hockey game.

They lost 2-1 in a shootout that night, wasting a 47-save performance by a goalie they may face this weekend in Ryan Gibb, and since then are 2-8-2 on the road. Well, 2-8-3 if you include that game. Prior to that night, they were 5-2-0 outside the LEC, with both losses coming at the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees.

As you may remember, the last time the Bucks faced the Scorpions was in a 6-1 rout at the LEC, coincidentally one night prior to the aforementioned road loss to the IceRays.

In that game, the Bucks lit up the Scorpions' dismal penalty killing, scoring four power-play goals.

As it stands heading into this weekend, the Bucks are sixth in the league on the advantage, while the Scorpions have finally moved out of the cellar to be 15th in the league in penalty killing. Yes, there are only 16 teams.

So, obviously, the Bucks' power play could be a big key this weekend, and I'm sure they'd like for it to be. Ruskowski is hoping that having Cullaton on his roster can help get something started, and as his goal on Tuesday proved, he is willing to shoot from the point, which some defenseman at the point on power-play units are not as apt to do.

I've realized that most of my leftover quotes are completely repetitive of what's gone in my notebook and my preview for tomorrow, so I just want to flat-out repeat something I've already used instead.

Ruskowski said yesterday, "I feel like what we have in the locker room right now is good enough to win hockey games."

Yes, I know he might just be trying to convince me, or even himself, of that, but it is the first time he has said it all season long.

Let's see if the guys can prove it this weekend.

Tonight's NHL Scores: Senators 5, Flyers 2; Panthers 5, Hurricanes 0; Red Wings 4, Wild 2; Lightning 6, Maple Leafs 4; Predators 4, Blues 3 (SO); Canucks 4, Coyotes 3; Flames 2, Kings 0.