Weekend Round-up

The Aeros are back home tonight for Clutterbuck Bobblehead Night, Kids Weekend, Tough Guy Night, etc etc. Should be a decent crowd, especially for a team deeeeep in the basement of its division.

Luckily, we might just have a couple of decent games on our hands here, as Milwaukee is in the fourth spot in the division and trying to make sure they secure that playoff position. You know they're watching Peoria, 3 points behind them, and know they MUST take some points out of this weekend.

The Aeros, on the other hand, have absolutely nothing to lose and are in a position to really put a hurting on Milwuakee's season if they can get it together. Of course, that's a big if, because they're not in the basement for lack of trying. They haven't gotten it together much of the season and now they're tissue paper thin on the blue line. And have been off for almost a week. They're gonna be rustier than a box of wet nails.

The defensive woes look to stick around, too, as Justin Falk earned himself a concussion in his first NHL game last night with the Wild. Poor kid. And on an apparently dirty play, too. Welcome to The Show, where headshots "won't be tolerated."

I guess if you have to get your bell rung, you might as well do it making "show dough." Buy yourself something nice, pumpkin. Just not a book or TV or exercise equipment... Maybe a really nice pillow so you can sleep this thing off.

In other news, Sifers and Earl were both put on waivers Friday, but the way the Wild are getting injured, and the fact that the team can keep a waived player on the roster for another 30 days after they clear, I would anticipate them staying up.

Also, Wade Dubielewicz was reassigned to Houston this morning, so presumably he'll back up Khudobin this weekend.

Elsewhere, in case you missed it, a little bit of AHL history was made last night as Binghamton Senators goalie Chris Holt scored a goal for only the 10th time ever in the league.What's more, he was only the 6th to do it directly, as opposed to an own goal by the other team where the opposing goalie was the last to touch it.

I've been keeping up with the news on it (and hope to have good quality video on it this morning sometime) over at InGoalMag.com.

Aeros v Peoria 3/22 -- Cleaning up the garbage

The guys did a great job covering the game, but I've got a few notes.

First, the airing of grievances. I know I ride Pouliot pretty hard, but that's because I know he can be better than he plays at times, and yesterday was one of those times. Overskating the puck several times, passing to invisible teammates, showing all the hockey sense of a labrador retriever, etc.

He had a breakaway about 3 minutes into the game where he was just free and clear. Nothing but Benny and Manny. Manny's a little fella but he'll stop almost everything you put at him down low. The team had a lot of success going high on him.

So what does Beautiful Benny do? Shoots it right at his leg pad. That shot had all the creativity of a warm-up drill shot. I instantly got a headache.

Also, I gotta say, I love me a good hockey fight, but the one between Beaudoin and Danny Richmond after Locke's 2nd period goal was hard to watch. Not that Beaudoin didn't represent, but it was really a rather vicious one and so startling how it started in the midst of a goal celebration. Definitely felt like an attack on one of our skill guys, but kudos to Matt for giving the business right back. That's the kinda stones the boys are gonna have to show to get through the playoffs. Can't get pushed around.

That's all the grievances. Pretty painless, right? (Benny's shaking his head and giving me the middle finger, no doubt.)

On to the good stuff: First, shout out to Fred for noticing that Kolanos changed to a different stick before the 3-on-5 opportunity on which Locke scored (and Kolanos got the second assist). Uncanny.

Second, the most memorable part of the game for me, was watching back-up goalie Chris Holt watch the shoot out. He's a funny, engaging guy, and was he ever pumped up about the shoot-out. I mean, Manny Freaking Legace is out there for his team. What could go wrong?

Well, Rosa, Locke and Kolanos went wrong and made Manny look silly. Holt was off of his stool, pacing (and very kindly worried about not slicing one of my toes off in my open toed shoes, but rest assured, Chris, I was keenly aware of where your bladed feet were), and living and dying with every shot.

You might think guys get kinda blasé about these things after a while, and some may, but not Holt. He was talking to everyone down in the corner, fans sitting next to the corner. He even lamented on Brusty's behalf the way he got pulled for Schaefer in the shootout during a Peoria game earlier in the season. Remember those days? Wow. Hockey seasons are long, man. And thank goodness for that.

Anyway, that was pretty cool. Never got to watch a pro goalie watch his own team get picked apart in the shoot-out. Locker's crazy second goal had him doubled over in disbelief. One of Schaefer's saves (where he got a toe out JUST in time to deflect the puck away) had him going, "HOW'D HE DO THAT?!" Um, if anybody here knows how he did that, it's you, my friend.

Nice guy.

Here's my parting shot, which I hesitate to share for fear you'll think I'm crazy... but I'm all about full disclosure and I'm a goalie, so I'm allowed to be crazy and you're just supposed to accept it and carry on. Deal?

I got into this habit, as the season has progressed, of walking into the arena to the right of the seam in the sidewalk that takes me from my car to the entrance of the building. (It's not a superstition; it's a routine. Right, boys? Right? Boys? Hello?)

Anyway, last time I walked that way, the Aeros lost. On the way in yesterday, I couldn't decide what to do. So I alternated... left side of the seam. Right side of the seam. Back to the left. Maybe if there was a bad luck and good luck side, I'd spend just enough time on the good luck side to counteract any bad luck.

I'd say the game played out almost exactly like my walk into the building. I still don't know which side is which, though I have my suspicions, but if the guys keep playing like this, I feel safe in experimenting a little. By playoffs, I'll have it figured out.