Darryl Smith and Serge Dube both sat out practice this morning, and both are question marks for tomorrow night.
I didn't see Dube around, but Smith said he hopes to play and thinks it's a possibility.
Coach Ruskowski said both players' status for tomorrow, as well as tomorrow night's goaltender, will be decided after the morning skate tomorrow.
In case you hadn't heard yet, the Bucks will be hosting a "White Out" for Game 6 tomorrow night.
I think those of you who have been following this team for a while understand how big tomorrow night is, and I can tell you for a fact that Ruskowski and the players would greatly appreciate your support.
Meanwhile, happy Opening Day (Part 2)! I'll be back later.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Last Night
Here's the story from the Bucks' 2-1 loss to the Odessa Jackalopes last night.
Obviously, this puts them on the brink of elimination with the team's fate resting on its performance in Tuesday's game.
The Bucks will more than likely be without Darryl Smith for the contest, and considering that slew of misconduct penalties at the end of last night's game, they might lose a couple other guys.
I hope and assume the team will be practicing tomorrow, so I'll try to get some info on all of that then.
Oh, and the Northern Conference series between the Mississippi RiverKings and Oklahoma Blazers did not end last night, as the Blazers won 5-4 to cut the RiverKings' series lead to 3-2.
They resume play tomorrow, as do the Colorado Eagles and Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs. The Eagles can clinch a spot in the Northern Conference Finals with a win.
Today's NHL Scores: Red Wings 3, Wild 2; Capitals 6, Thrashers 4; Blackhawks 1, Blue Jackets 0 (OT); Panthers 4, Penguins 2; Sharks 3, Ducks 2; Avalanche 4, Canucks 1.
Obviously, this puts them on the brink of elimination with the team's fate resting on its performance in Tuesday's game.
The Bucks will more than likely be without Darryl Smith for the contest, and considering that slew of misconduct penalties at the end of last night's game, they might lose a couple other guys.
I hope and assume the team will be practicing tomorrow, so I'll try to get some info on all of that then.
Oh, and the Northern Conference series between the Mississippi RiverKings and Oklahoma Blazers did not end last night, as the Blazers won 5-4 to cut the RiverKings' series lead to 3-2.
They resume play tomorrow, as do the Colorado Eagles and Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs. The Eagles can clinch a spot in the Northern Conference Finals with a win.
Today's NHL Scores: Red Wings 3, Wild 2; Capitals 6, Thrashers 4; Blackhawks 1, Blue Jackets 0 (OT); Panthers 4, Penguins 2; Sharks 3, Ducks 2; Avalanche 4, Canucks 1.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Semifinal Game No. 5
In case I get caught up with all my desk duties, you can follow the game here, just like I will be.
Darryl Smith is officially a scratch, and Sebastien Centomo and Juha Toivonen are your starting goalies.
First Period: Prior to Collin Circelli getting called for hooking at 3:55, all I could tell you about this one is that the Jackalopes took the first shot. Bucks on the power play now. ... Fifteen seconds after that penalty box stay ended, Russ Moyer and Matt Miller each earned a trip of their own with hooking and roughing minors, respectively. ... Not much to speak of so far, but the Bucks lead 5-1 on shots a bit past halfway through the period. ... Dominic Leveille is headed to the box for hooking at 12:41 to put the Bucks on their second power play. ... Bucks up 8-3 on shots with five to play in the period. ... And now Adam Rivet will go to the box for hooking at 16:21 to give the Jacks their first power-play chance of the night. ... Guess the Jackalopes' power play is starting to recover from its slump earlier in the series, as Jeff Pierce scored on assists from Sebastien Thinel and Circelli 29 seconds into Rivet's penalty. Jacks lead 1-0. ... And now they will go right back on the advantage, with Miller taking a hooking call at 17:08, 18 seconds after that goal. ... Jacks will take that 1-0 lead into the first intermission. Bucks have outshot them 10-7 so far. ... Apparently Coach Ruskowski did something that wasn't to Mark Lemelin's liking because he was assessed a delay-of-game penalty at the 20-minute mark of the period. Anyone know what happened there?
Second Period: Shawn Snider is headed to the box at 6:24 to put the Jackalopes on the first power play of this period. ... Bucks killed that and now get one of their own with Mike Ramsay being called for interference at 9:42. ... It'll be 4-on-4 for a bit then a Jackalopes' power play as James Hiebert took a hooking call at 10:29. ... And now Dave Van Drunen to the box for holding at 14:56. ... The Bucks sure seem to like going after Juha Toivonen, and Erick Lizon is now headed to the box at 17:39 for goalie interference. ... That one worked out in the Bucks' favor, as Snider was able to score shorthanded to tie the game. Rivet has what is currently the lone assist on the goal, which came at 18:23. ... This'll head into the second intermission tied 1-1. Jacks outshot the Bucks 10-5 in the period and are now up 17-15 in that department for the game. ... Apparently Garrett Gruenke and Hiebert got into it at the end of the period, as both have been assessed roughing minors at the 20-minute mark.
Third Period: Ryan Salvis has been called for hooking to put the Jackalopes on a power play just 28 seconds into the final (regulation) stanza. ... Brian Swiniarski has now given the Bucks their first of the period with a high-sticking call at 3:16. ... The Jackalopes have taken the lead back at 6:38 in the period on a goal from Phillippe Plante. Leveille and Circelli get the assists. ... By the looks of what just popped up on the score sheet, I'm guessing Pierce hooked someone, Rick Kozak went after him because of it, then Gruenke went after Kozak. Of course, I could be completely wrong. Whatever the case, Pierce and Gruenke are headed to the Jackalopes' box for hooking and roughing, respectively, and Kozak to the Bucks' for roughing at 7:15. That'll give the Bucks a power play. ... Nothing doing on that, and now Salvis is headed back for another hooking call at 10:52. ... Some more matching penalties at 16:43, with Kenny Bernard and Kozak being sent off for unsportsmanlike conduct. ... Clock has stopped with 11 seconds left...we'll see if that means anything. Centomo has been out of his net for four seconds at this point. ... Bucks lose, fall behind 3-2 in the series.
Game Over: I don't have time to say much right now, but...
Odessa - Sebastien Thinel - (Fighting Major), 5 min, 19:49
Odessa - Russ Moyer - (Roughing Double Minor), 4 min, 19:49
Odessa - Russ Moyer - (No Category Misconduct), 10 min, 19:49
Odessa - Dominic Leveille - (Roughing), 2 min, 19:49
Laredo - Adam Rivet - (Fighting Major), 5 min, 19:49
Laredo - Rick Kozak - (Roughing Double Minor), 4 min, 19:49
Laredo - James Hiebert - (Fighting (Instigator)), 2 min, 19:49
Laredo - James Hiebert - (Fighting Major), 5 min, 19:49
Laredo - James Hiebert - (Fighting (Instigator) Misconduct), 10 min, 19:49
Odessa - Dave Van Drunen - (Roughing Double Minor), 4 min, 20:00
Odessa - Dave Van Drunen - (No Category Misconduct), 10 min, 20:00
Laredo - Steve Weidlich - (Roughing Double Minor), 4 min, 20:00
Laredo - Steve Weidlich - (No Category Misconduct), 10 min, 20:00
Whoa boy.
NHL Scores: Bruins 1, Rangers 0; Senators 4, Flyers 3 (SO); Devils 3, Sabres 2; Canadiens 6, Maple Leafs 2; Hurricanes 3, Penguins 2 (OT); Islanders 3, Lightning 1; Stars 5, Blues 4; Predators 5, Blue Jackets 4 (SO); Oilers 5, Canucks 3; Ducks 5, Sharks 2; Kings 6, Coyotes 1.
Darryl Smith is officially a scratch, and Sebastien Centomo and Juha Toivonen are your starting goalies.
First Period: Prior to Collin Circelli getting called for hooking at 3:55, all I could tell you about this one is that the Jackalopes took the first shot. Bucks on the power play now. ... Fifteen seconds after that penalty box stay ended, Russ Moyer and Matt Miller each earned a trip of their own with hooking and roughing minors, respectively. ... Not much to speak of so far, but the Bucks lead 5-1 on shots a bit past halfway through the period. ... Dominic Leveille is headed to the box for hooking at 12:41 to put the Bucks on their second power play. ... Bucks up 8-3 on shots with five to play in the period. ... And now Adam Rivet will go to the box for hooking at 16:21 to give the Jacks their first power-play chance of the night. ... Guess the Jackalopes' power play is starting to recover from its slump earlier in the series, as Jeff Pierce scored on assists from Sebastien Thinel and Circelli 29 seconds into Rivet's penalty. Jacks lead 1-0. ... And now they will go right back on the advantage, with Miller taking a hooking call at 17:08, 18 seconds after that goal. ... Jacks will take that 1-0 lead into the first intermission. Bucks have outshot them 10-7 so far. ... Apparently Coach Ruskowski did something that wasn't to Mark Lemelin's liking because he was assessed a delay-of-game penalty at the 20-minute mark of the period. Anyone know what happened there?
Second Period: Shawn Snider is headed to the box at 6:24 to put the Jackalopes on the first power play of this period. ... Bucks killed that and now get one of their own with Mike Ramsay being called for interference at 9:42. ... It'll be 4-on-4 for a bit then a Jackalopes' power play as James Hiebert took a hooking call at 10:29. ... And now Dave Van Drunen to the box for holding at 14:56. ... The Bucks sure seem to like going after Juha Toivonen, and Erick Lizon is now headed to the box at 17:39 for goalie interference. ... That one worked out in the Bucks' favor, as Snider was able to score shorthanded to tie the game. Rivet has what is currently the lone assist on the goal, which came at 18:23. ... This'll head into the second intermission tied 1-1. Jacks outshot the Bucks 10-5 in the period and are now up 17-15 in that department for the game. ... Apparently Garrett Gruenke and Hiebert got into it at the end of the period, as both have been assessed roughing minors at the 20-minute mark.
Third Period: Ryan Salvis has been called for hooking to put the Jackalopes on a power play just 28 seconds into the final (regulation) stanza. ... Brian Swiniarski has now given the Bucks their first of the period with a high-sticking call at 3:16. ... The Jackalopes have taken the lead back at 6:38 in the period on a goal from Phillippe Plante. Leveille and Circelli get the assists. ... By the looks of what just popped up on the score sheet, I'm guessing Pierce hooked someone, Rick Kozak went after him because of it, then Gruenke went after Kozak. Of course, I could be completely wrong. Whatever the case, Pierce and Gruenke are headed to the Jackalopes' box for hooking and roughing, respectively, and Kozak to the Bucks' for roughing at 7:15. That'll give the Bucks a power play. ... Nothing doing on that, and now Salvis is headed back for another hooking call at 10:52. ... Some more matching penalties at 16:43, with Kenny Bernard and Kozak being sent off for unsportsmanlike conduct. ... Clock has stopped with 11 seconds left...we'll see if that means anything. Centomo has been out of his net for four seconds at this point. ... Bucks lose, fall behind 3-2 in the series.
Game Over: I don't have time to say much right now, but...
Odessa - Sebastien Thinel - (Fighting Major), 5 min, 19:49
Odessa - Russ Moyer - (Roughing Double Minor), 4 min, 19:49
Odessa - Russ Moyer - (No Category Misconduct), 10 min, 19:49
Odessa - Dominic Leveille - (Roughing), 2 min, 19:49
Laredo - Adam Rivet - (Fighting Major), 5 min, 19:49
Laredo - Rick Kozak - (Roughing Double Minor), 4 min, 19:49
Laredo - James Hiebert - (Fighting (Instigator)), 2 min, 19:49
Laredo - James Hiebert - (Fighting Major), 5 min, 19:49
Laredo - James Hiebert - (Fighting (Instigator) Misconduct), 10 min, 19:49
Odessa - Dave Van Drunen - (Roughing Double Minor), 4 min, 20:00
Odessa - Dave Van Drunen - (No Category Misconduct), 10 min, 20:00
Laredo - Steve Weidlich - (Roughing Double Minor), 4 min, 20:00
Laredo - Steve Weidlich - (No Category Misconduct), 10 min, 20:00
Whoa boy.
NHL Scores: Bruins 1, Rangers 0; Senators 4, Flyers 3 (SO); Devils 3, Sabres 2; Canadiens 6, Maple Leafs 2; Hurricanes 3, Penguins 2 (OT); Islanders 3, Lightning 1; Stars 5, Blues 4; Predators 5, Blue Jackets 4 (SO); Oilers 5, Canucks 3; Ducks 5, Sharks 2; Kings 6, Coyotes 1.
Semifinal Game Day No. 5
Okay, that took much longer than expected.
You can check out Bryan Benway's preview and the Pointstreak pre-game notes for more on tonight's game, which is about as crucial as crucial can get.
Home ice obviously hasn't meant much so far this series, with the road team winning all four games, so the Bucks will be looking to keep that trend going tonight.
The Bucks are 9-0 all-time after winning the first two games of a playoff series, and the team has never had its season end before the conference finals in team history, so this current group has a lot of pressure on it, especially with Darryl Smith possibly out of commission.
Tonight's game should begin in about 15 minutes.
The only other CHL game tonight has the Oklahoma City Blazers at the Mississippi RiverKings for the fifth, and possibly final, game of their Northern Conference Semifinal series.
As far as the series that ended last night, Brian Sandalow has a story with some thoughts from the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, who seem to have been very gracious losers.
Some excerpts:
"That's something we went over before the game. We kind of said that what's going to happen is going to happen," Bees goalie Wylie Rogers said. "We just need to go out and play our absolute best as a group, the way we know how to play. I think we did that.
"For the most part we went out with a bang and played really well. The cards didn't fall the way we wanted them to, and that's sports for you."
"I was extremely pleased with the effort the guys put forth tonight," Bees coach Chris Brooks said. "Had a lot of chances to score, stuck with one of the premier teams in the league. I told the guys they have a lot to be proud of."
Brooks also sounds quite optimistic about the team's future:
"This team will win a championship. This organization will win a championship," Brooks said. "It's a tough pill to swallow but I've always believed things happen in life for a reason. Like I told the guys after the game, everybody's going to play a part when this team wins a championship. Everybody on this team's going to play a part of it as long as you learn from the past and learn from your experiences."
Brian also has his thoughts on the series and the Killer Bees' season as a whole.
Robert Keith has the other side of the story and a post-series Q&A with Dan Wildfong for his Texas Brahmas Insider Blog.
You can check out Bryan Benway's preview and the Pointstreak pre-game notes for more on tonight's game, which is about as crucial as crucial can get.
Home ice obviously hasn't meant much so far this series, with the road team winning all four games, so the Bucks will be looking to keep that trend going tonight.
The Bucks are 9-0 all-time after winning the first two games of a playoff series, and the team has never had its season end before the conference finals in team history, so this current group has a lot of pressure on it, especially with Darryl Smith possibly out of commission.
Tonight's game should begin in about 15 minutes.
The only other CHL game tonight has the Oklahoma City Blazers at the Mississippi RiverKings for the fifth, and possibly final, game of their Northern Conference Semifinal series.
As far as the series that ended last night, Brian Sandalow has a story with some thoughts from the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, who seem to have been very gracious losers.
Some excerpts:
"That's something we went over before the game. We kind of said that what's going to happen is going to happen," Bees goalie Wylie Rogers said. "We just need to go out and play our absolute best as a group, the way we know how to play. I think we did that.
"For the most part we went out with a bang and played really well. The cards didn't fall the way we wanted them to, and that's sports for you."
"I was extremely pleased with the effort the guys put forth tonight," Bees coach Chris Brooks said. "Had a lot of chances to score, stuck with one of the premier teams in the league. I told the guys they have a lot to be proud of."
Brooks also sounds quite optimistic about the team's future:
"This team will win a championship. This organization will win a championship," Brooks said. "It's a tough pill to swallow but I've always believed things happen in life for a reason. Like I told the guys after the game, everybody's going to play a part when this team wins a championship. Everybody on this team's going to play a part of it as long as you learn from the past and learn from your experiences."
Brian also has his thoughts on the series and the Killer Bees' season as a whole.
Robert Keith has the other side of the story and a post-series Q&A with Dan Wildfong for his Texas Brahmas Insider Blog.
Quick Note
I am very glad to see the positive reaction to my story being updated after last night's game for the local deliveries of today's print edition.
One thing I was less happy to see is the fact that I never know what day it is finally caught up to me in print, as the second edition for some reason says "4-3 win on Wednesday," which is even worse than that error would normally be because the Jackalopes did actually have a 4-3 overtime win over the Bucks on Wednesday. Sorry about that; I'll make sure "Tuesday" is the first word I type for my Game 6 story.
Moving on to more important things, I just got off the phone with Coach Ruskowski, and he said Darryl Smith is a "big question mark" for tonight. By the sound of it, Smith will not be playing and could still be out of the lineup for Game 6 on Tuesday.
Smith was taken to the hospital after leaving last night's game, and tests did not show any severe injury, but he's still limping around as of earlier today. He did make the trip up to Odessa, though.
Matt Miller was indeed a healthy scratch last night, though, so the Bucks should have a full lineup regardless of whether Smith can play.
As far as the goalie change, Ruskowski said Andrew Martin was kind of getting dehydrated and cramped and just needed a break. Sebastien Centomo, who played 35:16 last night, will still be starting tonight.
I need to go format a slew of middle school track meet results, then type up Little League scores, but I'll be back ASAP with a game day post and to live blog the game as best I can later.
Those of you in town, don't forget that the Bucks' official watch party is once again being held at Rudy's Bar-B-Q on McPherson Road. The game starts at 7:05 p.m.
One thing I was less happy to see is the fact that I never know what day it is finally caught up to me in print, as the second edition for some reason says "4-3 win on Wednesday," which is even worse than that error would normally be because the Jackalopes did actually have a 4-3 overtime win over the Bucks on Wednesday. Sorry about that; I'll make sure "Tuesday" is the first word I type for my Game 6 story.
Moving on to more important things, I just got off the phone with Coach Ruskowski, and he said Darryl Smith is a "big question mark" for tonight. By the sound of it, Smith will not be playing and could still be out of the lineup for Game 6 on Tuesday.
Smith was taken to the hospital after leaving last night's game, and tests did not show any severe injury, but he's still limping around as of earlier today. He did make the trip up to Odessa, though.
Matt Miller was indeed a healthy scratch last night, though, so the Bucks should have a full lineup regardless of whether Smith can play.
As far as the goalie change, Ruskowski said Andrew Martin was kind of getting dehydrated and cramped and just needed a break. Sebastien Centomo, who played 35:16 last night, will still be starting tonight.
I need to go format a slew of middle school track meet results, then type up Little League scores, but I'll be back ASAP with a game day post and to live blog the game as best I can later.
Those of you in town, don't forget that the Bucks' official watch party is once again being held at Rudy's Bar-B-Q on McPherson Road. The game starts at 7:05 p.m.
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