Mudbugs Hockey Blog

The Mudbugs used three first period goals to propel them to their 34th win, thus clinching them a spot in the 2010 Presidents Cup playoffs with 6 games left in the ‘09-10 campaign. This will be the 7th straight season the team has earned a playoff birth dating back to the 2002-03 season.

Defensemen Jim Jorgenson and Brett Smith each contributed a goal and assist, while James DeLory and Travis Clayton picked up the other pair of Mudbug goals.

Goalie Kenny Carroll frustrated the IceRays throughout, stopping 36 of 37 shots for his 14th win on the season. The win also moved him into a 2nd place tie for the most career wins in Central Hockey League history with 187.

It took a total of 1:54 for the Mudbugs to jump out to a 3-0 lead in the opening period which began at the 8:01 mark when Brett Smith fed a pass to Jim Jorgenson who flipped the biscuit into the basket for his 7th of the season and 2nd as a Mudbug.

Then just :27 later James DeLory, fresh off his pummeling of a Bee the night before, pounced on a rebound to earn his 2nd goal of the season. Jamie Milam and Scott Kalinchuk picked up the helpers.

The Mudbugs widened the gap even further to 3-0 at 9:55 of the period when Brett Smith scored his 13th of the season off a backhand past IceRay goalie Kevin Beech. The assists went to Joe Blaznek and Jim Jorgensen.

The IceRays could only solve the solid netminding put forth by Kenny Carroll with 1 goal on the night. That goal came at 11:49 of the 3rd period, snapping any hopes of a shutout. Then with less a minute left to play, the IceRays vacated the net in favor of an extra attacker. Didn’t work out  as Mudbugs Travis Clayton fired the puck in a gaping net for his 17th of the season from Shawn Limpright.

The Mudbugs have now increased their road record to 19-7-4, putting them into a tie for the most road wins with the Odessa Jackalopes who have a 19-7-2 record. That win also puts the Mudbugs into 1st place in the CHL in road points earned at 42. Road warriors indeed.

Next up for the Bugs will be the Mississippi RiverKings in Southaven Mississippi on Saturday night at 7:05pm.

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The Bossier Shreveport Mudbugs for all intense and purposes put in a horrible effort, and were punished with a 5-0 hole that proved to be too much for any team to climb out of.  The Mudbugs have now lost their 3rd consecutive game, and are now officially in a funk.

Rio Grande Valley had 4 players who finished with multiple points. Aaron Lee (3g, 1a) and Zak McClellan (1g,3a) each had 4 point nights. Sean Muncy had 3 assists, and Nathan Ansell contributed a goal and an assist. Netminder Andy Franck put forth his second straight solid effort finishing the night with 37 saves.

Jeff Kryzakos scored his team leading 21st goal, while Mark Johnson picked up his 10th for the Mudbugs.  John DeCaro took the loss, and was replaced by Kenny Carroll after the 4th Killer Bees goal at 8:08 of the second period. Although fans cheer when the “other guy” comes in, you have to feel for Decaro. Did he give up five goals? Yes. Were they all his fault? Some nights you could say that, but this was not one of them.

There were unforced errors, turnovers galore and very few battles being won along the boards. Not to mention the blind passes, as well as coming within a whisker of giving up their 4th shorthanded goal over their last 5 games. They lacked intensity as well as urgency, the list goes on.

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The Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees handed the Mudbugs their 2nd straight home loss with a shorthanded goal late in the first period, and an unassisted marker off a Mudbugs turnover in the dying seconds of the third period.

Daymen Rycroft added an assist and put away the game winner, while Killer Bee netminder Andy Frank finished with 25 saves, many of them excellent scoring chances. He was the best player on the ice last night.

After a scoreless first period along with most of the second, Killer Bees defensemen Tom Sawatske scored shorthanded with just :37 left in the period. He picked up his own rebound and fired it past Mudbugs netminder John DeCaro for his 4th of the season.

Not a good sign - Despite giving up the second fewest shorthanded goals in the league at just seven, three of the seven have come in the last 4 games. This has now become a bad trend that the Mudbugs can ill afford with the playoffs right around the corner.

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The Bossier Shreveport Mudbugs were enjoying their longest winning streak of the season with 4 wins at home and 4 wins away. That came to a halt with a 3-2 loss to the Allen Americans.  It was also their first home loss in almost a month. Hopefully the last with 6 left on the schedule.

Mudbugs forward Jeff Kryzakos picked up a goal and an assist, giving him 3g, 3a over his last 5 games. Shawn Limpright contributed a pair of assists to advance his point streak to 6 games with 4g, 7a. Travis Clayton also got on the board with a goal, to extend his point streak to 9 games collecting 2g, 10a. Over the last 5 games alone, this trio has contributed 22 points. Great job guys.

It took only :10 for the Americans to crack the scoreboard after the Mudbugs fumbled the puck in the neutral zone resulting in a two on one break that lead to Allen’s Matt Radoslovich firing the puck into open side past a sprawled Kenny Carroll.

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The Bossier Shreveport Mudbugs defeated the Tulsa Oilers for the second straight night by a 3-2 score. They were led by Simon Mangos with his 11th and 12th of the season. Tyrel Lucas scored the game winner and Goalie Kenny Carroll made 35 saves for his 13th win of the season.

Goals were scored in every fashion in this crazy game. A pair on the powerplay, one with the extra attacker, one shorthanded, and the winner was scored at even strength. There was even two goals scored on the same infraction.

When you’re winning like the Bugs are now, those kind of things either don’t hurt you or they work in your favor. The team has to be doing something right when the breaks and bounces work to your advantage. As we all know, it doesn’t always work out that way, so get’em while they’re hot.

The one thing that does worry me some, is for the second straight game the Mudbugs gave up a shorthanded marker. However, despite those mishaps, the Mudbugs special team rankings have been the best they have been all season.

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The Tulsa Oilers, down 3-1, came back with a pair of 3rd period goals to tie the contest and eventually send the game into overtime.  But they would gain only a point as Justin Aikins scored his second game winner in as many games just :21 into the extra session, squashing the Oilers hopes in a flash.

The Mudbugs came out of the gate with fire in their eyes as they pestered the Oilers 21-7 in shots and 1-0 on the scoreboard by the end of the first. The lone goal was scored at with :29 left in the period by Tyrel Lucas with his 15th from David Rutherford. The Oilers were not happy with the effort in the period, but felt fortunate to be only down by one goal.

The Oilers didn’t help themselves as they were flagged for three straight infractions in the period which ultimately accounted for some of the lopsided shot differential. As for the Mudbugs, they really needed to capitalize on their chances having come up short on all three man advantages in that period.

Just one tick off the clock to start the second, Mudbugs David Pszenyczny threw down with Oilers Jake Riddle in an effort to spark his team. His efforts must have worked as the Oilers stormed back to tie the game just 1:51 later as teammate Dan Riedel put away his 16th of the season.

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