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Mudbugs Weekly

February 21, 2011 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs News Release


LAST WEEK

Tuesday, February 15 vs. Wichita CenturyTel Center L 3-0

GAME NOTES: Goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas turned aside all 38 Mudbugs shots, including 22 in the third period alone, to lead Wichita to a 3-0 win Tuesday at the CenturyTel Center. The ‚¬ËœBugs fired shot after shot at Gelinas in the game, outshooting Wichita 22-0 in the third period only to be shut out for the third time this year. Bossier-Shreveport went scoreless on five powerplay opportunities while finishing the night with a 38-18 shot advantage.

Wednesday, February 16 vs. Evansville CenturyTel Center W 6-4

GAME NOTES: Shawn Limpright tied a franchise record with four assists to go with one goal as the Mudbugs defeated Evansville 6-4 in a crazy affair Wednesday at the CenturyTel Center. Limpright scored the first Mudbugs goal and then assisted on four of the final five as the ‚¬ËœBugs overcame two early Evansville leads to earn the win. Jim Jorgensen scored two goals, while Jamie Milam and Jeff Kyrzakos assisted on two. The ‚¬ËœBugs outshot with IceMen 40-21 but scored on just one of their 13 powerplay chances as Evansville was whistled for 74 minutes in penalties including four game misconducts.

Friday, February 18 vs. Allen CenturyTel Center W 3-2 (OT)

GAME NOTES: Jeff Kyrzakos buried the game-winning goal at 2:08 of overtime as the Mudbugs topped Allen 3-2 in the 900th regular season game in franchise history Saturday night at the CenturyTel Center. Shane Hart had a career night with three points on a goal and two assists and Jamie Milam chipped in two more assists, while James DeLory tallied the other Mudbugs goal. Kyrzakos then netted the first overtime goal of his Mudbugs career off a pass from Hart to give the ‚¬ËœBugs their second win of the year against Allen.

Saturday, February 19 at Missouri Independence Events Center L 3-0

GAME NOTES: In a game much closer than the final score indicates, the Mudbugs lost to Missouri 3-0 Saturday at the Independence Events Center. The game stayed scoreless for over 57 minutes before Missouri netted three goals in a late span of 1:07 to come away with the win. John DeCaro stopped all of the first 26 shots he saw, while Robby Nolan handed the Mudbugs their fourth shutout loss of the season with 15 saves.

THIS WEEK

Tuesday, February 22 at Rio Grande Valley State Farm Arena 7:00 pm

GAME NOTES: Tomorrow the Mudbugs and Killer Bees meet for the sixth and final time this season, with the Mudbugs owning a 3-2-0 edge in the season series so far. The ‚¬ËœBugs are tied with Tulsa for third in the Berry Conference entering tomorrow, while the Bees have climbed above Odessa into sixth and have beaten the Mudbugs in the last two meetings.

Thursday, February 24 vs. Bloomington CenturyTel Center 6:35 pm

GAME NOTES: The Mudbugs meet the Bloomington PrairieThunder for the first time ever Thursday at the CTC. Bloomington enters this week in fourth place in the Turner Conference and has points in seven of its last ten games. PROMOTIONAL NOTES: Thursday ‚¬â„¢s game marks the opening of our 2011 "Pink in the Rink", featuring pink ice, pink specialty jerseys and an organization-wide effort to spread breast cancer awareness and raise funds for Susan G. Komen. Click here for more information on "Pink in the Rink".

Saturday, February 26 vs. Texas CenturyTel Center 7:05 pm

GAME NOTES: The ‚¬ËœBugs and Brahmas will renew their I-20 rivalry for the eighth time this year Saturday at the CTC. The Mudbugs won the last meeting 6-2, but Texas still owns a 4-3 edge in the season series. The Brahmas currently stand second only to Allen in the Berry Conference, just ahead of both Bossier-Shreveport and Tulsa. PROMOTIONAL NOTES: "Pink in the Rink" continues on Saturday as the ‚¬ËœBugs will auction off their pink specialty jerseys and various other pink equipment items after the game against the Brahmas.

WEEKLY NOTES

Getting Their "D" Back

Despite a bit of a setback Wednesday vs. Evansville, the Mudbugs have held their opponents under four goals in eight of their last ten games. Wednesday ‚¬â„¢s game marked just the third time this year the ‚¬ËœBugs have won when they give up four goals or more, putting their record at 3-15-1 in that scenario. Saturday ‚¬â„¢s 3-0 loss in Missouri then proved to be the exception to the rule when the Mudbugs surrender fewer than four goals; becoming just their sixth regulation loss of the year and putting their mark at 24-6-1. The ‚¬ËœBugs rank seventh in the CHL with an average of 3.08 goals-against per game.

Feast or Famine

The Mudbugs have ridden quite a roller coaster offensively over their last 11 games, as they have scored at least five goals five times but been held to less than two on four other occasions including two shutouts. The ‚¬ËœBugs have scored between two and four goals only twice in their last 11, including Friday ‚¬â„¢s 3-2 overtime victory against Allen. Bossier-Shreveport, the CHL ‚¬â„¢s highest scoring team for much of the first half, currently ranks fifth in the league with 3.48 goals-per-game on average.

Still Shorthanded

The Mudbugs continue to find themselves short on manpower thanks to injuries and other circumstances. Saturday marked the 17th consecutive game in which the ‚¬ËœBugs have played with less than a full 18-man roster. David Rutherford, Justin Aikins and Mitch Love are all out with injuries, while Travis Clayton is still on a personal leave of absence and Brian Foster is on AHL recall. The ‚¬ËœBugs have signed goaltender Guy St. Vincent to take Foster ‚¬â„¢s place in the lineup. The Mudbugs have not played with a full allotment of 16 skaters and two goaltenders since January 8 at Colorado.

"Smitty" Climbs the List

Sixth-year Mudbugs forward Brett Smith continues to rise in the club ‚¬â„¢s all-time record book, scoring a goal Wednesday to pass original team Captain Dale Henry for sixth in team history with 290 career points. He also recently surpassed defenseman Jason Basile for eighth in team history in games played while ranking fifth in career assists and seventh in goals. Smith has eight points (3g, 5a) in his last ten games while logging a ton of minutes in all situations for the ‚¬ËœBugs.

Speaking of Jason Basile...

The two-time CHL All-Star and stalwart ‚¬ËœBugs defenseman from 2002 to 2008 paused his retirement over the weekend to return to the lineup for the shorthanded Mudbugs. Basile last played for Bossier-Shreveport during the 2007-08 season and still ranks third in team history among defensemen in goals (37), fifth in assists (80) and fourth in points (117). The Ferris State University product, who owns the team record for consecutive games played (226), joins David Cacciola, Joe Ori and Guy St. Vincent as former Mudbugs who have come out of retirement to help the team this year.

Crampton Closing In

Forward Steven Crampton has recently reached or is nearing a number of career milestones. An assist Wednesday vs. Evansville gave Crampton 400 points in his nine-year pro career, and he reached 900 career penalty minutes in Tuesday ‚¬â„¢s game vs. Wichita. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native is also nearing 500 career games with Saturday being his 495th. Crampton has collected nine points (1g, 8a) in his last nine games and ranks second on the team in scoring.

Loose Pucks

Friday was the 900th regular season game in Mudbugs history... Saturday marked just the second time this year the ‚¬ËœBugs have been held to less than 20 shots in a game... D Simon Mangos reached 100 points as a Mudbug Wednesday... The Mudbugs are 21-1-0 this year when leading after two periods.... The ‚¬ËœBugs lead the league with an average of 26.7 shots against per game this season... Bossier-Shreveport is the fourth-least penalized team in the CHL...

TICKET INFORMATION:

Season tickets, mini-plans and group ticket packages for the 2010-11 season of Mudbugs hockey are available at the team office: 2000 CenturyTel Center Drive, Bossier City, LA 71112. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Individual game tickets can be purchased at the CenturyTel Center box office between 9:30 am and 4:30 pm Monday - Friday, by calling Ticketmaster at (318) 741-9700, or online at Ticketmaster.com. For more information, visit www.mudbugshockey.com or call the team office at (318) 752-2847.

MUDBUGS RADIO:

Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs games, both home and away, are broadcast live on "The Home of the Legends" AM 1130 KWKH and News Radio 710 AM KEEL in Shreveport. Both stations provide free online streaming online at www.kwkhonline.com and www.710keel.com.

CHL TV:

Back for 2010-11 is the latest version of CHL-TV, powered by NeuLion, Inc. Fans will have the chance to watch nearly 600 games on the CHL ‚¬â„¢s regular season schedule for a small pay-per-view price. Packages are available as well that give fans the chance to order only their team ‚¬â„¢s away games, an all-access league pass or many other options. All game archives are offered to catch up on the games you missed for just $4.00. Visit http://chltv.neulion.com/chltv/ for more information.

Season and group tickets are on sale by calling 318-752-BUGS (2847) or by visiting our website at www.mudbugshockey.com.



Central Hockey League Stories from February 21, 2011


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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