Mudbugs Hockey Blog

Defense wins hockey games. Yes it does. But it just seems funny that Muscy was so damn fired up about Darryl Lloyd & Godoy at the beginning of the season. His exact words were “I am definitely pumped about having these guys on the team.” In fact he was pumped up about the whole team.

And now all of sudden; Lloyd just doesn’t fit into the program. I thought he was doing pretty darn good. Now let’s look at Godoy. He’s played 14 games & has 2 goals & 6 assists. He’s not exactly lighting up the lamp. It’s Brass, Smitty & Ori doing the most of the scoring. So I wonder if Godoy may be next in line as for not fitting in.

As for the Abbott Bros. Everyone knows why they left. They were getting sick & tired of getting the shite beat out of em.  Why??? Because there wasn’t an enforcer to take up the slack. Is there one this season??? NOPE!!! And it seems our team is getting smaller & smaller. Yes. Defense wins hockey games. But you gotta have some offense to produce some goals.

But the main thing I hear from alot of folks (& I’m thinking the same thing; but I’m just the only one that will post it & not mind taking the heat for it) is “Yes; our BUGS have been to the post-season almost every season under the helm of Muscy; but they haven’t been able to win a championship since the very 1st one. And I’ll go further in saying this. How many of the 2nd Cup winning players were on the 3rd Championship team?? Just wondering.

I will always love our BUGS. And I’ll support them win or lose. I did it with the Moccasins. But not everyone is like me & a few others. Some of the natives get restless & do stop coming to the games. They want to win that Cup once again. But they see their team falter in the post-season year after year. And they wonder “What’s the problem. There’s definitely something wrong.”

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I have intentionally not written anything for a while, decided to lay in the weeds and watch the Bugs go by(unfortunately pun intended). I had said in a previous post that there was a common denominator in the organization as to why we can’t get certain players to return and why we keep losing players. Guess who!!!

When the Bugs released Kevin Labbatte at 6-02 190 in favor of 5-09 170 Kevin Cooper, I thought “oh! great, the team that’s too small already, just got smaller.” Then to top that off they have 5-07 170 Tristan Fairban, little brother (pun intended) of Ryan Fairbarn waiting in the wings.

Now lo and behold for some reason Darryl Lloyd 5-10 195 apparently had enough of something or someone and has decided to leave the team for greener pastures. Pretty bad when anywhere is better than here if that’s the case. Lloyd always played bigger than he was and was the kind of player that liked to play with an edge, Good grief if that type of player isn’t good enough then why did we keep Danny Wildfong for so long. Come on now.

I think what’s more important here is “why” did he leave? Or maybe better stated, how did he get to the point of wanting to leave in the first place? I thought Bossier Shreveport was the place to play, the place to be? I happen to think it is, but it also has some flaws that may very well be coming to a head like a bad pimple.

As a fan this really ticks me off. I was really liking the guy and thought like others he was a guy that Mudbug fans could really like. But no!! it’s off you go young man whether he wanted to or not whether it was his choice or not, he is no longer on this team, who is at fault here? Is it the style of play? is it the Coach? or was it “anywhere is better than here?

I love this team as much as the next person, maybe more, but to sit back and be spoon fed fresh baloney is enough to make any Bugs fan question the motives of the team. I am certain it’s to win, and win with the right players, right players!!! who recruited these so called wrong players to begin with?

The fact that Joe Ori was smashed into the boards head first during the last home game is not the question, the question is did the other team do so because they felt there would be no repercussion?, or that there is no intimidation factor coming from this team? Yes we have a few that will drop the gloves, I am speaking of perception, the fact that teams perceive our team to be small and easy to push around is by no means intimidating.

If i was to game plan against the Bugs’ speed and quickness they supposedly as a whole, I would play a physical game to try and slow down the smaller guys, because if the Bugs can’t use their speed and quickness they are toast. Damn good thing we have a great set of goaltenders to rely on.

© 2007 – 2009, Mudbugs Hockey Blog. All rights reserved. To Republish you must link back to the Original Article

Wow! That pretty much sums up everything I’m thinking about. The guys have busted ass and came out on top. SWEET!!!!
Anyways, the game Saturday was rockin and last night stayed the course. I have to mention Brett Smith. Holy crap this guy rocks!! I love watching him out there. He is so fast and so damn fiesty, you can’t help but be drawn to him when he is on the ice. After he lost his helmet last night, he kept on playing. It scared the you-know-what out of me to see him banging around like he didn’t care he lost it. And you know what, he probably didn’t.
Of course, Pegs and Ori kept me entertained and on the edge of my seat as usual. Great job, guys. You rock!
I can’t wait to see Lloyd back on the ice. Patience is a virtue I do not possess, but I will try.
I have to mention someone I met at the game Saturday night. Anita, you are great! My bug-buddies (what I call those who go with me to the games) and I have been buying our tickets in different sections to see where we like to sit the most. Last year we stayed in 119. Saturday we chose 120. We talked to the people in front of us and beside us (sorry I didn’t get your names, but you all are just as amazing). A lady tapped me on the shoulder during the game and asked if I was ok. She said she was having just as much fun watching my reactions. Throughout the rest of the game, when there was a score, we high-fived and celebrated. At the end of the game I stayed and talked to her for awhile.
After Saturday’s game, the bug-buddies agreed that 120 is where we would try to sit from now on. The fans there were so amazing that it’s hard to explain. And that is where we sat last night. Anita helped explain some things about the game to me and for that I’m very appreciative. I look forward to next Tuesday so I can see the Bugs, but also to visit with the fans in 120.
I’ve always wondered if the players can hear the fans. I have never had the chance to ask them. Maybe one day I will.

© 2007 – 2009, Mudbugs Hockey Blog. All rights reserved. To Republish you must link back to the Original Article

Support. Support for our team and support for our coach. That is what this blog is about.
I’m not going to bash anyone. The games that have been lost are in the past.
This is now. From here we look to the future. We aim for wins and we aim for a championship.
I don’t know if the players or the players families read these, but this message is for them.
I’m sure there is a lot of crap being said, and It’s probably hard to hear and read. I just want to thank you.
Thank you for coming to Shreveport, La., and putting on a show. Some days are better than others and right now things are not looking well. We, the fans, expect a winning team. Even though the books are not showing a win now, they will soon. I have not been a fan very long, but I’m here now and my support for you guys is 100 percent. I am upset when there is no win, but I will hang in there and support you regardless.
I can’t speak for the thousands of other fans, so I will tell you what you have done for me.
To say my life is busy is an understatement. I work full-time for a newspaper and part time as an emergency medical technician. I also take care of my four-year-old niece, take care of a home, animals and everything that comes with it. You, the Mudbugs, are my release. What little time I have left, I spend them at a game. The games are my release from everyday tasks. I look forward to seeing you out there giving it your all. Sometimes I feel like maybe you are tired and giving it your all is hard. But, for the most part, in my opinion, you do.
You take time out to visit and do things for the community. Visiting the children at the hospital on Halloween was absolutely amazing.
Yes, this is your job. To win is your job. Fix the problems and become the team that we know you guys are capable of.

Whatever is going on behind the scenes, whether it’s issues with coaching, players or whatever. Get it fixed. Do it for the fans. Do it for the little boy behind me at the game Friday who was so upset when there was no score. Do it for the fans who drive hours to see you play. Do it for all the mothers, fathers and children who come to cheer you on.
Some you win and some you lose. Whatever is going on behind the scenes is something I will never know. I don’t know what goes through your heads when there has been no win, and some are calling for dismissals. Step up and get things together. Become the championship team that is in your hearts.
I’m behind you and so are the fans. Some are more fustrated than others, but I believe we all are still behind you.
I’m not usually this forgiving, but this is what I felt like writing.
Look deep, dig down and fight for this. I’m looking forward to the first win. Hopefully it will come tonight. Good luck!!!!

© 2007 – 2009, Mudbugs Hockey Blog. All rights reserved. To Republish you must link back to the Original Article

Is it the calm before the storm? Are Bugs fans calling for changes to be done and done quickly? I think so! This shit about players not buying into Musky’s system has me enraged. I am so sick of hearing “the players need time to gel’ or “we must find new players that will listen to Mr. Cussbox”

I think the only common denominator here is Musky himself, personally I have nothing against the guy, it’s just business and the business is entertainment. If that sucks then I am going to find something else to do. it’s easy as that. Does that make me a bad fan? does that that make me bandwagon fan? personally I don’t care what others think, but I think I can speak for many by saying we are sick of the shit and more importantly how its been happening.

Can a coach where out his welcome with fans? yes. Has that happened? you tell me. Can the coach lose the respect of the players and grow a deaf ear to the coach? you bet they can. Is that’s what’s happened ? sure looked that way Friday night.

We keep hearing there’s oodles of talent on this team, but its not the talent that’s in need of perspective changes, its the heart , identity and who they really go out there and sacrifice themselves for whatever needs to get to win and who they are willing to do it for. winning just doesnt happen, it has to be worked for and worked hard to achieve success in any league. The Bugs are still trying to find or understand all of the above.

How are they supposed to learn these things? Confidence is one of the best tools for winning as well as learning how to do things better to raise the level of their play. Without confidence you may find yourself roaming around in circles with no focus or meaning to what your task is supposed to be.

If they can find a rallying point to focus on that may possibly translate that focus into a couple of wins and that can go along way to bringing confidence back to these players as well as the fans in them.

The ability to climb out of this funk is not the question, it is how and whose expense?

© 2007 – 2009, Mudbugs Hockey Blog. All rights reserved. To Republish you must link back to the Original Article