Captain's Blog

RiverKings

2007-11-19T14:32:00.001-06:00

Man i hate to lose to this team. I thought right out of the gates we were all over them, we were getting the puck deep and cycling the puck well. KC made some big saves throughout the game, keeping it close. Again i thought that we took some bad penalties, and in the end it cost us the game. They scored a 5 on 3 goal from Woollard that tied the game at one. We scored next on a great 3 on 2 by pegs and ori to go up 2 to 1. That line of pegs, ori and Ty are playing great hockey for us. Pegs and Ori move the puck very well together and Ty is in great position in order to shoot the puck, and man can he shoot. The river kings second goal was a weird goal. I think one of there wingers was driving wide with the puck and the other winger was driving to the net. The outside winger shot the puck and KC made the save. The puck went off KC's blocker and into the chest of the player that was driving the front of the net. Because of the forward motion of the player the puck was put in with his chest making the score 2 to 2. The third goal that they scored was a break down the the d- zone. We left there best scorer open in the slot and gave him time to shoot the puck. When he got the pass from the corner he wasted no time and shot it low blocker for the game winner.

I have one thing to say and it may be off topic but i need to say it anyway. A lot of people have been coming up to me and asking me if we are going to get a tough guy, someone who can kick some a**. So i decided to look up the definition for tough and it says " It is characterized by severity or uncompromising determination" to me this sounds like our team, but one guy stands out for sure and that is Smitty. Last night he through down with a guy that was 6'5 240 pounds. Smitty is 5'8 175 if that's not tough, then i don't know what is!

Until next time don't hate the player , hate the game!!!!!

The Past Three Games

2007-11-14T06:55:00.000-06:00

Sorry i have not been posting , my family has been down for the past 3 weeks.

Over the last 3 games i feel that our goaltenders and defence have played there best hockey. Its great to see JD and KC play well, nobody is as hard on them self's as they are. They compete all the time and are always trying to improve there game. When you have to guys like that the whole team feeds off them.
The defence have also played great hockey in the last couple of games. I think Ortzs is starting to understand how our d-zones works and how important his role is. Miller is playing strong and simple just the way he needs to play. He takes the body real well and passes and shoots the puck hard. Quad always plays steady, he is the glue that holds our d-core together., he fights, hits and plays great position. Lulps is starting to play his game, he is so strong and has a great shot. I even think that when he wants he can skate, he kind of reminds me of Bergy.
We finally got our p-k working and all that took was using the systems, and believing that your work.
We still have a long way to go ,but i think that we are on the right path. Until next time take care comb your hair!!!!!

The first weekend

2007-10-22T22:15:00.000-05:00

I want to first start off by saying how honored I am to be writing this blog as the Mudbugs Newest Captain. I have decided to do something a little different this year with the "Captain's Blog," I have decided that it is going to be the captain, and two assistants' blog. I feel that it would be nice for the fans to gain a few different perspectives about the games.

Friday Night:
The room was full of energy. It has been a long time coming for the 20 players training all summer, looking forward to this first game. When you first step on to the ice, all of the butterflies and nerves dissipate as soon as that first puck drops. Then it all comes back to you, why you are here....For the Love of the Game.

I felt that we came out pretty strong. As the first period went on, I felt that we loosened up a little more and all the butterflies were going away. We stuck to our game plan, which was to get the puck deep, and initiate contact with their defense men. One of our strongest attributes is our cycle, which creates a lot of scoring opportunities. I felt that we had a lot of chances that we did not finish. Sometimes that comes with new combinations of lines. I felt our defense men had a strong first period, especially when we were short 2 defense men. Our defense mens first passes were always on the tape and very strong. I felt that we were all coming out together as a unit, which contributed to our offensive chances. Our goal tending was steady. JD made some big saves early. One strength of JD's is his size, which helps him to have good positioning in the net. The first Mississippi goal was scored on the power play. It was scored from a pass coming from behind the net, which then went to the side of the net and was tipped in by one of the Mississippi players. It was a goal that 99 out of 100 times, JD would stop. The second goal was a breakdown in the defensive zone. Again, scored by a Mississippi player going around the net and throwing it out into the slot, hitting their own player and squeaking by JD. The best thing about these goals are that the problems that led to them are fixable. Our defensive game is always one of the best in the league, and we know that is something that we need to work on everyday in practice.

Until next time....peace, love and chicken grease.

LOOKING BACK AT GAMES 1 AND 2

2007-04-04T00:38:00.000-05:00

THREE STARTS FROM GAME 2
1. Jason Williamson
It was awesome to see him score the game-winner. His family is down and he hasn’t got a lot of credit all year. He’s been an unsung hero and he’s kept working harder and harder and gained more confidence. He really complements the Abbott brothers well and has adjusted to the way Musky likes to play hockey. He hits everything in sight and does a whale of job for us.

2. Johnny DeCaro
He kept us in the game right off the bat. We would have never had a shot if it wasn’t for Johnny.

3. Jon Horrell
When the goalie is playing that well, you have to keep shooting the puck and hopefully one is going to go in. We actually passed up a couple of shots because we were thinking a little too much about “maybe I can freeze him and make a pass across.” The best play is to keep shooting and going for rebounds. We finally got one that hit our stick and Willie put it home.

Summary of Games 1 and 2
Of course the weekend didn’t go as planned. I couldn’t sit here and tell people that no one has though about, ‘well, what if we did lose, we’re still back in.’ Sure we have.
That first game was a wake-up call. If you play only as good as you have to, you’re going to slip in the next round. This whole year has been about playing consistent hockey. We have to elevate our game more than regular season obviously.
Wichita’s backs are against the wall and they are fighting for their lives.
But we won’t settle for just advancing. It’s not the way it has ever been around here and it never will be. It’s not Mudbugs hockey.
Ever since you’ve been in competitive hockey, you want to win every game. We’re competitors out there. Every time you step on the ice you want to do well.
When we didn’t play well Friday night it really hurt. We had to dig deep in the double-overtime game Saturday. It showed a lot of character on our part. It’s easy to get down and point fingers, but we stuck to our game plan. We didn’t go run-and-gun with them. Some times when you get tired, it’s easy to do that. We have three solid lines and I think that’s what got it done for us in overtime.
The turning point in Game 2, and hopefully the series, came while we were killing a penalty midway through the first period. They had a tough time handling us down low the whole game. We got the puck deep and the Abbott boys, they work so well together, it’s like an extra person out there.
We got three or four scoring chances off that penalty kill – when you get one scoring chance the crowd gets into it. When you get four, it shows you the guys were really working their tails off.
Wichita almost ended it in overtime when Travis Clayton was looking at an open net from the blue line, but Musky and Pegs saved that goal.
You can always hear your coach’s voice. I don’t care how loud the crowd is. Johnny picked up his head, slid across and Pegs deflected the puck into the corner. It didn’t get on net, but Johnny was on his way back to make the save. But you don’t want it that close.

APOLOGY IN ORDER

2007-03-31T12:13:00.000-05:00

Friday was the worst game for me in a Mudbugs uniform. That was brutal. The loss obviously came as a shock to everyone in the dressing room Friday.

This morning, our dressing room mood was one of “Let’s get her going.”

We can’t sit back.

You’re either a splatter or a bouncer. A splatter hits the rock and falls apart. A bouncer, you hit the bottom and bounce back up. Last night, Wichita was desperate and we weren’t. We basically have to play desperate.

I predicted an unbelievable game today.

PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

2007-03-29T21:29:00.000-05:00

Make sure to come back to the blog after each game. I will post my personal Three Stars of the Game and I believe Roy will have audio interviews, too.

A quick look at the CHL postseason
Team we expect to see in the conference finals: Colorado. They always find a way to play their best in the playoffs and we should expect nothing less from the Eagles this year.

Darkhorse team: Oklahoma City. Every time we played them this season it was a tough game. They were playing extremely well at the end of the season.

Team to come out of the Southern Conference: Arizona. We never got to play the Sundogs this season, but from everything I've heard that are legit. They have goaltender Mike Wall, who played four games with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the NHL this season.

Players I'd like to see wear a Mudbugs uniform some day: Ryan Carter, Corpus Christi. This kid works his tail off, and from everything I can see, would fit into Scott Muscutt's systems nicely. He should be a huge help for the Rayz in the playoffs.

Riley Nelson, Colorado: I got to know him at the All-Star Game this year. He's a great guy. He's soft spoken and his numbers speak for themselves this year.

There's nothing wrong with Ohio

2007-02-07T14:38:00.001-06:00

On our way to Youngstown we stopped in Pittsburgh to see an NHL game. The Pittsburgh Penguins played Nashville – the best team in the league. The Penguins won 4-1. Sid the Kid!
We paid $30 bucks a ticket, not bad. They were great seats.
The bus trip up here was fine, except there was no freakin heat on the bus, so we had to buy some little heaters.
Karlis Zirnis was loving it. Not so much.
I think he was remembering his days with Colorado, when they stayed in the Hilton.
We had a skate this morning. We’re going to eat now and then to the mall.
I’ve seen a few malls in my time. I’m sick of the malls!
We’ve got a big set against Youngstown this week starting tomorrow. They are on fire offensively.
We have to take the body on them and hit them and play tight against them. We can’t take risks because they have good sticks.
More about Youngstown later, I gotta go eat.
I’ll tell you about my Super Bowl Sunday. Let’s just say the bets didn’t work out so well.

My NHL All-Star trip; we'll miss Don McKee

2007-01-30T13:20:00.000-06:00

One story I forgot to tell you about was my trip to the NHL All-Star Game last week. I rode over to Dallas with Forbes MacPherson and the two Sutherland boys. I met my wife, Kelly, in Dallas (she was there for work) and we also picked up Forbie's wife, Amy, and their son Owen.
Forbie's cousin, Sid The Kid (Sidney Crosby) left them tickets and my buddy Andy McDonald left me tickets.
We met Andy and Sidney afterwards and we were hanging out with Teemu Selanne. We all went to the Ghostbar in the W Hotel in Dallas. It was unbelievable.
I went up to buy a round as Andy and Selanne went to grab a table. I wanted to get the first round, so it was about 7 or 8 drinks. I knew it was going to cost me a you-know-what load of money, but I got up there and the lady said, 'This is all comped." I was like "Thank God." It would have been a $90 tab. I would have had to be playing in the NHL, not the CHL.

Anytime you know someone that's doing well for themself, you're always happy for them -- especially someone you played with an they are in the same profession. I'm really happy for Andy. The thing is, he worked hard to get there and he deserves it.
He won the "fastest skater" in the skill competition and wanted me to try and find some sponsors for him.
He said, "You have any connections or what Rusty?"
It was a blast. Teemu was hilarious -- a jokester.
Hopefully I'll see Andy when he wins the Cup. Maybe we can bring both Cups out for a party.

We play Odessa tonight and it's really sad what happened to Donny McKee -- especially the way it happened. He's been such an influential figure in the CHL. He actually came up with the playoff format this year.
Hopefully he'll find another spot to coach in this league. He's definitely deserving. He's a great coach.

Trouble at IHOP; finally a day to recharge

2007-01-29T23:00:00.000-06:00

We've been gone only a day, but it's already been an interesting trip to Texas.
We had a 7 a.m. bus Sunday. Most of us went right to the bunks and slept all the way to Dallas, where we stopped to eat. Zirny didn't even get up to eat, that lazy bum! He wanted to save money he said. Yeah right!
We had some trouble at IHOP. Musky and Forbie didn't have their meals come out on time, so we had to wait for them. That delayed the bus.
Musky ate his food within 9 seconds of when he got it. He inhaled it. There was just so many of us, it wasn't easy.
We were about a half-hour late. It was OK. Guys know sometimes that's just a part of it. You play long enough, you're going to see everything in this league.
Today was basically a travel day. We woke up a little later. Adam Hanna lost his wallet so we had to go try and find it.
Some of the guys went to a movie and some just went back to the hotel.
For me, today was a day of me getting my hockey schools organized. We're shooting for Shreveport (a hockey camp, a lacrosse camp and an all-sports camp), Tyler, Dallas, Chicago and Canada. Joe Ori is helping me with the one in Chicago. Wheels (Fairbarn) and his fiancee will help me with the one in Dallas and Tim Hill helps me with the other camps.
Today was a day to recharge the batteries. There are a few guys with some bumps and bruises -- we need the rest this time of year because we still have a lot of hockey to play. You have to take care of yourself.
Musky is really good about this. He's been around and he's played, so he knows it's very important.

I heard about the fight in Corpus and it was interesting to see Kris Mallette get a 5-game suspension. I almost went into the penalty box once and the league told me I'd get 5 games. I guess they were right. Glad I didn't do it.
Nice to see my buddy Ron Vogel in net and fought Eric Marvin. I'm going to check out the video on youtube, I'm sure it's there.

I promise I'll be back in the morning to discuss our game with Odessa and the loss of the Jackalopes coach Don McKee.

An All-Star day I'll never forget

2007-01-18T15:09:00.000-06:00

The goal was awesome, espcailly doing it in front of all our fans. Playing in something like this is an honor. There aren't too many times an All-Star Game comes to Shreveport -- to play in the first one is great.
I was tickled.
I wanted to score, but I just wanted to have a good time. That's what an All-Star Game is all about -- just having fun and not giving too many secrets away.
The best moment I will walk away from the All-Star Game is going to be the reaction I got when I skated out onto the ice for introductions, plus the whole All-Star festivities including the banquet.
Another thing I'll remember is when Roy Lang from The times called me to tell me I made the team -- I'll always remember that.
It's been an experience you just can't buy.

Friday off day; Colorado's streak

2007-01-12T16:08:00.000-06:00

It’s a rare Friday off for us, but I’ve been busy today.
I just got back from doing a bunch of radio interviews over at Clear Channel. It was fun and they are always great for the team.
I’m kind of upset because the Anaheim Ducks are in Dallas – and we played a rare Thursday night game. My buddy Andy MacDonald had four assists in the game against the Stars. He was in my wedding two summers ago.
As far as Friday night goes, I’m going to take it easy and get ready for Saturday’s game.
It’s going to be a big one and I’m sure both teams are excited because both teams are on top of their game right now.
I didn’t know until Roy Lang told me, but the Eagles (if they win tonight against Memphis) could match the North American professional hockey record of 17 straight wins against us.
You’re going to get the both of best teams. We don’t want to be that team in the record books, but we have to go out there and play our game. We can’t worry about any records, we just have to work hard and do what we have been doing.
I’m a little surprised they have been able to do this without Greg Pankewicz, but they have a good coach there. They have a good program and they always seem to do well. He’s not the only guy on the team. But once they get him back, that’s going to make them even better. That’s tough to comprehend.
I think they’ll have last year’s playoffs in the back of their mind, but we have to do what we did then -- that’s outworking them. They do cycle the puck well, so you have to play very good defense. They are very opportunistic and a lot of guys with a lot of talent.
Thursday’s win was the best hockey we can play, but Joe Ori and Chris Abbott carried us. That seems to be the way it’s been going – when a couple lines are struggling, another one picks it up. One that hasn’t scored in a while will score.
We’re getting production from everyone. I remember when we won in the past, that’s the way it was – everyone was producing, not just one or two guys.
I saw I got a B- in the paper today. My reaction is that the grade should have been lower.
I’m not having a good year, but it’s coming around. I’m not making excuses, but I think injuries had something to do with my poor start.
It’s starting to finally feel better, so that’s good.
One last thing. While we play Saturday night, the Saints will be on and I’m cheering for them. Go Saints!

The New Year

2007-01-10T21:58:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year, sorry it's been awhile, things have been pretty hectic around here.
I am looking forward to the All-Star festivities next week. Our fans our certainly deserving of the game and it sounds like there are so many things for everyone to do. The fan-fest will be a first and will give all an opportunity to meet every All-Star.
As far as my selection, it's a great honor to play in the game, especially considering it will be in front of so many friends. I would like to thank everyone who has offered their kind words over the past few weeks.
I would like to thank Dodge for sponsoring the event. The Mudbugs’ front office, including Jason Rent and Tim Hill are working non-stop to make sure the event is a joy for all.
There is no truth to the rumor I’m going to drop the gloves in the game. But if the opportunity arises, you never know!! Haha. No, I am so thrilled to be a part of the contest. I just can’t wait.

Tomorrow's game against Youngstown will be our 32nd of the season, thus marking the halfway point. This weekend is one of our biggest tests of the season. Colorado awaits Saturday.
We played the SteelHounds once already and lost 3-1. Chris Richards and Jeff Christian are the top two scorers in the CHL and its due to their great chemistry and the fact they are very opportunistic.
Colorado enters this weekend with a 15-game winning streak and again appear to be the top competition in the Northern Conference.
In order to have a successful weekend, we have to continue what we've been doing -- keep it simple and play good defense. The offense will take care of itself.

Last night at the CenturyTel Center was a blast. Nearly 100 people attended the Hockey 104. It was an absolutely blast and a great success.
I would like to thank the boys for their help and, of course, coach Scott Muscutt.
We certainly look forward to Hockey 105.

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to blog at a much better pace, so be prepared for a lot more updates.

Have a great new year and hope to see you at the CenturyTel soon.

Saints/Cowboys prediction and tonight's rookie party

2006-12-10T11:39:00.000-06:00

It was a good weekend in Memphis. We got the two points and were able to check out Beale Street. We visited our friend Jimmy at Superior in Memphis. Dinner was great. We got a bit of a discount.

It was good to go do something different, we normally do a lot of generic restaurants. We go to Applebee’s or Outback all the time, so it was great. He took us right down Beale Street. They moved the barriers for us and let the bus park right down Beale Street.

It was perfect.

We have six days "off," but that's really not the case.

We have to keep working hard in practice. We had that team building session and we set a high standard. We can’t slip off that high standard just because we have a couple of wins. The key to Mudbugs’ success in the past is to keep pushing each other and keep working hard.

Tonight we have the rookie party, which is a great experience. A lot of people laugh at the rookie party. Some people don’t like it, but if anybody has ever been on a team. It’s so important to get to know your guys and go out and have a beer with fellow teammates you go to battle with.

The rookies love it just as much as the veterans. They know they're part of this team, and this year a big part. We have seven rookies. We’re going to need them and we need to be a close-knit team. We’re going to dinner at Roadhouse and then we’ll head downtown.

But today's real event is the Saints-Cowboys game!

I’m in between because I like them both. But I’m kind of rooting for the Cowboys this year because of Tony Romo.

Cowboys it is.

Big win for the boys!

2006-12-09T22:54:00.000-06:00

The boys are happy right now. We looked at tonight like we only had a couple of wins on the road and we needed to get things going. It was a desperate situation and we got the job done tonight.

We had a good first period, not a great first period, but a good first period. Our second period was a little lackluster and then we had a great third period, great overtime.

If we ever can get a little more consistency and play three solid periods I think that’s when you’ll find we’ll get more shots and more chances.

Give credit to Brian Sutherland for help with the winning goal. He did a good job keeping the puck in and got it deep to Forbie. Forbie and I have played together for awhile. While we haven’t been clicking right on lately, I drove the net and he put it right on my tape. It was a tap-in goal.

We almost wish we could get right back on the ice tomorrow, instead of waiting another week to play. When you’re on a roll, you like to keep going. We’re just starting to get this train on the right track. We’re not overconfident – there is a lot of stuff we still have to work on. Practice will help, maybe we’ll get our power play going.

Gotta go, tomorrow is the rookie party. I’ll post more on that tomorrow.

Headed to the rink

2006-12-09T17:01:00.000-06:00

We're about to head to DeSoto Civic Center to play Memphis. We have them three times in the next couple of weeks. These are four-point games, so we can get right back on top.

Rivalries may take you off your game a little bit, so we have to stay very disciplined.

You can't get caught up in the B-S. You have to worry about going to get the two points.

Memphis' power play has won them games.

I take a lot of responsibility for our last loss to Memphis. My penalty cost us the game I feel like. No one is perfect, we have to learn from it. Hopefully we did.

It seems like when we're down a guy and our backs are against the wall, we play a little harder. We draw more penalites when we play that way -- playing harder. But you can't take stupid penalties when you're short guys on the bench. It's just going to make those guys work twice as hard -- especially when you have back-to-back games.

Hopefully tonight will go as well as Thursday, or my golf game early this week. I played with my buddy Matt Locke and his boys at East Ridge. I shot 76 and escaped with some $$.

By the way, someone read yesterday's blog and asked me why I didn't tell Jessica Simpson I was the biggest celebrity in Shreveport. That's simple. I'm not.

Eating in Memphis

2006-12-09T00:30:00.000-06:00

Welcome back!

We're in Memphis and tonight we ate some delicious food.

Our friend Jimmy, he used to own Flannagans and Fatty Arbuckle’s in Shreveport, has a place up here. We stopped by and he gave the boys the hookup!

First about Thursday.

That was a big win. I heard Roy Lang was taking some heat for naming me the number 1 star. It's my first star of the season. I don't think Kenny will mind. I just care about getting the win.

We're one of the best defensive teams in the league right now and that's because of him and Johnny DeCaro. They are the backbone.

I had put a lot of pressure on myself lately because the point production and the winning weren't there, but I have to try to remember, you're not going to see a lot of guys be on top in scoring because of the defensive style we play.

It’s going to take every one to win, just like Thursday against Wichita.

We were excited. We’ve been really working on the power play a lot. I give credit to a team that keeps battling like they have.

We’re still a little under .500, but this is the time where we have a chance to start taking steps toward the top.

We kind of fell before, we’re up and down, so we’re trying to get some consistency in our game to get to the playoffs. We just can’t wait to long or else we’re going to get behind the 8-ball.

This week has been interesting on and off the ice.

Monday, we did some team-building at the CenturyTel Center.

Any time you have a new team and you get to know guys, it's going help when youre on the ice. You battle for each other. One guy goes in, every guy goes in to protect each other.

Team chemistry gets overlooked far too often. One guy that doesn’t and has his own little business – and does well with it – is Musky. We had a 4 ½-hour team building session and I'm telling you, it was unbelievable. We did bunch of exercises and tried to figure out what direction we were going as a team.

If you don’t have a direction, you really don’t know where youre headed, you're kind of assuming things. The team set our own direction and what we wanted to accomplish in the next few games and practices. Overally, everyone said they wanted to win a championship. If you didn’t say that – you don’t want to be on the team.

Off the ice, it was pretty crazy. Tuesday night, I went to dinner at Superior Grill with some friends and saw Jessica Simpson. She was there with her dad and actor Luke Wilson.

It was pretty funny to see a bodyguard AND a cop there to "protect" her.

My wife asked her for a picture. She said yes, but then blew her off. Not such a big fan of her anymore.

Of course, it would be great for the team if Jessica and her entourage would come to the CenturyTel for a game while she's shooting her movie here.

Check back tomorrow for more on Memphis and what it's going to take to get this thing headed in the right direction!

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-23T12:09:00.000-06:00

I returned to action Wednesday against Rio Grande Valley. My leg was pretty sore, but I should be good to go.

In my two games I watched from the stands, I was able to learn a lot.

We’re a fast and exciting team. We didn’t give up many chances and when we did, we have two of the best goalies in the league to back us up. We have a great young nucleus that is just starting to learn Scott Muscutt’s systems. Once we all buy-in we’re going to be fine.

Our goaltenders are the backbone of our team right now. Johnny and Kenny are making huge saves for us right now. We are going to need that from them the whole year to be successful. It’s nice having that chance every night to win because of your goaltenders.

I learned some things about our power play, too.

We have to get guys in front of the goaltender. We had chances to shoot, but there was no one in front. We have to get crashing and keep it simple – move the puck, shoot the puck. We were moving it really well we just didn’t have those guys in front of the net.

Saturday I did the color commentary with Justin Scholtes.

Justin does a great job. It's never easy to replace someone like Steve Mears, but he does a great job. He calls a great game. He takes a lot of pride in what he does. He’s like Mearsy in many ways. Hopefully he’ll learn down here and move on like Mearsy.

I gave him a little jabs during the broadbast like I used to Steve. I didn’t want to give him all at once. I had to give him a couple to let him know I was there.

I heard some funny things about my outfits this weekend. Everyone just wanted to buy my cane off me. Maybe it will go on eBay. I’m going to need a little money for Christmas.

I'm off to spend Thanksgiving with my father-in-law Don Long. I have a buddy coming into town from Canada, too.

I'll probably be out for a couple of games

2006-11-17T15:32:00.000-06:00

Thanks to a two-handed slash to the back of the leg from Lubbock's Paul McBrien, I will likely miss at least a couple of games.

It happened in the first period and I came back, but today the swelling and blood went to it. We got tangled up and he swung at me with a two-hander.

I don't think it was caught on tape, so I'm not sure a suspension will be handed down from the league, but that was a personal intent to injure.

He got kicked out because it was right in front of the referee Ryan Sweeney.

We were only up one goal and Jason Williamson ended up grabbing him. Not much happened, because you can't get personal when you're only up a goal. Maybe if you're up a few then you can go and take care of some business, but he was already kicked out.

He should get four games at least. My feeling is, I'm probably going to miss two games, so I feel they should have a new rule where your suspension doesn't start until the player you injure returns.

I might as well have gotten a two-game suspension since I'll be out due the injury.

This isn't what we need right now, we're already banged up, but I think the boys are going to play well tonight. We had a little meeting after last night's game.

The boys will respond tonight.

We have good movement, but we're either putting it over the net, or just to the side of it. The plays Musky is drawing up are working, the puck's just not going in right now.

We have to keep shooting, keep crashing the net and that's when things will happen.

I don't think we were happy with the effort in Lubbock. It was really a power-play/penalty kill kind of game and those tend to throw you off. But that is no excuse. We still have to work hard.

That's Musky's frustration right now. We do it one night, but not the other.

We've been one of the hardest-working teams in the league for years. We have a new core of guys and we all have to buy in to Musky's hard-working system because he does know how to win.

I didn't get a chance to talk to my former teammate Craig Minard last night. I wish I did. He played really well for Lubbock.

The confidence is building

2006-11-07T11:19:00.000-06:00

It’s taken me a couple of days to get back to everyone, but everyone is still thrilled about Saturday’s comeback victory at Wichita.

It was a must win in our eyes. You can’t get behind the 8-ball that early in the season and expect to come back That’s never an easy building to play in and I thought the guys played really well.

Once we got that first goal, we got a little bit of confidence and we just kept coming.

I really give credit to Musky and how he had us focused in that game. We got a penalty late in the game and a penalty in overtime. Normally we’re complaining, but he said, “you know what boys, we have to kill these” and he put our focus in the right direction.

That a great credit to the coach and some of the leaders like Forbie, Brass and Quade.

I got a chance to end things in the shootout. I went 0-for-2 this year so far, so I needed to get one under my belt and not give them another shot. It felt good.

I went shelf. I tell all the young boys you have to be a salesman out there. I faked a shot, pulled it to my forehand and went upstairs.

It’s been a good feeling since Saturday. We didn’t get our 4 points last weekend, but this season we talk about it all the time -- it’s a process. It’s a long year and every game you have to learn from your situations.

Forbie stepped up in the room after the Tulsa game and told us we can’t worry about the ref, we have to worry about not taking so many penalties. That killed us, taking a lot or penalties, and that was a big part of our losses.

I have to step up and not take as many. The boys recognize they can’t take as many, either. When you recognize your mistake, it is a step forward. When you keep on making the same mistake, the process isn’t there.

Fans will get their first chance to see Kyle Musselman on Thursday at the CenturyTel. Center. This kid hits like a truck. He ran over a couple of guys this weekend. He keeps his game simple and works hard out there. I think he’s going to provide a lot toughness we’ve been lacking the past few years. With him and Chris Murphy, we have a couple young kids that add that dimension.

Hopefully we can continue the momentum from the last 40 minutes against the Thunder. Hockey is a game of confidence. Sometimes when you have so much confidence, the net feels like it’s a soccer net. When you don’t, it feels like it’s half a net to shoot at.

Our team needs a little confidence. We’re getting to know each other and know each others’ roles – that plays a key factor in our style of hockey. We play a D system, we’re not going to win games 5-1 or 5-2, it’s normally 2-1 games and 3-1 games. New guys are just learning how to play in those tight games. We’re stressing defense and Musky’s systems takes a little while to get used to and he’s doing a good job teaching these young guys.

What else can you say about John DeCaro.

Johnny filled in for Ken Carroll and has been our best player by far this year. He’s stood on his head. We probably should have been down five more goals in Tulsa and he stood on his head. Then he played a great game in Wichita, that’s not an easy place to play when you have guys like Travis Clayton and Jason Duda shooting pucks at you all night. They are pretty opportunistic.

He’s a good young goalie.

We must begin to work hard

2006-11-03T09:24:00.000-06:00

We haven’t had any ice back in Bossier City, so we’ve been up here in Tulsa for the past few days getting ready for tonight’s game against the Oilers.

Forbes MacPherson and Karlis Zirnis flew back in to be with the team yesterday. Forbie was in Canada after the death of his father and Karlis had some more things to take care of back in Nashville.

Musky ran us through some pretty hard practices the past couple of days. He’s trying to get our worth ethic going. He wants us to have a high standard. We’ve been one of the hardest-working teams in the league and it’s won us a lot of hockey games.

We got a little outworked in Memphis and he saw that as a problem, so we’re getting our work boots on, our hard hats on and getting back to Mudbugs hard-working hockey.

It starts in practice, the little things. In practice we have 60-80 pucks on the ice, but when we did our drills we only had one. If a player loses a puck, has to stop on and go get that puck, he can’t pick up another one. It’s just a drill we work on and get rid of bad habits and not take the easy way out. It gets things done and gets points on the board.

Get an experienced guy like Forbie, it gives us such a big lift. I think he’s excited to get back at it it. We have a lot of young guys that look up to him. He’s going to be a big part of this team and winning this year.

Right now we are working on communication in our D zone. We’ll start with the D zone, then go to the neutral zone and then focus on the offensive zone. But right now we have to take it one step at a time. It just takes a little time. I think the young guys are catching on pretty quick and hopefully we’ll have a good weekend and everything works out for us.

We went to the mall. I hate that. I’ve seen every mall in this league. They are all the same and they aren’t getting better. Once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.

Skating in Memphis

2006-10-30T00:54:00.000-06:00

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.

Well if that doesn't sell tickets ...

2006-10-27T00:35:00.000-05:00

What a great way to start at home.

It really builds team bonding in there, guys sticking up for each other. When you have a good comeback like that it gets the guys together. Everyone on the bus is excited and ready to play the next game.

As far as the fights at the end of the game, we have to protect each other out there. That Lawson guys was running around a little bit, nothing against referee Paul Depuydt, maybe he didnt see it, but we all decided to stand up and help each other out and protect each other.

Any stick to the face, or attempt to go to the face -- you can take an eye out. You have to respect the other player. Chris Brassard wasn't even looking on the one penalty. It should have been an extra penalty.

As far as the game goes, Musky came in after the first period and said they were getting too many shots in close, in tight. We had to get our feet going and get some energy going and win the one-on-one battles.

The boys just dug deep and kept it simple. I think that's what got it dont. We dug deep and were worrying a little too much about systems. We decided to go out there and play.

No we're headed to Memphis for two straight games. It's going to be weird to play them without Don Parsons. He was always a league leader, a guy we always wanted to watch out there on the ice. I'm sure it's going to be a big loss for them and a gain for us, but they have a new team, I'm sure coach Kevin McClelland has a hard-working team and he went in a different direction for a good reason. They are in our division, tonight was a great win, but we have to put it behind us and worry about these next four points.

Welcome to Opening Night!

2006-10-25T23:40:00.000-05:00

Well, here we are, opening night.

Opening night is always a lot of fun. We have a lot of guys who haven’t played in this rink before. The atmosphere is great – one of the best in the league. I told them after our morning skate, “just have a little bit of fun, enjoy it, but don’t let your emotions take over. Control the controllable.”

Musky had a lot of decisions to make before tonight. He cut some pretty dang good hockey players. Hopefully that’s good for our team. Hopefully everyone pans out and we’re going to have a good year this year.

Personally, I expect to just have a good year – on and off the ice. I have to do what I need to do to help the team get a President’s Cup here – whatever it takes to get that Cup here.

As you get older, your job is still to score and put up points, but it’s also to help these young guys know what it takes to get the job done and know what it takes to be successful in this league. I’ll take pride a lot more in helping develop young players and pushing them in the right direction.

Tonight’s game brings those beloved Bucks to town. It’s always great to play a good organization like the Bucks. It’s fun. They are well-coached by Terry Ruskowski, he always puts a good product on the ice. It’s always nice playing against one of the top teams in the league every year.

It’s going to be a good test right off the bat to see where we’re at.

We’ve dominated them during the regular season, but things haven’t gone so well in the postseason for us.

To pinpoint the problem, I’d have to say it’s the little things. You never know what shift a mistake will cost you. It’s just mental, a lot of it – mentally being tough and knowing “when I get out there, I have to get my job done for my team.”

Sometime you’re in the regular season and it’s not like that. If you lose a game here or there it’s not going to kill you, but in the playoffs it’s all or nothing. You get that mental edge on other teams.

My thoughts go out to my good buddy Forbes MacPherson, who recently lost his father.

I’ve talked to him a few times now. It’s never easy losing anyone. He had to go home to take care of a lot of stuff, so we wish him the best and we definitely will love having him back.

Hopefully he’ll take his time and everything will come out alright with his mom.

We stood up in each other’s wedding. We’ve been on lines with each other more than anybody else in our careers.

The effort was there, the win wasn't

2006-10-21T01:42:00.000-05:00

I just got on the bus after our 5-3 loss tonight to Oklahoma City.

We were just tired in the third period tonight. The killer was a 5-on-3 shorthanded goal in the third period, the first of two shorties by the Blazers.

Oklahoma City kind of banked the first one off the boards. Our defense got double-shifted, they were gassed. Under normal circumstances our D would have got them, no problem.

It was just a lack of bodies, not the effort. The effort was there.

Karlis Zirnis scored twice tonight. He is a great player and has a great attitude. He's a winner and has won before. Hopefully we can talk him into staying.

It felt good to score early, but for me, the outcome is the main goal. We fell a little short, but our goaltender John DeCaro played really good. We're not making excuses, but once we get our full lineup, we'll be OK.

We head to Austin tomorrow. We have to keep it simple -- defense first. We took a few chances tonight and it cost us. If we battle like tonight, we'll be OK.

Ok, here it goes ... my first post!

2006-10-19T15:52:00.000-05:00

I'm about to head a bus for Oklahoma City for Friday's season opener. I look forward to keeping the fans up to date on the Mudbugs through this blog as we attempt to capture the 2006-07 President's Cup.

I’m excited about this year. We have great leadership -- Forbes MacPherson is back, we have Kenny Carroll who is a veteran goalie. We have Jason Basile back, Chris Brassard and Quade Lightbody.

We also have a few guys who have been captains before on other teams.

I’m excited about a lot of the youth as well – that’s what the new style of game is all about -- a lot of fast, high-speed energy guys that have not played much pro hockey. All they want is to win.

We have to keep the traditions alive that some of our past players have built in this program. We’re just trying to keep that alive.

One thing we’re focusing on this year is: nothing less than a championship is going to be satisfactory. We’ve gone too many times to the finals and lost – it hurts just the same as not making the playoffs. It’s going to be a key this year that we focus on the big picture. Think we have a good young core, hopefully we jell quick.

Our head coach, Scott Muscutt has done some team building exercises that have really helped. Hopefully we’ll use it in the first few games and then obviously we’ll bond after that.

Our first game is at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City. Anyone would be thrilled to play in that building in this level. This is an NHL-type barn. I’ve been to Dallas Stars games and they have a great atmosphere for the playoffs there, but it feels like every game there is a great atmosphere to play in. That’s what you want as a player – a great atmosphere, a great building, great fans and a great city.

The preseason was hectic and you might hear from Chris Gustafson is going to be a great player. He’s a great got and reminds me of Christian Lariviere. Christian has been one of the better defensemen in this league.

You’re going to hear a lot from Mike Nason and the Sutherland brothers, Robbie and Brian.

Chris Murphy is going to battle every night. He’s a phenomenal sparkplug that is going to be valuable. A lot of people say he reminds them of me, but I don’t think I was that aggressive to start with.

I’ve spent a lot of time on a line with Chris Brassard and Nason while my old linemate and former Mudbugs captain Forbes MacPherson has played with Milan Vodrazka.

This will be my second year as the team captain. Last year I was a little more reserved and tried to show by example. I still have to do that, but I have to be much more vocal. If I’m having an off-night, I can’t have it affect my leadership in the room. I have to be upbeat and try to block out my personal side to make it better for the team and help lead some of these young guys in winning.

We have such great depth in our room – Quade, Brass, Forbie and Kenny and Basile. It’s really exciting to have that core group of guys that knows what it takes to be successful in this program.

It’s going to be interesting and fun. Everyone of these guys Musky brought in is a character guy. He didn’t bring in any “guy off the street.” These guys are character guys that you want in your community and that are really going to make an impact in the community, not just on the ice.

I remember Jean LaForest told me one year, ‘You’re a rookie, your job is to push the veterans.’ And former Mudbugs captain Jim Sprott told me when I took over captain,’ Your job is too lead the rookie, to lead the young guys.’

I think it’s a mixture. That’s the only way we’re going to be able to be successful. It’s going to be an exciting year. I know we have a lot of young players. There are a lot of unknowns, but I’m really excited about that. I’m so excited about starting this season.