Skating in Memphis

We’re back from Memphis and I’m at home doing this blog. Unfortunately, I burned my dinner while doing this!

That’s about as well as the weekend against the RiverKings went.

I wasn’t feeling so well after getting banged up pretty good from Sheldon Wenzel on Saturday.

I was about to go off on a high-sticking penalty when I tried to touch up the puck. Wenzel came after me and starting throwing, but I couldn’t do anything because I had a linesman holding me. So I got four minutes and Wenzel got two. Basically my second penalty was two minutes for taking punches.

Referee Steve Cruickshank said I didn’t take any punches. I told him in my own way I wish he could have felt what my head felt like. I thought I may have had another concussion. It was pretty bad there for a while.

I thought we got off to a slow start. They play a different style of game. They are high-flying team. They flip the puck in the air from their own zone and send three and four players to chase it.

We didn’t figure it out until it was too late.

I don’t know if we competed as hard as we should have.

They used to do that, but now they do it a lot more.

We havent even practiced as a team yet. With Musky’ system it takes time to get used to. There are some expectations. He pushes us hard, that’s why we’re successful. I think it just takes time for guys to be pushed to the limit and learn what it takes to win in this league.

You just don’t win on just your talent in this league. It’s hardworking.

We just don’t know the systems as well as we should have.

We went to St. Jude’s hospital on Saturday. There was a little guy that had cancer, he lives just outside of Shreveport.

Too be honest we were pushed around a bit in Memphis.

Memphis is a different team since Don Parsons left. It seems as if they are playing more like a team, not just relying on Parsons.

When you have a superstar like that on your team, you kind of go, “Oh well, Donnie will do it tonight.”

They are a good team. Next time we see them we have to expose their D and get the power play going.

Mike Nason took a bad hit last night from Campbell. It was an elbow to the head. I was on the ice and didn’t see it. I wish I saw it. I might have jumped in and done something about it.

It’s super frustrating because Nason is just trying to sacrifice his body for the team. For that to happen early in his career in Shreveport wasn’t good for him. The refs have to help protect us out there to.

Honestly, we should have had another brawl.

We don’t have a tough guy, so we have to stick up for each other. When you have a whole team sticking together as one, it’s obviously better. Think about it, if you try and punch someone with one finger it’s not going to hurt, but do it with five and it’s a lot stronger.

When it’s all said and done, this is your family. You expect them to protect you. If you’re not protecting one of your own, are you really a team? Do you really have each other’s back?

That being said, there is a way to go about sending a message without hurting someone, without going stepping over the line.

I’ve been in those situations before. I try to walk the line, and sometimes I’ve crossed it. When that happens, I certainly expect the other team to defend their player.

We have a young team, so maybe this was a little learning experience.

In the Laredo game Thursday, we all came in and came together when Lawson was sticking everyone. I think we just have to keep on doing that.

Maybe we were a little fatigued this weekend, but that’s no excuse. We have to rebound from this and learn from our mistakes.

Unfortunately Nason has to take brunt end of this lesson. As a team we really have to stick together -- the sooner the better.