Scorpions 3, Blazers 0

Wow...just wow

I don't think anyone around the league saw this one coming. Last night's loss to Odessa left such a bitter taste in my mouth that I didn't even bother writing about it, but boy oh boy did the Scorpions make up for it with hands down their best 60-minute effort of the season and possibly of the past few seasons. The offense was crisp, confident and aggressive, the defense was both smart and fundamental, and the goaltending was world-class. The team Randy Murphy put out there tonight was one that finally recognized its potential, and if they can keep that up, the rest of the league is sure to take notice.

Observations:

• Sweet redemption for Jason Wolfe against his former mates, especially after getting pretty well handled in the first meeting between the two teams. While the defense deserves all the credit in the world, especially without Michael Beynon, it was Wolfe who made the shutout stand with a remarkable third period. That save he made late in the game on Jeff MacDermid could be the save of the season
• Seth Leonard must have heard the grumbling because he continues to heat up. As Murphy has said a number of times, you probably won't see the best Seth Leonard until around December. Well, if 10 points (5g, 5a) and a +7 in the last 5 games of November is a prelude of what's to come, the critics are likely to be starved for words
• For the first time this season, the Scorpions forced the issue on special teams, especially the penalty-kill. That passive box that opponents had been so quick to exploit was nowhere to be found, and even though T.J. Luxmore only whistled the Scorpions for 7 penalties (5 of which resulted in powerplays), Murphy has to be happy with the PK
• How slick was the play by Jamie Herrington on Leonard's second goal of the game? Herry was a smart player when he joined the Scorpions two seasons ago, but he has come back as an even savvier player on both sides of the puck. He has been the epitome of an all-situations guy for the Scorpions and I hope he gets the recognition he deserves

Elsewhere:

• It's not a field goal or a 9-spot, but Rapid City shutting out Colorado in the Rush's home debut is as impressive as any scoreline in the CHL this season
• As Greg Rajan documents, an instant classic between the Kings and the IceRays in Corpus.
• Laredo does the Scorpions a favor
• So does Tulsa -- for about 22 minutes. Ouch

To nicely tie all of the night's themes together, here's a boxscore from one of my all-time favorite games, a 1-0 shutout by Miguel Beaudry against OKC back in the Tingley days.

Sundogs 6, Scorpions 4

I didn't see the first period of this game, which means I basically missed everything important. Still, it's another game that the Scorpions have lost because of shellshock. And once again, it's the shift immediately after a goal where they manage to shoot themselves in the foot. It's even tougher to swallow when you consider that the Scorpions held their own, if not outplayed Arizona in the second and third periods. They're going to need a much hungrier effort against Odessa on Friday.

Observations:

• It's amazing how one player can make an offense click, and that is exactly what Adam Perry has done. He is a phenomenally talented player and not only has he turned the Sundogs' top line into a formidable scoring threat, but he's also taken the pressure off the second and third line guys, who are in turn playing more relaxed, confident hockey. God, I sure hope San Antonio wants him back sometime soon
• On the other end of the spectrum, you hate to say that one player can break a team's chances, but the past three games have shown how much the Scorpions miss Michael Beynon on the back end. This could prove to be a very costly two weeks unless the Scorpions find a way to improve their team defense in Beynon's absence
• Speaking of no defense, you have to feel for Jason Wolfe, especially on his 31st birthday. From what I heard, he got absolutely hung out to dry, and you never want to put yourself in a position where your goaltender has to give you a chance in the game's first 10 minutes. Goalies steal games at the end of regulation, not the beginning. Having said that, I definitely feel that Andrew Martin played a stellar 40 minutes in relief
• One positive sign for the Scorpions is the continued success of the Macdonald/Stephens/Leonard line. Those three have just been getting hotter and hotter, and it's going to be tough to keep them off the scoresheet if their chemistry continues to build. And for all the Leonard doubters, how about that blind, tape-to-tape pass that hit Macdonald in stride on his second goal of the night? I can't imagine anyone will still have a problem with Lenny's play come the all-star break
• A pretty ballsy move by Chris Robertson in the third, taking a cue from former CHL/WPHLer Mike Legg. I would've loved to have seen Robo on youtube!
• I wish Andrew Smale a speedy recovery after taking a high stick to his already-broken nose. He looked to be absolutely miserable when he went to the locker room with Woody. Smale's tough-as-nails, but something tells me he'll go back to the full face-shield for a bit longer
• Hockey will be much easier to watch when Karl Sellan leaves. Until then, I'll have to settle for watching Ben Chaisson pound him into oblivion. Nice way for big Ben to pick up his first major in the Scorps uniform.

Elsewhere:

• Odessa looks scary again
• Apparently if Texas and Bossier play to a one-goal game, the Mudbugs are screwed
• Ladies and gentlemen, your MVP

Fill me in...

Well I was out of town this past weekend, and with internet costing a pretty $15-a-day at the Marriott Rancho Cordova, I had to pass on catching the games via the CHL Network. So why don't you guys tell me what you think? From looking at the boxscores, it sounds like it was a good weekend both for the Scorpions and their faithful. It appears that the oft-criticized Seth Leonard is doing his part to silence his critics, and it also appears that Christmas came early for the Sundogs in the form of Adam Perry. Must be nice to not have to scout your own talent. The irony is that the San Antonio Rampage are at the very bottom of the AHL (5 points in 19 games...ouch) and are dead last in the league in goals for. Sound like a team that has offense to spare?

Eagles 3, Scorpions 1

It may not have been a win, but this was far and away one of the Scorpions' best performances this season, especially on home ice. The Eagles showed why they are among the league's elite in every facet of the game, and while I won't say that they didn't deserve to win this game, I'll certainly say that the Scorpions didn't deserve to lose it. Anytime you can go punch-for-punch with a perennial powerhouse, especially given where their respective confidence levels were going into tonight, you have to call it a success.

Observations:

• Somehow, the Eagles always seem to be in the right spot, no matter how unpredictable and spontaneous the play happens to be. A perfect example came in the third period, when Seth Leonard found himself alone in the slot. Lenny ripped one that was labeled for the top corner, and somehow Scott Polaski cruised right into the shooting lane at the last minute and blocked the shot, which in turn kicked right to Ed McGrane and sprung the Eagles 3-on-1 the other way. A similar play happened on a pinball rebound that resulted in a transition goal that gave Colorado the lead for good in the third. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, but to be lucky AND good? C'mon...
• The Eagles came in waves, as they usually do, and when they found their stride, Jason Wolfe almost single-handedly kept the Scorpions in the game. He had several key saves, including a great kick save on an Erik Adams one-timer in the first and that huge glove save on Greg Pankewicz in the second. It's a real shame that the game had to be decided on the one shot all night that Wolfe should've stopped, but any goalie will tell you that backhand shots can be pretty tough to read. Still, you know the big guy wants that one back.
• At the other end, Andrew Penner was impressive when he had to be. That save on Leonard in the second was easily the save of the game from either goalie, but aside from that, Colorado's team defense did a pretty stellar job of keeping the shots from the outside, especially on the powerplay. Credit Penner with controlling his rebounds well and not allowing the Scorpions to generate chances from seemingly harmless shots.
• As far as the Reeder/Leonard storyline goes, both were relatively quiet. Leonard seemed intent on bodying up a bit more against his old mates (including a nice hit that almost put Reeder into his own bench) but his offensive talents were pretty well kept at bay. The same can be said for Reeder, who to me seems a bit caged by Colorado's offensive system. It seems pretty weird to not see him at full flight when he's on the ice, but that could also be a credit to Randy Murphy's guys for doing a phenomenal job shutting down the Tobler/McGrane/Reeder line. Obviously Reeder did get the icing goal in the final minute, but the goal seemed rather irrelevant. I also have no idea how Reeder missed that tip-in attempt during the second period. Polaski sent him a slap-pass at the top of the crease, and he managed to tip it clean over the goal and nearly out of play from not even three feet away. Part of me is starting to see why maybe he didn't quite fit into Colorado's offensive system the first go-round. You have to give a guy like him open ice and creative freedom for him to be his most effective, and while Colorado's offense is the best in the business, it seems a bit too formulaic for a player like Reeder
  
• I was very impressed with the play of the Scorpions' third line tonight, on both sides of the puck. In the first period, the trio of Mike MacDonald, Sam Bowles and Jamie Herrington was all over the place, causing a few uncharacteristic turnovers and really taking the Eagles out of their comfort territory. They also generated some good chances early and kept the momentum with the Scorpions, even after Colorado went up 1-0
• I continue to be impressed with the play of Michael Beynon. He has been a fantastic addition to the Scorpions' blueline and has provided a nice bit of stability on the back end. I also thought he looked pretty good quarterbacking the powerplay last night too. Give him a few more games to get the new systems under his belt, and this guy will start turning some heads
  

Elsewhere:

• Laredo waives Marty Standish. Strange move if you ask me, but Joy Lindsay puts things in perspective a bit. I agree that we've probably seen the last of Standish in the CHL, unless he plans a reunion tour with the Blazers.
  

Right on cue...

...Arizona lands a nice fat point-producer from San Antonio. Should be fun to see how Corey Perry's lil' bro terrorizes the AA ranks. Just a note: the younger Perry finished fourth in scoring on the 06-07 London Knights squad with 87 points in 68 games. You may have heard of Gagner, Kostitsyn and Kane, the three guys who finished in front of him.

The long-awaited homecoming

Most of the fans on the Scorpions boards are pretty fired up about tonight's game and the return of Konrad Reeder to the SASC. It's going to be interesting to see how it all pans out.

As far as the bigger picture, a solid performance from the Scorpions against arguably the league's best team could and would be a huge boost to Randy Murphy's troops, especially if they could do it on home ice. Tulsa proved that the Eagles are human last week, but it took a couple of three-goal holes to do it, and while the Scorpions have proven capable of both digging themselves into holes and occasionally clawing their way out of them, the last thing they want to do is get into a run-and-gun game with talent the likes of Colorado's.

I'll post more from the game tonight

Rage 5, Scorpions 2

The Scorpions' home woes continue, as does their uncanny ability to kill any momentum they get from a win. Unfortunately, one of the bigger crowds of the year was on hand to witness this debacle. There probably aren't too many folks out there who want to come back after seeing their home team outplayed offensively, outplayed defensively, beaten to every puck...you get my point. And I honestly never thought I could see an offense of that caliber fall that flat, but there simply was nothing working for the Scorpions and I'm sure Randy Murphy let them hear about it, as any coach should. They're certainly going to have their work cut out tonight against a red-hot Brahmas team that has already embarrassed the Scorpions once this season.

Observations:

• The first period was just a good defensive period from both sides, but then it seemed like the Scorpions got too antsy about not putting up goals and forgot to take care of their own end. The Rage probably cycled the puck in the Scorpions zone for three or four consecutive shifts before Morelli scored. I don't think there was a Scorpion within 15 feet of Morelli when he took that pass in the slot either.
• For all the unsolicited mistakes the Scorpions made, you have to give credit to Rocky Mountain's team defense. They were flying all over the ice, taking away every passing lane, finishing every check, and essentially giving the Scorpions nothing to work with.
  
• Having said that, it was basically a padded stats night for Scott Reid. His defense let him see everything, as so did the Scorps, especially on the powerplay. I can think of maybe two challenging saves Reid was forced to make, but aside from that, he definitely didn't have to be the Scott Reid of old to win this one.
• Poor Andrew Martin. I would rank tonight's game among his best starts this season, and it was the one time the Scorpions' offense did nothing to help. He bit a little early on Morelli's goal, leaving the 5-hole open, but I can't really fault him on any of the other goals. He single-handedly kept the Scorpions in the game, especially during the second period
• The Scorpions scored twice in the final 5 minutes to make things interesting, and both times they conceded a goal on the very next shift. That has been a focal point of this team since Ray Edwards was at the helm, and the Scorpions effectively failed. The few times I've seen the team going over tape, there is always a huge emphasis put on the first shift after a goal, regardless of which team scores. An empty-netter is a slightly different circumstance, but the Scorpions couldn't even get posession of the puck in deep after they yanked Martin
• One bright spot of the night was Michael Beynon. I was extremely impressed with his performance, especially in his own end. He seems to be the kind of shutdown defenseman the Scorpions need to help take the load off Aaron MacInnis' shoulders. And from what I saw, he was great at starting the rush and making that first pass out of his zone. Hopefully he can bring some stability to the blueline

Elsewhere, in a rather upside-down night in the CHL:

• Amarillo thumps Odessa at the Jack Shack. Interesting to note that Sam Ftorek has points in every game since the Scorpions blanked him opening weekend
• Texas and Bossier combine for another nail-biter.
• Huh?
  
• HUH????
  

Changes on the back end

Randy Murphy's taking steps in the right direction in terms of overhauling the Scorpions' defense core, adding ECHL defenseman Michael Beynon to the mix. Beynon doesn't have a wealth of experience under his belt, but a guy with a minor ECHL pedigree and a bit of time at AHL camp definitely can't hurt what has been a very inexperienced back end.

To make room for Beynon, Murphy waived Russell Smith. Smith was another genuinely nice guy and a character, to boot. Best of luck wherever he ends up.

Murphy also placed Tyler Fuller on the 14-day IR, while Mike MacDonald came off and is expected to suit up tonight. I expect that "Mini Mac" will take shifts as the 4th man on the checking line, while my guess is that we'll see Beynon maybe paired with Dylan Row.

Full team press release can be found here

Out with the old...

Well it went from speculation to rumor to truth in the matter of a few days, but Blazers mainstay and uberpest Marty Standish was traded to Laredo today in exchange for future considerations. The move makes room for Chad Hinz on Sauter's already loaded roster, and it gives Standish a whole new conference of players whose skin he can get under. I'm sure it'll also help Terry Ruskowski light a fire under his guys, as if jobs weren't on the line already following a very un-Laredo like 6-4-0 start (remember when they lost just 8 games in regulation all year back in 03-04?).

Of course, logic says that Marty Standish has been such a royal pain-in-the-a** for nearly the past decade that he would have to go to a Southern Conference team, as not too many fans have short-term memories when it comes to guys like him

Scorpions 5, Sundogs 3

A great win for the Scorpions, and a much-needed one at that. Given how Arizona has been playing in its past few games, Randy Murphy has to be very happy with his team's showing on the road. Now if the Scorpions could only show this kind of intensity at home...

Observations:

• Once again, it's great to see the Scorpions get scoring from all three lines. Not only does it take the pressure off the top two lines, but it also gives that shutdown line some confidence, and nothing beats getting timely goals from your checking line. Just a note: Sam Bowles has points in four games this season, three of which have been Scorpions victories
• A much better performance from the Scorpions on the defensive side of the puck. There is still room for improvement, and the defense as a unit seems to lack that aggressiveness that you see in teams like OKC and Bossier, but it's a step in the right direction. Also, as Adam said, credit to Tyler Fuller for playing what has to be his best defensive game in a Scorpions uniform
• Along those same lines, a simply fantastic game for Andrew Martin, and hopefully one he can feed off of in the near future. Those back-to-back saves on the 2-on-1 with Gascon and Kolanos were unbelieveable. He seemed to be seeing the puck better through traffic as well, and his rebound control looked far better as well
• What a slick goal from Craig Macdonald. That quick inside-outside move is becoming his bread-and-butter, and a great finish to roof that puck from in close. That combination of power-forward strength, playmaker hands and finisher shot is quickly turning "Middle Mac" into an impact player for the Scorpions

Elsewhere:

• For just the second time this season, Greg Pankewicz has more points than PIMs. On an interesting note, Konrad Reeder is now donning Seth Leonard's old No. 18

Scorpions week in review

Sorry about the lack of posts recently...kind of a hectic week so I'm just now getting around to posting again.

Anyhow, the Scorpions went 1-2-0 in their three games this week, pushing their record on the season to 4-5-1 and putting them in a tie for second in the Southwest Division with Arizona. They meet the Sundogs in Prescott Valley on Tuesday, so someone will have sole possession of that second spot by the weekend.

Like the rest of you, I wasn't able to watch Friday's game at Wichita. It's a damn shame too, because it sounds like it was the kind of game that people pay good money to see. Credit both sides with fighting back to erase deficits, and credit the officiating crew with being on top of the action at the end of the regulation. That's a tough call for anyone to have to make, but it sounds like all involved did their respective parts to ensure the right call was made.

As for Saturday, I was able to watch the game and definitely wished that I'd chosen not to. First things first, full credit to the Blazers, as they showed why they're a force to be reckoned with in the Northern Conference. Still, it's difficult to watch a game that feels like it's being played at two different speeds. The Scorpions were getting beaten to pucks all over the ice and never really looked to play a controlled kind of game.

Here are a few observations/notes from this week:

• First, and most importantly, the Scorpions need to do SOMETHING to sure up their defense. In the past, the Scorpions have struggled with shoddy goaltending. And while Andrew Martin and Jason Wolfe have both had performances they would like to forget, the blame hardly rests on the them, in my opinion. The problem is the guys in front of them. Randy Murphy preaches about taking away time and space in the defensive zone, yet I have seen more freewheeling by the opposition than I remember in recent years. Part of me thinks the guys are a bit edgy with how the league has cracked down further on obstruction penalties and whatnot, but giving anyone at this level time and space is going to get you in a lot of trouble. And it has for the Scorpions, who are dead last in the league with 47 goals against in just 10 contests. On the bright side, the Scorps rank 3rd in offensive output with 41 goals for, but unless you're last year's Sundogs, run-and-gun hockey isn't going to take you to the postseason. Obviously the talent Murphy has up front has negated the relative lack of experience, but the same can't be said for the back end. I definitely feel that Murphy needs to make a move on minimum one veteran defenseman to fill those massive gaps in the back line and take the pressure off Aaron MacInnis
• Seth Leonard is getting closer and closer to game shape every day and he is finally starting to live up to his reputation. I know that his numbers don't look great right off the bat (4g, 2a, -7 in 8 games) but he's starting to find some chemistry with Craig Macdonald and Mitch Stephens, which is an encouraging sign. If Randy Murphy continues to give Leonard some creative freedom in the offensive zone, I have very high hopes for what that line can do.
• Four of the Scorpions' next 7 games are against Arizona, which means a ton of divisional points are up for grabs. Clearly the Sundogs have yet to find their stride as well, so you know both Randy Murphy and Marco Pietroniro are pressing their respective squads to clamp down and grab some points that could potentially make-or-break a playoff birth down the road

IceRays 6, Scorpions 3

This is starting to sound all-to-familiar...
-Scorpions dig themselves a hole
-Scorpions wake up, play inspiring hockey to seemingly dig themselves out of hole
-Scorpions shoot themselves in the foot
-Hole gets deeper, Randy Murphy gets angrier

I guess Wednesday's game was somewhat of a role-reversal from last Saturday, when the Scorps were the ones to jump on a wounded Rocky Mountain squad. Still, one would think Murphy's troops would come out a lot hungrier against another team starved for confidence.

Observations:

• I think everyone in the building collectively said "here we go again" when the IceRays converted their first two powerplays less than 6 minutes in. Credit Ryan Bennett with a pair of textbook shots from the point. Andrew Martin never saw the first one, and he had no time to react on a superb tip from Mike Zbriger on the second. On the plus side, the Scorpions PK somehow managed to relax and do its part for the rest of the game. Too bad it took two goals
• Kris Tebbs deserves all the credit in the world for making the Rays' lead stand. The guy was seeing absolutely everything and his rebound control was exceptional. It was one of those nights where you knew everything was on his side, including Lady Luck. I by no means want to take anything away from Tebbs' performance, but there were about 7 or 8 shots he didn't stop that fate managed to keep out. With the Scorps already down 2-0 and on another PK, Aaron MacInnis took a Torren Delforte feed and ripped one past Tebbs that came right back off the post. That would've made it a 2-1 game and shifted the momentum heavily in the Scorps' favor. Then in the third period, both Jamie Herrington and Craig Macdonald missed wide-open nets, and Corey Courchene danced through 3 Corpus defenders, only to have the puck roll on him when he went to the backhand on Tebbs. Then again, it's not like Tebbs didn't earn some good fortune
• Having talked so much about Tebbs, it has to be said that the second period was one of the best periods of hockey the Scorpions have played all season. Personally, I thought they looked even more dominant and more confident than they did in that third period comeback against Wichita, and outshooting a team like Corpus by a margin of 25-5 shows that. They were buzzing in the offensive zone and doing a great job of forechecking and forcing turnovers down low. Still, it has to hurt when the Scorps have outshot their opponents by a combined count of 38-14 in the second period in their last two home games, yet they've been outscored 4-3 in that middle frame.
  
• Martin's giveaway to Zbriger to start the third period was an absolute disaster, especially after how well the Scorpions cycled the puck on the first shift of the period. Goals don't come much easier than that at the pro level
• Greg Rajan said it and I completely agree with him: what a goal by Mark Tobin! Martin had stonewalled him twice in the first period, and it was pretty clear that he was not to be denied. It was impressive enough that he fought off two checks and kept the puck in front of him, but to go backhand-shelf from literally on top of the crease is just spectacular, especially on late-period ice
• Speaking of highlight-reel material, Mitch Stephens' end-to-end rush to get the Scorps within one was a thing of beauty as well. When Stephens can hit the line with speed, there is no one better on this Scorps team at finishing the play off. It reminded me a bit of the shorty he scored against Arizona in the playoffs last year, when Chris Bartolone completely underestimated Stephens' wheels and got turned inside out
  

CHL Award Winners: Week 3

Wichita's Jason Duda and Odessa's Alexandre Vincent took home player of the week and goalie of the week honors for week 3, respectively.

Duda's acknowledgment was more for career achievement than sheer numbers, as the longtime Wichita forward registered his 500th assist with the Thunder (his other 6 professional assists came with Oklahoma City). He also chipped in 3 goals in 3 contests this weekend.

For his part, Vincent is working to earn back his starting job from last year, as Juha Toivonen has been every bit a starter to this point in the season. The second-year pro went 1-0-1 in his first two starts of the season, sporting a 1.44 GAA and a .945 save %.

Rage 3, Scorpions 6

I didn't get a chance to watch this game, and I was only able to listen to the first period, but it sounds like a strong effort from the Scorpions to take advantage of another struggling team and maybe build some confidence going into next week.

When a team's in a funk, the last place the players want to find themselves is playing from behind, but credit the Scorpions with buckling down and really earning the "W" in those second and third periods.

Corpus Christi comes to town on Wednesday, and there's no doubt that the IceRays are reeling a bit, having lost 5 in a row. Randy Murphy just needs to make sure that his guys are hungrier for that two points than the IceRays, especially with the firepower they possess. Another lackluster game in the effort department could get very ugly with the likes of Chris Richards, Justin Quenneville and John McNabb out there.

Anyhow, here are just a few observations from Saturday night's game, having finally caught the replay on CHL TV:

• It looks like Murphy finally found the right line combination with the John Mazzei/Chris Robertson/Torren Delforte line. Mazzei proved to be the perfect playmaking complement to the finishing abilities of Robertson and Delforte, plus his speed was other-worldly. When those guys are on, watch out. Let's not forget that they can also "fall back" on the trio of Seth Leonard/Mitch Stephens/Craig Macdonald
• Andrew Martin was great between the pipes after letting in somewhat of a fluke goal to Tyler Butler at the start of the second. Still, part of me feels that he shouldn't have had to be that good. The Scorpions are starved for two things right now: a shutdown defenseman and a puck-moving defenseman. Aaron MacInnis is both wrapped into one, but he can't patrol the blueline on his own. That's definitely an area where Vladi Hartinger's departure rears its ugly head, and it's something that I'm sure Murphy will address if the right guys become available. The Scorpions have firepower to spare, so I won't be surprised if Murph makes a move to get another d-man before the deadline.

Elsewhere:

• Colorado is undefeated no more
• Rio Grande Valley is undefeated still
• Arizona scores 2 goals in regulation against Odessa -- and wins?

Brahmas 5, Scorpions 2

There's not much to be said about this mess that hasn't been said about the past few games. I can't say I noticed anything different to distinguish this game from the others, suffice to say that there was no effort, no intensity. It's a bit of an anomoly how a group with that level of talent can have so much trouble putting things together.

Randy Murphy told me after the game last night that he thought the Scorpions outworked the Brahmas in the first period and most of the second period as well. Regardless of who carried the play, Texas was far and away the more opportunistic side. Three goals on five shots in the second period were evidence of that. Here's to hoping that Murphy can light a fire under his team tonight against a struggling Rocky Mountain squad.

Observations:

• Good pressure from the Scorpions early on, and credit to David Cacciola for keeping his former team off the board. Tough luck for Sam Bowles, though, as he beat both Craig Minard and Cacciola, only to put the puck off the post. If Bowles can finish that play, the Scorps are in good shape. Instead, the Brahmas weather the storm and take advantage of really the only miscue the Scorpions had in the first period
• Lance Galbraith's goal to make it 3-1 was an absolute bomb from the point. Having him and Scott Sheppard on off-wings makes for a terrifying powerplay setup. That scrap Galbraith and Tyler Fuller had was also a pretty good tilt. Talk about a versatile player
• Congrats to Neil Trimm on his first professional goal. I really like the potential of that line with Trimm, Mitch Stephens and Seth Leonard. Hopefully they can find some chemistry, and quickly

Elsewhere:

• Wylie Rogers puts together a performance for the ages, stopping 53 of 54 Odessa shots to keep the Bees undefeated on the season. Keeping that Jacks powerplay 0-for-11 is something any team should be proud of
• Tulsa is not so lucky, as the Mudbugs pump them for 5 powerplay goals on just 7 opportunities
• Kevin McClelland sweats a bit in his homecoming. but the Eagles run the count to a perfect 8-0 on the season.