Mudbugs vs. Blazers - 01/04/08
Pregame Thoughts -
This should prove to be an exciting game tonight, if for no other reason than the person operating the home penalty box will me my good friend Brian. He bid for and won the right to serve in the penalty box for two games this January at the Gentlemen's Golf Classic earlier in the season. His second game will be January 26th against Laredo, a game that I will be helping Travis Huntington to announce.
Back to the game. Oklahoma City is .500 team this year with record of 13-13-4 (30 points) which is good for third place in the Northwest Division of the CHL behind division leader Rocky Mountain (21-4-2, Northern Conference best 44 points) and second place Colorado (16-8-4, 36 points). They are 4-3-3 in their last ten games and are a 5-10-1 on the road. I love playing Oklahoma City for a couple of reasons. First, their coach Doug Sauter has that awesome moustache that you can see here: http://centralhockeyleague.com/pressroom/coaches/index.html?staff_id=20
Mainly I dig the guy because the last year's Oklahoma State fair some Belgian draft horses started stampeding until Sauter bit one of the horses to settle it down. I won't stick raisins in my mouth and this guy is chomping down on the ears of a horse? Awesome.
Jason Wolfe will start in net for the Blazers. He has appeared in 17 games, has a 3.04 GAA and has an 8-6-2 record. He started in net once in the Century Tel Center this year and lost the game 5-2.
Blazers to keep an eye on will be All-Star Mike Burgoyne who leads all CHL defensemen in scoring this year. Marty Standish who will probably get in a fight because today is a day that ends in "y". Then again he may not because he is not dressed out.
The Blazers have the 10th best record in the league, the 4th best power play, the 5th best penalty kill, the 9th best offense, and the 7th best defense.
The Mudbugs with the 6th best record in the league, have the 10th best offense, the top ranked defensive team, the 16th best power play, and the 4th best penalty kill.
When you look at those numbers, you would think that Oklahoma City would be the better team going in. Of course a lot of people thought that the Oklahoma Sooners were a good bowl team before they stunk up the Fiesta Bowl (again) against West Virginia the other night. It must be an Oklahoma thing.
The Mudbugs will be let by Goaltender Kenny Carroll who recently was named December CHL Goaltender of the Month. He gave up two goals and got a win during that game on December 4th against Wolfe.
Tonight will mark the first game for Matt York in a Mudbug sweater. He will get the starting not playing alongside Quade Lightbody on the blue line for the Bugs. He spent the first 12 games of the year playing for Fassa HC . I have been around hockey players for quite a long time now and one thing that hockey players love on game day, besides a nap, is their Italian food. Every hockey team in North America stops by an Olive Garden, a Macaroni Grille, or Carrabas on game day to load up on chicken parm and pasta.
What do they do in Italy? Isn't every restaurant an Italian restaurant? I need to know this.
posted at 7:09 pm.
First Period Thoughts -
York is wearing number 23 for the Bugs and I am sure that somewhere Milan Vodrazka fans are realizing that "Vodka" is gone for good.
Jake Ortmeyer just scored his second goal of the season with 12:44 left in the period off of assists by Kevin Labatte, and Chris Brassard. My buddy Brian has made it over seven minutes without having to give out a new puck or open a door for a Mudbug on a penalty. What if he never has to open the door tonight? Shouldn't he deserve a refund or something.
posted at 7:19 pm
Brian now has company in the penalty box as Elias Godoy is sitting for two minutes on a tripping penalty. I don't think he has practiced on the door yet tonight and this could end badly.
The countdown is on.
I see him banging on the glass and...
what the hell?
Who in the hell is that guy?
There is some other guy opening the door. So Brian just gets to sit there for the entire game? He is going to be pissed and demand a refund because he could of watched the game from better seats, had some drinks along the way, and been able to cheer. I will have to figure out what he gets to do during intermission.
I am really interested to see what happens with 1:03 left in the period. That is when he yells at the top of his lungs "HOW MUCH TIME IS LEFT" and then Robert J. Wright replies "one minute", and then he screams "THANK YOU", and Robert comes back with some clever comeback.
Will he just whisper it to him? Will he pass him a note? Will he get the other guy in the box with him to do it?
posted at 7:26 pm
Do you know what a GM does during games? Well right now Steve Cherwonak is sitting next to me telling Flamer (the music guy) what cheers to put on the video board. So he is the head cheerleader, I guess.
posted at 7:33 pm
My man Tyrel Lucas is in the penalty box right now. I really hope Brian can grab me some kind of memento of Tyrel's visit to the sin bin. This guy is playing lights out right now.
Damn, they still won't let Brian open the door. I wonder if you need to be a union guy or a certified CHL guy to do it? Does this guy get more practice opening doors than the average Jill or Joe? What makes him so freaking special?
posted at 7:39 pm
At the end of the first period, the Mudbugs lead 1-0. They have outshot the Blazers 13-11. When the Mudbugs lead after the first period they are 5-1-0 at home and are 8-1-2 overall. Oklahoma City is 0-5-0 on the road when trailing after the first period and are 2-7-0 overall. That is good news.
Here is what I found out from Brian. The guy in the box is named George and he is in the Air Force. He offered Brian the option of working the door or not. Brian said he would work but he says there is a lot of stuff that he needs to be doing during the game.
Apparently neither Godoy or Lucas said a word while in the box and Brian did not bring me anything. To top things off, he totally forgot about what to say with 1:03 left to play.
Damn him.
posted at 7:46 pm
Second Period Thoughts -
One of my favorite players in the league is Oklahoma City forward Ryan Watson, but I can't stand watching him in the horrendous Blazer uniforms. There are stripes all up and down the arms and legs. They really need to do something about these things. The only thing I like about them is that the names and numbers really stand out on them.
Stacey Bauman is on the ice and in his honor I would like to introduce the Stacey Bauman All-Star team to you. A month ago I let you in on the Tyrel Lucas All-Star team of guys whose names may lead you to believe that they are of different ethnicity than what they really are.
The team was originally the Darcy Tucker All-Stars because every time I heard his name I expected to see Cami Granato skating along with him. There had to be a reason why Tuck was always getting in fights and I am convinced that being called Darcy his entire life had something to do with it. Remember that Johnny Cash song "A Boy Named Sue", well he was pissed at his name in that thing and it never really happened to him. What if Johnny Cash's real name was Sue? Wouldn't the movie Walk Hard have ended with him being held by his cellmate of the last 25 years-to-life holding him on his death bed?
Well I am not sure how well adjusted these guys are, but I really think that if you just heard the name and you had to choose a sex, you may put the name on the Double X Chromosome side of the ledger.
Jordon Doshier - G - Wichita Thunder
Stacey Baumann - D - Oklahoma City
Sylvain Dufresne - D - Odessa
Jami Yoder - D - Rocky Mountain
Jocelyn Dubord - F - Odessa
Ashlee Landone - F - Austin
Riley Nelson - C - Colorado
Dusty Collins - C - Arizona
posted at 8:18 pm
Derek Miller lost his edge, with the help of Michael Kaye (who shares his name with the announcer of New York Yankees so I hate him already, then again Derek Miller wears a Yankee cap around, but I don't hate him. I just pity him) was helped off the ice at the 8:30 mark of the second period. He was not putting any weight at all on his right leg when he left the ice and looked like he was in pain.
posted at 8:23 pm
Still no Derek Miller. Not to state the obvious, but we really can't afford to lose a defenseman right not.
I know this is a few days late, but I can't remember a hockey game on television than the Buffalo-Pittsburgh game on New Year's Day. Thank goodness that pretty much all of the college bowl games this year sucked and it had good ratings. The thing I loved about it was the snow. I just wanted someone to make snow angels after scoring. The snow made it great and I loved the Pittsburgh uniforms. Anything with Carolina Blue looks great on TV. They need to do that every year but maybe make it a New Year's Eve game. Can you imagine if they held that thing in Foxborough, Yankee Stadium, the Meadowlands, or Veteran's Statdium (basically somewhere other than the 50th largest market). Still hats off to Buffalo for bringing 71,217 people to the game.
posted at 8:35 pm
At the end of the second period the Mudbugs still lead 1-0. They are still out shooting the Blazers 26-23. Oklahoma is the third worst offensive team in the third period in the CHL and they have lost every game (0-9-0) that they went into the third period trailing. That is a good sign for the Mudbugs.
The best news that came out of the second period is the my boy Brian is opening up the door for players coming into the penalty box. He is still a little hesitant to open the door at the end of a penalty, but he is taking some baby steps. Tyrel Lucas will start the third period in the penalty box and Brian still won't get me anything of his. Damn him.
posted at 8:43 pm
Third Period Thoughts -
I don't get this penalty against Matt York at all. He gets checked into the Blazer bench so you know that some guys on the bench were giving it to him. Then he gets dog piled on against the dasher so he comes up with his stinky-ass glove to someones face to get them off of him. Then he gets the penalty. That is a pretty lame call by Zac Wiebe. I am pretty sure Steve Cruickshank would have given matching minors.
posted at 9:01 pm
14:32 left in the period and Kevin Cooper goes into double digits in goals for the year with his tenth goal. He had a great wraparound the Blazer defender on the new circle and walked to the net putting it past Wolfe with a backhanded shot. That was the 29th shot of the night for the Mudbugs. Ahhhhhh, Manwich karma.
How big of fan favorite has Cooper become, the entire western end of the CTC were cheering "Coooooooooooooooooop" when the goal was announced. Nice job Mudbug fans.
posted at 9:05 pm
I haven't mentioned this yet, and my friend Phil first brought this up, but Jason Wolfe is huge. I am talking linebacker huge. He is 6-5/235. I can't cheer in the press box, but if I could, I would be cheering "good goalie, huge goalie" after every Mudbug goal. I would also be calling him clemens or bonds (neither of which deserves to be capitalized) and asking if his shots wer B-12 or HGH. I am not sure who is lying in the whole clemens vs. the trainer feud that is going on right now, but they are both Yankees and they should both be loathed. My only problem with the whole thing is this, what was clemens thinking when he asked the trainer to inject him in the first place? With B-12? I don't even know what B-12 is, but if you need to have it administered via a needle, maybe you need to revisit your vitamin selection matrix. My One-A-Day for men vitamin had B-12 so maybe there was something in the syringe.
posted at 9:16 pm
Yeah, Fairie. That is Ryan "Fairie" Fairbarn to you folks. He just put the Bugs up 3-0 in the game with 8:35 to play in the game. Assists go to Daniel Pegoraro and "My Man" Tyrel Lucas. Pegoraro has been all over the ice tonight.
posted 9:20 pm
5:02 left in the game now and the Mudbugs are on a power play. I really think we need to start declining these things and just play even strength.
posted at 9:25 pm
Okay, I take it back. Kevin Cooper scores his second goal of the night off of assists from Brett Smith (who has kept his helmet on all night) and Justin Aikins. Good night for Cooper. Probably the second star if the score holds. The Mudbugs lead 4-0 with 3:39 left.
posted at 9:27 pm
Please score one more for a cherry limeade. Please. Please. Please.
posted at 9:31pm
You have got to be kidding me. Freaking Michael Kaye scored to take away the shutout from Carroll. He won't like that. Mike Burgoyne assisted. I am really glad that he finally came through when it didn't matter.
First star - Kevin Cooper - 2 goals and great work all over the ice
Second star - Kenny Carroll who saved 39 shots.
Third Star - Jake Ortmeyer - 1 goal +1 rating.
See you tomorrow everyone.
posted at 9:35 pm
Pregame Thoughts -
This should prove to be an exciting game tonight, if for no other reason than the person operating the home penalty box will me my good friend Brian. He bid for and won the right to serve in the penalty box for two games this January at the Gentlemen's Golf Classic earlier in the season. His second game will be January 26th against Laredo, a game that I will be helping Travis Huntington to announce.
Back to the game. Oklahoma City is .500 team this year with record of 13-13-4 (30 points) which is good for third place in the Northwest Division of the CHL behind division leader Rocky Mountain (21-4-2, Northern Conference best 44 points) and second place Colorado (16-8-4, 36 points). They are 4-3-3 in their last ten games and are a 5-10-1 on the road. I love playing Oklahoma City for a couple of reasons. First, their coach Doug Sauter has that awesome moustache that you can see here: http://centralhockeyleague.com/pressroom/coaches/index.html?staff_id=20
Mainly I dig the guy because the last year's Oklahoma State fair some Belgian draft horses started stampeding until Sauter bit one of the horses to settle it down. I won't stick raisins in my mouth and this guy is chomping down on the ears of a horse? Awesome.
Jason Wolfe will start in net for the Blazers. He has appeared in 17 games, has a 3.04 GAA and has an 8-6-2 record. He started in net once in the Century Tel Center this year and lost the game 5-2.
Blazers to keep an eye on will be All-Star Mike Burgoyne who leads all CHL defensemen in scoring this year. Marty Standish who will probably get in a fight because today is a day that ends in "y". Then again he may not because he is not dressed out.
The Blazers have the 10th best record in the league, the 4th best power play, the 5th best penalty kill, the 9th best offense, and the 7th best defense.
The Mudbugs with the 6th best record in the league, have the 10th best offense, the top ranked defensive team, the 16th best power play, and the 4th best penalty kill.
When you look at those numbers, you would think that Oklahoma City would be the better team going in. Of course a lot of people thought that the Oklahoma Sooners were a good bowl team before they stunk up the Fiesta Bowl (again) against West Virginia the other night. It must be an Oklahoma thing.
The Mudbugs will be let by Goaltender Kenny Carroll who recently was named December CHL Goaltender of the Month. He gave up two goals and got a win during that game on December 4th against Wolfe.
Tonight will mark the first game for Matt York in a Mudbug sweater. He will get the starting not playing alongside Quade Lightbody on the blue line for the Bugs. He spent the first 12 games of the year playing for Fassa HC . I have been around hockey players for quite a long time now and one thing that hockey players love on game day, besides a nap, is their Italian food. Every hockey team in North America stops by an Olive Garden, a Macaroni Grille, or Carrabas on game day to load up on chicken parm and pasta.
What do they do in Italy? Isn't every restaurant an Italian restaurant? I need to know this.
posted at 7:09 pm.
First Period Thoughts -
York is wearing number 23 for the Bugs and I am sure that somewhere Milan Vodrazka fans are realizing that "Vodka" is gone for good.
Jake Ortmeyer just scored his second goal of the season with 12:44 left in the period off of assists by Kevin Labatte, and Chris Brassard. My buddy Brian has made it over seven minutes without having to give out a new puck or open a door for a Mudbug on a penalty. What if he never has to open the door tonight? Shouldn't he deserve a refund or something.
posted at 7:19 pm
Brian now has company in the penalty box as Elias Godoy is sitting for two minutes on a tripping penalty. I don't think he has practiced on the door yet tonight and this could end badly.
The countdown is on.
I see him banging on the glass and...
what the hell?
Who in the hell is that guy?
There is some other guy opening the door. So Brian just gets to sit there for the entire game? He is going to be pissed and demand a refund because he could of watched the game from better seats, had some drinks along the way, and been able to cheer. I will have to figure out what he gets to do during intermission.
I am really interested to see what happens with 1:03 left in the period. That is when he yells at the top of his lungs "HOW MUCH TIME IS LEFT" and then Robert J. Wright replies "one minute", and then he screams "THANK YOU", and Robert comes back with some clever comeback.
Will he just whisper it to him? Will he pass him a note? Will he get the other guy in the box with him to do it?
posted at 7:26 pm
Do you know what a GM does during games? Well right now Steve Cherwonak is sitting next to me telling Flamer (the music guy) what cheers to put on the video board. So he is the head cheerleader, I guess.
posted at 7:33 pm
My man Tyrel Lucas is in the penalty box right now. I really hope Brian can grab me some kind of memento of Tyrel's visit to the sin bin. This guy is playing lights out right now.
Damn, they still won't let Brian open the door. I wonder if you need to be a union guy or a certified CHL guy to do it? Does this guy get more practice opening doors than the average Jill or Joe? What makes him so freaking special?
posted at 7:39 pm
At the end of the first period, the Mudbugs lead 1-0. They have outshot the Blazers 13-11. When the Mudbugs lead after the first period they are 5-1-0 at home and are 8-1-2 overall. Oklahoma City is 0-5-0 on the road when trailing after the first period and are 2-7-0 overall. That is good news.
Here is what I found out from Brian. The guy in the box is named George and he is in the Air Force. He offered Brian the option of working the door or not. Brian said he would work but he says there is a lot of stuff that he needs to be doing during the game.
Apparently neither Godoy or Lucas said a word while in the box and Brian did not bring me anything. To top things off, he totally forgot about what to say with 1:03 left to play.
Damn him.
posted at 7:46 pm
Second Period Thoughts -
One of my favorite players in the league is Oklahoma City forward Ryan Watson, but I can't stand watching him in the horrendous Blazer uniforms. There are stripes all up and down the arms and legs. They really need to do something about these things. The only thing I like about them is that the names and numbers really stand out on them.
Stacey Bauman is on the ice and in his honor I would like to introduce the Stacey Bauman All-Star team to you. A month ago I let you in on the Tyrel Lucas All-Star team of guys whose names may lead you to believe that they are of different ethnicity than what they really are.
The team was originally the Darcy Tucker All-Stars because every time I heard his name I expected to see Cami Granato skating along with him. There had to be a reason why Tuck was always getting in fights and I am convinced that being called Darcy his entire life had something to do with it. Remember that Johnny Cash song "A Boy Named Sue", well he was pissed at his name in that thing and it never really happened to him. What if Johnny Cash's real name was Sue? Wouldn't the movie Walk Hard have ended with him being held by his cellmate of the last 25 years-to-life holding him on his death bed?
Well I am not sure how well adjusted these guys are, but I really think that if you just heard the name and you had to choose a sex, you may put the name on the Double X Chromosome side of the ledger.
Jordon Doshier - G - Wichita Thunder
Stacey Baumann - D - Oklahoma City
Sylvain Dufresne - D - Odessa
Jami Yoder - D - Rocky Mountain
Jocelyn Dubord - F - Odessa
Ashlee Landone - F - Austin
Riley Nelson - C - Colorado
Dusty Collins - C - Arizona
posted at 8:18 pm
Derek Miller lost his edge, with the help of Michael Kaye (who shares his name with the announcer of New York Yankees so I hate him already, then again Derek Miller wears a Yankee cap around, but I don't hate him. I just pity him) was helped off the ice at the 8:30 mark of the second period. He was not putting any weight at all on his right leg when he left the ice and looked like he was in pain.
posted at 8:23 pm
Still no Derek Miller. Not to state the obvious, but we really can't afford to lose a defenseman right not.
I know this is a few days late, but I can't remember a hockey game on television than the Buffalo-Pittsburgh game on New Year's Day. Thank goodness that pretty much all of the college bowl games this year sucked and it had good ratings. The thing I loved about it was the snow. I just wanted someone to make snow angels after scoring. The snow made it great and I loved the Pittsburgh uniforms. Anything with Carolina Blue looks great on TV. They need to do that every year but maybe make it a New Year's Eve game. Can you imagine if they held that thing in Foxborough, Yankee Stadium, the Meadowlands, or Veteran's Statdium (basically somewhere other than the 50th largest market). Still hats off to Buffalo for bringing 71,217 people to the game.
posted at 8:35 pm
At the end of the second period the Mudbugs still lead 1-0. They are still out shooting the Blazers 26-23. Oklahoma is the third worst offensive team in the third period in the CHL and they have lost every game (0-9-0) that they went into the third period trailing. That is a good sign for the Mudbugs.
The best news that came out of the second period is the my boy Brian is opening up the door for players coming into the penalty box. He is still a little hesitant to open the door at the end of a penalty, but he is taking some baby steps. Tyrel Lucas will start the third period in the penalty box and Brian still won't get me anything of his. Damn him.
posted at 8:43 pm
Third Period Thoughts -
I don't get this penalty against Matt York at all. He gets checked into the Blazer bench so you know that some guys on the bench were giving it to him. Then he gets dog piled on against the dasher so he comes up with his stinky-ass glove to someones face to get them off of him. Then he gets the penalty. That is a pretty lame call by Zac Wiebe. I am pretty sure Steve Cruickshank would have given matching minors.
posted at 9:01 pm
14:32 left in the period and Kevin Cooper goes into double digits in goals for the year with his tenth goal. He had a great wraparound the Blazer defender on the new circle and walked to the net putting it past Wolfe with a backhanded shot. That was the 29th shot of the night for the Mudbugs. Ahhhhhh, Manwich karma.
How big of fan favorite has Cooper become, the entire western end of the CTC were cheering "Coooooooooooooooooop" when the goal was announced. Nice job Mudbug fans.
posted at 9:05 pm
I haven't mentioned this yet, and my friend Phil first brought this up, but Jason Wolfe is huge. I am talking linebacker huge. He is 6-5/235. I can't cheer in the press box, but if I could, I would be cheering "good goalie, huge goalie" after every Mudbug goal. I would also be calling him clemens or bonds (neither of which deserves to be capitalized) and asking if his shots wer B-12 or HGH. I am not sure who is lying in the whole clemens vs. the trainer feud that is going on right now, but they are both Yankees and they should both be loathed. My only problem with the whole thing is this, what was clemens thinking when he asked the trainer to inject him in the first place? With B-12? I don't even know what B-12 is, but if you need to have it administered via a needle, maybe you need to revisit your vitamin selection matrix. My One-A-Day for men vitamin had B-12 so maybe there was something in the syringe.
posted at 9:16 pm
Yeah, Fairie. That is Ryan "Fairie" Fairbarn to you folks. He just put the Bugs up 3-0 in the game with 8:35 to play in the game. Assists go to Daniel Pegoraro and "My Man" Tyrel Lucas. Pegoraro has been all over the ice tonight.
posted 9:20 pm
5:02 left in the game now and the Mudbugs are on a power play. I really think we need to start declining these things and just play even strength.
posted at 9:25 pm
Okay, I take it back. Kevin Cooper scores his second goal of the night off of assists from Brett Smith (who has kept his helmet on all night) and Justin Aikins. Good night for Cooper. Probably the second star if the score holds. The Mudbugs lead 4-0 with 3:39 left.
posted at 9:27 pm
Please score one more for a cherry limeade. Please. Please. Please.
posted at 9:31pm
You have got to be kidding me. Freaking Michael Kaye scored to take away the shutout from Carroll. He won't like that. Mike Burgoyne assisted. I am really glad that he finally came through when it didn't matter.
First star - Kevin Cooper - 2 goals and great work all over the ice
Second star - Kenny Carroll who saved 39 shots.
Third Star - Jake Ortmeyer - 1 goal +1 rating.
See you tomorrow everyone.
posted at 9:35 pm
posted by Montanabug at 4:34 PM
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