Turn out the lights...

Well, it's taken me a few weeks, but I think I'm finally ready to blog about the end of our season.

(For more immediate thoughts on this past season read the blog I posted on "Venom Views" at cottonmouths.com last week.)

This season's end is especially bitter because I feel like we deserved a better fate. I really thought we deserved to beat Augusta and advance to the finals, and losing the way we did does not sit well with me. Now, before you start reciting stats to me about how Augusta had the 2nd best record in the league, and that we couldn't manage a single victory in the James Brown Arena, I'd like to point out that we outplayed them in the last 3 regular-season meetings in Augusta. That we were snake-bitten each time (pun intended) is irrelevant. We played well enough to win. I'd even go so far as to say that we dominated those games. We deserved to win. But one game we lost on a couple of lucky bounces, and another we just ran into a hot goalie. The third game, we just couldn't finish our scoring chances. We outplayed them and out-chanced them, but we just couldn't score. The same could be said of our post-season games in Augusta. In Game 1, our special teams lost the game. We outplayed them 5-on-5, but they scored 3 power play goals in four chances, while we went scoreless in six opportunities. In game 3 we outplayed them again, but their goalie saved their bacon. Sometimes a goalie has one of those games where nothing gets by him. This was one of those games for Olthuis. He's a good goalie, but he was especially good on this night. Again, we played well enough to win on most nights...but not on this night.

Maybe it just wasn't meant to be. Maybe it wasn't our time. It doesn't lessen the sting of the loss, especially knowing in my heart that we should have won. After the game, it seemed to take forever to pack and load the gear. The guys sat in stunned silence for a long time after the game, punctuated by talks from Jerome and Wanda thanking them for their efforts. We finally boarded the bus and headed for home, with a few adult beverages to drown our sorrows. We got back to Columbus and unpacked and I set about the task of washing the uniforms and laundry one last time. It's funny how every little thing seems to hit me...the last time I'll wash the jerseys, the last time I'll straighten the stalls, the last time I'll put away the skate sharpener.

Now a month has passed. I've been working on moving stuff over to the new rink and setting up our locker room over there. In addition, Barney and Mike Slayton, Tyler McCrea and myself sharpened all of the rental skates for the new rink, which had its grand opening last week. Most of the players have gone home, but a few are staying here for most of the summer. That's encouraging. It means they plan on returning next season, and I think we have the core of a really good team. While we could obviously use a little more firepower, we had a really good mix of guys in the room this year. I could see as many as 14 or 15 of these guys returning this season. That should help bring us some much-needed stability after a season in which we had a very high turnover rate from the season before.

I should clarify. Now that "last season" has ended, I'm already into "next season" mode...which means that when I say this season I'm referring to the upcoming season, not the one we just finished. Even though the NHL, ECHL and CHL are still playing the 2010-11 playoffs, I'm already ordering for the 2011-12 season and that's where my focus is.

On that subject, I finished and sent my order to SBK Hockey for our pants and gloves for this season. The SPHL will once again use SBK pants, gloves and sticks exclusively. We had some minor issues with their stuff last season, but overall it was pretty good quality for the money. Now that it's ordered, I'll start working on ordering the rest of our equipment for this season. We stagger our orders over the summer, so we're not having to pay for everything all at once (especially since we don't need it until October). That also gives us time to move some of the old gear to make room for the new stuff. After finishing up my end-of-season inventory, I'll be putting together a bunch of gear that we can try to sell. I'm planning to have another locker room sale like we had last summer. I'm hoping to have another good turnout like last summer, so if you need any new(er) gear (or have friends who do) keep your eyes peeled for that event in the next few weeks.

After that, I'm planning on heading home to Phoenix for a working vacation. That's where the Trainers' convention is being held this season, which makes it nice and convenient for me. I'm hoping to score tickets for the MLB All-Star game there (or at least some of the festivities). Wish me luck!

Eastbound and Down

Well, the Snakes won our first-round series against the rival Huntsville Havoc. It was a tough series, just as we expected. They're not the same team that swept their way to the cup last season, but they're still a good team. We knew they wouldn't go down easily. We knew we'd have to play our best to beat them. They lived up to our expectations. To quote the great Dennis Green, "They are who we thought they were."

With that said, we outplayed them in both games (though they gave us a scare in Game 2). We knew they would work hard and that they wouldn't quit, but we still managed to match them blow for blow. It was a very physical series (as we expected), and I thought we won most of the physical battles (as we expected). All in all, it was a well-played series and a good example of playoff hockey the way it should be played.

So now we look ahead to the second round. By noon tomorrow (Friday, April 8th) the Snakes will be Eastbound and down, loaded up and truckin'. We gonna do what they say can't be done. (to quote the great Jerry Reed from the theme song to "Smokey and the Bandit", which has been stuck in my head ever since we watched the movie on the bus last week on the way to Huntsville) By "they", of course, I mean the Augusta Riverhawks (who advanced by beating the Pensacola Ice Flyers 2 games to 1). I'd like to say that them having played 3 games in 3 nights to our 2 games in 3 nights gives us an advantage, but with nearly a full week to get ready for the second round I don't think that will be much of a factor. But, on the plus side, I don't think the regular season results between us and Augusta will be a factor either. As I said before, regular season stats mean nothing come playoff time. Essentially, we're starting with a clean slate. Nothing will matter in the end aside from who is playing the best hockey now. I didn't watch any of the Riverhawks' games, but I know we're running on all cylinders now. We're getting goals from guys who hadn't been scoring lately. We're getting pretty goals from guys who aren't known for scoring pretty goals. Case in point:

This is one of the sickest goals I've ever seen. If I'm Omar Pacha (#5 in White), I'm going home after this game and selling my equipment (if I don't go straight to the locker room, take off my skate, and try to slit my wrists with it). I can't remember seeing a defenseman made to look more ridiculous than that poor guy was on that play. And I love the reaction of Shaun Arvai (#3 in White). That pretty much says it all. The poor goalie didn't stand a chance. And you've gotta love the call by our own Mike Vee. He captures the excitement of the moment...even if I'm not really sure I get the metaphor he was weaving. He paints a picture with his words. He's not the best radio guy in the league for nothing.

Although our record against Augusta wasn't great (and we couldn't manage a win in Augusta all season) I like our chances. In two or three of the games in Augusta I thought we outplayed the Riverhawks but just couldn't catch a break. I think we have a team that can beat them, and I'm looking forward to proving it. I'm excited about this series. I can't wait. The only thing I'm not looking forward to is the traffic in Augusta. Rumour has it there's some sort of golf tournament going on there this weekend (Go, Lefty!). That should make our trip very interesting. The road we normally take to the James Brown Arena takes us right past Augusta National Country Club. Obviously, we're looking at an alternate route, but still traffic is expected to be abnormally congested. Hopefully, we won't have to go back there for Game 3 on Sunday, right at the climax of the tournament. That could turn into an absolute nightmare. So, hopefully we'll take Game 1 in Augusta tomorrow (Friday) night and Game 2 Saturday night back in the Snakepit. See you there!

Warriors...come out to play-eee-aaaaayyyyy

Well, Game 1 is in the books with a big 'W' for the good guys. If you've read Kathy Gierer's blog you've probably already heard about the team's Viking helmet. It's passed on after each win to the "Warrior of the Game" for that game, from the previous recipient. It's a badge of honor that is worn proudly by each Warrior. It's a way of paying tribute to somebody who may not get the credit, but did something to help the team win. I've seen/heard of quite a few teams who give out a hardhat after each win to the hardest working player of the game. In typical Snakes fashion, we wanted to do something similar...but different. We don't generally go about things in the "normal" way. Our guys like to dance to the beat of their own drummer. That's one of the things I like about this team. So, when a few guys mentioned that they'd like to do something like the "hardest worker" hardhat, it was decided that instead of a construction helmet we should do something a little different. So a couple of guys went out searching for just the right type of helmet...and somehow a Viking helmet seemed appropriate. Nevermind that the nearest known Viking settlements were a couple thousand miles North of Georgia. Nevermind that I don't think we have anybody on the team who is of Scandinavian heritage (Although MacPhee looks the part). None of that matters. What matters is that the Vikings represent the type of spirit that we want our players to embody (minus the raping and pillaging, of course). It is a strong warrior heritage, and that is what we're trying to tap into.

You see, the point of the hardhat award in the first place is to recognize players whose contributions might not always get noticed, but are just as crucial to the team's success. The catalyst to a win might not always be the game-winning goal or a hat-trick. Sometimes it's a fight or a big hit that sparks the team and gets them going. Sometimes it's a key shot block that the guys rally around. Whatever it is, it's something that may not show up on the scoresheet but nonetheless has an impact on our team performance.

After last night's Snakes win, outgoing Warrior Jesse Cole presented the helmet to Snakes forward Mitch Wall. While I don't want to take anything away from Sam Bowles' 3-point performance (2g-1a), I think giving the helmet to Wally last night epitomizes what that award is supposed to signify. To me, the Warrior of the game may not have had the biggest offensive night, but he came up big in some other way and ignited the team. For this reason, Wally was the most deserving hero. He came out hitting everything in sight. He had a little bit of a snarl on and, as I may have mentioned, I think we play better when we do that. I'm fairly certain that Wally plays better when he does that. I'm reminded of an old quote from Fred Shero, who coached the Philadelphia Flyers to 2 Stanley Cup wins in the mid-70s..."Get to the puck first, and arrive in ill humour". That's the key. You have to want that puck. You have to want it more than the other guy so that when you go into the corner after a loose puck you don't pull the chute to avoid getting hit. Instead, you go in there looking for the hit and knowing that you're going to win that battle. Two men go into the corner looking for the puck, but only one comes out with it. That's Hockey. That's how you win...especially in the playoffs. Wally had that last night. It was a thing of beauty to watch. Also a thing of beauty was Wally's goal. He hasn't scored many this year but they've been memorable-none more than this one. He knocked a puck away from a Havoc player in our zone, then raced up ice, beat his man to the puck and went in on a breakaway. He made a nice little move across the front of the net and beat Havoc goalie Mark Sibbald for what would prove to be the game-winning goal. That was a huge lift for us...not just because it gave us a 3-1 lead, but because Wally is not usually the guy you would expect to come up with a nice play like that. Not that he's a slug or anything like that...just that he's normally a keep-it-simple, up and down winger. He's not usually a dangler. But he came up huge when it counted. Good for Wally and good for us.

As for the game itself, I was kind of dreading the trip there. I've been in a couple of practice-rink situations before and they can very easily turn into a complete fiasco. I was concerned about what type of facilities they would have available for us and I was fully prepared to have to do without some things that we would normally have provided for us by the home team. I was somewhat comforted when we pulled up and saw one of the security guards that we recognize from the Von Braun Center. These are good guys and they know what they're doing, so I knew we were in good hands at that point. Then, when we went inside, I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw...a well organized, well planned layout for our locker rooms. They were essentially 4 separate rooms that were all connected by adjoining doorways and a shared bathroom/shower room. We had a separate training room set up for Hannah, and we had plenty of room for our players and for my sharpener and trunk and extra equipment. It was a bit of a scramble to figure out the best places to set up all of our stuff, but that came together pretty quickly thanks to some help from the staff of the Benton H. Wilcoxon Ice Complex. I met Steve Clough, the General Manager of the arena (with whom I had been in contact via e-mail), and he made sure we were well taken care of. I'd like to thank him and his staff, as well as Trainer Bobbi Harman, Equipment Manager Jorge Lopez and the rest of the Havoc staff that put a lot of effort into making everything run as smoothly as possible. They truly made the best of a less-than-ideal situation, and I thank them.

I'd also like to give a shout-out to Tyler McCrea, one of our gameday helpers who made the trip with us and was a huge help. His assistance was invaluable.

With that said, I was a little disappointed by the crowd. The place was very small, with only enough room for maybe 600 people, and there was a lot of space in those bleachers. The crowd was probably only about 400 or so, and they weren't as vocal as I was expecting. Some of the guys were looking forward to playing in the small arena because they said it was like some of the rinks they played in back home in juniors. The crowd really didn't provide much of a "playoff atmosphere".

In any case, our guys stepped up to the challenge and outplayed the Havoc. That's an important step in the right direction. Now we need to win Game 2 to take the next step to round 2. Hope to see you at the Snakepit.

Snakes on a roll

***I'd like to apologize for the lengthy delay in posting this latest blog. I know you're anxiously anticipating my latest words of wisdom, so I'm sorry to keep you waiting. But without any further ado, here it is. I hope you find it entertaining and/or interesting.

After starting the New Year with a 9-1 shellacking at the hands of the Pensacola Ice Flyers, things could only get better...and they did.

We hosted the new-look Augusta Riverhawks. The 'Hawks had been forced to make a few moves to fill out their roster after losing several key players to callups and injuries. Because of this, there were a lot of new faces wearing Riverhawks jerseys.

The Snakes had also added a new name to the roster...Tom Maldonado. Tom came here on the recommendation of the "Missouri Mafia" of Sam Bowles, Bret Tyler and Brett Hammond, as he was a teammate of theirs with the CHL's Missouri Mavericks. A lot of recruiting at this level of hockey is done via word of mouth, as evidenced by these guys and the "Canisius Connection" of Andrew Loewen, Peter MacDougall, and Dave Cianfrini. Since scouting at this level is almost nonexistent, coaches rely heavily on players using their connections to not only find players, but to judge how well they'll fit into the team. Team chemistry is as vital to a team's success as skill and effort, and with former teammates you already know that they can get along with some of your players. I've seen good players underperform because they didn't fit in well with their teammates, so it's important to know how well a player's character and personality will fit in with the rest of the team.

So, we know that Maldonado gets along well with several of our guys and fits in well with their style of play, and since word of mouth goes both ways, he knows that Columbus is a great place to play, with loyal, passionate fans and a good organization. So, welcome aboard, Tom!

The Snakes came out hitting and played pretty well in the first period, but there was no score until the Riverhawks netted a power-play goal at 16:41 of the period. Daryl Moore tied the game at 1-1 just 34 seconds later and that's where the score remained after one period. Maldonado took a nice bank-pass off the boards and fired home a one-timer from the point to give the Snakes a 2-1 lead. Lucas Labelle and Jordan Braid traded goals in the third and the Snakes were holding onto a 3-2 lead when it all came crashing down. While killing a 2-man disadvantage, the Riverhawks cleared the puck out of the zone and down the ice just as the first penalty was ending. Egor Mironov came out of the box behind the defense and had a clear line to the loose puck. Snakes goalie Andrew Loewen was all that stood between Mironov and the Snakes net. In a split-second decision, Andrew decided to charge the puck and try to beat Mironov to it so that he could clear it from danger. He hesitated just enough that Mironov beat him to the puck and managed to poke it just past Loewen's reach. Once he cleared Loewen's outstretched body, Mironov had an unobstructed lane to the Snakes goal for an easy tap-in to tie the game with just under 3 minutes left.

Some were quick to blame Loewzy for the misplay, but in reality it's a play he shouldn't have had to make. There's no way that puck should get behind our defense at the end of a 5-on-3 advantage like that. We were still up a man, and somebody should have been back to make sure the guy coming out of the box didn't beat us. That's why you'll hear goalies banging their sticks on the ice when a penalty is ending...to let the defense know that there's about to be a guy coming out behind them. One of them is supposed to drop back and cover the guy. In this case, nobody did. If Loewen stays in his net, it's a clean breakaway to one of their best players anyway. Loewzy did what most goalies would have done in the same situation. The only thing he might have done wrong was hesitating. If he takes half a second less to think about it and decide to go, he probably gets to the puck and clears it. But I guess we'll never know. As it stands, we're now in a tie game, heading for overtime.

The OT period could have gone either way, with big scoring chances at either end turned away by even bigger saves from each goalie. Either team could easily have scored 3 or 4 times in the extra frame. Then, just when it looked like we were headed for a shootout, one miscommunication turned into an odd-man rush and in the blink of an eye Branden Kosolofsky (of all people) buries the puck in the net with 7 seconds left in the overtime to claim the victory for the Riverhawks. What a heartbreaker! To come that close, and now with the new rules we don't even get a point for the effort, really hurts. I'm really not a big fan of that rule. It seems ridiculous that a team could play 65 minutes of hockey to a draw, then lose in a shootout and have nothing to show for it. But, I guess that's the way it goes...for this year, at least.

It's tough to be in the locker room after any loss, but especially after a loss like this one. To come so close, only to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, can be very disheartening. Everybody tries to make sense of it...not to assign blame, but to understand why. Many guys will blame themselves. Loewen will blame himself for not getting to that loose puck. Another guy might blame himself for fanning on a shot with an open net. Somebody else will blame himself for not picking up his guy in the overtime. In truth, none of them are right, but only because all of them are right. Any one of those breaks for or against us could have swayed the outcome of the game. We win as a team and we lose as a team. If one guy has an off-night, it's up to the others to pick up the slack. If the offense fails to produce, the defense has to tighten up and limit the goals against. If the defense gives up too many chances, the goalie has to be able to shut the door. If the goalie doesn't have his "A" game on any given night, the offense has to come up big to compensate. We fell short tonight. Now, it's time to get ready for the next game. You have to be able to put any loss behind you, because the next game is right around the corner.

With that in mind, we turned the page to Saturday's game. We didn't have time to dwell on the loss to Augusta, because Pensacola was coming to town. The Ice Flyers are one of the top teams in the league, so we know we have to play our best to beat them. There's no room for mistakes against a team like this...any mistakes can and will end up in the back of your net.

Both teams came out strong. The Flyers managed 11 shots on goal to the Snakes' 10, but Peter MacDougall scored the only goal of the period and we took a 1-0 lead into the locker room. From there, the defense took control and limited Pensacola to only 11 shots over the last 2 periods. Ian Vigier shut the door and a goal by Sam Bowles in the second and one by Orrin Hergott in the third rounded out the scoring in a 3-0 final.

The next week we ran into another ice shortage in the Civic Center. Occasionally, in their quest to turn a profit, the Civic Center management schedules events in there. This may help pay the bills, but it kinda cramps our style. It's hard to work on your game when you can't practice during the week. I'll be really glad when the new building opens up. But until then, no practice ice means we're heading for Louisiana early. We've actually been pretty lucky with our travel schedule this year. We haven't spent many nights on the road and none of our road trips have been longer than 3 games (and most haven't even been THAT long). But, in this instance, we headed out a day early. We left Wednesday night at midnight, which is nice because it means we spent most of the trip sleeping. We arrived in Lafayette at about 7am local time and headed to a truck stop for breakfast at the Country Pride restaurant. After breakfast, we headed over to the Cajundome for the first time. Last year, the Gators played at the Blackham Coliseum, a run-down old rodeo barn and generally a miserable place for a hockey game. The Cajundome is a definite improvement. It's the place the old Ice Gators played in their ECHL heyday. So, basically, the Gators went from having the worst facility in the league to having arguably the best.

We got to the rink and unloaded our gear to get ready for practice. We were lucky, in that the Gators had a game that night but it was against Mississippi (who came in day-of-game because they're only about 3 hours away). Since they weren't coming in until the evening, we were able to use their locker room to skate in the morning. Once we finished practicing, we packed up our gear and moved it into a storage room until after the game that night. We then headed off to the hotel to check in and get settled. A bunch of us went to the game that night to watch the Gators play the Surge. The Surge stormed out to a big 4-0 lead, then held off a late rally by the Gators to come away with a 5-2 win.

After the game, we headed down to the locker rooms to wait for Mississippi to clear out so we could move our gear in and hang it to dry for the next day's morning skate. While we were there we got to chat with former Snake Ryan McCarthy. It was nice to catch up with Macker. He said he's enjoying playing in Mississippi (What's not to like? They've been hovering around 1st place for most of the season), but he misses his friends in Columbus. I told him we miss him, too.

At last, the Surge had cleared out and those of us who had attended the game moved our gear in and hung it up in the visitors' locker room to dry. We headed back to the hotel and were back in our rooms by 11pm (or midnight Eastern time, 24 hours after our trek had begun).

We headed down to the Cajundome for the morning skate, then headed back to the hotel for lunch. Most of the guys beelined it over to the Italian pizzeria down the street. Their pasta seems to be the favorite pre-game meal of our guys. I prefer the Cajun kitchen a little further down the road. I don't get many chances to have real Cajun food, so I like to take advantage when I can.

I headed back to the rink after lunch to set up for the game. I had an unusually large number of skates to sharpen before the game. The ice is usually pretty soft down in the South, especially in a humid climate like Louisiana, so guys usually don't need their edges quite as sharp. Today, however, was another story. I sharpened 10 pairs of skates in the afternoon, along with 2 pairs in the morning. That's 2/3 of the team, which is a lot more than I usually have to do in one day.

The guys came out flying on their freshly sharpened skates, outshooting the Gators by a 13-8 margin. Unfortunately, only Daryl Moore could solve Gators goalie Archie Henderson. The Snakes could only muster 3 shots on goal in the second period (to the Gators' 11), but 2 of those shots (off the stick of Sam Bowles) eluded Henderson. The Gators netted 3 goals in the frame to tie the game at the intermission.

Jason Hill scored his second goal of the game early in the third and it started to feel like deja' vu all over again. It would have been easy for the guys to hang their heads and wait for the inevitable collapse at this point, but they battled back to tie the game on a goal from Jordan Braid, then notched a power-play marker from Bret Tyler to retake the lead. After that, it was all about Ian Vigier shutting the door. The Gators managed 13 shots in the third, but Hill's tally was the only one to get by Ian.

After the game, we boarded the bus and headed back to the hotel. I know that I've touted the virtues of the day trips, but there's something to be said for back-to-back games in the same city. It's nice to have a road game where you don't have to pack up and load the bus and head out of town right after the game...to be able to hang up the gear, hand over the laundry to the home Equipment Manager, and go to the hotel. Of course, it's even nicer when you don't have a game the next day and can go out and actually enjoy the city you're in, but that's another story. In this case, we went back to the hotel to get some rest for the next day's morning skate.

I headed down to the lobby the next morning for the continental breakfast. I think this hotel has the second best continental breakfast in the league (Mississippi gets the edge because they have an omelet bar). I finished my food and waited for my ride to the rink. I like to go in early to make sure the room is set up and ready to go when the guys get there. It's easier than trying to pass out laundry and practice jerseys while the guys are milling around the crowded locker room. Plus, getting there early allows me time to sharpen skates so that they're ready to go when the guys arrive. I like to be done with everything so that when the guys show up I'm available in case they need anything, rather than having to scramble to get it all done in time.

The guys finished the morning skate and we headed back to the hotel. The routine doesn't change much when you're on the road (I guess that's why they call it a "routine"). Morning skate, pre-game meal, pre-game nap, bus to the arena, team meeting, warmups, game. In between there are multitudes of personal rituals...some are just force of habit and getting into a comfort zone, but some are very superstitious (and some are downright weird). In any case, it's funny to see the guys go through them. You can almost set your watch by some of them.

We opened the scoring the same way we had closed out the scoring the night before...with a power play goal by Bret Tyler. This would be the only goal of the first period. Matt Kinnunen made it 2-0 midway through the second period. Ice Gators Captain Shawn McNeil beat Andrew Loewen on a penalty shot awarded after he was taken down on a breakaway. That was all the scoring in the second period, despite the Gators holding a 15-7 shot advantage. There was no scoring in the third until Orrin Hergott dented the twine at 12:09 into the frame. The 3-1 score held up until the Gators pulled their goalie for the last couple of minutes. Beau McLaughlin scored with the extra attacker, but his goal was bookended by two empty-netters for the Snakes for a final score of 5-2. Sweeping a series on the road makes the long bus ride home much more fun.

The next weekend we hosted the Fayetteville Fireantz and Louisiana Ice Gators. We were still riding the high of our 3-game winning streak. Friday night the boys came out flying, unleashing a barrage of 18 shots on goal in the first period (to just 8 Fireantz shots). Rookies Jordan Braid, Mitch Wall and Matt Kinnunen beat Fireantz goalie Travis Yonkman for a 3-0 lead after one period. Orrin Hergott and Antz forward Nathaniel Brooks traded goals in the second period, and we entered the third with a 4-1 lead. Defense took a break in the third as the teams combined to score 5 goals in a 7-minute span (3 for the Snakes and 2 for the Fireantz for a final score of 7-3).

Saturday's game started much the same way (after some opening-faceoff fireworks between Peter MacDougall and Gators forward Jason Hill)...with the Snakes dominating play and outshooting their opponent by a wide margin (18-9). The difference is that tonight's victim was Gators goalie Scott Darling and he only allowed one goal (to Orrin Hergott, which was countered by Ryan Howarth). Despite the one-sided action, the game was tied at one after one period. Kyle Lundale started off the second with an early goal, but it was countered 32 seconds later by CJ Tozzo. MacDougall and Jesse Cole added goals later in the period and we went into the third with a 4-2 lead. Shawn McNeil scored midway through the third and Jesse Cole countered a couple of minutes later. Matt Kinnunen added an empty-netter (after a couple of near-misses by other Snakes) to close out the scoring at 6-3.

So, the Snakes rebounded from their worst loss of the season and a heartbreaking OT loss by rattling off 5 straight victories (our longest winning streak of the season). Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you can start climbing to the top (Wow, that's deep. I should write that down. Oh, wait...I just did. Nevermind.). In any case, that's how we started the new year. Hopefully, it's a sign that we've turned a corner and are ready to start playing up to our potential more consistently. But, we'll see.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello, Readers. I promised in my last blog (which, admittedly, was posted a couple days later than I had planned) to try and get caught up. Now that we're through the holiday week, I might actually be able to do just that.

In the holiday tradition of expressing thanks, I would like to thank all of those who have been reading my blog, and especially those who have given me feedback. If it weren't for you people reading it and enjoying it, there wouldn't be much point in writing it...and I've enjoyed writing it.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to once again thank all the guys that help me out at the rink. Flip, Barney, Shooter, Ryno, Tyler and Bubba make it possible for me to do the best job I can to take care of our guys. All of them have gone above and beyond the call of duty at some point, sometimes spending the night at the rink to meet an incoming team or help set up for a morning game (as Bubba did before the Kids' Day game this season). I consider myself very fortunate to have them here to help. Words can't possibly express how much I appreciate their efforts. Thanks, guys!

I'd also like to thank the Cottonmouths organization as a whole. I've worked for a lot of hockey organizations, but none has been to me as this one. Everybody gets along very well and is always willing to go out of their way to help each other out. I know it sounds cliche' to throw the word "family" around to describe people with whom you're not related, but it really does apply here. From the top to the bottom, everyone really is as close as family. And for those of us who are far from our native homes and our nuclear families, that really means a lot. Thanks to all of you.

Now that that's taken care of, we can dive right into the games from the Thanksgiving weekend. We kicked the weekend off by kicking the hell out of the Augusta Riverhawks. We owed them one after the way they treated us last week when we went there. Not only did they win the game, but they took a few liberties with our guys. They are a very yappy team. I'm surprised any of them can keep their mouthguards in when their lips are always flapping. They have several of the softest guys who talk the most crap I've ever heard. I hate guys like that. They chirp and chirp, but won't back it up. You try to fight them, but they just turtle. It's very frustrating.

But tonight was our night. Kyle Lundale opened the scoring with a couple of minutes left in a very evenly played first period, and the Snakes closed the frame with a 1-0 lead. For the second game in a row we came alive in the second, with Sammy scoring at about the midway point and Daryl Moore adding two late goals to give the Snakes a 4-0 lead. Greg Holt broke up the shutout in the last 2 minutes, but the game was already decided. It was one of the few total effort games we've had this season where everything seemed to be working as it should. We outplayed, outworked, outhit, outshot and (most importantly) outscored the Hawks. It was nice to get a win like that at home. And, to quote "Major League" Indians Manager Lou Brown, "We win one tomorrow...that's called a winning streak. It HAS happened before."

The next day we were back on the bus, heading for Knoxville. We've had bad luck in this barn in recent years (I think we've only won 2 games in Knoxville since I came to Columbus), but we won the last time we were here. We rolled into Knoxvegas feeling pretty good about ourselves. We were in for a tough game, though. The Ice Bears certainly weren't going to make it easy on us. But then, they never do. David Segal and Matt Kinnunen started things off with a bang, dropping the mitts and mixing it up off the opening faceoff. Kinner didn't do as well this time as he did the first time he fought Segal, but he did all right. Segal is a tough customer and Kinner held his own. After that, it was down to business. The Snakes got on the board just a couple of minutes into the game on a goal by Brent Clarke. Emery Olauson countered for the Bears a couple of minutes later. Each team had several good scoring opportunities, but the goalies were equal to the task and the score remained tied at one apiece after one.

The second period saw more of the same. After a few rushes back and forth, Bears Captain Mike Bulawka was awarded a penalty shot at 3:43 of the second. We were almost relieved that it was awarded to him. Not to take anything away from Bulawka, but there are a few guys on that team that we would be more afraid of in that situation. Vigier stood his ground and made the save, keeping the tie intact. Once again, the Snakes seized the momentum in the second and outshot and outchanced the Bears but again it was Olauson that found the back of the net late in the second. Ice Bears goalie Bryan Hince earned his paycheck, turning away 13 shots to preserve the Bears' lead going into the third.

Though Knoxville had the better of the chances in the third, Vigier held the fort so that Matt Kinnunen could tie the game for the Snakes. The teams continued to battle down to the wire when something unprecedented happened. Ice Bear Mike Bulawka was awarded another penalty shot with 7 seconds remaining in the third. I'm not sure I've ever seen a game in which 2 penalty shots were awarded...and I'm quite certain I've never seen 2 penalty shots awarded to the same player in the same game. I don't believe this has ever happened before. With the game on the line, Vigier once again closed the door and forced overtime.

Columbus registered the only 3 shots of the overtime period, but couldn't get one past Hince. Sam Bowles and Orrin Hergott scored in the shootout to outweigh Chris Bratina with the Bears' lone shootout goal, securing the victory for the Snakes. Hergott gets credited with the game-winning goal because his shootout goal was the deciding factor, but he couldn't have done it without Bowles...or Vigier, for that matter.

Three in a row! Another big win for the Snakes. That sure makes the bus ride home seem a lot shorter. We get back to the Snakepit and drop off the gear and the guys head home to get some rest before yet another big game...this one against the Mississippi Surge.

We've had trouble with the Surge all season (and most of last season). They're a good team, to be sure, but I don't think they're as good as we've made them look at times. They started quickly, scoring just a minute into the game. The Snakes came alive and played the Surge pretty even for the rest of the period, with the teams exchanging goals midway through the frame.

There was a bizarre incident early in the second period. Orrin Hergott was given a fighting major, even though he never dropped his gloves. He collided with Surge forward Jason Beeman as they were both going after a loose puck. Beeman gave Orrin an elbow, and Orrin responded with a gloved punch. Beeman took exception and jumped Orrin, who was caught completely by surprise. Beeman had the gloves off, pummeling Orrin as he covered up. Somehow, the referee saw this as a fair fight and gave Orrin and Beeman coincidental fighting majors. That's odd, considering Orrin never dropped his gloves or stick and never threw a punch except for the one he threw with his gloves still on. This "fight" seemed to ignite the Snakes. Sam Bowles tied the game at 2 on a power play just a couple of minutes later. But the momentum didn't last. Jeff Grant scored on a power play a few minutes later to regain the lead for good. Beeman added a goal late in the third and Matt Zultek added an empty-net goal to close out the scoring with a final score of 5-2. The streak was over. But it was fun while it lasted.

That closed out our holiday week. The winning streak was fun, but as the saying goes you're only as good as your last game. And we ended the weekend with a loss. So we had to carry that with us into the next weekend.

Snakes wreak Havoc

I know, I know. I'm a couple of weeks behind. Well, I'm going to try and play a little catch up. Here goes.

After splitting the home-and-home series with Mississippi, we were feeling pretty good about ourselves. Although Mississippi isn't quite as good as they were last year, they're still one of the better teams in the league. To be able to notch a win against them is a sign that things are looking up...or so we thought.

After another short practice week (to accomodate the Jason Aldean concert), we boarded the bus Friday afternoon for our first trip to Augusta. I was looking forward to it, having never been there before. I had heard very little about the James Brown Arena, and none of it was flattering. Upon our arrival, I thought that I might have been misinformed. It didn't look much different from any other aging hockey arena. It could use a face-lift, but didn't look terrible. We made our way inside and found our way to the visiting locker room. I began looking for the rest of it. It's a tiny, tiny room. It's basically a walk-in closet. There is another, even smaller room adjoining that was set up as a training room, with a little entryway that became the Coach's office. My equipment room was the hallway outside (not an uncommon setup in the minor leagues). We made do the best we could and set about the task of getting ready to play the game. I put out gum, stick wax and pledge (to clean the visors) for the guys, then set up the sharpener and got to work. Ordinarily, I like to have all my sharpening done beforehand on a trip like this, but a couple of guys neglected to put their numbers on the board so they had to ask me to sharpen them here.

As I was doing the skates, a couple of the linesmen (whose room is right next to ours) asked me to sharpen their skates as well. So my day just got a little busier. It's generally considered the home team's responsibility to take care of the officials, but since I was right there and the home team was on the other side of the arena, they asked me instead. It's only a minor inconvenience, and I don't mind helping them out. One of the guys asked for a 1/2" hollow (pretty standard), and I said that wasn't a problem because the wheel was already set up to do that. The other guy asked for a 9/16" hollow (which is kind of a pain, because the marks on the diamond quill only register 8ths of an inch, so to do 16ths of an inch you have to estimate halfway between two lines). I was a little put off that he asked for that hollow when I just mentioned that it was easier to do 1/2" (that extra 1/16" is fairly negligible). As soon as he disappeared down the hall, I went ahead and did both pairs of skates at the same 1/2" hollow. They both thanked me for the great sharpening.

We came out flat and never seemed to really get going, only managing 11 shots on goal in the first two periods. Somehow we managed to hang onto a 1-1 tie heading into the third. The Riverhawks came alive in the third, unleashing a 3-goal barrage to take control of the game. A late goal by Jesse Cole was offset by an empty-net goal for a final score of 5-2.

I wasn't really impressed by the Riverhawks. I know it sounds weird to say that after they beat us so handily, but they really don't bring much to the table except that they work hard. On this night we were less impressive, so their hard work was enough to beat us.

We rode the bus back home for a game the next night against Huntsville. Saturday's game was the middle game in a triple-header. The Civic Center was hosting a weekend of hockey, featuring the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Clemson and Alabama hockey teams in what was billed as a "College Hockey Clash". Our game was sandwiched between the Alabama/Clemson game at 2pm (I must admit I was rooting for Alabama because of their uniforms, which are almost exactly like my hometown Phoenix Coyotes' jerseys) and the 8pm Georgia/Georgia Tech game. Our 5pm start time was earlier than our usual 7:30pm start, which meant a short turnaround after our arrival from Augusta.

To complicate matters further, we had to set up the locker rooms for the "College Hockey Clash". Instead of our usual one visiting team, we now had 5 visiting teams to set up for. Since there are not enough rooms to accomodate this many teams, we had to do a bit of juggling to take care of everybody. We started off with Alabama in the old NBDL locker room and Clemson in locker room 2 (which is normally used by the visiting team, but for this game they were limited to locker room 1). Then, after their game, both teams moved their gear into adjacent storage rooms to free up the dressing rooms for Georgia and Georgia Tech. Then, after our game, we moved Alabama into locker room 4 (which is normally half of our dressing room) and Clemson into locker room 1 for their games on Sunday. In addition to our regular setup, we had to make sure that each team had water and Gatorade in their rooms for their games and water on their benches. This meant a lot of extra work for Hannah (who usually takes care of that for us and for the visitors) and for Barney, Tyler and Bubba (who put in a ton of extra effort to make things go smoothly for everybody involved).

Thanks in large part to their efforts, the weekend went off smoothly and by all accounts the event was a rousing success. Tyler even got to make his debut as Mike Vee's color commentator for the radio broadcast of Sunday's second game of the day, which matched up Alabama and Georgia. Tyler got a chance to combine his knowledge of hockey and his gift for gab into a possible career path. Who knows? Maybe one day he'll be broadcasting Atlanta Thrashers games. Then I'll be able to say I heard him broadcast his first game back in the day. We'll see.

The marquee matchup of the weekend was the Cottonmouths' game against the Huntsville Havoc. Everything else aside, this game was huge for us. The Havoc are the defending champs and early front-runners in the league again this season, and we've been struggling to get on some kind of a roll. We haven't won consecutive games all season, but we've shown signs of brilliance at times. Our biggest problem is that we've been inconsistent all season. It's the one thing that we've done consistently. We knew we would need our best effort to beat the Havoc.

Fortunately, that's exactly what we gave them. We played a good, hard, physical game. We outshot the Havoc (a seeming rarity for us) and matched them stride for stride the entire game. Do I sound like the Herb Brooks speech from Miracle? Tonight, we skate with them...we stay with them...and we shut them down, because we CAN! That's pretty much how it went. And no, I'm not comparing our victory to the Miracle on ice of 1980. This win was huge, but not that huge.

We came out hard and dominated the game early...every aspect of it. We outhit them. We outskated them. We outshot them (to the tune of a 14-7 margin). We outworked them. Matt Kinnunen's hard work paid off when he scored 5:25 into the game with an extra attacker on a delayed penalty. This gave us something we've rarely seen this season...an early lead. We maintained the dominant play throughout the period and headed into the second with a 1-0 lead.

The second period, which has been our Achilles' heel all season, saw our strong play continue. We got outshot 11-8, but limited their good scoring chances (and when they did get chances, Vigier was there to shut the door). Jesse Cole scored a power play goal 13:33 into the frame to add to our lead, but Huntsville forward Stephen Margeson offset that with a goal of his own at 17:44, pulling the Havoc back to within one goal.

The teams parried and thrusted their way through the third, managing several quality scoring chances for each side despite a 9-8 shot count in favor of the Snakes. Both goalies stood strong and kept the period scoreless until Cole added an empty-netter with 2 seconds remaining for a 3-1 final score. It was an atypically low-scoring affair, but an exciting game nonetheless. Were it not for the goalies, this game could easily have ended 6-5 for either team.

It's always nice to end your week with a win. It's even better when you end the week with a win at home. And few things are better than ending the week with a hard-earned win at home against the best team in the league. Let's hope this is a sign of things to come.

"It's Not As Bad As It Looks"

The old adage has seldom held truer..."It's not as bad as it looks". We lost 2 of our 3 games this weekend, but we could have-no, strike that-SHOULD have won 2 out of 3.

Our first game of the week was the dreaded school day game. It's not dreaded because of the kids (4,000 or so screaming kids make for a great atmosphere for the players), but rather because of the 10am start time. Hockey players are creatures of habit (most athletes are, really), so a 10am game plays havoc with their game-day routine. At 10am on a game-day hockey players are usually taking the ice for their morning skate, a light skate just to get the legs moving and get the lactic acid out. This is followed by a mid-day meal, and usually an afternoon nap or just some quiet relaxation to get physically and mentally ready for the game. To simulate this timetable for a 10am start, players would have to have a skate at about 1am, followed by a pre-game meal at about 3am (maybe at Waffle House?). Instead, guys are waking up at 6am, having a light breakfast, then heading off to the rink to arrive at 8am. It throws the whole day off kilter (although it IS nice to be off in the mid-afternoon).

Many of you will remember our school-day slugfest from last season (I'm sure the kids haven't forgotten). Historically, those day games tend to end up in bloodbaths. Hockey players tend to be grumpy when you disturb their routine. Well, this year was the exception. Aside from a first period fight between Snakes defenseman Brody Malek and Fireantz defenseman Dan McNeill there wasn't much in the way of fisticuffs. The game wasn't even really that physical. The Snakes outskated, outshot and generally outplayed the Fireantz in the first, putting 20 shots on goal to the Antz' 4, but left the first period with a 2-2 tie thanks to a pair of goals from Orrin Hergott and Sam Bowles. Hergott and Bowles scored in the second period also, sandwiched around a goal by the Fireantz' Rob Sich, and entered the 3rd period with a 4-3 lead. The Snakes spent the 3rd period trying to sit on their one-goal lead and almost managed to do so...until the last 1:01 of regulation. Sich found the back of the net in the 58th minute to tie the game and send it into overtime. He then set up Chris Leveille for the Game Winner with 1.2 seconds left on the clock (in truth, I looked up after the puck went in and there was 2 seconds and change left on the clock...not that that matters).

This game hurt because it was one that we should have won. They didn't throw anything at us that we didn't prepare for. All the damage they did came from the usual suspects...their top line of Sich, Leveille and Mark Versteeg-Lytwyn. When one of your keys to the game is to concentrate on stopping the top line, letting them score 5 goals is not acceptable. The bottom line is we had them down, then let them up off the mat. We didn't have the killer instinct. We played the whole 3rd period to protect a one-goal lead. You can't do that. You have to keep playing the way you did when you built up the lead. As soon as you back off to try and protect a lead, you give the other team time and space to keep coming at you, which is exactly what they did. It's frustrating when that happens.

After the morning game, we prepared for a game Friday night in Huntsville. We skated at home in the morning, then boarded the bus to head Northwest. In the past we've left earlier, then stopped for lunch in Pelham on the way. We usually arrived very early and had a couple of hours to sit around and twiddle our thumbs before the game. This trip we timed it out better and arrived right around 5:30 for a 7:30 game, which basically gave us time to set up and play the game. I usually prefer it that way, but this time with us skating before we left I didn't have time to sharpen skates before we left so I had to scramble to get them done after we arrived. It did keep me busy though, so I can't complain.

We didn't play a particularly bad game in Huntsville...we just didn't play a particularly good game. We only gave up two goals, one by Mike Carter in the first and one by Ray Ortiz in the third. The Carter goal was just a spectacular end-to-end rush. He picked up the puck in his own zone and proceeded to walk around our whole team. I actually think he beat at least one guy twice. The Ortiz goal was the definition of a garbage goal...he tried to make a pass to the front of our net and I think it hit the defender in the shoulder and deflected past Vigier. But, even though it's entirely possible to win games in this league giving up only two goals, it's not possible to win games in any league if you don't score any goals. We didn't have many scoring chances, and didn't even have many shots. We were outshot 15-8 in the first period, 10-3 in the second (3 shots? 3 shots?!?), and 11-9 in the third. True, we were playing the best team in the league, but you can't score goals if you're generating that few offensive opportunities.

After Friday's game we headed for Knoxville, in desperate need of a win. The Knoxville Civic Coliseum is not a good place to go in search of a win. They're hard to come by if you're the visiting team. In my three plus seasons in Columbus, we've won exactly one game in Knoxville each season. That's right...three previous seasons with Columbus, three wins in Knoxville. But luckily we caught Knoxville at the right time. They had just lost their last 2 games against the Augusta Riverhawks, so either they were ripe for defeat or they would be pissed off about the 2 losses and take their anger out on us. Either way, this one had the potential to get ugly.

It started to look that way immediately. Off the opening faceoff, Knoxville's David Segal squared off against Snakes forward Matt Kinnunen. Young Matt held his own against a tough opponent, and both skaters watched the next 5 minutes from the box. Less than 3 minutes later, Cody Straker took an Ice Bear into the boards. Bears forward Mike Bulawka took exception and squared off against Straker. The pair dropped their gloves, but no punches were thrown. They were each whistled for Roughing, in addition to Straker's Boarding penalty. When the dust settled, the Snakes got down to playing some pretty good hockey. They outshot, outskated and outhit the Bears and controlled the play for the majority of the period. Bears goalie Andrew Gallant managed to keep his finger in the dyke until the final 8 seconds of the first period, when Jesse Cole finally lit the lamp on a Snakes power play.

Mitch Wall scored on another power play 1:37 into the second period for his first professional goal. Bears Captain Mike Bulawka cut the lead in half midway through the period when he banged home a rebound off a faceoff in the Snakes defensive zone. Sam Bowles put the Snakes back ahead by two at 13:47, then assisted on Mitch Wall's second goal 25 seconds later.

Gallant was replaced at the start of the third period by backup Brian Hince. The Bears battled hard to cut the lead but were turned back by the Snakes defense and goalie Ian Vigier. Matt Kinnunen scored the only goal of the period and the Snakes held on for a 5-1 win. It was a huge monkey off our backs to finally put one in the win column on the road, and to do it in that building just made it that much sweeter. It certainly made the bus ride home a lot more fun.

And we're back...

Due to circumstances beyond my control (i.e. computer problems and a crazy couple of weeks at work), I've been unable to blog for a couple of weeks. But now, I'm back and better than ever! Well, maybe I'll let you be the judge of that. In any case, I'm back.

I intended to post brief notes after each day of training camp, but that didn't happen. So, here are my impressions of training camp on the whole. There was some good competition for the last few roster spots, and there was a pretty high intensity level throughout camp. This will definitely be a very different team from what we've had the last few years. Will Barlow looks right at home in his new leadership role, both on and off the ice. I expected no less...he was already showing some signs of leadership at the end of last season. Levi Lind and Jesse Cole are back after their stellar rookie season of last year, and are expected to make a big contribution to the team's offense this year. With the retirement of the team's leading scorer, Tim Green, there are some big shoes to fill offensively...and we weren't very good last season. Lind and Cole will need to set the pace for a new crop of rookies. With Dan Lind and Blake Miller up front, our forwards look a lot bigger this year and we've added some beef on the back end also. Bret Tyler was brought in to add experience to the blue line, and he looks good so far. Aside from Tyler and Barlow the defense will be very young, but pretty big.

The preseason games didn't go as well as we would have liked, but they did give us a good look at the new guys in game action. You can watch guys practice all you want, but until you see how they react in a game you never know how they can help you. There were a couple of guys who played their way off the roster during the exhibition games. They didn't look bad at practice, but when they got into the games they looked a little too timid and tentative...like a deer in the headlights. That's not what we're looking for. Jerome made his cuts on the Sunday following the preseason games and got us down to 16 guys (with a couple of new guys on the way). Most of the roster decisions were expected, but we kept one guy and released one guy that kind of surprised me.

A goaltending issue arose before the exhibition games. Adam Chalifoux came to camp ready to play, but he aggravated a previous injury that may have required surgery had he stayed here. We already had stumbled upon another goalie, Sylvain Michaud, who was supposed to be pretty good. Michaud's presence allowed us to send Chalifoux home, with the hopes of him returning next year in better health. But as soon as we did, Michaud decided he had to leave due to unspecified personal issues. So, in the span of a day, we went from three goalies to one and our old pal Barney was called upon to suit up for the weekend as our EBUG.

After the weekend, we picked up Andrew Loewen to fill the goalie position and added Brett Hammond and Zeanan Ziemer (no, that's not a typo) to bring us up to 19.

I spent much of the week working on last minute details (such as sewing names on new jerseys that came in on Wednesday afternoon) to get ready for opening weekend. We had the same schedule for opening weekend as we did for the preseason...hosting Pensacola on Friday night and then heading to Biloxi to play the Surge on Saturday.

Friday night started off pretty well for us. We jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and held a 3-1 lead at the midway point. That was when the wheels came off. Thirty minutes and six goals later, we were licking our wounds and wondering just what the hell happened. I'm still not really sure. It was like we had the media timeout midway through the second and when nobody was looking our guys left the ice and the high school team replaced them. Suddenly, we couldn't make a pass, we couldn't take a pass, we could barely muster a shot on goal and couldn't get a rebound...everything went wrong. We stopped hitting, we stopped skating, we stopped shooting...we would have been just as well off if we hadn't come back out for the third.

Saturday we headed for Mississippi to play the Surge, who won the regular season title last year and look like early contenders to repeat. They brought back most of their best players, and could be the team to beat this year. We came out with a much better effort than we showed in the last half of Friday's game, but we still couldn't generate much offense. Andrew Loewen looked good in his first professional start, but the high-powered Surge offense was just too much for him. We played the Surge fairly evenly for most of the game, with a couple of let-downs leading to three Surge goals. Overall, it was a better effort than the night before, but still a loss.

So, after the first weekend of the regular season, it seems we have our work cut out for us. While it's too early to push the panic button, it does show us we have a ways to go before we're ready to run with the big dogs. We've got a full week of practice ahead and then, thankfully, we play two different opponents this weekend. Unfortunately, one of those teams is the defending champion Huntsville Havoc and the other one is the 3-time champion Knoxville Ice Bears. Neither team promises to be a pushover, but could provide us with a further test of where we stand in the league right now. I certainly think we're a better team than we showed last Friday. Now we just have to prove it. I just hope we start proving it sooner rather than later.

But then...that's just me.

This is the End

This is my least favorite time of year. Yes, it's spring. And yes, the NHL playoffs are on. But our hockey season is over. Not only does it mean no more games, but it also means much more than that. The rink is now an indoor football field, the players have cleaned out their lockers (prompting the saddest picture I've ever taken, at right), and soon most of them will be heading home for the summer, not to return until October. But some of them won't return at all. The fluid nature of sports dictates that change is inevitable. Even the Championship team will make changes, so it follows that the lesser teams will have to make even more changes just to keep up and catch up. As the old saying goes, "If you're not moving forward, you're falling behind."

That means that when each of these guys says goodbye to me, it may be for the last time. He's leaving for the summer, but he may not be back. I get pretty close to these guys over the course of a season, and it's hard to think of the possibility of never seeing them again. Cleaning out the locker room just emphasizes that. They've packed up their personal belongings to take home with them, and I've packed up the gear to put away until next season. It also means that summer is here and it will be several months before we start up the new season. I try to look forward to next season, but last season is still so fresh in my memory that it's hard to let it go. Over the next couple of weeks, guys will start leaving to make their way back home. The real world awaits, with long-time girlfriends (or fiancees) and summer jobs. For now, however, we're left to ponder what went wrong last year and look forward to the possibilities of next year.

I should take a moment to acknowledge the Huntsville Havoc, who won the SPHL President's Cup, sweeping the Mississippi Surge in the finals, 3 games to none. Two of my former players were with the Havoc; Head Coach Randy Murphy and Defenseman Vladimir Hartinger both played for me with the New Mexico Scorpions. I'm happy for them, but it doesn't lessen the sting of our loss. I would also like to acknowledge a couple of my former players who are still playing in the Central Hockey League playoffs. Goaltender Miguel Beaudry of the Rapid City Rush and Defenseman Erik Adams of the Allen Americans played for me in New Mexico and Forward Scott Wray of the Rush played for me with the Lake Charles Ice Pirates. They begin their final series tomorrow night in Rapid City. Also, in the ECHL conference semifinals, Utah Grizzlies Goaltender Mike Morrison played for me with the ECHL Phoenix Roadrunners the year before I came to Columbus. And finally, in the "IHL" playoffs (just beginning), Port Huron Icehawks Defenseman Daniel Tetrault played for me in New Mexico. In the AHL Calder Cup Playoffs, Manitoba Moose Forward Tom Maxwell played for me with the ECHL Phoenix Roadrunners. And in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Los Angeles Kings Defenseman Sean O'Donnell, Phoenix Coyotes Center Robert Lang, and Pittsburgh Penguins Head Coach Dan Bylsma played for me with the IHL Phoenix Roadrunners. Good luck to all of them.

2010 SPHL Playoffs: Game 4 (post script)

*****Apologies to all who previously read this post to read only the first sentence declaring that our season is over. I accidentally published that post before finishing and then subsequently lost everything I had added to it before it posted. So, without further ado, here is Take 2.

Well, our season is over. It obviously didn't end the way we hoped it would. It came crashing down with a resounding Thud Friday night in Biloxi. In a game that really was closer than the final 6-2 score, the Cottonmouths playoff run came to an abrupt and unceremonious end. The shame of it is that in the process the career of Snakes Captain Craig Stahl also met its untimely conclusion. This was not the way he intended to close out his remarkable 12-year journey. He deserved better. While the Snakes were only down 2-1 entering the third period, they just didn't have enough left in the tank to keep the wolves at bay any longer (pun on Mississippi's former team nickname intended). The Surge exploded for 4 goals in the third and the rest, as they say, was history.

Not to make excuses, but maybe their minds were elsewhere (perhaps at the hospital with Sam Bowles). About midway through the second period, Bowles had suffered a gash on his head as a result of a flying elbow delivered by Surge defenseman Ryan Bartle. This type of cheap shot is pretty standard from Bartle (who delivered a similar elbow to Bowles in a game in Columbus earlier this season, triggering the infamous "School Day Brawl"), but the result this time was more severe. Bartle's hit stunned Bowles, who appeared to be unconscious before he hit the ice (he didn't move his arms or brace himself during the fall, like most players do when falling). His head bounced off the ice, causing a pressure cut on the back of his head (despite the helmet still being on at impact). Bartle was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct and would later receive a one-game suspension for the hit.

The Surge was leading in the game 1-0 at the time of the Bartle penalty. The Snakes tied the score on the ensuing 3-minute penalty (5-minute major minus 2-minute minor to McCarthy for going after Bartle), but were unable to sustain any real pressure and left the second period trailing 2-1 after a late goal by Tim Velemirovich.

The Surge came out hard in the third and the Snakes seemed a little flat. Steve Weidlich and Velemirovich scored early in the frame for the Surge, putting the Snakes back on their heels. Orrin Hergott connected on the power play midway through the third to draw the Cottonmouths back to within 2 goals (In an ironic twist, the Snakes' normally lethargic power play connected twice while the #1-ranked Surge power play went 0 for 8). Then Surge forward Chris Greene went to work, scoring two remarkable goals a minute and a half apart. On two separate plays, Greene batted a puck out of mid-air into the Snakes goal after a centering pass was broken up by a defender. They were both very difficult plays, demonstrating excellent hand-eye coordination. The second of those made the score 6-2 and drove the final nails into the Snakes' coffin.

It was a very somber dressing room after the game. Sammy was still at the hospital getting x-rays and a CT scan, and information about his condition was sketchy, at best. Coupled with that there was the realization that many of these guys have played their last game together...and in some cases their last game, period. We just kind of sat in the dressing room for about an hour and soaked it all in. Then, finally, guys slowly began to get undressed, showered, and packed and loaded. We boarded the bus for the longest 5-hour bus ride most of us could remember. Our spirits were bouyed, however, by the return of Sammy. He could have ridden home with his Father (who had driven to Biloxi to watch the game), but Sammy was adamant about wanting to ride the bus home with his teammates. We got home and hung the gear (a blues show at the Civic Center Saturday forced us to hang our gear in the clubhouse at Golden Park), then headed home to begin the off-season. It's going to be a long Summer.

2010 SPHL Playoffs: Game 3 (post script)

Last night the Snakes were in the middle of a heck of a playoff game...until the referee decided to leave his mark on the game. With about nine minutes remaining in regulation and the score tied at 2, Geoffrey Miller handed the #1 ranked power play a 2-man advantage. Matt Zultek scored on the ensuing power play and thus the game was changed. Nick Klaren added an insurance goal 2 minutes later to make the final score 4-2.

I think they snuck the fourth goal past Snakes goalie Ian Vigier because he was still in shock about the third goal. He had made about 30 saves, some of them incredible, up to that point and then the Zultek shot was one of those that few goalies would have stopped. I think that after standing on his head for 2 1/2 periods, giving up that goal deflated his spirit a little bit. I can't blame him for that...I know it deflated mine. The boys had killed off 1:44 of a 5-on-3 advantage to the best power play in the league, only to see the Surge score with 16 seconds remaining.

After that, the Surge held the fort and the Snakes were unable to close the gap. It was a tough game to lose. To be that close and have the game slip away like that is never easy, but especially not in the playoffs. Every little play is so important. One bounce, one call, one break going your way can change the whole complexion of the game. That is why playoff hockey is the most exciting sport in the world...and the most nerve-wracking.

After the game, we had a quick meal (thanks to the Snakes Booster Club), then packed and loaded the bus for the trip to Biloxi. We got on the road fairly quickly and made good time along the way (thanks to Tex, the Snakes' bus driver), actually beating the Surge back to the Mississippi Coast Coliseum (even with the Surge getting a head start). We hung the gear and headed to the hotel to get some rest.

We got up and had a nice team meal at the hotel, and now the boys are back to resting up and getting ready for the game tonight. I'm heading down to the rink soon to finish setting up the locker room and sharpen some skates. Come on, boys! We need this one tonight!

2010 SPHL Playoffs: Game 2 (post script)

Wow!!! What a game!!! I've been in hockey for 15 years now, and that is one of the most exciting games I've ever been a part of. The Surge nearly stole one from us, but Daryl Moore tied it up with 12 seconds left in regulation. The overtime period was almost non-stop action, flying from end to end at a breakneck pace. Each team had multiple scoring chances and each goalie made several key saves to keep the game alive. Snakes rookie sensation Levi Lind ignited the celebration with 58 seconds left in the overtime period with a shot that hit the post, then banked in off the back of Surge goalie Bill Zaniboni.

The Snakes dominated the game early, setting the pace with their physical play for the second game in a row. They managed to maintain the physical play through the first, despite a Surge goal just 50 seconds into the game. The pace was slowed down by a series of Snakes penalties, putting the #1 ranked Surge power play to work. The Snakes killed off the first period power plays, even managing to net a short-handed goal on a great effort from Sam Bowles.

The second period saw just one goal and one penalty...both credited to the Surge's Thomas Boudreau. The Surge controlled most of the play, logging 17 shots on goal to the Snakes' 9, but Snakes goalie Ian Vigier held the fort and maintained a 3-2 lead after 2 periods.

The Surge power play came to life in the 3rd period, scoring 2 goals on 4 opportunities (the only 4 power plays assessed in the 3rd period). This gave the Surge their first lead in the game. The Snakes generated numerous opportunities to score before Moore's goal tied it with 12 seconds remaining.

The teams traded opportunities in the overtime period, with numerous scoring chances for each team. Both goalies came up big several times to keep the game alive. Finally, with 2:21 remaining, former Snake Daryl Moor took a boarding penalty and gave the Snakes the only power play opportunity of the OT period. This opened the door for Levi Lind's seeing-eye goal to tie the series at one game apiece.

This game was a huge win for us. It gave us some much-needed confidence and I think it took a little wind out of the Surge's sails. I still think they're pretty cocky, but probably not feeling bulletproof like they were entering this series. They know they're in for a fight now. Next up, another week of practice (really 3 full days of practice after Easter Sunday off) to get ready for Games 3 and 4 (and Game 5, if necessary). If it goes the distance, it'll be 3 games in 3 nights. But basically we're now in a best-of-three series for a trip to the finals. I can't wait 'til Thursday!

2010 SPHL Playoffs: Game 2

So, last night didn't go as we had planned...or hoped. We didn't really play that badly, despite the 5-2 score. I think some of the guys were just a little nervous and played that way. We seemed to be just a bit off on our passes. Also, we let up on the physical play. We were dominant early in the game, but eventually we stopped hitting consistently and allowed them room to skate. That plays right into their hands. If we're going to be successful, we have to be physical throughout the game (not just in spurts).

On the plus side, we didn't allow a goal on 5 Mississippi power plays and managed 2 power play goals of our own (although we did give up a short-handed goal). Both of those stats could be key for the rest of this series.

Both teams rode the bus overnight to Columbus, getting in early this morning. That could also be a key factor to tonight's game, considering the early start time. We got in about an hour and a half before the Surge did, and our guys got to sleep in their own beds last night. Let's hope the rest gives us an advantage tonight. If not, I've got a secret weapon (pictured above).

2010 SPHL Playoffs: Game 1

So, we're here in Biloxi to face the #1 Mississippi Surge in the SPHL Playoffs. Game 1 is tonight at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum. We're pretty well rested, having made the trip here yesterday after practice. We left Columbus just after 1pm EDT, and arrived at the rink just after 5pm CDT. We unloaded and unpacked and headed to the hotel. Then we had a nice team dinner at Salute, an Italian restaurant right next to the hotel.

The boys are in pretty good spirits and I really think we're as ready as we can be for this series. The last 4 days were probably the best 4 practices we've had all season...certainly the best series of 4 practices in a row. We've had video sessions and gone over the game plan and I think we've done everything we can to get ready for this series.

I know most people around the league probably don't give us much of a chance, but I really like what I see out of this team right now. I've thought all season long that we are a better team than our record shows. Now it's time to prove it. The last 56 games don't matter anymore. Only what happens from here on out matters.

The Surge have a good team, clearly. But their whole game is built around their power play, and in the playoffs there usually aren't that many power plays handed out. We just have to stay disciplined. If anybody has a chance to beat them, I think it's us. I've seen what this team is capable of and when we play our game we're just about unbeatable. The only question is whether the boys will play up to their potential. I guess we'll find out tonight. It's going to be a good series. Go Snakes!

Happy Holidays

Well, here we are on the doorstep of the Christmas holiday. For the first time since I came here we don't have a game on Christmas Day, which is nice. We have a game tomorrow night, December 22nd, then we're sort of off for 3 days (we have optional ice on the 23rd and 24th) before returning to practice on the 26th (that's Boxing Day, for you north-of-the-border dwellers). Then we jump on the bus bright and early on the 27th to head for Knoxville for a 5pm game, which is only fair considering that they've had to come here on Christmas Day for the last 2 years.

So, that's the week ahead. Now for the past 2 weeks. When I last blogged, we were in Fayetteville a day early because we had no practice ice in Columbus. We played the Fireantz on Friday night (Dec. 3rd), winning 3-2. The game really wasn't as close as that until the very end. We dominated the game and were cruising to a 2-0 win until the last 2 minutes. After getting caught with a tired line out on the ice after an icing call, we were unable to clear the zone after the ensuing faceoff and Fayetteville kept pressure on us until they finally found the back of the net with under a minute and a half remaining. That's the worst feeling when you have a nice comfortable 2-goal lead and they score to cut it to one. All of a sudden any little bounce or any little mistake can tie the game. Anything can happen in a goal-mouth scramble, and your nice comfortable cruise to victory suddenly feels like you're walking on pins and needles. You've given them momentum (which can be an invaluable weapon), and you've hamstrung yourself. It's hard to describe what goes through your mind at moments like this. Your grip gets a little tighter on the stick, your heart beats just a little bit faster, your breath hangs in your throat...you're right on the verge of panic. You try to fight the feeling, but there's no stopping it. Well that's where we were on this night. We were mad because we let Vigier down on his shutout bid (he has yet to record one this season, but probably has deserved 2 or 3), but more than that we were terrified of losing the lead. Well aware that one tiny mistake can make the difference in the game at this point, your only thought is not to be the guy that makes that mistake. And that's how they get you.

But not on this night. Luckily, after the Antz pulled their goalie for the extra attacker, Jeff Martens got the puck with a clear lane and he fired it down the ice into the empty net, giving us a 2-goal lead once again. It's a good thing, too. With under a minute left the Antz threw the puck at the net and got a weird deflection on a seemingly harmless play. Before anybody knew what was happening, the puck was in the back of the net. We fought off one last surge and held on for a 3-2 victory. It wasn't pretty, but we'll take it.

After the game, we returned to Columbus with no practice ice for the next few days. After a few gym days for the players, we packed up and headed to Huntsville a day early, as we had to Fayetteville the previous week. We were to play there on Thursday, but went up on Wednesday to practice on their ice. Again, it's not an ideal situation, but sometimes you just have to play the cards that are dealt to you. We got into the Von Braun Center in the midst of massive construction. A cloud of concrete dust hung in the air (which was also saturated with diesel fumes) during our practice. We battled through the haze and had a pretty decent practice before retiring to the hotel for the evening. There wasn't much to do at the hotel, so we pretty much just took it easy, which is probably a good thing.

We got up for the morning skate on Thursday rested and ready to go. We knew this was a big game, against the top team in the league. We got in a nice light skate, then headed back to the hotel for a team lunch. We had what I believe was our first shoe-check of the season, which is always a good icebreaker. The boys seemed pretty loose and relaxed.

The boys started arriving around 4:30pm. That's the thing about having the hotel right across the street...while it's convenient for me to be able to walk back to the rink instead of cabbing it, it also means that the players can come over whenever they feel like it. I don't really like that. When they have to ride the bus I have a good idea when they're going to walk through the door, so I know how much time I have to finish setting up. When they can come over on their own, I have to plan on being ready earlier, which kind of throws my whole routine off. I don't like it when guys show up and the room's not set up yet. It's like letting them see the man behind the curtain. When all goes as planned, the players walk in and the room is just magically ready to go...jerseys neatly hung, equipment stalls straightened, laundry passed out (See the picture from my last blog. That's what I want them to see when they walk in the room). I don't like when they walk in and catch me still doing it. It's not really a big deal, but I like for them to see it all set up and ready when they walk in.

Anyway, the guys showed up and went into their usual routines. This varies from player to player but may include grabbing a cup of coffee, reading the press notes, going to the training room for treatment, listening to their ipod, stickhandling out on the ice, kicking a soccer ball around to loosen up...any number of things. Whatever it takes each guy to get into the right frame of mind to play the game. Each guy has his routine and sticks to it like sap to a tree. I don't want to say that hockey players are superstitious, but most guys are fanatical about their pre-game routine.

We went out and played one of our best games of the year and after 65 minutes of hockey we were tied 1-1. We went to the shootout and it just wasn't Vigier's night. He got beaten by all 4 shots he faced and we lost the shootout 4-2 (for a final score of 2-1 SO). I felt so bad for Ian. I think he really felt like he had let his team down and he took it pretty hard. The truth is he played well to get us to the shootout. If you think about it, we played the best team in the league dead-even for 65 minutes of hockey. We didn't get the win, but at least we got a point for the shootout loss.

We came back home after the game and prepared to meet the Knoxville Ice Bears at the Civic Center on Friday and Saturday nights. We had an optional practice in the morning, then the boys went home to rest up for the game. We came out hard and built up a 3-1 lead. Knoxville battled back and tied the game midway through the third, but Tim Green netted the game-winner with about 2 and 1/2 minutes remaining to seal the win.

Saturday night the teams battled back and forth exchanging goals and leads all the way through. With the clock winding down below the 2 minute mark, Frank Furdero (who had been strangely quiet the whole game) took matters into his own hands. He scored the tying goal with just over a minute left, then stunned the crowd with the overtime winner. He skated to center ice and struck a pose, and I'm a little upset that somebody didn't grab him and pummel him on the spot. That's a bush-league, hot dog move, and he shouldn't be doing that. Maybe in front of the home crowd, but not in our barn. I hope our boys remember that when we see them again. We owe him one, in my opinion.

Anyway, while we're a little disappointed that we gave up the late lead on Saturday, all in all it was a pretty good weekend. We took 4 out of 6 points, and moved up in the standings from 5th place to 3rd. It wasn't a great weekend, but a good one.

After the weekend (and a much-needed day off), we were actually able to get back into a normal routine. With practice ice available Monday through Wednesday, we set ourselves to the task of preparing for our next game Saturday at Pensacola. We boarded the bus at 12:30pm Saturday and headed for the beach. I love the day trips like this one. First of all, we travel lighter because I don't need to bring a lot of the extra stuff I would for a longer trip. Aside from that, most of my work is done before we leave, so once we load up the bus I'm on the R.E.W. list (Ride, Eat, Watch***). I can relax on the bus, watch a movie (this trip it was "The Hangover"), listen to my ipod...just chill. We got off the bus, unloaded and got ready for the game.

The Snakes took the lead late in the first period, then the Ice Flyers answered early in the second. We just couldn't seem to get things going. After the tying goal, we seemed to be playing not to lose, rather than playing to win. We stopped hitting and the Flyers started swarming all over us. We were really back on our heels for most of the second period and most of the third. The Flyers exploded with 3 goals in less than 4 minutes, and it started to look ugly. The boys didn't quit and we battled back with a 3-goal outburst of our own, tying the game with the extra attacker on the ice for Vigier. We tied the game with less than 7 seconds remaining.

Each team could have won the overtime 5 or 6 times over. Both goalies stood on their heads to keep the game alive. Vigier made some unbelievable acrobatic saves to keep us in the game. After a scoreless overtime period, it was time for another shootout. It came down to the last shooter, but they got the best of us. Still, we got a point that we all realize we didn't deserve. Sometimes that's just how it goes. Lord knows we've lost a few that we should have won. Maybe this was just Karma paying us back for one that they owe us. In any case, we'll take the point. We are now 3-0-3 in our last 6 games, for 9 out of a possible 12 points. Again, it's not bad but it's also not great.

Now it's time to see what Santa has in store for us this week. Happy Holidays everybody! Go Snakes!

***R.E.W. was paraphrased from Barney Slayton.