STEELHEADS @ SALMON KINGS: TAYLOR ON THE COMEBACK TRAIL

Wednesday’s game marked the fifth time this season the Steelheads were tied with their opponent in the third period. However, like the four such games before Wednesday’s, the Steelheads were unable to earn a win. They’re 2-3-3, but they’ve been close. Remember, even last season’s offensive juggernaut was playing a lot of low-scoring, tight games early in the season. They’ll be fine.  On a side note, It’s good to see Justin Taylor making a nice comeback early in the season after missing 2009-10 with an injury. He has been factoring into the Steelheads side of the scoresheet nicely.

ON THE MARK

Mark Derlago continues his offensive magic. He has eight goals in eight games to start the season, and has points in six consecutive contests. With goals at a premium right now, this isn’t only great to see, but it needs to continue.

SUSHI PIZZA

I like sushi; a lot. I like pizza, but not as much as sushi. Put them together, and you have my lunch yesterday in Victoria. That’s right, Victoria broadcaster Jeff Harris and I had sushi pizza for lunch at an establishment called Shizen.

NUNS CASH IN

The Honus Wagner 1909-11 T206 is the icon of baseball cards.

The iconic sports trading card of all-time is the 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner. It turns out some nuns had one left to them, and sold the card for $262,000. Click here for more. Hopefully everyone in the nunnery’s getting a 50″ flat screen in time to catch tonight’s Steelheads-Salmon Kings game.

IT’S JUST A HORSE

People make fun of me for being an enthusiast of professional wrestling.  Meanwhile, a bigger deal is being made about this horse “Zenyatta” than any human sports story this side of Brett Favre’s antics.  Come on folks!  It’s a horse.  The best horse of all-time is still the recurring character on the Ren & Stimpy Show: Mr. Horse.  A close second: Mr. Ed.  The moral of the story: the only cool horses are the ones that talk and have names including the world “Mister”.

Mr. Horse's favorite phrase was "No sir, I don't like it."

This DVD is quality fun for the whole family.

Mark Derlago set multiple Steelheads offensive records in 2009-10.

Well, it turns out I was correct in part of my preview of last night’s game when I said to look for a big game out of Mark Derlago. The First Team All-ECHL performer from a season ago scored in the first and final minutes of the third period to help force an overtime last night, although the Steelheads fell short in the extra frame. Derlago now has three goals over the season’s first three games, and appears to be picking up exactly where he left off at the end of 2009-10. Derlago continues to be one of the best talents the Steelheads have boasted.

Tyler Beskorowany was also stellar last night. After two first period goals for Alaska, the rookie settled in and proceeded to stop 44 of 48 shots in the overtime loss. His 44 saves were the most for a Steelheads goalie since Kellen Briggs turned away 43 of 49 shots on January 25, 2008 in Fresno.

STEELIES NEED TWO POINTS TONIGHT

Rarely do you ever say that a game in October is a “must-win”, but trips to Alaska yield different expectations. Nobody wants to venture all the way to Anchorage and not get a win.

The biggest keys tonight: for the Steelheads, stay out of the box. They’ll need to take away former NHL’er Brian Swanson’s space as much as possible. And, especially in Alaska, scoring first is of the utmost importance. Anything a team can do to deflate the crowd in Anchorage is important. Last night, fans had left the building when Derlago tied the game in the final minute. For a stretch, the crowd was mute.

SYRACUSE STILL HAS A FOOTBALL PROGRAM

Donovan McNabb is the most accomplished Syracuse football alum this side of Jim Brown.

In other news, a round of applause is in order for the Syracuse Orange football squad for holding off 20th ranked West Virginia en route to a 19-14 road win over the Mountaineers today. After a dark and gloomy four years for Syracuse football, Doug Marrone has a good thing going on. People always joke about Syracuse football, but I only have to list a few names from recent years: Donovan McNabb, Marvin Harrison, Dwight Freeney, and Keith Bulluck have all been All-Pro NFL talents. Not many schools can claim a roster like that.

ANCHORAGE – OFF THE ICE

The trip to Anchorage has been fun as a whole. Thursday night, Coach Sauter, Jason Switzer, and I went on a brisk arctic walk in search of a convenience store; a search that lasted roughly 12 minutes. Last night, new Aces broadcaster Josh Bogorad and I sampled the cuisine of Humpy’s in Downtown Anchorage. Featured on the Food Network, Humpy’s provided Halibut Tacos that could only be matched by Red Fish Blue Fish in Victoria, BC. Tonight, the team will depart Anchorage on a red-eye, and arrive back in Boise with a few days to recover before welcoming Utah to town for Wednesday night’s clash at Qwest Arena.

Following tonight’s game, we’ll head to the airport, and I’ll purchase a copy of the USA Today College Hoops Preview.  Duke, Michigan State, and Syracuse, of course, are all teams to watch this season. 

LASTLY, MY ON-THE-ROAD SONG OF THE WEEK:

“You” from the Grand Rapids, Michigan ska band Mustard Plug.

I’ll be talking to you all later. Tune in tonight on KTIK and/or America One for all the action from Anchorage beginning at 9:00PM MST.

It’s a new-look blog here at www.idahosteelheads.com, but I just wanted to drop by and preview tonight’s matchup at Sullivan Arena.

The Steelheads have their first of 36 road games tonight in Anchorage; traditionally a tough place to play. Shots on net, and quality ones at that, will be very important against the Alaska Aces in tonight’s Mountain Division tilt.

The reason being: first of all, the likely starter in net for Alaska is Gerald Coleman, who has been a top goaltender at the ECHL level over the last few seasons. Steelheads fans may remember him as a Phoenix RoadRunner for a time in 2008-09. He’s a tall, agile netminder.

Another reason the scoring chances and sustained offensive pressure will be important: Alaska’s top line indicates the look of an offense-first club. Wes Goldie, familiar to Steelheads fans as Victoria’s go-to sniper of the last few seasons, is now in Aces blue. In the offensive zone, he can be lethal. The remedy: keep the puck in the Aces zone, and Goldie and former NHL’er Brian Swanson will not have as many opportunities to show their scoring prowess.

John Swanson is on the 7-Day IR for the Steelheads, who have activated another player anticipated to be a top-line scorer: Justin Taylor. The former Las Vegas Wrangler, who has a breadth of AHL experience, is a big body, and will take up a lot of room in the middle of the ice. He can move, and distribute the puck as well.

As far as the trip: it went without a hitch. Special thanks are also in order to Dustin Molle’s family for providing the Steelheads players and traveling staff with a fantastic dinner last night. Molle hails from Anchorage.

My pick to click tonight: sounds cliche, but look for a solid game out of Mark Derlago tonight.

Tune into tonight’s broadcast on KTIK-AM 1350 “The Ticket” as the pre-game show will precede the puck drop at about 8:55 PM MST (Note the later start time due to the fact we’re in Anchorage). It’s the first of two games, and the Steelheads are looking to duplicate last Friday night’s effort. Watch and listen to tonight’s action by heading over to www.americaone.com; it costs a small fee, but it’ll help you get a glimpse of this tough-to-play-in atmosphere in Anchorage, where it did actually reach the 30′s today.

I’ll talk to you all this evening.

Long time no talk, but here I am; and I come bearing a few thoughts. Also, I’d like to raise a simple question: how nice is it that meaningful hockey and football games are right around the corner?

First and foremost, I can’t help but be thrilled to see eight players signed to the Steelheads roster who are returners from last year’s squad. A couple players are rumored to have pursued opportunities overseas (More on that later), but the holdovers at the moment are certainly welcome. For example, a defense that already includes Cody Lampl, Brendan Milnamow, and Weston Tardy is already a solid blueline, as each is a capable top-four defenseman in the ECHL.

As the dog days of the offseason continue, I can’t help but mention that next season will be the first since 1984 without defenseman Chris Chelios having an on-ice presence SOMEWHERE. He called it quits recently, after finishing last season with the Atlanta Thrashers. He’s one of the poster children for the “If he’s on your team, you love him” adage, and made his mark with three different original six teams (Montreal, Chicago, and Detroit). A Stanley Cup Champion and one of the greatest American players of them all, his two Metro Detroit Cheli’s Chili Bar restaurants have become favorites of Detroit athletes, sports fans, and even Kid Rock. His career was fascinating, and I’ll reflect further on it in the coming weeks.

It’s not hockey-related, but did anyone else hear about the reporter in Fayatteville, Arkansas who was fired after having a dispute with Razorbacks football head-man Bobby Petrino? Well, Petrino didn’t like the fact that Renee Gork was honoring her alma-mater, the University of Florida; a school that happens to be an SEC rival of the Hogs. Should Gork have worn a Gators hat to the presser? No. Should she have been fired? Probably not. Nobody in this market would bat an eye if I show my Syracuse University colors, but if I’m going to ask Coach Calhoun at UConn about some of the recent issues involving his basketball program, you can be I’d at least be a little mindful of my wardrobe. And one more thing: Bobby Petrino bolted on the Atlanta Falcons during an NFL season because he didn’t think it was a good gig for him. Should he even indirectly try teaching loyalty lessons to anyone? The journalist in me had to vent on this story; I know it’s not hockey related. All the way from the blogosphere, I apologize.

Back to hockey… Over the weekend, I pre-ordered a copy of NHL 2011 for my XBOX 360. Anyone else play the game? Shoot me an email and we’ll fire up a game online at XBOX live after the game drops. If you understand nerd-speak, my gamer tag is DougP96.

‘Til we meet again…

Some hockey notes to start the abbreviated week:

Bob Probert- a Detroit sports cult hero and the greatest enforcer in the history of hockey- passed away Monday afternoon. Probert fought, and beat, everyone he encountered. He was Steve Yzerman’s protection in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. Despite some personal issues, he was always revered by Detroit sports fans. I reflected at length about Probert’s career, and recalled my last memory of “Probie” on my website, www.dougplagens.com.

I love what the Devils are doing right now. At the moment, they are very close to locking up Ilya Kovalchuk long-term. They already signed Anton Volchenkov for five years. Let’s not forget that although New Jersey’s playoff run was much shorter than the Devils would have liked, this team has a ton of talent. In Kovalchuk and Volchenkov, New Jersey may have two of the top-five Russian players; with Alex Ovechkin, Pavel Datsyuk, and Evgeni Malkin rounding out the quintet, of course. How badly do you think Evgeny Nabokov would like to get a hand in this and be the one to succeed Brodeur when the time comes?

Congratulations to former Steelheads goaltender Matt Climie on his new contract with the Phoenix Coyotes. The goaltending situation in Phoenix likely won’t be any less complicated than the one in Dallas when this season begins. After all, he’s leaving Dallas, who had two veteran goalies firmly entrenched in the starter and backup positions with the Stars (Kari Lehtonen and Andrew Raycroft), and heading to Phoenix, where Ilya Bryzgalov is a Vezina candidate and Jason LaBarbera is a solid backup. Furthermore, Climie will likely be sharing time with another prospect should he play with San Antonio of the American Hockey League. In comparing the two, however, Climie is proven in the AHL after carrying the Texas Stars to the Calder Cup, while Montoya is working his way back from an injury. Montoya, though, did have a nice five-game stint with the Coyotes in the 2008-09 season (3-1-0, 2.08 GAA, .925 SV%). Appealing for Climie in Phoenix has to be the fact that Bryzgalov and LaBarbera are uncertainties beyond 2010-11, while in Dallas, Lehtonen and Raycroft are locked up in multi-year deals.

Also, it’s good to see the Oilers locking up their top pick, Taylor Hall, and getting him inked on the entry level deal. We all knew it would happen, but it’s always good to see the development process get underway without a hitch. Also, with nothing to lose after a season that was, well, horrendous, it was great to see Edmonton roll the dice on Alexandre Giroux. They offered the owner of back-to-back 50-goal seasons a one-year deal worth $500,000. At 29, he’s already in his “prime” and has not been able to consistently perform at the NHL level in a few previous tryouts, but this time, he’s going to get his shot. Scoring 50 goals in consecutive AHL seasons is no easy task, and I’ll be pulling for this 1999 draft pick to get it right this time around.

I’m just as anxious as the rest of you to learn who will be the next head coach of the Steelheads. We’ll see what happens.

‘Til we meet again…

Good day, folks. There are hockey topics galore to discuss, and I’d like to get to them over the next week or so. First, though, I want to say thanks to KBOI-TV for having me as the fill-in sportscaster over the weekend. I had a great time. Also, thanks to anyone who watched over the weekend!

A couple big hockey topics to look at from the last week: the hall of fame balloting, and the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. I’m going to start with the Hall, and hit the draft a bit later in the week.

As for the Hall of Fame balloting: I completely agree with Dino Ciccarelli making the cut this time. He is the best of all-time at standing in front of the opponents’ net, taking abuse, and picking up the garbage. He wasn’t the greatest skater of all time, but he was a help to any team, and was really the first forward of his kind.

Was he the only player deserving of a plaque in Toronto, though? After all, up to four players can be voted into the Hall at a time. I think some interesting cases can be made for a few other players; each of whom will be admitted in the future.

As for first-time eligible guys: deserving of strong consideration are Joe Nieuwendyk, who I thought was a shoe-in, and Pierre Turgeon. I do also believe that, at some point, we’ll be seeing Adam Oates and Pavel Bure enshrined in Toronto.

Beginning with Nieuwendyk: a two-time 50-goal scorer who picked up 1,126 career points and won three cups with three teams has a resume that speaks for itself. His unselfish two-way play probably caused some of his career point totals to lack a bit compared to some of the other top-line centers of his era, but his multi-purpose use on the penalty kill, on faceoffs, and as a front-line leader in the locker room kept him in demand in the game for a long time, and currently have him in an executive position with the Dallas Stars.

Turgeon, on the other hand, may have some of you raising an eyebrow. At this point, I’m already expecting that I’ll be spending over a decade lobbying for Turgeon to be in the Hall. He spent virtually his entire 19-season career in less-than-favorable situations. He never played more than 15 playoff games in a given year. He was involved in a few blockbuster trades; sometimes he was the big chip a team was looking for to get over the hump, and sometimes he was deemed expendable. In 1991, Buffalo was in need of some change, and Turgeon (Drafted first overall by the Sabres in 1987) and a couple teammates were sent off to hockey purgatory on Long Island for a package that included Pat LaFontaine, who eventually became one of the most beloved Sabres in a hockey-crazy community, and one of the key components on some of the most entertaining teams of the 1990’s. Unable to establish himself as the face of the Islanders despite 58 goals in 1992-93, he was sent to Montreal in 1995. He later had success in St. Louis, and was
serviceable in Dallas and Colorado before calling it quits in 2007.

None of that can be held against Turgeon, though. He put up 1,327 points in 1,294 games; again, without much of a supporting cast. Nothing displays this like his 132 points in 1992-93: a season in which Steve Thomas was second on the Islanders in points behind Turgeon with 87. Only twice in 19 seasons did he have more goals than assists; in one of those, he was traded mid-season, and one was his final season with a poor Colorado team, demonstrating his superior playmaking ability. He’s the 1990’s forgotten superstar, and demonstrated superior sportsmanship throughout his career. What’s more: he had a two-way game. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have lasted like he did.

On the topic of playmakers, Adam Oates was the best one around for over a decade, and one of the best puck distributors of all-time. He never won a cup, but has 1,037 assists in 1,337 games. He bounced around during his career, but always had a high value. Without Oates, Brett Hull’s and Cam Neely’s numbers would not be where they are, and Peter Bondra would get even less of a sniff by Hall of Fame voters. Oates made his team better at all stages of his career.

Pavel Bure will be blacklisted by some due to his lack of games played: injuries limited the Russian Rocket to just 702 games over 12 seasons. But to draw a parallel: Jim Rice of the Red Sox is in the Baseball Hall of Fame because he was one of the most dominant American League hitters for about half-a-decade, which is five years. Bure had five 50-goal seasons, and twice had 60 goals in a single campaign. His 31 playoff points as a 22-year-old in Vancouver’s 1994 run that ended with a loss in game seven of the Cup Final at Madison Square Garden solidified him as a superstar. At some point, arguably the best European player ever, aside from shoe-in Niklas Lidstrom, will get the necessary votes.

Adding my four candidates to the newly admitted Ciccarelli, we arrive at five total. That means it’s time to stop for now, as I’m already over the voting limit of four players. Phil Housley will have to wait until a later time. He’s one of the best American defensemen ever, if Larry Murphy and Rod Langway are enshrined, they can certainly scoot over and make room for Housley. A defenseman racking up 1,232 points; as I said, more to come.

Apologies to Eric Lindros, Peter Bondra, John LeClair, and Tony Amonte. The Hockey Hall of Fame already has a reputation of being the easiest of the four majors in which to be inducted, and that should not be. Some of you may scoff at this notion, but Dave Andreychuk- yes, the Andreychuk with 640 goals- is going to have to wait in line behind a laundry list of more deserving players and hope for some slow years on the ballots before he can start writing his induction speech. With Andreychuk, there were just too many mediocre years.  He only had one season during which he was legitimately a feared offensive presence: 1993-94.  And during that season, he wasn’t even the best player on his team; Doug Gilmour was the catalyst for that Maple Leafs squad.  Speaking of another guy who will probably get in the Hall at some point, but may take awhile…

Lindros wished me a happy birthday in signing a photo for me as a 12-year-old; Bondra was a model for how star players should conduct themselves. They’re players I’d consider all-time favorites of mine, but the Hall of Fame is reserved for the highest echelon; the truly exceptional; those who set trends, defined eras and teams. Amonte was really good; but that’s it. LeClair had injury problems, and while he’s in the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, but he needed a supporting cast. A 50-goal scorer, he couldn’t be a cornerstone.

Being the best player for a single season doesn’t do it. Early Hockey Hall of Fame classes rewarded players simply for playing more than 15 years helmetless. Also, there are a lot of really good players in the Hall of Fame. While they were exceptional talents, did Rod Langway, Larry Murphy, and Glenn Anderson really display THAT much more prowess than the players I mentioned above?

Thoughts? Give me a shout at dplagens@idahosteelheads.com. Shameless plug time: follow me at www.twitter.com/dougplagens, and while you’re at it, why not add www.twitter.com/steelheads to your list.

‘Til we meet again.

Good day, folks. As the offseason rolls on, there’s no shortage of hockey points to cover, so let’s get right to it.

I must say congratulations to former Steelheads Coach Derek Laxdal. Wow, throwing the “former” in there is going to feel odd for awhile, but I think he’ll do a fantastic job with his new challenge of coaching the Western Hockey League’s Edmonton Oil Kings. His new team had a trying 2009-10 season while encountering some tough luck and injuries along the way, so Laxdal is taking over a team positioned to go up, and only up at this time.

For any of the doubters out there: a new challenge is exactly what Laxdal can use, in my opinion. He spent five years in the ECHL, and passed virtually every test. He won a championship, reached a second Cup Final, won a regular season title, never won fewer than 40 games, and moved several players to the American Hockey League, and a number of exceptional talents to the National Hockey League. While the numbers speak for themselves, there are a couple attributes that really stick on when analyzing Coach Laxdal. First, it’s his ability to identify talent, and place that talent in a position where it can succeed. Take Evan Barlow, for example. He entered training camp with no professional experience, and by season’s end, was one of the league’s top clutch performers, and a player the squad could lean on for timely scoring. Laxdal also beat the entire league to the punch on collecting Bryan McGregor from the scrap heap early in 2008-09. McGregor went from his couch in Niagara Falls, Ontario to being the ECHL’s top offensive player in a span of just a few months. Another Laxdal forte: keeping the team moving forward regardless of the personnel obstacles along the way. Whether it was a call-up or European departure, Laxdal reloaded immediately rather than taking time to rebuild. Remember when the world was ending following Mike Stuart’s exit, but Dustin Friesen saved the day?

Laxdal’s ability to mold a roster and identify talent will be put to even better use in the WHL. When he’s dealing with 16-to-20 year olds who are still finding themselves in this sport, he’ll be able to teach a player to use his strengths in the best possible way to help himself, his line, and his team as a whole. As far as roster changes go, he won’t have to deal with the call-ups like he did in the ECHL.

What’s more, though, is the fact that there could still be some who fail to recognize this as a promotion in the hockey world because Laxdal is going to be a coach at the major “junior” level. Forget the fact that Laxdal has nothing left to prove in the ECHL, and even the fact that his new office in Edmonton is essentially right down the hall from Edmonton Oilers higher-ups. Heck, his pay check is coming from the Oilers, whose owner also has the Oil Kings, and he’ll be able to observe NHL practices on an almost-daily basis. The point to emphasize is just how HUGE major junior hockey is in Canada. He’s going to have one player on his team who will be picked in the first round of this week’s NHL Entry Draft. On TSN (Canada’s ESPN), major junior hockey is covered like college basketball and college football in the States. He won’t just be dealing with future NHL players. He’s going to be coaching, and coaching against, future NHL All-Stars, and future Olympic-caliber players. He’s going to be opposed by former NHL coaches on other benches- guys like Craig Hartsburg and Don Hay.

Essentially, coaching hockey at the WHL level is like coaching hoops at a school like Syracuse (Shameless alma-mater plug for me) or UCLA. It’s like coaching football at Alabama or Oklahoma. With all the prestige and loyal fan following, he’s going to be under the microscope, win or lose. He mentioned to Will Hoenike and I the other day that he was quickly shown the Oil Kings’ placement in the Edmonton sports scene. Upon finishing a press conference, “I asked if there were any more questions, and about 25 reporters rushed the podium,” Laxdal said.  Folks: on-ice X’s and O’s are just part of the coaching development process. The ability to handle a rabid fan base and intense media coverage in a major hockey market is a huge determining factor in a coach’s readiness when being considered for a National Hockey League position.

The situation is a great one; the only course of action is improvement. Laxdal is inheriting a solid core of talent, starting with the goaltending and defense in Edmonton. He’s going to have an assistant and video coach. He’ll be under the microscope, that’s for sure. He’ll be under some pressure to ignite the turnaround in oil country, and I think he’ll be successful in doing so.

Stay tuned for a recap of the Hockey Hall of Fame balloting and some NHL draft thoughts.

‘Til we meet again.

Tonight is game four of the RC Willey Kelly Cup Finals, 2010 edition, and I’m thinking we should expect some positive momentum stemming from Tuesday night’s double-overtime thriller of a victory. Tonight’s game, in my mind, could determine the Kelly Cup Champion. The team that wins will have a huge amount of momentum. If it’s Idaho, they’ll reduce the series to a best-of-three essentially, and have two of the three remaining games at home. If Cincinnati wins, they’ll be up 3-1, and have a chance to close it out on home ice tomorrow. I’d highly recommend joining Will Hoenike over at the watch party; tonight at the Qwest Arena Sports Zone.

The Steelheads were on fire until about the 10:00 mark of the second period, as the game’s first half on Tuesday saw Idaho muster three goals- more than they had in games one and two combined- and limit Cincinnati to single-digit shots on net. However, we have stressed time and time again that the Cyclones don’t give up, and that they did not. Again, in the game’s final minutes, Cincinnati’s Mark Van Guilder scored to tie the game at 3-3, and force overtime.

In overtime, Rejean Beauchemin was nothing short of spectacular, as his highlight reel of saves bought the Steelheads enough time to net a game-winner early in the second overtime.

In tonight’s game, the key once again will be to jump on the Cyclones early, and force them to make the first adjustment. Perhaps we’re seeing a trend here; could it be that the team forced to make the first adjustment in a game is the team that automatically falls behind, either in scoring or in terms of flow dictation? I guess tonight we’ll find out. Also, the Steelheads need to realize that unlike Utah and Stockton, Cincinnati does not become flustered, and does not stray too far from its game plan when falling behind. The Cyclones won’t stop, and it’s going to take 60 solid minutes to beat them.

As for the rest of the trip to Cincinnati: it’s been quite fun. It started with KBOI-TV’s Sports Director J. Bates (In town covering the Steelheads in the Finals) and I catching a Reds-Brewers game in the afternoon, and perusing the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. Check J’s blog on KBOI’s web site for some pictures and video- yes, video- of our fun in the Queen City. We also ate at Waffle House; a staple from pretty much this part of the country, southward.

Yesterday, I was able to spend the day with my mom! Our driveway in the Metro Detroit area is just four hours and nine minutes (According to mapquest) from the team hotel in Covington, Kentucky, so she made the trip down. I even got to go to Chick-fil-A in Florence, Kentucky; Chick-fil-A is, quite possibly, the greatest fast food in the entire world.

Time to get ready for tonight’s game. We’ll have it all on “The Ticket” if you can’t make it to the watch party.

‘Til we meet again…

Well folks, tonight’s a pivotal second game of the 2010 Kelly Cup Finals. Last night, Cincinnati won the game by playing strong disciplined hockey, by converting on the power play chances they were afforded, and by backchecking fiercely; to the point that Robert Mayer’s final two periods in net were largely routine in nature.

The commentary from the outside seems to focus largely on the officiating in last night’s game, and in all honesty, this broadcaster and hockey observer has no issues with the calls made on the ice. The tussle between Idaho’s Mathieu Tousignant and Cincinnati’s Kevin Roeder behind the Cyclones’ goal in the final two minutes has been the topic of many conversations I’m hearing, and I think the way to handle the situation is to either leave both players on the ice, or take both to the penalty box; and nothing in-between, in my opinion.

The penalty taken by Mathieu Tousignant for tripping late in the game gave the Cyclones a power play, and that power play resulted in Mark Van Guilder burying the game-winning tally for Cincinnati. Whether you thought it was a trip, interference, or a blown call is irrelevant at this point. However, that’s an infraction in any arena, with any referee, in any league, at any stage of a game; period. Maxime LaCroix did not have possession of the puck, and he was dropped to the ice.  It was the right call; no question about it.  Anyone who listened to last night’s postgame show on KTIK heard some good discourse on the subject.

Overall, a game is not won, nor is it lost on a single penalty call; a note that leads me into tonight’s contest. Cincinnati plays very sound, fundamental hockey, and does not give opponents an inordinate amount of scoring opportunities. Therefore, the Steelheads are going to have to make the most of their power play chances this evening.

Last night’s game was a very competitive contest, and tonight’s game is a must-win for Idaho. The next three games in the series are scheduled in Cincinnati, so making the most of tonight’s game two at home is imperative for Derek Laxdal’s club. In watching a coaching chess match between arguably the ECHL’s two best bench bosses, the hardcore hockey fans and X’s and O’s junkies will have a ton of fun tonight.

If you can’t be at Qwest Arena for tonight’s 7:10 PM puck drop, the game will air live on KTIK, Cable Channel 17, and the B2 Networks online. I’ll be joined in the booth by two-time Kelly Cup Champion Darrell Hay, and KBOI-TV’s J Bates will be providing reports from rinkside throughout the game.

‘Til we meet again…

The day has arrived; the first game of the Kelly Cup Finals, 2010 edition, is this evening at Qwest Arena. For those of you heading out to the game, the puck drops at 7:10 PM, and you’ll want to make sure you’re in your seat when the game starts.

Why the urgency, you ask? Well, first of all, you’re looking at an opponent in the Cincinnati Cyclones who has played every possible playoff game; five in the first round, seven in the second round, and seven in the American Conference Finals, a series that saw the Cyclones overcome a three-games-to-none deficit to defeat the Reading Royals. Factor in a marathon travel experience that began after their most recent game seven and ended sometime yesterday afternoon in Boise, and you have a team that could very well show some wear and tear in this series. If you’re the Idaho Steelheads, the first period tonight is a possible window of opportunity to jumpstart some offense, and take control.

Will Hoenike and I will be breaking down tonight’s action in detail on the Bud Light Idaho Steelheads Show (6PM, KTIK), and I’ll also be taking a few minutes to chat with Cincinnati’s broadcaster, John Hamel. Also, tonight’s game can be viewed on Cable Channel 17, as well as heard on “The Ticket”. Alongside me for the home portion of the series will be former Steelheads defenseman and two-time Kelly Cup Champion Darrell Hay providing the color commentary.

As for familiar faces on the Cyclones: Barret Ehgoetz played for Utah in 2005-06, Hans Benson spent some time as a member of the Alaska Aces in 2006-07, Mathieu Aubin played with Bakersfield this season before being traded to Cincinnati, and assistant coach Dean Stork played for the Stockton Thunder in 2005-06.

A big key for Idaho in this series: slow down Cincinnati’s movement through the neutral zone. Idaho did a good job of this against the Stockton Thunder, but Cincinnati’s defensemen are more proficient puck movers than those of the Thunder. Two former Boston College standouts- Brett Motherwell and Brian O’Hanley- will need to be pressured frequently by Steelheads forecheckers, as they are a couple of the catalysts from the back-end for Chuck Weber’s team. Look for the line of John Swanson, John-Scott Dickson, and Michael Neal to do all it can to use its strengths against Motherwell, O’Hanley, and the rest of the crew. I covered Motherwell during 2007-08 while working with the Syracuse Crunch in the American Hockey League, and he has the ability to be a power play quarterback in the ECHL; a skilled puck mover.

Before I go, I just want to give John-Scott Dickson a “tip of the cap” for his hat trick in game six against the Stockton Thunder. The fans, and John-Scott himself, didn’t get the usual hat trick celebration, as the hat trick came as a result of a scoring change. Evan Barlow had originally been credited with Idaho’s second goal, but it was later changed to Dickson, giving him the third goal. For John-Scott Dickson, it was a natural hat trick in a conference final game, and it doesn’t get much bigger than that.

‘Til we meet again…