The Bucks are hosting the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees for the third straight time in a matter of minutes. This is the Bucks' first game since their win over the Killer Bees on Wednesday, while the Killer Bees drove down here after beating the Texas Brahmas 5-2 last night and are playing their third game of a 3-in-3. I would tell you to check out my preview for more on the matchup, but apparently it's not online.
As always, you can follow the game here or on Pointstreak, watch on CHL-TV or listen on Imagen 94.1 FM.
First Period: There are actually more people here than I expected considering the fact that the Cowboys are playing right now. Still pretty empty, but better than I figured it would be. ... The little girl who sang the national anthem was absolutely precious. ... Neil Trimm took the first shot of the game about 90 seconds in, but it was stopped easily. The puck's already gone out of play a couple times. ... CHL referees sure do miss a lot of offsides calls. ... Gone a few minutes without any stoppages now. Play is back and forth across the ice, but the Bucks are the only ones who have had any chances. They're up 3-0 on shots. .. Eric Giosa is wearing his third different number as a member of the Bucks as he has traded in the 12 he had Wednesday night for No. 23. ... Lincourt just did some great forechecking to steal the puck and eventually got it to Evan Schwabe, who was alone in front of Franck but missed the net high. Best chance of the game so far. Killer Bees have gotten some shots, though, and the Bucks are now up 4-2 in that category. ... Bucks just generated another good chance when they managed to get the puck out with the Killer Bees all concentrated in the area in front of Levasseur, but Mike Sgroi kind of tripped himself up entering the Killer Bees' zone, and by the time Smith got the puck to take a shot, Franck was ready to stop it. ... Okay, there are actually more people here now than there have been at a few night games. Pretty surprising. ... Franck is standing tall again tonight. He's already made some impressive stops. A little over halfway into the period, Bucks are up 8-3 o shots. ... And now it's 8-4, but the Killer Bees' last shot is the only one that counts so far. Jesse Bennefield and Grant Goeckner-Zoeller broke into the Bucks' zone, and Bennefield easily snapped the puck past Levasseur, who probably wasn't sure which one of those two he should be watching. ... Justin Styffe and Lee were tangled up out there for a bit, shoving each other around, but the refs seem to be blowing mostly everything off so far in this one. ... You'd really think the Bucks would have some more jump considering how well-rested they are; they haven't even practiced since Friday. But maybe all the playing time kept the Killer Bees in a better game mode. Not saying the Bucks are slacking, but they are acting a bit lifeless since that goal. ... Well, yikes. Styffe just flew into the net, and Franck, who seems to have some beef with him anyway, starting shoving him around. Obviously, this kid isn't one to not stand up for himself, so when Mike Harr started pushing him, too, they went at it. Styffe did his usual skull-cracking routine but got it done a lot quicker against someone who is not usually much of a pugilist. Speaking of the whole Styffe-Franck thing, Styffe did say that Franck's trip of him following his shorthanded goal on Wednesday was definitely intentional. Both players are being sent to the locker room, as there are only 4:38 left in the period. Five for fighting apiece and nothing more. ... Giosa just had a great individual effort to create a chance for the Bucks, but Franck stopped his shot. ... The Killer Bees left Bes completely alone around their blue line during a change, and Cody Hamilton sent him a long pass, giving Bes just enough time to get off a shot before the buzzer. But Franck stopped it. He's saved all 14 shots he's faced so far, while Levasseur has set aside five of six. End of the period, Killer Bees lead 1-0. ... By the way, Mike Looby, Robin Richards, Schwabe, Smith and Jeremy Swanson were the Bucks on the ice for Bennefield's goal, which is still listed as unassisted at this point. ... Forgot to mention, though I guess it's implied, that there was not a single penalty called in that period.
Second Period: First penalty of the game has been called 2:55 into the period, as Looby is headed to the box for interference to put the Killer Bees on their first power play. ... Bucks had a great chance shorthanded, but Bes and Smith collided coming up the ice and weren't able to get in on the net. Schwabe came on the ice and did get close, but his shot was stopped. ... Levasseur just batted a puck out of the air with his glove and almost sent it right back to the Killer Bees but escaped that situation no worse for the wear. ... Lee's stick just broke on a hard shot, and part of it is still hanging out over in the Bucks' end. That made quite a noise. ... The penalty has been killed. ... Well, Franck certainly isn't going to like Styffe any more now, as he just played a big role in Giosa tying the game for the Bucks with a goal at 7:34 in the period. Wow, and they showed footage of that trip from the other night on the jumbotron just to rub it in. Good forechecking by Trimm to get the puck to Styffe, who made Harr look invisible with a great centering pass to Giosa, who put the puck in the perfect spot for his first goal with the Bucks. Game tied 1-1. ... Swanson just made a great play 1-on-1 with Goeckner-Zoeller to prevent a scoring chance without taking a penalty. Play has really picked up the past few minutes. ... Levasseur just made a stop only to have the puck trickle through his pads and toward the goal line, but Benjamin Dieude-Fauvel was there to knock it out. Guess the defensemen got the memo about staying home and doing their jobs. ... Lines are getting shuffled like nobody's business right now. Lincourt, who I thought was looking decent with the top line, is out there with Giosa and Sgroi. ... I think another Buck just made Franck his enemy, as Giosa has his second goal of the game after driving the net and knocking the puck into it off his body on a pretty quick break from one end to the other. Giosa took the puck into the Killer Bees' zone, made a quick pass to Sgroi, then got the puck back just in time to knock it in. Franck seemed to try to bear hug him after the fact. Can't imagine he's too thrilled right now. Bucks up 25-15 on shots, by the way. Oh, and they're giving Looby the second assist. Bucks lead 2-1. ... Lincourt getting on that line has led to Lance Monych re-joining Bes and Smith on the top one. ... And now Lincourt and Sgroi are out with Schwabe. ... It appears there are some issues with the Pointstreak box score, but I assure you that the Bucks are up 2-1 with 5:43 to play in the second, not down 1-0 with 4:38 to play in the first. ... Schwabe just poked a loose puck from the crease into the net, but the goal has been waved off. Bucks won't let that go without a fight, but the refs are saying there was a high stick prior to the shot. ... Giosa just beat Topher Scott on a faceoff, then knocked his opponent to the ground. Seems like scoring made the kid a bit feisty. Nothing dirty, Scott probably just wasn't expecting any contact and was thus fell pretty easily. ... Bennefield just came close to making this yet another two-goal game for him against the Bucks, but Levasseur was able to make the save and hold onto the puck, setting up a faceoff in his own zone. ... Sawatski just took a shot from near the point that almost seemed to flutter into the net but actually hit the post and fell into the outside of the netting. ... The Styffe-Giosa-Trimm line is back together and was out there for a while as the period winded down. The Killer Bees got a couple chances at the end but no goals. Giosa and Styffe are skating off the ice bent over and looking winded, but I guess being out there for a long shift like that will do that to you. End of the period, Bucks lead 2-1, up 26-20 on shots. ... We've gotten through 40 minutes with only one penalty called by Tom Steinel. Well, unless you count the fighting majors.
Third Period: Couple good stops by Franck already early in the final period, as Schwabe got a decent shot off from the slot less than a minute in and Bes sent Monych a perfect centering feed just now at about the 3-minute mark, but both shots were saved. ... Now about seven minutes in, a few decent chances for both teams but no goals. ... Joel Irving nearly changed that with a good shot off a nice feed by Andrew Schembri, but Levasseur stepped up to the challenge and made the save. ... Bes somehow managed to hold onto the puck with two Killer Bees defenders on him, but his attempted behind-the-back pass to Smith moving into the zone missed his stick. ... Looby just blocked a pretty hard shot with his chest and dropped to the ice at the next whistle, but he's up now and seems to be okay. ... Second minor penalty of the game has been called against Harr at 10:24 in the period. He'll go to the box for tripping, giving the Bucks their first power play of the game over 50 minutes of playing time into it. ... That did not look like a power play at all. Maybe the Bucks forgot what those are supposed to be like considering how long it's been since they had one. ... Irving headed to the box with 2:19 to play for holding, but the Bucks won't be getting a power play, as Mohr took a roughing call in response. At least I think those are the penalties... that's what was initially said, but not what I just heard over the PA system. With Pointstreak down, it's kind of difficult to find out. It'll be 4-on-4 for almost the rest of regulation. ... Killer Bees are taking their time out with 39.5 seconds left, and they'll be going into the next faceoff with Franck on the bench. ... Not going to lie, I kind of hate Bennefield right now. He just tied it, which means I will be missing at least some of my Colts game. Anyway, Bennefield tipped in a puck that had bounced off the boards on a slap shot by Shaun Landolt. Daymen Rycroft gets the second assist. Game tied 2-2. ... Overtime, here we come again.
Overtime: This is the third straight time these teams have gone into overtime. You'd think the Killer Bees, playing their third in actually less than three days and going into OT would be tired, but we'll see if the Bucks can take advantage of anything like that at all. ... Smith just got called for holding to give the Killer Bees a one-minute 4-on-3 power play with 3:48 left in the OT period. ... Killer Bees just got a chance similar to the one on which Bennefield tied the game with the puck bouncing around of the boards, but they couldn't do anything with that one. ... Penalty killed. ... Seriously, can these teams play at the LEC without going into a shootout? Guess not.
Shootout: Bucks opt to shoot first. ... Smith going first. Nice shot, scored five-hole. Bucks up 1-0 in the shootout. ... Schembri up first for the Killer Bees. Tried to fake Levasseur out and failed, as he made a right pad save. ... Bes next. Snap shot right into Franck's pads. ... Muncy up now. Shot grazed off Levasseur's pad. ... Giosa up now with the Bucks leading 1-0. Wow, that was a very nifty little goal. Nice stick-handling, and he got it in five-hole, too. Bucks up 2-0. ... Bennefield needs to score here to keep the next shooter from having an opportunity to win it. No goal. ... Schwabe has a chance to close it out. Franck made a glove save to keep that from happening. ... Rycroft misses high to end the game.
Game Over: Bucks win 3-2 in the shootout. Again. They improve to 7-2-2 (16 points), while the Killer Bees fall to 6-4-2 (14 points).
1 comment:
Looks like we missed a good game again...
No comment on the Patriots-Colts game.
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