It's Opening Night
October 19, 2007 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Mississippi RiverKings News Release
While everyone wants to be a contender on opening day, it's safe to say both teams in this game will compete for the President's Cup this season.
The RiverKings hope to begin their road to a third CHL title tonight, having won back-to-back championships under Doug Shedden in 2002 and 2003. Meanwhile, the Mudbugs have their sights set on their first President's Cup title since entering the Central Hockey League. They hoisted the trophy three straight times in 1999, 2000, and 2001 as members of the Western Professional Hockey League.
Thanks to a quirk in the playoff format last year, the RiverKings received a second life following their seven-game loss to the Oklahoma City Blazers. Because the top two seeds in the Northern Conference won their opening series, the RiverKings qualified for the next round as the #4 seed. That set up a matchup with the Mudbugs, who won the Governor's Cup with a league-best 94 points during the regular season.
The Mudbugs had won the season series 7-4, but the RiverKings opened this playoff series with a pair of wins at CenturyTel Center. Only once during the regular season did the RiverKings win there. The Mudbugs responded in Game 3 in Southaven with a convincing victory, but the RiverKings slipped by them in Game 4. In Game 5 the next day back in Bossier City, Darrell Stoddard produced a deafening silence with his goal at 12:49 of the fourth period to eliminate the Mudbugs and send the RiverKings onward and upward to the Northern Conference Finals.
The RiverKings won the series quickly in five games, but three of their wins came by one goal. We'll see tonight whether or not the Mudbugs still have a bad taste in their mouths following the RiverKings' victory.
WHO: Mississippi RiverKings vs. Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
WHAT: Opening night game for both teams
WHEN: Tonight, 7:05
WHERE: DeSoto Civic Center
RADIO: KWAM 990 AM, 6:50
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Central Hockey League Stories from October 19, 2007
- Scorps fall on opening night - New Mexico Scorpions
- Bucks win opener 8-2 - Laredo Bucks
- Richards steals show as Hounds win opener - Youngstown SteelHounds
- Bats lose a close one in opener, 5-4 - Austin Ice Bats
- Wray's tallies lead Rage to season-opening win - Rocky Mountain Rage
- Gorillas fall in opener - Amarillo Gorillas
- Rayz fall to Bees 3-2 in season opener - Corpus Christi IceRays
- RiverKings win on opening night - Mississippi RiverKings
- Texas Brahmas beat Austin Ice Bats in season opener - Fort Worth Brahmas
- Mudbugs fall in season opener - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
- Opening Night Sellout Expected - Wichita Thunder
- Rage Name Team Captains - Rocky Mountain Rage
- Hounds Game Night Preview - Youngstown SteelHounds
- Eagles Begin Championship Defense, Fifth Anniversary Season Tonight - Colorado Eagles
- CHL Opens 16th Season Tonight - CHL
- Bucks Open 2007-08 Season Tonight In New Mexico - Laredo Bucks
- Youngstown Assigned two Blue Jackets Draft Picks - Youngstown SteelHounds
- It's Opening Night - Mississippi RiverKings
- Mudbugs regular season roster released - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
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