Player Recap--Adam Hughesman

Oh Adam. What to do with you?

This is what I had to say about him at the halfway point:

gahhhhh. I just want to shake this kid. He started off so hot, playing with heart, with passion, like he no longer had cement in his skates. He showed what he's really capable of, it was spectacular, especially since it's his draft year. Aaaaaaaaannnnnnnddd then he dropped off. Considerably. Or at least it seems that way. There are times it seems he is just going through the motions. And I get it, he's on that top line and the opposition has figured out how to shut them down, but still. I think he's very talented, just doesn't always seem to show it, I don't know why. This has always been my frustration with this kid. I thought, based on his early performance, that this season would be different. I hope some home cooking and the Christmas break will revive his passion, his energy. He really is a great hockey player, it's just hiding sometimes. This is a kid who should NOT be invisible, but sometimes he is.

Yep, that seriously sums it up.  When Adam's on, he's on.  Nails.  But other times...not so much.  It's frustrating because I know he can play better.  Which game was it, game one of the Kelowna series I think, he played like his ass was on fire.  Even as the opposition was working on shutting down that top line of him, Shinny, and Lazo, he played full-bore.  That's the Adam Hughesman I want to see every night.

Maybe I am too hard on Hughey, I know at least one fan who thinks I am*, but he's a veteran player, playing (usually) on the top line, with an immense skill set.  He should at least be more consistent.  If that means letting me down every game, at least I'll know what to expect.  But I hope for more from him and I just don't see it night in and night out.  It's the inconsistency that makes me batshit crazy.

I assume because of Adam's veteran status he might be given an alternate captaincy this coming season.  I hope that lights the necessary fire under him.  I know he can do it, I just want to see his awesomeness on a nightly basis.

Adam's Look-Alike is Haley Joel Osment, the kid (who isn't a kid anymore) from The Sixth Sense:

Oh man, I'll be doing Wilgosh's player recap later, he looks like this kid too. 

* hi Spokant!!!

Player recap--Brooks Macek

Also known as Brooks "that would have been awesome" Macek.

So much promise, so much potential, so much talent.  Just doesn't always come together as it should.  I'm predicting the 2010-2011 to be his breakout season.

I think Brooks had it easy in the years coming into the WHL.  He had a gazillion goals* at Notre Dame and I think he thought it would be easy in the Dub.  He seems to always look for the pretty or fancy goal, not taking the time or effort to go for the greasy, garbage goals.  Those ones win games too.

Macek's getting better.  He improved as the season went on, but still a lot of missed nets, missed passes, or too many passes hoping for something highlight-reel worthy.  He's big enough to be able to effectively crash the net, but doesn't do so often enough.  He plays hard, like he really wants to win (who doesn't?) but again, without going for the garbage goals, doesn't have a lot to show for it.  Well, that's not entirely true, he ended up with 21 goals, 52 assists to tie for 2nd in regular season scoring on the team.  

Brooks doesn't get a lot of special teams time due to weaknesses (IMO) in the defensive part of his game.  He's not a Pokey Reddick or Mason Wilgosh who are great defensive forwards.

Like I said, I predict this upcoming season should be a breakout season for him and all that potential and talent will shine through.

Brooks' Look-Alike is none other than James van der Beek:

Player Recap--Sergei Drozd

Awwww, what a dollface!

Sergei plays a style similar to Reddick--gritty, not super-sniper, but highly effective. Like Reddick, Drozd excels on the penalty kill too. He skates well and is a great set-up man. He had 11 goals in 61 games of the regular season, added 9 more in 22 games of the playoffs. He is clearly a tournament player. By this I mean he plays his best hockey at tournaments (he's been to several and done quite well) and during the high pressure of the playoffs.  Sergei was also able to develop some really great chemistry with linemates Reddick and Macek.

Prior to the playoffs I didn't think Sergei would be around his 20-year-old season for a couple of reasons. First, Neal Prokop was still the most viable option as an overager forward (along with Reddick). Second, most teams don't use two spots (import, overager) on one guy. Bob Tory's been one to buck that trend with guys like Nikita Korovkin, Roman Teslyuk, Ladislav Scurko, and Marcus Jonassen. And Sergei showed in the playoffs how great he can be. Personally, I would not object to him being one of the overagers next season. Unfortunately, there can only be 3 and I'm not sure that he'll be needed in the same way as, say, overage defensemen.

Moving on, Sergei's Look-Alike is Jared Leto.  So like Sergei but not blonde.  And no dimples, so Stoli has him beat there.

Player recap--Mike Brown

who?  MIKE BROWN!!

Well, I don't even know where to start with Mike Brown.  When Bob got him he said he was a "Cam McCaffrey-type" player.  If you saw Cam McCaffrey you'd know my excitement when I heard that.  Cam was huge and punishing.  People always remember Aaron Boogaard, probably because he was here longer, but Cam McCaffrey was, in my opinion, a more complete player than Boogie.  The point is, I was excited about Brown's arrival based on that statement from Bob.

Then he showed up.  Much smaller than Cam.  Well, skinner anyways.  Then he played a couple shifts.  And that's not an exaggeration, it really was only 2 or 3 shifts a game.  I thought that was strange for a 19-year-old veteran player.  But he wasn't laying the big checks like I was expecting.  Granted, that's hard to do when you only play a couple of minutes a game, hard to get any momentum or energy.  He got in a couple scraps, did ok.  Still no Cam McCaffrey.  Then he was scratched some at the end of the regular season.

Brown saw increased ice time in the playoffs and he made it count.  FINALLY the player I expected (mostly, he's still no Cam McCaffrey)!!  He was making hits, clearing the way for guys like Shinny and Lazo, just being a big presence on the ice.  Overall I was very impressed with his effort and work in the playoffs.  Is that enough to keep him as an overager?  Personally, I doubt it.  Yes, it'd be great to have a guy like him (if he plays like he did in the playoffs).  But depending on what happens with Schmidt and/or Mestery, Bob will need some help on the blueline and an overager could do that.  I don't think an overage sniper is needed with Shinny, Macek, Feser, Messier, Holland, Hughesman, Reddick, Moser and maybe Drozd able to put big points up on the scoreboard.  So he could be kept for checking and grit, if that's what Bob decides the need is.

Mike Brown's Look-Alike is former Backstreet Boy Nick Carter:

Player recap--Kruise Reddick

I hear they call him "Money". I think "Captain Clutch" would work for Kruise as well.

What also comes to mind is the phrase "you don't know what you got till it's gone". I underappreciated Kruise Reddick until he missed several games due to injury.  Up to that point (and in years past) I've faulted him for not being a sniper.  Because he's really not, he's more of a set-up guy.  Until the playoffs.  Then he really was money.  And clutch.  And everything in between.

Reddick has already been named team captain for the 2010-2011 season and the only thing surprising about that was that it was announced so early.  I used to worry about his consistency, and if you check mid-term rankings I worried there too.  But he stepped it up 10000 percent the 2nd half of the season and was unstoppable in the playoffs.

Kruise has never been one to shy away from physical play, even for a guy of his smaller stature.  And he's feisty too--RAWR.  For the longest time I didn't like him on the point on the power play, but he got better.  Though I'm still not a fan of a forward being back there (or a 5-forward power play), he is pretty good at keeping the puck in the zone.  Still talking special teams, he's a force on the penalty kill.  It's always been one of the big strengths of his game.

I think Kruise will do well in his leadership role and he'll be fun to watch next season, now that I appreciate him for the player he is.

Kruise's Look-Alike (and you know you saw this one coming) is Daniel Radcliffe:

"Rowdy fans not used to live hockey"

Found over on Puck Daddy today, a bit by Steven Ovadia about rowdy fans in proportion to ticket prices.

The problem is that tickets to sporting events, especially post-season sporting events, are very, very expensive. When people buy tickets to these kinds of events, it usually represents a lot of their money. And people want to get their money's worth. So you see fans getting drunk, either at the game or before the game, to help ensure they have a good time.

Going to games (hockey and otherwise) used to be a casual thing. It wasn't much different than going to a movie. Fans didn't go crazy at games because it just wasn't that big a deal. It wasn't a unique experience. It wasn't something you do just once or twice a season.

Now, for lots of fans, it's just not feasible to regularly attend games. And so when fans do get to attend a game, they often end up so excited, they make poor choices, whether drinking too much or trashing someone's car because it has Quebecois plates.

You see the difference when you sit in a season tickets holders section. Season ticket holders usually are pretty even keeled. I've never sat in a season ticket section and seen anyone conspicuously drunk or acting out. I think it's because they're used to regularly attending games. They know they'll be back at the arena soon, so they don't feel a compulsion to make the most of every second they're watching a game.

For the most part I agree with this, season ticket holders in general are a more subdued group.  Don't get me wrong, season ticket holders are some of the most passionate fans, but as mentioned, we know we'll be back.  Though I'll say, when we had to give up our seats to make room for TV cameras, we sat near some season ticket holders that were ... less than pleasant.  I know they're an exception, but still.  Made for a miserable game (didn't help that the boys lost).

But while the fans are often paying a high price for tickets, the NHL is also paying a high price: It's cultivating a generation of hockey fans who don't know how to behave at a hockey game.

The NHL, and sports in general, has always had some kind of drunk/rowdy fan component. That's never going to disappear. But the recent cases of fans acting out, at NHL games, but also at other sporting events, is only going to get worse unless teams make a commitment to making games affordable to the average fan. 

Obviously, this is an idealistic view.  Professional athletes make millions of dollars and teams need ticket sales to generate revenue for operating costs and salaries.  An amateur team like the Americans don't have to deal with the player salary aspect of it they are still a business that needs to generate revenue.

That being said, I don't believe the ticket prices for the Americans are outrageous.  I know there were some who were upset that walk-up prices increased with each round of the playoffs (by a dollar).  As a STH I had my playoff ticket packages so didn't bother me, plus I'm not wanting to bring my family of 4 (who will also want pizza, donuts, sodas, etc).  Still seemed like a flimsy complaint to me, but whatever.

Another thing people need to realize is that the Toyota Center is not the Americans' building.  They use it.  It's the City of Kennewick's building.  So if you want changes, talk to the city.  Hell, I'd settle for soap dispensers in the restrooms that work.

It all comes out in the wash.  Frankly I'm not going to look up ticket prices for other WHL teams.  I know the AMS are waaaayyyyy cheaper than going to a Winterhawks game.  Which is ridiculous for that shithole Memorial Coliseum.  But one advantage is that we don't have to pay for parking.  I know that doesn't seem like much, but it adds up.  Thirty-six regular season home games, $2 a game for parking (which is what it used to be), that's $72 over the course of the season, not including pre-season or playoffs.  Currently that cost is built in to the price of the tickets, and I think it's less than $2.  

Going full circle, it's an interesting viewpoint concerning the NHL, not really applicable at the junior level.  There are plenty of (overly) rowdy non-STH fans that come to the games (and buy their kids those goddamn horns) and that's great, the team and the sport needs those fans too.  I don't think lowering ticket prices would in any way be sound economic decision for the Americans.

I'm also not entirely sure if any of this post made sense, that article just caught my eye and I've been neglecting this baby.  I'll try to actually get some player recaps done this weekend. 

No Oilers, you can't have him

found this bit on Drinnan's site:

Jim Mullin of Vancouver radio station CKNW reports: “It looks like Vancouver Giants general manger Scott Bonner will remain in Vancouver for now. Bonner had meetings with Edmonton Oiler GM Steve Tambellini late last week regarding the assistant GM job with the club. The majority of the job would be managing the Oilers AHL affiliate in Oklahoma City. Kelowna Rockets VP of Business Developement Gavin Hamilton and Tri-City Americans boss Bob Tory are two on the list who the Oilers will look at from the WHL for the position.”*

It would be a great step for Bob, but it would be a big loss for the Americans.  As part owner of the AMS you have to wonder if he'd even accept the job (be hard to turn it down though, let's be honest). 

*emphasis mine

Player recap--Zachary Yuen

How about this Zachary Yuen, eh?  He had a slow start, but the second half of the season he emerged as an amazing player, logging a ton of minutes.  AND HE'S JUST A ROOKIE!  He was hyped to have a spectacular rookie season but I didn't see that happening in the first half.  Then he broke out and earned himself a permanent spot in the lineup, rather than a rotating one.  I don't know what caused such a dramatic change, but I like it.  

Yuen is an outstanding defenseman.  He's got size and skill.  He is steady as a rock.  I see him being in the top-four of the defensive corps next season.  I also can easily picture him quarterbacking the power play.  He didn't score a lot of goals, but there's definitely and offensive upside to his game.

Those of you already looking forward to next season (who isn't?), Yuen is a big piece of the puzzle to be excited about.

Yuen's Look-Alike is Chinese actor Cui Lin:

it's the best I could find, it's a pity he doesn't look like John Cho or Russell Wong.

Player recap--Nils Moser

Hard to say much about Moser since didn't see a lot of action in the second half of the season.  But I've said it once* and I'll say it again, this kid has moxie.  Lots of it.  He has a ton of heart and determination.  If he can get that to translate into puck luck and developing as a player, he'll be golden.  This is one with a ton of potential and he's got the size and the skating ability to do it.  Well, the skating (the speed aspect) could use some work.  It's not that he's slow, but the Americans are such a speedy team that sometimes players seem slow.  Everyone looks slow compared to Johnny Lazo, let's be honest.

For the Moser Look-Alike, I've always felt he looked like a much younger Jeff Perry, the guy who plays Thatcher Gray on the tv show Gray's Anatomy:

or as Spokant suggested, he looks like actor Paul Bettany:

*I've said it more than once.  A lot more than once.  "Moser has Moxie" might go on a t-shirt design one of these days.

Player recap--Eric Mestery

Poor kid, every move he made on the ice so closely scrutinized, people waiting for even the smallest mistake to pin on him.

I'll repeat what I said at the mid-point of the season: he's not flashy or super-physical.  But he's a hell of a skater and a darn decent defenseman.  I don't know that I liked him paired up with Sutherland*, especially in the playoffs, but a little late to change things up.  Mestery still isn't the most confident, though he's improved exponentially from his first go-round with the Americans.  I would never say he's a liability on the ice, but he needs to focus on his game, not worry about picking up his D-partners' slack.

Mestery's an amazing skater and is quite adept at avoiding checks.  While some might criticize him for avoiding checks, I think it's a skill and one that could pay off by avoiding injury.  He's great at getting the puck up the ice and doesn't seem to panic as much as he used to at all.

Look, love him or hate him, Bob did his wheeling-and-dealing to get him back from Lethbridge which means he wanted him bad.  As I mentioned some time ago, I believe in Bob Tory and his vision for this team.  Does Bob think Eric's progressed enough to take a 20-year-old spot next year?  Hard to say what's going on in that man's head.  But you gotta think he'll keep him since he brought him back.  It wouldn't surprise me one bit to see Eric back as an overager.  He's been drafted by Washington, and I believe they have to sign him this summer or let him go, but I don't know that they will.  He could have a great camp and get signed for play in their affiliate system, but I think it's unlikely.  And I think another year in junior would do him good.

Personally, and if you've been reading this blog at all, I like the kid, I like his play.  So what if he's not a Tyler Schmidt-like player?  He does what he needs to do.

As for a Look-Alike, I racked my brain and drilled the Bishes on who he looks like.  We came up with nothing.  Then sister found MyHeritage.com and you can find your celebrity look-alikes.  Is it bad that the one he most looks like is Sarah Silverman?

*it is not my intention to bash Sutherland in every player recap, even if it seems that way.

Player recap--Riley McIntosh

At the mid-term point I felt Riley was the most improved player on the team. So what happened?

By late February he was being rotated game-by-game with Brock Sutherland.  Then...sat for a couple games in a row.  Then sat for the rest of the season and playoffs.  I don't know who he pissed off or what he did, but it was a shame to see.  He had clearly upped his game since last season.  He skates well, moves the puck great, is big enough to clear bodies out of the crease.  But no, he was a 19-year-old veteran defenseman sitting in the stands, looking good in a suit.  It didn't help (him) that Zachary Yuen really turned it on the last half of the season either.

I was unimpressed with Brock Sutherland's play as the playoffs went on, but at that point Riley had been in the stands too long, would have been too rusty to be very effective.  There was a time I was holding out hope that he was the "secret weapon" and he'd take the ice in a vital game 7 and be amazing.  How wrong I was (duhhh).  And Mikaela was so disappointed that her "I believe in Riley McIntosh" sign sat in the corner gathering cobwebs.  I was disappointed, he was better than that, showed so much promise.

The other day Bob Tory placed McIntosh and Kennedy on waivers, so his time with the Americans has come to an end.  I don't know what his future plans are, but I sure wish him the best of luck in all his endeavors.

For his look-alike, we have this unknown person on a poster in Hawaii that Mikaela found on her vacation last year.  Riley and him are twins I swear.

Looking ahead

Bit in the Herald yesterday about looking forward to the 2010-2011 season:

The team said good-bye to overage players Johnny Lazo, Brett Plouffe and captain Jarrett Toll and have 20 guys who will be competing for roster spots this fall. Of that group, six will be overage players -- 20 years old. WHL teams can only have three on their roster.

That group is comprised of forwards Kruise Reddick (who was named team captain for next season Tuesday), Mike Brown and Sergei Drozd, defensemen Eric Mestery and Tyler Schmidt and goaltender Alex Pechurskiy.

Mestery (Washington) and Pechurskiy (Pittsburgh) have been drafted, and it's possible they could be signed by their respective teams and moved up.

"Brown, Drozd and Mestery will be evaluated as to where we are as a team," said Tory, who conducted exit interviews earlier in the week. "We are assuming Tyler (Schmidt) will be back. Alex has expressed a desire to come back to North America. If he comes back, it gives us an option to trade him."

Drozd (Belarus) and Pechurskiy (Russia) are both European players, and each WHL team can have two. Their status with the team will depend on need and the upcoming CHL import draft (June 30).

"The European draft will add two players," Tory said. "I'll try and get a defenseman there, but we will take the best player available. We draft 55th and 115th. There are no guarantees when you pick that late or if their teams will let them come."  (Herald)

From what I've seen and heard (which isn't much, let's be honest), Pittsburgh is hot on From Russia With Glove so I can potentially see him getting on with their AHL or ECHL affiliate.  Otherwise, like Bob says, he's trade bait (BRB, happy dance).  I don't see Mestery getting signed by Washington, but stranger things have happened.  I just don't think he's ready to move up, another year of junior would do him some good.

I will be looking at the 19-year-olds who will be competing for the three overage spots as I do their recaps.  Or I'll do them separate sometime this summer.  Who knows.  So stay tuned.

Player recap--Drydn Dow

Oh my.

Dow has a ton of promise.  He played less as Yuen leapfrogged over everyone to earn a roster spot, but took advantage of every opportunity that he was given.  He's not the biggest guy (at all) but doesn't need to be.  Dow fits perfectly into the Americans' plan of small and speedy.  He doesn't get rattled and certainly doesn't play like a rookie.  Alright, sure, there's rookie mistakes here and there, but overall this kid is going to bring a lot to this team in the future.  I'm quite excited.

Dow played 30 games (2 more in the playoffs) and amassed 2G 3A, 5pts.  He had a +6 rating and 16 penalty minutes.  Seemed like he played more than 30, maybe he just played all those at the Toyota Center.  Seriously, this kid is loaded with potential and I'm guessing he'll be playing a lot of minutes next season.

As an added feature of some of these player profiles, I'll be adding in a "looks like..." bit.  As in Drydn Dow looks like a young Jordan Knight of New Kids on the Block fame:

Thanks to Spokant for the Looks Like :)

Player recap--Jarrett Toll

What can you say about this kid?  Well, for starters, he's not a kid anymore.  Jarrett Toll came to the Americans in the 2004-2005 season as a scrawny 15-year-old and saw action in 3 games.  He departs as a player who has fulfilled his eligibility in the Western Hockey League.  In that time, he's played in 274 regular season games and 57 playoff games.  He's accumulated 23 goals, 71 assists, only 225 penalty minutes, and is a +74 (!!!).

Toll was never a big guy, certainly not a flashy player.  He didn't ever play super physical, though you wouldn't know it by the number of injuries he encountered in his tenure with the Americans.  Funny (not haha) how people are so quick to jump all over Mestery for not playing physical when they don't say the same about Jarrett.  Sure, Eric's a bit bigger, but so what.  You don't need to look further than Toll to see that one can be an effective defenseman without playing balls-to-the-wall physical.

What Toller brought to the table was ultra-reliable consistency.  He's one of those hard-working, lunch-pail kind of guys.  You know what you're going to get from him, night in and night out, which is 1000% work ethic.  He was selected as 2009-2010 team captain for a reason.

Off the ice, with player appearances, Toll was always super friendly with fans, always ready to smile for a picture.  He will go down in the books* as one of the absolutely nicest players to come through Tri-Cities.  Never arrogant or avoiding fans or anything like that.  He's the kind of guy that you talk to for 10 minutes and you feel like you're old friends**.

I don't know what the future holds for Jarrett, either hockey or lacrosse I'm sure.  I think I read in the paper he's leaning towards University of British Columbia.  No matter what, I wish him all the luck in the world, he truly deserves it.  And thank you Jarrett (and your family!) for sharing the past 5 years of your hockey life with us grateful fans in the Tri-Cities.

*ok, my own little book

**that's sounding creepier than intended

That's CAPTAIN Kruise MF Reddick

I'm not surprised he was named captain for next season, though announcing it now is...different.  Whatever, very well deserved.  From the AMS website:

Tri-City Americans' Governor/General Manager Bob Tory announced today that 20-year-old forward Kruise Reddick will be the team's captain for the upcoming 2010-11 season. The announcement came less than a week after the Americans' 2009-10 season came to an end in Game 5 of the WHL Finals. He will be the 22nd captain in the team's history.

"It's an indescribable, amazing honor and I'm really excited for it," expressed Reddick. "It's a childhood dream come true." "It hasn't really sunk in yet, but I'm ready for the challenge, the added pressure and being that go-to guy in the locker room," Reddick continued. "I've had great examples to learn from over the past four seasons."

"Kruise epitomizes all of the qualities you'd expect to have in a leader, both on and off the ice," Tory explained. "The captain is a person who believes in his team and his teammates. He is the one who stands in front, the person who inspires others by his actions...as a former list player, Kruise knows what it takes to lead by example."

"It was a great playoff run and Kruise was front and center, providing leadership and a number of timely goals," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller. "As our thoughts begin to focus on next season, Kruise has demonstrated all the qualities required to be an outstanding captain."

Monday news

Kruise is playoff MVP (totally deserves it), and in what comes as no surprise, Todd Kennedy and Riley McIntosh are put on waivers.  From the Ams website:

Tri-City Americans Governor/General Manager announced today that 19-year-old Kruise Reddick has been named the team's 2010 playoff Most Valuable Player.

"(Kruise) had an exceptional post-season and showed a real knack for contributing offensively in big moments," said Tory. "It's truly been exciting to see his growth and development over the past four seasons in an Americans uniform."

----------------------------------------------------------------------

In other news Monday, Americans' Governor/General Manager Bob Tory announced that 19-year-old forward Todd Kennedy and 19-year-old defenseman Riley McIntosh have been placed on WHL waivers and will not be returning to the club in 2010-11.

"Both Todd and Riley were key contributors this season and we would like to thank them for their efforts and contributions to the team," said Tory. "We wish them all the best wherever their futures take them."

The morning after

If you were awake an hour and a half or so ago (I was not), you might have received the email from Booster Club Prez Michelle McGuire stating that the bus was in fact going to Toyota Center so if you wanted to greet the boys you could.  So I'm sure with the late notice, there weren't (aren't?) many people there :( 

That doesn't change the fact that so many of us are so goddamn proud of these boys and what they've accomplished this season.  So very proud.

Is it heartbreaking that they didn't win the championship?  Sure.  But don't hang your heads boys, you had an amazing season.  Best season in franchise history.

To Johnny Lazo, Brett Plouffe, and Captain Jarrett Toll--thank you for your years as an American.  It's been an honor to watch you play and grow.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of," said first-year Tri-City coach Jim Hiller. "There's everything to be proud of. We talked at the beginning of the season of trying to take this (team) from good to great. In the end we didn't reach our ultimate goal, but you have say that's a great hockey team and they had a great season. Any time you can say that about a team, you have to feel pretty proud."

For team captain Jarrett Toll, it's not quite the way he wanted to end his five-year career in Tri-City.

"It's frustrating because we are such a better team that what we showed in the series," Toll said. "We were nervous the first two games. We didn't have the experience they did. Hopefully the guys coming back next year can take that with them. They capitalized on every mistake we made. The scores didn't represent the series at all.

"We were picked to not be very good this year and we were the best team in franchise history," Toll continued. "We have to focus on that and look at the positives right now. It's two more banners, it's not all bad."  (Tri-City Herald)

The only bit worth reading from the Calgary Herald:

“They’re young guys,’’ reminded Hiller. 

“We always have to remember they’re teenagers with emotions that are pumpin’. It’s an honour to be in the room with guys like that. As much as it hurts to lose. ‘Cause people care. It’s a special time and that’s why a lot of us are involved in this game, because we get to be around people who really lay it on the line.

“We played a very, very good hockey team in the finals. Fifteen thousand people in a tough building and I thought we pushed stride for stride. That says a lot about the players. You talk about them being young, it’s only going to make them stronger.’’  (Calgary Herald)

---------------------------------
Give me a couple days to get through the mourning, then the plan is to write up my season re-caps for each player.  Also stay tuned over the summer as any AMS news unfolds.  In addition, I'll be teaming up with the boy for a little project we have in mind.

update

I have just been informed that the Boys cars are not at the Toyota Center and they will probably be dropped off at their cars, not at the Toyota Center.  Which means there is probably no reason for you to be there.  I thank everyone who was planning on being there, but from what information I can get, which is little, they wont be there. 

 

Some of you are not going to get this before you go and I do apologize.  But I don't know what else to do. 

email message from Booster Club prez Michelle McGuire.

Game Day--Nervous Time

"We feel good" said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller. "We knew we could play with these guys. We've felt comfortable the whole way. We haven't got a lot of bounces and we won't try and make excuses, but we've felt that way. Now we are back in it and we can't wait to go (today)."

"We know we can beat them," Hiller said. "Calgary knows we can beat them. Now let's go fight for this. Let's go back go back to Calgary (tonight)."

"I think any time you score early it puts a jump in your step," Hiller said. "Getting that first goal for us, it takes the weight of the world off your shoulders. To me, that was a key point in (Wednesday's) game."

"I think we came out just as hard as we have, but we got the bounces that we needed," Wilgosh said. "Jones played great (Tuesday) and again (Wednesday), we just got those bounces. If we keep working we can score more goals and hopefully bring the series back home."

"You have to believe and you have to plant doubt," Hiller said. "We were frustrated we couldn't get to Jones (the first three games). They had a lot of chances (Wednesday). Now that they've seen Alex's pads, hopefully they will see a lot of them (today)."

"I don't think we have to do much different," said Calgary coach Mike Williamson of Wednesday's loss. "We just have to shake this one off, go back and make sure we bring our best the next time out."

"It was 7-2 on Tuesday and we had one power play (Wednesday)," Williamson said. "They've got to be the cleanest team in the history of hockey. Our guys are doing everything we are asking and we can't get frustrated with it.

"You have to play through that. If we are moving our feet and getting to the middle of the ice a little bit more -- I think we could have done a better job with that -- then you generate some more opportunities on the power play. All you can do is control what you can control."  (Tri-City Herald)

Oh Williamson, stop whining.  The Americans, if you check the stats, were the least penalized team in the regular season.  Cleanest in the history of hockey?  Probably not, but pretty clean, those stats don't lie.  Not sure who he's trying to persuade, get to the officials maybe?  Whatever, he needs to STFU.

The Calgary Herald has a couple of articles today, starting with this one:

"Getting that first goal (Wednesday) was critical. We got a lot of energy and momentum out of our building, the big goal there got our crowd into it," said Hiller. "Now we're looking for the first one here to keep things quieter in this building."

"We just want to get home, that's really our focus now, we want to get home and then we'll play in front of our fans again and deal with what happens there," he said.

"That was the best goaltending performance that we've had this series," said Hiller of Pechurskiy, the backup who has started the past two tilts. "It's nice to have our goalie making saves for his forwards. The momentum swings quickly in the psyches; on both sides there's an effect. I'd like to think that's swung back in our favour."  (Calgary Herald)

A very touching story about Jordan Messier's dad, Mitch:

But his most important role in life? That of a hockey dad.

Jordan Messier, 18, is a power forward ranked 115th among North American skaters by the Central Scouting Bureau for the upcoming NHL Entry Draft.

"I kind of model my game after the way my dad played,'' Jordan says. "I wish I had as good hands as him. He had a good set of hands."

The Tri-City Americans selected Marcus Messier in the second round of the 2009 WHL bantam draft. He's a undersized forward with speed and puck sense around the net. Tonight, he'll be part of the Tri-City team trying to avoid elimination in the WHL final against the Calgary Hitmen.

Ryan will turn 14 this summer, and he's already showing signs of growing taller than both his brothers.

"I've got my three boys," Mitch says. "The most enjoyable thing in the world is watching them play."  (Calgary Herald)

Alright boys, you've got a mountain to climb but you've taken the first step.   You can take another, you know you can do it.  Keep wearing the Hitmen down, keep getting your chances on Jones.  Keep getting those power play opportunities because it's driving Williamson batshit crazy and that makes me giggle.  We believe in you and know you can do it!!!

Liveblog after the jump, see you back here at game time (5:45 our time!), drinks in hand :)

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"Like a dog on a bone"

Wow.  What a game, eh?

I said they could do it, and sure enough, they did.  Yes, it's only one game.  Yes, they're still in a hole in the series.  But not as deep a hole as this time yesterday.  One game at a time.

The Americans were all over the place, like Westy says, they were like a dog on a bone.  And Calgary just looked tired.  They expended so much energy the first three games I guess.  Finally the Americans' speed and skill could be used effectively.  It helps to not be playing from behind as well.  

The crowd was amazing last night.  It may not have been a sell-out, but that place was LOUD.

During the game I was already planning on putting in today's post how awesome a game Mike Brown had.  Turns out I wasn't alone in this thinking as he was given 3rd star.  I told Spokant and hubby before the game that Mike Brown would be the difference.  We all had a good laugh, turns out I was right (ok, lucky).  Speaking of stars, I thought Mason MF Wilgosh could have easily received a star, he was everywhere, doing everything--as usual.  Schmidt had another excellent game, as did Zach Yuen.  Justin Feser and Kruise Reddick were outstanding as well.  They played very well, worked hard, and got the win they deserved.

"From a fan's perspective, that was probably the most entertaining game of the series," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller. "A lot of people got to see what our goalie's like and see us score some goals. Obviously the key point in the game was getting the first goal. Good goaltending and timely goals, that's our recipe; that's how we win games."

"I thought it was a good hockey game, entertaining end to end," said Calgary coach Mike Williamson. "Tri-City definitely worked hard. We had a lot of chances; we just need to bear down in front of the net. (Pechurskiy) played well. Both goalies played well and both teams had lots of chances."

"That's what the team's about, everyone's got to chip in," Wilgosh said. "The puck came up top and I went to the net hard and got the rebound. It's nice to have everyone contribute."

"(Pechurskiy) was excellent," Hiller said. "He made good saves when we need them. Calgary is a good team and we needed big saves and big goals. You can't have one without the other. It's been awhile since we had that combination working for us."  (Tri-City Herald)

Speaking of the crowd:

The teams are out on the ice for warm-ups. Looking around the stands, I think people thought the call for a whiteout was for Tuesday only. Though, when there was a call for a whiteout against Spokane in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals two years ago, the Americans lost. Maybe it should be a sea of blue or red. Hmm. (Red Light District)

If they want something like a whiteout to catch on, it should be from game 1 of series 1 of the playoffs.  And find a sponsor to hand out white t-shirts to the first 1000 fans or something.

There's apparently a need by some to blame the refs (instead of admitting they were out played):

Yet, this 4-2 loss could just as easily have turned into a rout by the Hitmen during the second period. In what was probably their most dominant 16 minutes of the post season, the Eastern champs let go with 22 shots at Alex Pechurskiy and got diddly.

Granted, the Russian goalie saw every one of them but he still had to make some big saves. Just the confidence boost he needed and then, just like that, the Hitmen are on the penalty kill in a game in which it seemed like the stripes were going to let everything outside of a blatant infraction go.

There were countless offences, mostly cross-checking and interference and tripping, that probably should have been called. And, not meaning to sound like a homer, but the Ams got away with a lot of stuff in that second period when they were literally holding on for dear life.  (Hitmen Insider)

Guess what, you sound like a homer.

“I thought it was a really good hockey game, entertaining, end-to-end . . . probably a little more end-to-end than we would have liked,” said Calgary coach Mike Williamson, “but Tri-City definitely worked hard.

“We had lots of chances and just needed to bear down in front of the net and do a better job of making it tough for him (Pechurskiy) to see the puck, but he played well."  (Calgary Herald)

Alex was very good last night, he had a ton of help in front of him too, which was fantastic to see.  Calgary blasted him with 22 shots in the 2nd period alone, with nothing to show for it.

Brian Burke's Toronto Maple Leafs may have truculence (or not), but this Americans team has tenacity and heart.  And sometimes, it's will over skill (though they have the skill too).

The have a big mountain ahead of them, but if they can keep plugging away at it, they just might be rewarded yet again.  Go get 'em boys, we believe!

Game 4 tonight

After games 1 and 2, when coach was saying they played so well but couldn't get chances and blah blah blah, I thought yeah right.  Especially the 7-0 blowout in game one.  But he was right.  They did play well.  They played their asses off last night, but Calgary is just that good.  At one point Spokant said "it's like there's 5 Americans on the ice, and 15 Hitmen".  They had some chances, but couldn't make it happen.

"We have to come with the same effort and we have to find the back of the net," Hiller said of trying to extend the series. "We have to play hard, we have to get to the net and we have to score. I think guys are frustrated. We have a lot of guys who've scored a lot of goals this year; it's not going in, and when that happens you put extra pressure on yourself. We have to try and relax and come to the game and enjoy it."

"We aren't happy with the three games here," Reddick said. "We have to look at the positives. We know we played a good game and we thought we might have out played them."

"We've never given up all year," Toll said. "Right now we have to look at it one game at time. We win (today) and we go back to Calgary and who knows what happens. It was a tough night, we outplayed them, I felt we deserved to win and we didn't get it. But it's huge improvement from the two games in Calgary. We have to do the same thing tomorrow and hope the bounces go the other way."  (Tri-City Herald)

You're right Pokey, look at the positives.  Played hard, very hard, never giving up.  Guys like Todd Kennedy had a spectacular game.  Spencer Humphries!

But the Hitmen were so good at blocking all the lanes, clogging the neutral zone.  Yikes.

Alan Caldwell summed it up quite nicely:

The Ams played well enough tonight but as in the first two games, they are not able to penetrate to the net to get scoring chances. Meanwhile Calgary kept executing their game plan - shut down the Tri-City attack and take advantage of their scoring chances when they get them. Alexander Pechurskiy started in net for the Americans tonight and he was....OK. Two of the goals - the 2nd and 3rd goals - were a little on the weak side. But he did keep Calgary off the scoreboard in the 2nd and 3rd periods, giving his team a chance to mount a comeback. The fact that they didn't isn't his fault.

As I said last year after the Rockets got up 3-0 on the Hitmen: we all know it's is over and Calgary will be the 2009-10 WHL champions. It is so hard to come back from down 3-0 even when the series has been close; in this series, the Americans have 2 goals in 3 games and have yet to even have a lead at any point in the series. Logic suggests they aren't going to win 4 in a row. They have a reasonably young team though, perhaps they can do what Calgary did - use this loss as a learning/motivational tool and come back stronger next year.  (Small Thoughts At Large)

Do I believe they can win one tonight and prevent Calgary from claiming the Championship on their ice?  Yes.  Can they win 4 in a row?  Unlikely.  I love my team, but I'm also realistic.  Yes, it could happen.

“I thought we came out and did what we wanted to do,” said a slightly flustered Tri-City coach Jim Hiller. “Get a lot of pucks toward the net, get the building into the game. When I looked up, I think we were up 10-2 in shots, so we did what we wanted to do.

“I thought we tested (Martin) Jones more in this game than we did in the first two, so he was the difference. Hockey is a game of bounces and we’ve had our share throughout the year, but we certainly haven’t had any in this series.”  (Calgary Herald)

So it's back to work tonight for the boys.  Playing for pride, playing to play again, all that stuff.  I love this team, win or lose and there's a whole hell of a lot to be proud of.

---------------------------

Totally unrelated, but if I don't post it now I'll forget.

"My goal for next year is to make the team in Carolina.  I firmly believe that I can play up there if they give me a chance and I'm hoping at training camp I will get one.  But I know I will have to produce."

That's from a brief interview with Drayson Bowman over at Canes Country. 

Hey gorgeous.  Photo by LTD.

Game Day! Wear White!

"hockey cliché hockey cliché hockey cliché hockey cliché hockey cliché"  Hiller says. 

Just kidding.  Not really.  I haven't read the whole internet yet, but I bet I can guess what I'll find:

• "We need to play better"
• "We have to stay focused"
• "Drew's been our guy but Alex has played well"
• "Veteran leadership needs to step up"

I bet I'm close with those guesses.  Let's go dig for links.

"I think we have to exhale," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller. "We came in (to Pengrowth Saddledome) and they held serve. I thought they played really well and we didn't get done what we wanted to get done. We are going to have to adjust it and put this behind us -- as much as we'd like to change it we can't -- and really, really focus on the first period starting (tonight). It will be an exciting time for our team and our fans. We are going to have to put all of our energy directed at being good."

"We have to get into it early, get the first one early and get our crowd into it," said Tri-City forward Johnny Lazo, who has the only goal for the Americans in the series. "It can be an intimidating place to play when our fans are loud and proud. We definitely have to be better on the power play. As one of the older guys on the power play, (I) know we have to do a better job. We'll figure stuff out."

"I think at this stage, he (Owsley) has a lot of experience and is technically sound," Hiller said. "He has to be confident, get out of crease and be big. It's easier said than done."

"Alex came in and played really well, but Drew has been really good all year," said Hiller, who said he'd name his starter today.

"We are glad to be home," Hiller said. "We worked on a couple of things, but at this stage of the game you just have to stay sharp."  (Tri-City Herald)

Look at that, I was pretty darn accurate.

Yesterday's Tri-City Herald had a bit on Joel Broda, today's Calgary Herald has a piece on our own Kruise Reddick:

"It was definitely a disappointing day (2008 Entry Draft), heartbreaking, but I had to move on and keep proving people wrong," he said, prior to tonight's ( 8 p.m., Shaw TV, FAN 960) third game in the best-of-seven Western Hockey League championship series against the Calgary Hitmen.

"The draft would have been great, but . . . I guess everything happened for a reason, so maybe it was for the best."

"He's one of those guys as a coach you just love," says Tri-City coach Jim Hiller. "He's the guy you don't have to worry about office. He leads in the right direction and when the puck is dropped, either for practice or for a game, he's always setting the bar for work ethic.

"You mix in his great skill set, he skates well, sees the ice and has a terrific release on the shot. To me, he's that all-in-one hockey player you love to have on your team. Bottom line is he's a winner."

"I think I tried to put a little more pressure on myself, which is maybe a good thing," he confessed, "but you can't change your game. You have to stick to the things that have been working your whole life.

"Right now, I'm just worried about this series, about the team and what I can do to help it, capturing the WHL championship and if something good comes out of that, it's great."  (Calgary Herald)

Awww Kruise MF Reddick.  Would love to see some of his awesomeness shine tonight.

It appears it's in the Calgary game plan to get the home crowd out of it as early as they can, we can't let that happen people!

“Our start will be huge,” said MacKenzie, who is leading Hitmen defenceman in post-season tallies with six goals and 10 assists in 20 playoff games. “I think we’ll need to take their crowd out of it early. Maybe get a big start or a quick goal that’ll take the crowd out of it. We just have to stay on them the whole game, we can’t let up at all. (Tri-City) is really fast but at the same time, it’s something we’ve dealt with these whole playoffs.  (Calgary Herald)

Drinnan reports the Americans will not be without Shinny:

F Brendan Shinnimin of the Tri-City Americans will be in the lineup Tuesday night for Game 3 of the WHL final in Kennewick, Wash. The Calgary Hitmen carry a 2-0 lead into that game. . . . Shinnimin was ejected in the second period of Game 2 on Saturday for a hit from behind on Calgary F Joel Broda. Shinnimin was hit with a major and game misconduct on the play.  (Taking Note)

Speaking of Shinny, his mug is featured on Yahoo!'s story about NHL '11 from EA Sports will include all 60 CHL teams.

It's game day.  Let's get a big and rowdy crowd in the Toyota Center.  Remember to wear white for the "white-out" effect!  It'll look cooler than those orange/red seats. 

I believe.

It's Monday. Yay?

"Goaltender is a normal job. Sure. How would you like it if at your job, every time you made the slightest mistake a little red light went on over your head and 18,000 people stood up and screamed at you?" - Jaques Plante, goalie 

It's amazing to me how quickly people can jump off the bandwagon.  Guess that's why they're called bandwagoners.  A week ago everybody was like "OMG DREW OWSLEY IS THE BEST GOALIE EVARRR!!!1"  Now every loss is his fault.  What bullshit.  The AMS have been outplayed and out-lucked by a great team.  I don't care if it's Drew or Alex, when the team in front of you is not competing at the same level as the opposition, allowing breakaways, not clearing pucks out, there isn't going to be success.  Am I saying the goalies don't have some responsibility for the losses?  No.  The team does, and they are part of the team.  I think Drew got rattled or had nerves and just didn't have the confidence we've seen and Hitmen capitalized (and capitalized and capitalized and capitalized) on that.  I understand the frustration on the part of the fans, cuz I'm a frustrated fan as well.  But to point the finger at Drew alone is ridiculous.  

God I have to stop reading the message board.  It makes me want to punch babies.  /rant

Alex played well, to be sure.  And Hiller has a tough choice to make, start Owsley and hope he'll be back to form in front of the home crowd?  Or go with Alex who has been good in relief?   Either way (should I toss in an "irregardless"?), the entire team needs to step it up a notch or 20.  They need to play a level of hockey they've never played before.  And that's a big demand, but if they want to win, that's what needs to happen.  And I truly believe they are capable of doing so.  I believe.

No love for the organization from former American Joel Broda:

"Probably the best thing ever for me was for Bob Tory to trade me," said Broda, a 6-foot, 200-pound center. "I got to go to a team where I got a really good opportunity to grow as a player and in a program that allowed me to score goals."

"Things were really starting to come along when I got traded," Broda said. "It's great because it is a really good hockey community. It's good to see the team have success and I'm happy for the organization to be doing well. But I'm on the other side now. With all due respect, I want to win, but I'm happy they've done well."  (Tri-City Herald)

Broda, you got sent to Moose Jaw, and they did terrible.  So really, the best thing for you was when Moose Jaw traded you.

Some more from Hiller, though it's starting to sound like a broken record.  See?  Frustrated fan right here.

"We usually start quick and score the first goal, but obviously that hasn't been the case here," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller. "A bit of a breakdown, a key goal by them on a turnover, but up until then I thought we were playing pretty well. We haven't played that badly. We just have to generate more, get a little more puck luck, get some good bounces and we can turn this around."  (Calgary Herald)

For sister, the Calgary Herald has a bit on the bus rides in the WHL:

There’s a pecking order for seating. And unlike airlines, with business class, the most coveted are found at the back. Based on seniority. No choice of chicken or steak, though.

“I’ve been here for four years and worked my way back,’’ says Stone. “I’ve got three seats to myself now. Man, is it . . . nice. When I was 16, we’d have to double up every so often depending on how many guys we had on. Then, at 17 I moved back to a seat in front of the TV. That was sweet. Last year, made it three-quarters of the way to the back.

“This year, I graduated to ALL the way back.’’  (Calgary Herald)

I don't want to talk about it.

Ever have those days where you just wake up pissed off at everything and everyone?  Yah, I'm having one of those days, and it's not even hockey's fault.  Ok, maybe a little.

"The score was closer, but I thought (Friday's) game was more even," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller, whose team lost back-to-back games for the first time in the playoffs. "I really thought the inability for us to score on our power play -- we've had one of the top power plays all year in the league -- and tonight especially, we didn't make key plays when we needed to make plays. All year long we've relied on that power play, and tonight we didn't get anything going. That would have been the difference to get us back in the game."

"I thought it was a close hockey game," Williamson said. "I thought we got timely goals and timely saves. Tri-City definitely had another level tonight. They won a lot of races to pucks and battles on the boards early in the game especially and Jonesy held us in."

"I thought tonight he (Pechurskiy) played really well when he came in," Hiller said. "He made a lot of saves, and I thought he did a great job."

"He is a bigger guy (Jones), has some good size, he's quick and he's was on Team Canada for a reason," Lazo said. "He's a phenomenal goaltender. We just have to get more pucks on net and more traffic than we have been."

"Our power play has been terrific for us all year," said Williamson, whose team was 0-for-4 on the man advantage. "We had some looks, but I thought we were trying to be too cute and hold on to the puck instead of letting it do the work for us. The tendency when you have a long power play like that is to think you have more time than you have. We just having to be willing to move the puck a couple times and get it to the net and bang away at one."

"We usually start quick and score the first goal, but that obviously hasn't been the case here two nights in a row," Hiller said. "A key goal by them on a turnover -- I thought up until that point we were playing pretty well. We shot ourselves in the foot and got the building into the game and us on our heels."  (Tri-City Herald)

Moving on to what the Calgary paper had (it's not pretty):

Well, if you’re a Tri-City Americans aficionado, and you’re not queasy about rooting through goo, there were tiny nuggets to be found in the Dumpster of defeat Saturday night.

Goalie Drew Owsley lasted into the second period.  (Calgary Herald)

Ouch.

Tri-City coach Jim Hiller was still trying to sort out things in his head following the game.

“I thought Calgary had more pressure in our zone tonight than they did (Friday) despite the score,” he said. “An inability for us to score on our power play right now . . . give Calgary credit, I guess, but we didn’t make key plays when we need to make plays and all year long we’ve relied on that power play and tonight we didn’t get anything going.

“Tonight, that would have been the difference in the game.”  (Calgary Herald)

Unfortunately, you do have to give Calgary credit.  They've managed to make a good team look...well, foolish.  Maybe that's not the right word, but it's what comes to my I'm-really-pissed-off-today mind.

There seems to be controversy around the Shinnimin hit.  It's another something I don't want to talk about.  Primarily because I haven't seen the hit, so I have no room to comment on it either way.

Whatever, here's to hoping my day improves.

Game 2

So....that happened.  But it's a new day, another game.

"That wasn't a great game by our team," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller. "The odd thing is I thought we started all right, but the breakaway goal got them momentum and the two power-play goals put us behind the eight ball.

"From there, I thought we had some shots, but we didn't generate much offensively, which typically isn't our style."

"We got down 3-0 and we didn't answer the bell after that," said Tri-City captain Jarrett Toll. "Good thing is we get to play (today). We're not a team that's going to quit. We are not satisfied just making the finals."

"We know what we did wrong. We just have to correct those mistakes and battle harder (today)," said Ams defenseman Brett Plouffe.

"For the most part, we kept them to bad angles and I was able to see a lot of pucks," Jones said. "Not having turnovers at either blue line was big for us, because they're such a fast team."

"I thought our power play, which has been really good for us all year really struggled," Hiller said. "I thought Calgary put a lot of pressure on us. We need to be better on loose pucks, and we will be. We haven't lost two games in a row in the playoffs, and every time we've lost we've come back with an excellent effort."  (Herald)

Here's to hoping that trend of huge effort after a loss continues tonight in game 2.

"This is one, no question it wasn't a good one, but we'll be back (tonight)," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller. "If we get (tonight), we'll be tied, reach our objective and be heading home. We would have loved to beat every team four straight and be sitting here and had won Game 1, but it doesn't work that way in hockey and we understand that.

"We just have to be better (tonight). We're 90 games into it or so and we understand. We'll be better, we'll be better. Flat out."  (Calgary Herald)

The Hitmen aren't going to sit back, you can be sure of that.  They're no dummimes, neither is their coach, and they know the AMS are going to have some life tonight and they're gonna step up their game too.

“We’re certainly not getting ahead of ourselves,’’ cautioned captain Michael Stone. “The score looked big, but the game wasn’t that lopsided. The shots were pretty much even. They can be very explosive, so I thought we did a good job of holding them down.

“We’re happy, we’re excited, we won the first one, but nobody in our room thinks this is going to be the way this series is going to go.

“That’s a good team over there. We were lucky. Got some breaks, some bounces. Pucks found some holes for us. And Jonesy played great. That was the difference. We buried our chances.’’  (Calgary Herald)

To file under "WTF?" this from the "Hitmen Insider" at the Calgary Herald:

The Hitmen showed they can skate with these little waterbugs from south of the border but they didn't punish them physically. That may be in the offing, but only if they need it. They also discovered they can't let up, even with fat leads because this Jim Hiller-coached crew doesn't know the meaning of quit.

Little waterbugs?  Huh?  Physical "only if they need it"?*  Go ahead and STFU.  But he's right, the Americans don't know the meaning of quit.

From Yahoo! sports:

"I thought it was a lot closer game, especially early on, than the score indicated," said Hitmen head coach Mike Williamson. "Both teams had that feeling out period that's pretty typical when you don't see each other much. Fortunately we were able to score on the chances that we did generate and that was the difference."  (Yahoo!)

I don't know what else to add.  It was frustrating, I know that, the team knows that.  I freakin' love this team no matter what.  I'm pretty sure the boys can shake off last night better than us fans.  But we'll be here, chatting it up while the game's on, stop by and stay hi if you wanna, liveblog after the jump.

*I'm sorry but this line made me think of the movie "Natural Born Killers" when Juliette Lewis' character says "he only beats me when I deserve it".  ugh.

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