Series 1, Game 2: Bugs 3, Brahmas 4

Boys are in a deep hole now and need a lot of effort to get out of it. I'm proud of the way they fought back in the third, but it just wasn't enough. Kudos to them for hanging tough with just four d-men playing. Hope the rest they get before Friday is what they need and not too much.

Series One, Game One: Bugs 1, Brahmas 3

Not the effort we fans expected from the Mudbugs, certainly. I made a list of things in the car as I listened to Travis's post game show --in my opinion ( not that it counts for anything)--that I saw problems with:

1. Ye olde "Keep your sticks on the ice" mantra. Miscues and bungled passes were more prevalent than the water puddles outside the CTC.

2. Out of sync set-ups. Someone was either too far ahead of a pass in front of the net or too far behind and a Brahma snagged the puck. That shouldn't be happening, should it?

3. No one in front of the net for passes from behind/beside the net. I don't understand the "hang back close to the blue line" deal that occurred tonight.

4. Way too many turnovers, at least a dozen alone by one Mudbug. No excuses for this stat.

5. ZERO for 5 on the PP, two of those being 5-on-3. HELP!

There were some bright spots, Jason Campbell's play being at the top of the list. Hopefully he will inspire the rest of the team.

Cruickshank called a pretty even game, but I have to take exception to the no-call high stick that had Karlis Zirnis bleeding profusely and spitting out teeth. How is that not called?

In the first period, it was a pretty evenly played game until Scott Sheppard scored...and where was he? Right in front of the net. Then, with goal number 2 by the Brahmas, they went into heavy d-mode. Most of their shots came on powerplays after that. The Bugs never really challenged Cacciola. Things continued not to go well until Tyrel Lucas's goal in the third. Then the team seemed to wake up. The funky, trickle-in 3rd goal by the Brahmas was , well, funky and certainly annoying.

Thank goodness we go back at it tomorrow night. Hopefully they've gotten rid of all the bad bounces, passes, etc. I--and the rest of the fans--expect much better because we have seen what this team can do.

Round 1, Game One: Bugs vs. Brahmas

Looking back to opening night of this Mudbugs season and the ensuing craziness of the Bugs/Brahmas series-renewed rivalry, Hollywood couldn't have written a better script. What a mini-series this would make. Where's MapleLeaf TV when you need it?

I missed a few Bugs/Brahmas tilts this year, but I saw enough of the games to know this series is going to be extremely entertaining. I'm not even going to try make any predictions, never was too good at those anyway (a dead person would do better than me at the boats or the track. Now, my grandma, she was something else. Somehow that gene missed me.)

All I know is, I'm up on a Sunday at 5 a.m., the anticipation making for a bit of sleeplessness. (Plus I have to get back into the groove of getting up earlier and going back to school tomorrow.)My hockey friends and I have discussed that a rather large bottle of Tums may be a needed accessory for this series, as we know how past contests between these two teams have played out.

But the Bugs have three lines that will score, a wily veteran whom we all know as Soupy, a smothering defensive corps that was ranked #1 in the regular season, and two tremendous All-star goaltenders, all being coached by two outstanding guys, which, when all is said and done, is the definition of excellence and success for this season.

Mudbugs fans are poised and ready to do their part in this series, signs, horns, clappers, chants. We've had enough time off, dagnabit! It's time for playoff hockey, Mudbugs hockey. Bring on the Brahmas, the Mudbug Nation is ready.

Let the Playoffs begin

Hmm, it's been about six weeks since I last blogged....my apologies. Life and work has been a bear lately. So it has been for the Mudbugs for several games lately as well. Despite some injuries to several key players, the team ended the regular season on a winning note: Governor's Cup champs and home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. Scott Muscutt was honored by his peers with the CHL Coach of the Year award, and John Decaro was awarded membership in the All-CHL team and his second consecutive Goaltender of the Year nod. Both of these guys have publicly acknowledged the entire team's efforts as the reason the awards were given to each of them.

The playoff roster is set, and the team will be, according to coach, practicing at an elevated, more intense level. The first-round game 1 will be either this Friday or Sunday, depending upon the elimination round playing out between the Brahmas and the Riverkings. After seeing the Bugs decimate the Brahmas 7-1 this past Friday and beating the Rage 2-1 on Saturday, my friends and I discussed that if the team can click on all cylinders like it did in those two games, there's no stopping this team.

So, many thanks and congratulations to the team for a wonderful, fun, regular season, and it's crunch time. For a team that's re-written the CHL record books this season, adding a couple more would be the best yet.

The hockey gods have a sense of humor....

...but today Mudbugs fans do not find them too funny.

With the sweep of the three-game series in Wichita, including the 8th shutout (3rd in a row) for John Decaro and the record setting 11th for the team, the view from the top was looking mighty nice. The team has a league-leading 68 points, the top two goalies, the top defensive unit, three dangerous scoring lines,so the drive down the CHL highway was gliding along nicely….until…..BAM! someone attacked the Mudbugs' Hemi-driven machine with a ball-peen hammer. Yes, the AHL Quad City Mallards decided to pull off a theft of epic proportions and call up defenseman Dale Lupul for potentially the rest of the season. This is where a fan's inital reaction is “AHHHHHHHHH!” or a combination of several words not printable in a family publication. And there’s possibly more bad news on the horizon. Roy Lang reports that ANOTHER d-man could be on his way up the ladder later on this season. Things that make you say “YIKES!” or “*%$#!”

Already a d-man short last night (Matt York sat out), the Bugs struggled a bit to pull off the win against the Thunder. Whether it was due to the flu, the familiarity of the “easy” opponents, the knowledge that the team would be playing short-handed for a while, or a combination of the above, the Bugs were back to some old bad habits last night: poor passing, sluggish skating, bad positioning, missing d-men in front of the goal. You know, the things that gave me (and other fans) a great deal of pain back at the beginning of the season, the "you don't want to go down that road" song and dance. And Coach was not a happy man after the game. I think he had “Herbies” on the brain (but he didn’t actually go through with them), and we haven’t heard about those since November when life was pretty dismal in the CTC “Swamp”. But a game like last night's might be a good thing overall. It'll get the boys focused on areas which need improvement.

Yes, the hockey gods decided it’s time for another unexpected twist in a roller-coaster season, this time flipping us all upside-down for an eyes-squeezed-shut, stomachs-in-our-throats turn, making us wonder/worry what’s around the next curve. But, we’ve got great leadership on this team, and losing and excuses are not options for Scott Muscutt and his boys. Knowing that they understand this makes this fan rest a bit easier. And the rest of the ride certainly won't be boring.

No Mid-season slump for this team

I apologize for the lack of recent posts. In my susperstitiousness, I held off in posting about the long road trip because I was afraid that I would somehow jinx the team and anger the hockey gods. Plus, plain old life got in the way and I have just been very busy. But these recent two weeks of Mudbugs hockey have opened many eyes, local and league-wide. We've got one heck of a talented hockey team in Bossier-Shreveport!


Bugs/Youngstown series

The three games in three days in Youngstown two weeks ago were quite exciting, with our Mudbugs taking 5 of 6 possible points. The team had three strong games and acquitted themselves when they came back in the third period of the third game to force overtime and the dreaded (at least to my mother and my friend J) shootout.


Bugs/Riverkings' kiddie game

This game occured two days after the OT loss in Youngstown...beginning at 10:30 in the morning, in front of a gazillion (well,it sounded like that many) screaming, thunder-sticking, gyrating kids. Bring on the extra-strength Excedrin. I only got to listen to Justin's broadcast of the last period, but the Mudbugs put on quite a show, with Ken Carroll getting another shut out. Kids, that's how a great hockey team gets it done.

Bugs/Blazers game

Another road game. The boys were home for a day and a half, I think before having to leave again for OKC. If my memory serves me correctly, that was the day it snowed here in NW Louisiana and there was some iffy weather in OKC as well. No worries about the Bugs, though. They continued on their roll, John Decaro getting the second consecutive shutout of the week. The Black Pearl rolled back into town the next morning for the big rematch with the nefarious Laredo Bucks. And boy, were the fans ready for this one.


January 26, 2008
Mudbugs 2 Bucks 1

After the craziness in the LEC back on January 12, Mudbugs fans were eager to voice their displeasure for the southeastern conference's powerhouse Laredo. (Of course, there is that little thing called Game 7 from 2004 that sticks in every Mudbugs' fans' craw.) This game had a definite playoff feel to it from the drop of the puck. the game was much tighter than the one two weeks previous; but we got to see some great hockey that night, the Mudbugs putting the hurt on the faltering Bucks once again, and Coach Roskowski holding his head in his hands. And the electricity stayed on for the whole time. Imagine that.

January 27, 2008
Mudbugs 2 Killer Bees 0

10 shutouts so far this season. John DeCaro and Ken Carroll taking up what seems like permanent space on the CHL Player of the Week/Month wall. Three lines racking up points like a video game genius. A +227 on the plus/minus ratings. A miserly 73 goals allowed to opponents (every other team is 100 or over in this category). A defensive system that has shut down all the league's top teams save one (Rocky Mountain will visit in March). A truly awesome yet "Cheesey" Rock Band video. A coach who, during his post-game shows, looks like a cross between the ever-smiling Cheshire cat and a tap-dancing Savion Glover. A team that has become so "scary-good" that they're scaring me a little, wondering what unbelievable efforts are next?

If you're not a regular visitor to the CenturyTel, you are really missing something special. In looking back to the 2003-04 season, this team's current stats are mind-boggling compared with the last four seasons' Mudbug teams. Roy Lang has done a great job in putting all that in the paper; these kinds of players coming together for this kind of season is a rarity. So I'm telling you, if you want to see a great team having a great time, come out to the CenturyTel Center SOON. The next home game is Tuesday, Feb. 5th against a currently revamped Wichita Thunder team. This team certainly deserves all the love the community can give it. They could be our very own Miracle on Ice.

January 12, 2008 Mudbugs 6 Bucks 2

If you’d told me that the Mudbugs would score 3 goals in the first nine minutes of last night’s game, I’d have laughed you off your seat. These two teams have an angry history with each other. The Bucks are a tough, talented team...who apparently didn’t show up last night. Coach Ruskowski probably had a hard time deciding whether or not to knock some heads of his players or knock his own head against the dressing room wall during the first intermission last night.

All I know is that when the score was 4-1, with half the game left to play, I got VERY worried about what sort of physical hijinks the Bucks would stoop to. I knew better to think they’d play cleanly. When you’re getting run all over your home ice, embarrassed by an “inferior” team in front of your fans, I guess you get angry. I've seen the Bucks do exactly that in past contests with the Mudbugs. And James Hiebert and Andrew Penner decided to go head hunting--literally.

Hiebert has long been a thorn in the Mudbugs’ side. He’s a tough, fiesty, hot-headed, all around pain-in-the- neck forward who has loads of scoring talent. Give him some Prozac and he might actually be a player I could admire. But he’d rather misbehave and cost his team points. I can’t type what I really think of him, it’s a family paper. He thoroughly embarrassed himself, his coach, and his team last night.

Andrew Penner should be suspended for numerous games, if not indefinitely. As I listened to Bugs’ broadcaster Travis Huntington angrily describe Penner’s blatant cross-check from behind to Matt York’s head and then continue to pound him in the head while York was on the ice, I became livid. Penner had been skating all over the ice, trying to provoke trouble, and the Bugs just kept skating away. I have a difficult time believing that the actions of Hiebert and Penner were sanctioned by their coach. York has paid an awful price for playing decent hockey. Too many players across the league have been hurt with head injuries. If the CHL doesn’t see fit to send a message that this sort of behavior is not going to be tolerated, I’m afraid something truly awful will happen to someone this season. Who cares if it’s minor league hockey that’s “entertainment”? These young men deserve to be protected from idiotic behavior.

In last night’s game, the weirdness was there in capital letters. I’ve been to the LEC three times and in each game something bizarre happened. It wasn’t just Game 7 of the 2003-04 Championship, the other two games had some craziness attached. When the power went out at the LEC last night during the second period, the radio broadcast was dropped, the NiftyTv feed went dark, and the Internet pointstreak.com connection went kaput. I thought here we go, someone's pulled the plug because they're getting their butts handed to them. For about 15 minutes we fans were scrambling for news. Just as the radio broadcast returned, the score went up 5-1 and the goon squad emerged.

Our Bugs held tough--not without plenty of bumps and bruises, though. Six different Mudbugs scored goals, a testament to the depth of this team. Congrats to the boys for hanging in there and sticking up for each other. Special congrats go out to Jason Basile for his first goal of the game and of the season. Basile quietly does an amazing job game in and game out, it’s nice to see him lead the team to this victory. Super congrats to the team for its new franchise record of 13 consecutive wins. These boys have just really come together and are playing lights out hockey.

The next few games on the schedule are going to be challenging. 7 games in 14 days. Games against key divisional opponents. Games of possibly a very physical nature. Three back-to-back in Youngstown, a day game with a gazillion screaming kids in Southaven, and a trek out to OKC before the Bugs return home on the 26th to face guess who? The Laredo Bucks. We’ve reached the part of the season that scared me when I saw it on the schedule back in August. It’s gonna be a tough two weeks for this team, but they’ve been in tough spots already this season. They’ll be just fine.

Just a note: The CHL All-Star Game is this week in Broomfield, Colorado. Best wishes to All-Stars Daniel Pegoraro and John Decaro. Enjoy yourselves and have fun, guys!