Game No. 37 - Bucks vs. Brahmas

Starters: Bucks - Igor Agarunov (F), Devin Featherstone (D), Ryan Gibb (G), Rick Kozak (F), Adam Rivet (D), Bobby Russell (F); Brahmas - Jordan Cameron (F), Grant Jacobsen (F), Brett Jaeger (G), Greg McConnell (F), Kevin McLeod (D), Nathan Saunders (D).

Note: All-Star rookie center Darryl Smith is officially a scratch, as are defensemen Jaye Judd and Steve Weidlich.

First Period: As can be expected, the Bucks' bench looks a little empty right now. I wonder how many of the injured fellas will be making their way up to the press box to go on the radio with Bryan Benway tonight. Russell vs. Jacobsen on the opening faceoff. ... A fan sitting right in front of the press box just yelled, "I love you Darryl!" I guess she didn't get the memo. ... The Brahmas' shot counter appears to be out of order, but Gibb tipped away their first of the game, and Rivet sent the Bucks' first right into Jaeger's chest not much later. ... Okay, I guess it's in order, but the guys controlling it decided that first shot wasn't actually one. ... Brahmas are on the first power play of the game as Jason Dixon was called for hooking at 1:58 in this opening period. We'll see if the Bucks continue their tradition of killing their own penalty killers tonight. ... The Brahmas are the only team that hasn't given up a shorthanded goal this season, and Benway just did his best to jinx them by mentioning that fact during the power play. ... Gooch just got called for hooking with 32 seconds left on Dixon's penalty to give the Brahmas a 32-second 5-on-3 followed by 1:28 more on the advantage. ... Either the Bucks are playing like idiots or J.P. Sylvain hates them...I'm not quite sure which. Either way, Russell is headed to the box for slashing, giving the Brahmas another 70 seconds of 5-on-3 play and then 50 more seconds on an advantage. We are less than five minutes into the game, by the way. Yeesh. ... Some nice passing and a sharp shot from the far circle by Scott Sheppard has put the Brahmas on the board just 4:46 into the game. That registered as just their third shot, but give Gibb a little more credit than that. Jacobsen is getting the lone assist as of the current point in time, and the Brahmas will stay on the power play now for a little over a minute. ... Ryan Miller-Ryan Salvis-Erick Lizon is the third line in this game, and they look quite sloppy so far. Jeff Bes-Jason Dixon-Alex Goupil is the top line, by the way. ... The Brahmas' goals have been quite anticlimactic so far tonight, but Sheppard has just scored his second on a slap shot from the slot as he and Jason Deitsch crossed into the Bucks' zone. Deitsch has the lone assist on the score, and the Brahmas lead 2-0 at 11:56 in the period. ... How on earth did Jaeger's head just end up between Miller's legs? Not in a perverse way, but that is weird. Miller kind of flew into Jaeger, and it almost appeared as though he was trying to rip Jaeger's head off with his thighs. Jaeger is being attended to by the Brahmas' trainer, but he will stay in the game and there was no penalty called on the play. ... I just witnessed the sloppiest sequence of events I have ever seen in a hockey game, and both teams were involved. I don't even know how to describe that, but the Brahmas are lucky the Bucks were just as messy as they were because their lead should have been cut in half there. ... I wish my eyesight were better so I could figure out what the heck is on Jaeger's mask. I'll hae to do some research into that. ... The Bucks have had a few chances on rebounds but never seem to be in the right place at the right time. Bes just had a chance on a Goupil rebound but sent it wide. ... Bucks are getting their first power play with 2:51 left in the period as Deitsch has been called for roughing. ... Brahmas cleared the puck right off the faceoff, but the Bucks got it back in the zone and Kozak circled around with it then sent it to Agarunov, who  slipped it past Jaeger. The goalie had no clue what was going on with all the bodies in front of him. Kozak currently has the lone assist. Brahmas lead 2-1, but that made the tiny crowd come to life. Previously, only the girl right in front of the press box had been making any noise. ... I guess Sylvain likes calling penalties in multiples, as Kinnunen is headed to the box for tripping with 1:42 to play. Remember what happened last time he was in the penalty box at the LEC? ... I guess the Bucks forgot because they created a few good chances but allowed the Brahmas to clear too much to capitalize on that advantage. They'll start the seconds with 18 seconds left on the power play. ... Benway, who told me not to interview Matt Brayfield  about playing today in fear that it would enlarge his ego, is now interviewing him live on the air. Interesting! ... According to the board, the Bucks have outshot the Brahmas 9-6. Okie doke. ... And now the Bucks' goal is being credited to Kozak? I'm so confused. Why is the stick amigo wearing shorts?! Okay, I'll stop with the questions now.

Second Period: Okay, now they've changed the goal back to Agarunov, with Kozak and Russell grabbing assists. ... That 18-second power play to start the period didn't really do much for the Bucks, and the score remains 2-1. ... The Brahmas just pulled off a textbook scoring play, but Gibb wasn't having any of that, as he anticipated exactly where the shot would really be coming from, rather than committing to the assist man as the Brahmas had hoped he would. That wasn't a flashy save, but it was a darn good one. ... Both teams' skaters seem to be having trouble keeping track of the puck right now. Crowd is pretty dead again right now; the Bucks need to pick a fight or score soon if they want to keep the fans in this one at all. ... I just remembered that Travis Banga is in the LEC for the first time since becoming a Brahma right now. Guess he hasn't been doing much tonight. ... Apparently Sheppard figured he would score again before giving the Bucks to even things up. That would be a hat trick in less than half the game, and Matt Brayfield is now being displayed on the jumbotron. I'm so sure. ... The Bucks just had about 10 chances on a loose puck right in front of the net, but nothing doing. ... Crap, I just noticed that my press pass is falling apart. Remind me to tape that up sometime soon. ... Why the heck was Deitsch just on the floor behind the Brahmas' bench? I looked over and saw a pair of skates up in the air behind everyone else's helmets. Very bizarre. ... The Brahmas are on their first power play of the period, just about halfway through it, as Lizon has been called for high-sticking. ... Apparently I missed Featherstone's birthday on Jan. 11. Oops. Happy belated birthday to Devin! ... Not long after the power play expired, the Brahmas made it 4-1 as Tyler Skworchinski deflected a pass from Matt Quinn past Gibb. The Bucks really do seem to be trying, but every time they miss the net, the Brahmas hit it. I'm not sure if it's being shorthanded, being disheartened or just playing sloppy, but something's off. ... Russell is skating his butt off, Dube is trying to keep everyone motivated and Bes is checking guys into the boards left and right...but the younger guys don't really seem to be feeding off of that, at least not enough to do anything about it. There are 5:07 to play in the period, and I think it's pretty clear the Bucks need a goal before it ends if they want to come into the third with any belief that they can win this game. ... Ruskowski said after last weekend that his team's inability to shoot the puck on the net, whether it be saved or not, was one of his chief concerns. Though he was focused on the defense, both the D-men and forwards have proven to have issues with that tonight. ... Banga's name has finally come up, as he is headed to the box for hooking with 1:37 on the clock. ... So you know how I said the Bucks needed to score in this period if they wanted a chance? Well, Miller got the message and just wristed the puck over Jaeger's left shoulder. Pretty nice power-play effort by the second unit, with Salvis and Russell getting the assists. Okay, they only gave one to Salvis for now, but Russell should get one, too. He was the one who created the opportunity for that play, no question about it. There are 9.8 seconds left in the period. ... And now it is over. Brahmas lead 4-2, and the shots read 17-10 in the Bucks' favor. 

Third Period: The Bucks are on the power play just 51 seconds into this one as Cameron has gone off for hooking. Talk about a good chance for a momentum swing. ... Well, that didn't work out as the Bucks had hoped, as they failed to score in the first 80 seconds and Kozak got sent to the box for abuse of official at that point in time. Never a good penalty to get called for in that kind of situation. ... Bes just broke away shorthanded and sent a pretty decent shot to Jaeger's left side, but Jaeger gloved it and promptly fell on his back. ... The game that has been moved is the one set for March 7, and it will now be played on March 8. I actually don't mind Sunday games, so whatevs, especially considering the Penguins are off and the NBC game will be over by then anyway. ... The Bucks are trying to check the life out of the Brahmas at this point, but it might be a little late for that to be a successful course of action. ... Brahmas are going back on the power play at 6:22 in the period with a hooking call against Lizon. ... With 43 seconds left on the Brahmas' power play, McConnell was called for interference on Dixon, which will eventually result in a 77-second power play for the Bucks. ... I'm starting to think Jaeger could never have been Goaltender of the Week if he didn't have a great defense clearing all his rebounds. ... Okay, well, when he lets them stay in between his legs, there's not much they can do...but there is something Kozak can. Bucks have pulled within one on their third power-play score of the game with 10:34 left to play. That was a confusing play, with everyone whacking at the puck, so I'm not entirely certain who will be getting assists, and neither is anyone else, it seems. That is exactly what the Bucks have been needing to do all season long; maybe now they'll get how much it pays off. ... Oh, and obviously enough, that means the Bucks have 10 minutes and 34 seconds to score an unanswered goal or fall even further back in the Southeast Division standings. If they want all of the points that are up for grabs, that'll take two. ... The Bucks' intensity has been picking up as time has passed throughout this game, and they are now at full steam. ... Gibb just went behind the net to clear the puck out, and Jacobsen pinned him up against the boards to keep him there. Gibb managed to escape just in time to make a huge save, but that was still odd. ... Apparently skating one's butt off is not always the best decision, as Russell is being sent to the box after flying into Jaeger chasing a rebound. One of the Brahmas was in there, too; Deitsch, I believe. Penalty is goalie interference, and the Brahmas are on the power play with 6:46 left in the game. ... A terrific skills display by Dube couldn't quite get the Bucks a goal, but it did get them a power play as Deitsch was called for cross-checking with 52 seconds left on Russell's minor. It'll be 4-on-4 for those 52, then a Bucks' advantage for 68 seconds. ... The Bucks just got a break on a puck-out-of-play call that prevented the Brahmas from getting the clear they may have deserved. Faceoff in the Brahmas' zone. ... What the heck? Seriously, Gibb is crazy. He just came waaaaay out of his net to fend off a breakaway chance by one of the Brahmas. No harm, no foul, I guess, but that stuff makes me nervous. ... The Bucks are really giving it everything they've got, but they probably should have tried that earlier in the game. Jaeger just fell on top of the puck to keep it out of his net, so the Brahmas still lead 4-3 with just over two minutes to play. ... Holy crap. They just tied it. Now Ruskowski will never be able to convince them that they need to play a whole 60 minutes, haha. Goupil netted that one on an assist from Bes, marking the first time the top line has scored in this game. I have to admit that was pretty cool. But let's just hope they remember there are still 93 seconds left for the Brahmas to absolutely destroy everything they've worked so hard to accomplish. Dixon gets the second assist. I'm sure you've noticed by now that Goupil has an adorably cherubic face, and that face is wearing an ear-to-ear grin right now. ... Oh man, Cameron shot one that was thisclose to the net but missed wide with a couple seconds left on the clock. Gibb would have missed that for sure, but no matter. 

Overtime: I'd just like to state off the bat that I love 4-on-4 hockey. Hopefully this will be a great five minutes...or however long it lasts. ... Less than a minute in, Gibb got a big test but stopped the puck in between his skate and the left post and kicked it out to clear. ... Good back-and-forth battle here. Both teams have gotten a couple of chances but not been able to capitalize as of the halfway point in the OT period. ... No matter what complaints Ruskowski has about this game when it's done, I don't think he'll question his players' heart, at least in the latter half of it. Even the guys on the bench are jumping around riled up as time ticks off the clock. ... Ummm, wow. The start of this game was one of Gibb's worst performances, but he is on fire now. He just blocked a great shot that deflected out, was passed to the point and then fired at him on a laser slap shot, but he dove to glove it. Seconds later, another one nearly trickled in, but he sticked it away in just the nick of time. I just remembered how he normally fares in shootouts, though. Whoa boy. ... And that is where we are headed. Give the Bucks credit regardless of how this thing ends, even though they probably won't give themselves much if they lose after coming back like that.

Shootout: The Bucks have chosen to shoot first, and Kozak will be the shooter. ... Well, he had Jaeger faked out, but then he whiffed. Ouch. ... Deitsch is up first for the Brahmas, and he waited until he was past the goal line to shoot, giving Gibb an easy time. ... Goupil was next for the Bucks, but Jaeger kick saved his try away. ... Sheppard time. ... Right into Gibb's chest. ... Mike Gooch just broke through to put the Bucks up 1-0 in the shootout. That kid is a defenseman, but a very offensive one; nice choice by Ruskowski. ... Cameron's up, and Gibb actually saved it and followed that save with a very animated fist pump. ... Bes put the Bucks up 2-0, so now the game lies on Banga's stick. Oh, the irony. ... Gibb stopped it. I never stop thinking that the Bucks are a bunch of overgrown little kids, and boy do they look it right now. That was a pretty fun game to watch...at least the end of it.

Game Over: Bucks win 5-4 in the shootout but still let the Brahmas gain a point. Time to run! ... The only tough thing about writing stories for games like these is deciding which players to interview. I got Gibb and Kozak but would have liked to talk to Gooch and Miller, too. Oh well, I guess. Makes it that much worse that there's no practice tomorrow. ... Bucks improve to 22-11-4 (48 points), while the Brahmas improve to 24-10-4 (52 pts.). I'll have much more on this game tomorrow, I promise.

Other CHL Scores: IceRays 5, Rush 2; Eagles 3, Rage 2; Jackalopes 5, Scorpions 2.

NHL Scores: Devils 5, Canadiens 2; Islanders 2, Ducks 1; Flyers 5, Thrashers 3; Lightning 5, Sabres 3; Bruins 4, Maple Leafs 3 (SO); Stars 4, Panthers 1; Blues 2, Blackhawks 0; Kings 6, Avalanche 5; Flames 5, Blue Jackets 4 (SO).

Game Day No. 37

Sorry to be so belated in starting this game day post; life ruined most of my plans for today.

Meanwhile, the Bucks officially signed Mr. Matt Brayfield to a 5-game contract today, and he is on the ice warming up as their backup netminder as I type.

The Bucks will be facing reigning Goaltender of the Week Brett Jaeger once again tonight, while the Texas Brahmas will be getting their first shot at rookie Ryan Gibb.

I was not able to attend the morning skate today, but I can now tell you that Ryan Salvis will be playing tonight, while Jaye Judd, Steve Weidlich and Vincent Zaore-Vanie will not. 

Darryl Smith is still a question mark, but at least that means the Bucks probably won't need Serge Dube as a forward and thus have at least five defensemen. We'll see if Coach Ruskowski moves Igor Agarunov back to make it six.

Oh, and it seems Justin Kinnunen has been brought back down to the CHL, so he's in the Brahmas' lineup for tonight.

As far as all those leftover quotes...I'll try to post some before the game starts.

For those of you who are actually at home and not attending the game, you can read more about it in my preview, Bryan Benway's preview and the Pointstreak pre-game notes.

The team will start wearing its blue sweaters at home tonight as it is the first home game after the All-Star break. I'm glad; I'm not much of a fan of white uniforms that aren't pinstriped, haha. 

Matt skated over to take shots in such a sad fashion, but he actually stopped quite a few...though the guys may have been going easy on him. That bright blue mask he wears doesn't quite go with the rest of the ensemble.

This is the first time I've seen Sal Alba behind the bench this season, but I assume Jorge Lopez will be keeping him company during the game.

Ryan James Hand stayed out on the ice until everyone else, Brahmas included, had left. He even stood there watching all of them. Interesting.

I just heard an announcement stating that one of the impending games against the Corpus Christi IceRays has been moved from its originally scheduled date to a Sunday. Was anyone planning to tell me that?

And now, some leftover quotes...

Coach Ruskowski on the 6-3 win over the IceRays last Friday:

"I thought we played with a lot of heart and desire, and that's one thing that sometimes we've been missing in trying to win hockey games. We were shorthanded going into the game, and the guys really pitched in and did their part. Some guys rose to the forefront and were accounted for, and we did a pretty good job even though we were undisciplined and took a lot of penalties. Some penalties were called for, and I think some were a little bit exaggerated, but we killed them off, which we did a great job doing. Then we had some power-play goals, and that's been our success, power play and penalty killing. When they're doing well, we're successful; when they're not, we struggle."

On the 6-2 loss to the Brahmas last Saturday:

"We played really well, we played hard, but again we were shorthanded. I had to put defense up at forward, and then we had to go with five defensemen, but then again, we were just...I just don't know what we're thinking. We took penalties after penalties after penalties. Again, some were called for, and some were exaggerated, but it's just something that we have to contain. We're killing the penalty killers, and when it comes down to trying to score goals, they're dead; they just have nothing left. Then, the third period, the walls just caved in, and they got some pretty...soft goals against us on deflections and squeaked in a goal from a bad angle. We just didn't have it. With the injuries we had, we just didn't have enough goal-scoring power to try to win a hockey game."

On the ways the team needs to improve:

"It's not just (the Brahmas), it's gotten to the point where every game we play has to be a big one, especially when we're struggling. I've been looking around trying to see how I can improve my team somehow, but it's not happening. All the doors are closed right now. I'm having a hard, hard time trying to find people and pick up people who are interested in coming to Laredo to play. I'll keep knocking on the doors, and hopefully something will happen."

Everything's Questionable

I have had an evening full of ridiculous, and partially self-induced, stress, so you're going to have to excuse me for not blogging quite as much as planned.

The leftover quotes from my notebook are going to have to wait until tomorrow, but I do have a few from my interviews today.

As of now, all the guys who were questionable when I wrote the notebook are still questionable, and when I spoke to Coach Ruskowski about the goalie situation tonight, he said the backup he was trying to get in here will not be coming to town after all.

Due to having two centers hurt, Ruskowski is thinking of putting Serge Dube up in that position, but that creates problems in and of itself with two defensemen also hurt. Here's what he had to say about that:

"That’s the only logical thing I can do, put him back at center ice again, because he’s a well-rounded player, he’s smart, he knows the position well, and he’s a guy I would depend on to play defense and forward. We have the luxury of having a couple boys who can come back; we can put Dube back at the point or put (Igor) Agarunov back at that position."

As of practice this morning, these were his thoughts on the goalie situation:

"I don’t know. I’m waiting for a phone call, we’re having a talk with a goalie today, and we’ll see what happens. Matty’s not bad, and it’s for one game, so if it’s a situation where that comes about, Matty will back up. But if not, we’ll get somebody else in here longer term."

And this is what he was trying to work on in practice today:

"Regroups, coming at them with speed, shooting the puck on net, getting guys to the net, causing screens and deflections. We have to get back to the basics, get the puck on net and jam away at it the best we can."

Ryan Gibb will be getting his first start against the Texas Brahmas in a pretty dire situation and with the knowledge that his backup isn't exactly the most experienced player on the team:

"It’s always important to come out as good as you can be and on top of your game, I guess moreso tomorrow if you want to look at it that way," he said. "But we have one goal in mind, and we’re ready for Texas. Should be a good game."

As previously stated, I'll have more about everything tomorrow, seriously. The past few hours have been pretty rough on me, and I really just want to go home.

Of course, I can't leave without congratulating Sebastien and Amanda Centomo on the arrival of their baby boy, Jaxson Cruz. Best wishes to the happy family and many congratulations on the new addition!

I am thinking of going to the morning skate tomorrow just to check up on all the injuries and whether or not Darryl Smith, Ryan Salvis and Vincent Zaore-Vanie will be playing. Of course, if Zaore does get taken off the IR, that means someone else has to go on it...or go somewhere else.

Tonight's CHL Score: Oilers 4, Killer Bees 3 (OT).

Tonight's NHL Scores: Thrashers 4, Canadiens 2; Rangers 4, Ducks 2; Hurricanes 2, Penguins 1; Senators 3, Capitals 2; Kings 5, Wild 2; Oilers 4, Blue Jackets 3; Coyotes 6, Red Wings 3 (?!?); Sharks 2, Canucks 1 (OT).

More Mondays, More Problems

After a long bus ride yesterday, the Bucks were back to work this morning preparing for another Southeast Division showdown with the Texas Brahmas.

The Brahmas (24-10-3, 51 points) currently lead the Bucks (21-11-4, 46 pts.) by five points for first place, while the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (18-15-3, 39 pts.) have pulled within seven of the Bucks and get a chance to move even closer as they face the Tulsa Oilers tomorrow night.

Practice was a bit off today, with four guys not on the ice due to injury, Sebastien Centomo not there due to baby birthing and Serge Dube dressed as a forward centering the top line with Jeff Bes and Alex Goupil as his wingers.

Supposedly Darryl Smith had been practicing before I got to the arena, and he was wandering around in clothes one would only wear to work out when I was there, so he seems to be okay and said he would definitely play on Wednesday...as well as participate in some floor hockey with schoolchildren tomorrow. Oh, and he had some nice things to say about his coach and teammates in this story, which had to torment me by being right below this one.

Steve Weidlich and Jaye Judd were at the LEC but wearing jeans and not taking any part in practice, while Ryan Salvis was either hiding or not at the arena at all. Coach Ruskowski said he does expect Salvis to play on Wednesday, though.

Devin Featherstone, who took a stick to the face in Saturday's loss, was out on the ice for the full practice, as was Vincent Zaore-Vanie, who Ruskowski said may play on Wednesday for the first time since getting injured in the Bucks' 5-3 loss to the Mississippi RiverKings on Nov. 25.

Ruskowski actually didn't seem too upset with the way his team played on Saturday, other than with all the penalties, but he didn't entirely blame his players for those, either.

I'm going to wait to post quotes until I finish up my notebook, but I'll share the leftovers about this weekend later or tomorrow.

As a 23-year-old New Jerseyan who moved down here about 15 months ago, I obviously don't know too much about who played in this league back in the day, so I was quite unaware of Chris Minard's CHL past until Greg Rajan posted this neat item today. Very cool.

I was hoping I'd get to see a similar story play out when I attend the Phoenix Coyotes' game against the Anaheim Ducks next Tuesday, but turns out David Schlemko got sent back to the San Antonio Rampage before ever actually touching NHL ice.

In other news, the coverage of Claude Lemieux's return to the NHL is serving as my main source of amusement today, as it ranges from this hilariously-titled post on Puck Daddy to an AP story with this lede:

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Nearly six years after Claude Lemieux retired, he's back to pester the NHL again.

As much as people seem opposed to this, they must be making him feel pretty good about himself by giving him so much credit for what he can do to get in other players' heads. If I still lived in Boston, I would have loved to go to Worcester to check out the middle leg of the comeback. Wonder if Andrew Desjardins enjoyed it. Oh, this is fun, too.

Though the callup is probably in part a publicity stunt, there is some method to the Sharks' madness, as Torrey Mitchell's setback during the Worcester team's game on Sunday foreshadowed today's announcement.

Okay, I changed my mind; the lede to this story is much more hilarious (in a bad way) than all the Claude Lemieux coverage:

When Brendan Shanahan last played for the New Jersey Devils, cars did not come equipped with airbags; there was no such thing as a web browser; and Boyz II Men were still boys.

Ummm, 'kay. In less funny but very noteworthy news, the Edmonton Oilers retired No. 9 for Glenn Anderson last night prior to their 6-3 win over the Phoenix Coyotes.

Oh, and the NHL games began early today due to the holiday, so I can already start with those scores. No CHL games tonight, as usual, though the Bucks will play their second Monday game of the season next week, oddly enough.

NHL Scores: Blues 5, Bruins 4 (SO); Capitals 2, Islanders 1 (OT); Lightning 4, Stars 2; Hurricanes 2, Maple Leafs 0; Sabres 3, Panthers 2 (SO); Wild 4, Blackhawks 1.

Goalie Madness

Just in case anyone saw this today and is wondering, Sebastien Centomo's leave was granted so that the Bucks have the option of signing another goalie to a five-game tryout in order to have a backup for Wednesday night's game against the Southeast Division-leading Texas Brahmas.

And, just a reminder, Centomo is not here because he is in Oklahoma City with his wife, who will be delivering the couple's first child sometime very soon if she hasn't already.

Centomo is expected to rejoin the team in Mississippi for the Bucks' game against the RiverKings on Saturday.

If the Bucks aren't able to sign another guy for Wednesday night, equipment manager Matt Brayfield will be dressing as Ryan Gibb's backup. Yes, really. He was in the net Coach Ruskowski had the defensemen shooting on today, and Ruskowski even seems to think he's not too shabby between the pipes.

"I don't know (if he's going to be the backup)," Ruskowski said. "I was trying to get a kid from Corpus Christi, but Matt's not a bad little goalie. I have no qualms putting him in there for the one game until Centomo's back for the game in Mississippi."

As far as having Gibb start against the Brahmas:

"Absolutely," Ruskowski said when asked if he was confident using his rookie netminder against the division leader. "At first I didn't know what he could do, but after watching him play, I have a lot of confidence in him. I hope he can continue to play the way he's been playing all year, because we sure need a great performance against Texas."

Of course, I couldn't resist asking Ruskowski about Dustin Traylen parting ways with the Corpus Christi IceRays and whether or not that surprised him having coached Traylen all of last season. He was understandably a bit hesitant to say too much on the record, but here's what he did:

"Dusty's a great guy, I got along very well with him. He did his job, and I never interfered with his work ethic or whatever it was. If he had problems, he'd come see me, but otherwise it was a good relationship. I just don't get on my goalies. I let them play, and if they're playing well I keep on playing them. It somewhat surprised me, but was it a total surprise? Probably not."

So I guess the nickname has come back into play...as have interestingly cryptic yet somehow very clear quotes. We'll see if Traylen ends up with another team before season's end.

I'll post more about the Bucks' injury situation, practice today and what Ruskowski thought of their play over the weekend a bit later, but for now I'm off to hunt down video of the Penguins on the jumbotron at Heinz Field for the Steelers' AFC Championship win last night. Just kidding; I have office work to do. But I'll be back.

UPDATE: I guess a post entitled "Goalie Madness" is as good a place to share the Goaltender of the Week honoree as any, so congrats to Brahmas netminder Brett Jaeger for getting the nod this week. In addition to saving 27 of the Bucks' 29 shots in the Brahmas 6-2 win on Saturday, he shut out the Arizona Sundogs on Friday, stopping all 37 shots he faced in a 5-0 win. He also climbed atop the league's save percentage leaderboard, or at least into a tie with Oklahoma City Blazers backstop Doug Groenestege. Save percentage is my favorite goalie stat, so that's a pretty decent accomplishment and a nice birthday gift for Jaeger, who turned 26 yesterday. The weekly honors are the first awarded to a Brahmas netminder this season. Player of the Week, on the other hand, went to Rocky Mountain Rage center David Morelli, who oddly just turned 26 about two weeks ago. More relevantly, he had four goals and an assist during the Rage's two wins over the Wichita Thunder this weekend. In Friday's 7-1 victory, he netted his first hat trick of the season, which included the game-winning goal. The Rage's Saturday loss to the Odessa Jackalopes was the only game last week in which he was held scoreless. Morelli was also a plus-5 on the week.

ANOTHER UPDATE: As this is goalie-related, I'll add it to this post...I know it's early in the week, but I'm guessing this will stand pretty strong as "What the heck?" photo of the week:

AND YET ANOTHER: In perusing the AHL Web site, I discovered that Johnny Curry nearly matched Flower's effort yesterday with his own shutout, complete with 35 saves and good for the AHL's third star of the night. Cute. Oh, and look who has landed in Muskegon. Yes, I did get that from this.