Hello again Jacks fans!  What an exciting week of Jacks playoff hockey it has been!  In the last 4 games, we have seen the lows and highs.  But the Jacks never gave up, especially after dropping games 3 & 4.  But I think game 5 signaled the turning point of the series, giving the Jacks the momentum they need to finish this series off.  And wow, what can I say about game 6 back at the Jack Shack!  In the playoffs, anyone can be a hero, even a scruffy semi-enforcer type like Garrett Gruenke.

Now we prepare for game 7 on Wednesday night.  Another do-or-die situation, except for both teams this time.  Who’s going to come out on top?  Well I have a funny feeling, and call me crazy, but Odessa will be rocking into the early hours Thursday morning!  All of the momentum is in the Jacks corner right now.  This was the possibility that the Jacks knew might occur, and after last seasons game 7 meltdown on the road, why they worked so hard ensure that a game 7 this season would be on home ice.  Allen has to be reeling, knowing they have given up a 3-1 series lead, and have lost early leads in both game 5 and 6.  And even though the Whitley enigma is still there, he’s giving up more chances and rebounds, which the Jacks are taking advantage of.  As far as Allen’s only true scoring line goes, the Jacks are still having problems with them, as all three goals in game 5, and 2 of the 3 goals in game 6, were scored by either Mussitelli, Bowers, or Graham.

Team Accolades

I have to start off by giving a huge congratulations to the team for never giving up.  This really says alot about the character of a team, when they are down 0-2 in a series and come back to win 4 straight, or down 3-1, and come back to win 2 forcing a game 7.  These guys should be proud of themselves and what they’ve accomplished so far.  The bigger prize, the one this team has been working for all season, is just 5 wins away.

Now for some numbers.  The Jacks powerplay was decent over these last 4 games, scoring on 4 of the 18 chances, for a 22.22% powerplay.  In fact, the Jacks have scored at least one powerplay goal in the last three games, with game 5 producing 2.  Among the teams still playing, the Jacks powerplay is ranked #2 behind Bossier-Shreveport, with the Jacks scoring 14 goals on 65 chances, for a 21.54% powerplay.  The Jacks penalty kill is still on fire in this series, allowing only 2 goals on 13 chances, with those 2 goals coming in game 4.  In fact, in this series, the Jacks penalty kill has only allowed 3 goals on 26 Allen chances, for an 88.46% penalty kill!  Among the four teams still playing, the Jacks are ranked #1 on the penalty kill, allowing only 8 goals on 55 chances for an 85.45% penalty kill.

Individual Accolades

So first of all, congrats to Jeff Pierce, who had 5 goals and 2 assists over the 4 games, including a hat-trick in game 4′s heartbreaker.  In fact, Pierce is the only Jacks player on a long point streak right now, 11 games, and has 19 total points in the playoffs (10 goals and 9 assists), and is making a strong case for playoff MVP.  Congrats to Sebastien Thinel, who had 2 goals and 6 assists in the 4 games.  Thinel is leading the playoffs right now with 22 points, 8 goals and 14 assists, and is also making a run for playoff MVP.  Congrats to Mike Ramsay, who had 2 goals and an assist in the four game stretch.  Ramsay has 7 points in the playoffs right now, with 5 goals and 2 assists.  Congrats to Kory Karlander, who had 2 goals and an assist over the four game stretch.  Karlander has 4 goals and 7 assists for 11 points so far in the playoffs.  Congrats to Phil Plante, who had a goal and 4 assists in the four games.  Plante has 3 goals and 5 assists for 8 points in the playoffs, and is in a three-way tie for 1st among scoring defenseman in the playoffs.  Congrats to Dominic Leveille who had a goal and 3 assists over the 4 game stretch.  Leveille has 2 goals and 12 assists for 14 points in the playoffs, and ranks 7th among scorers.  Congrats to Mike Lesperance, who had a goal and an assist over the four games.  Lesperance has 2 goals and 2 assists in the playoffs so far.  Congrats to Dave Van Drunen who had a goal and an assist in the four games, his first goal in the playoffs.  Van Drunen has 5 points total in the playoffs, one goal and 4 assists.  Congrats to Garrett Grunke, who’s game 6 game winner, is his 2nd goal of the playoffs.  Gruenke also has 2 assists for 4 total points in the playoffs.  Congrats to Collin Circelli who had an assist in each of the four games.  Circelli has 12 points in the playoffs so far, with 2 goals and 10 assists, and is ranked 9th in the league.  Congrats to Alex Dunn, Jean Bourbeau, Kenny Bernard, and amateur Paul Bradley, who each an assist over the 4 games.  Dunn’s assist gives him 5 points in the playoffs, with 2 goals and 3 assists.  Bourbeau has 3 points in the playoffs, with a goal and 2 assists, and no telling how many blocked shots.  Bernard has 5 points in the playoffs, with 2 goals and 3 assists.  Bradley’s assist marks the first point in his professional career.

Goaltenders

While neither of our goaltenders have been great in the playoffs, particularly this series, they’ve both made some key saves, and have given the Jacks the opportunities they needed to win.

Joel Martin is 4-4 in the playoffs, with key wins in game 2, 5, and 6 in this series.  Martin has given up 24 goals, and has a 3.10 GAA and .893 save %.  Martin stopped 17 of 21 shots before being replaced at the start of the 3rd period in game 3.  Martin stopped 38 of 41 shots on goal in the game 5 win.  Martin stopped 31 of 34 shots on goal in the game 6 overtime win.

Juha Toivenen is 3-1 in the playoffs so far.  Toivenen has given up 16 goals and has a 3.22 GAA and .899 save %.  Toivenen replaced Martin for the 3rd period in game 3, and stopped 13 of 14 shots on goal.  Toivenen stopped 24 of 30 shots on goal in the game 4 loss.

Final Thoughts

I woke up yesterday and just had a feeling that the Jacks were going to win last night.  That feeling didn’t diminish any heading into the game, even with the news of Karlanders one game suspension.  When Allen went ahead 3-2 late in the 3rd, still no doubt.  I just kept yelling, “Play your game Jacks!”  And two minutes later, Plante gets the game tying goal.  During the overtime intermission, I told coaches wife, “We’re gonna win this quickly — the boys will not be denied.”  Everyone I was telling I would see them on Wednesday.

That feeling has not left me yet.

Heart.  Determination.  Desire.

Game 7, Wednesday April 21st.  Be there!  GO JACKS GO!

Jackalopes News

04/14/2010 — Jackalopes drop game 3 to Americans

04/15/2010 — Jacks face must-win situation

04/16/2010 — Pierce’s hat trick isn’t enough to save Jackalopes

04/17/2010 — Jackalopes win Game 5

04/18/2010 — Lee Scheide says:  Lets see how the Jackalopes handle some prosperity

04/19/2010 – Jackalopes rally, win in overtime, force game 7

Game 1

From the drop of the first puck, you could tell this game was going to be extra physical.  What you couldn’t tell, is how bad Allen was going to goon up their play.  On just about every single shift, Allen seemed to be doing something wrong behind the play, or after the whistle had blown.  You could tell they relished the thought that there was only one referee on the ice, and if he didn’t see them acting like goons, then they were perfectly right in doing so.  I counted at least a dozen slashes that were not called in the game, and I swear Bernard had his head pounded into ice a couple of times during one sequence.  No one seemed to be safe on Friday night, not even Thinel, who was punched in the back of the head at least 3 or 4 times after the whistle had blown on one play.  it was almost like Bill McDonald had cut the strings from his puppets, and let them do whatever they wanted.  The Jacks did increase their physical game for this one, but never crossed the line that would have brought them down to the level of Allen.  It was apparent however, that referee Kevin Graber had pretty much lost control after the opening face-off, and maybe in his mind, goon tactics are considered playoff style hockey.  I however, do not see it that way.

The Jacks powerplay seemed to return from their post-regular season vacation, as all 3 of the Jacks goals were scored on 3 of the 7 powerplay chances.  However, the powerplay did give up one short-handed goal in the 3rd period, which ended up being the game winner.  The Jacks penalty kill was also on fire Friday night, shutting down all 5 of Allens chances.

Congrats to Sebastien Thinel, Mike Ramsay, and Phil Plante, who each scored one of the powerplay goals.  Congrats to Kory Karlander and Dominic Leveille who each had 2 assists on Friday night.  Congrats to Collin Circelli and Jeff Pierce who each had an assist on Friday night.

Joel Martin was decent in net on Friday, stopping 26 of the 30 Allen shots on goal.

Game 2

The Allen team that showed up tonight was not the goons that showed up for game 1.  Maybe McDonald put all of his puppets back on their strings, or maybe the league told him to cut out all the bull and just play hockey, I don’t know.  Both teams were really physical throughout the game, completing their checks, positioning themselves to make clean hits, and there were very few actions that could be considered goonish in nature.  Once again I was impressed with Chris Whitley’s performance in the net for Allen, and he definitely kept them in Saturday nights game.  With the way the Jacks came out, the score could have easily been 10-2, with no overtime needed.

The Jacks were 1 for 7 on the powerplay on Saturday night, while the penalty kill went 1 for 8.

Congrats to Kenny Bernard, Jean Bourbeau and Jeff Pierce, who each had a goal on Saturday night, with Pierce’s overtime tally being the biggest of the series so far.  Congrats to Dominic Leveille, Dave Van Drunen, Kory Karlander, and Sebastien Thinel who each had an assist in Saturday’s game.

Once again Martin was in net for game 2, and stopped 29 of the 31 Allen shots on goal.  Except for Allen’s second goal, which was a poor turnover behind the net by Martin, he really looked good in net.

Series Thoughts

So now the series shifts to Allen for the next three games, which technically means that home-ice advantage has shifted to Allen.  However, just like in the Brahmas series, the Jacks can easily take back the advantage, but they really need to win at least 2 of the 3 games, which would give them the advantage coming back to the Jack Shack for a game 6.  The Jacks can do it, but they really need to take the Allen fans out of the games, and hope the Allen goons do not take over.  And if the crowd can smell Jacks blood, its just going to fuel them.  The bright spot of these next three games, should be the fact that Toivenen should be in net for hopefully at least 2 of the 3 games.  At least, I hope he will be, since he’s still 10-1 so far in his playoff appearances.

Finally, I am honestly ashamed to be called a West Texan, and if I was an Odessan, I would be really ashamed of the city I lived in.  What gives Odessa?  Its no longer spring break, and its not Easter holiday, so where were yall?  Where was all the support for the Jacks this weekend?  It really sickens me to see the crappy support the Jacks are receiving during this playoff run.  As jacksfan111 commented on Friday’s Odessa American article, theres only a few people who have any right to feel pride when the Jacks win their first cup.  I can’t even see Odessa given the Jacks a much needed championship celebration parade, because the city doesn’t support the Jacks.  Hell, with the way your county works, they would probably increase the Jacks rent, and how much the fans have to pay to park.  But I guess its okay for yall to look at your crappy support for the Jacks okay.  After all, isn’t Whining 101 offered at both Odessa High and Permian, and Whining 102 is available at Odessa College.  So whats your excuse this time Odessa??

So game 3 is on Wednesday, game 4 is on Friday, and game 5 is on Saturday, all at the Library in Allen.  I’ve got my tickets for game 5, but will be watching game 3 & 4 on CHL-TV.

So is it Wednesday yet???

GO JACKS GO!!!!

Jackalopes News

• 04/09/2010 — Jackalopes dropfirst game to Americans
• 04/10/2010 — Jackalopes tie up Americans with overtime playoff victory
• 04/11/2010 – Thief in the House

So lets start with the season series.  This was one of the weirdest season series the Jacks participated in, not because of the results but more of what was happening in the league at the time.  Yeah the Jacks were slowly pulling away from the rest of the Southern Conference, but it was the expansion Allen Americans who were still right on the Jacks tail.  Allen was surprising several people in the league, including yours truly.  What happened to the expansion blues??  Allen was certainly not experiencing them, like Missouri was before the post All-Star break turn around.

In the first meeting of the season, on Nov. 27th, Allen won the game 5-4 at the Jack Shack.  i didn’t get to attend due to Thanksgiving plans, but I did listen to the game.  After talking to people in attendance, they said that Allen really didn’t impress them, like they had others in the league.  Maybe it was a Thanksgiving hang-over, but just about everyone I talked to said that both teams just played sloppy that night.

The second meeting came at the Allen Events Center, and saw the Jacks walk away with a 3-2 overtime victory.  Again, I listened to this game and it really sounded like both teams were really fighting for the puck.  So again, Allen traveled to the friendly confines of the Jack Shack, for a game the next night, but I think someone forgot to tell Allen to get off the bus.  I’m not sure if it was just Allen playing sloppy, or the Jacks playing so perfectly in sync, but the fans were treated to a 3-0 shutout by Martin this time.  And then the next Tuesday, the 5-1 beatdown by the Jacks, just left me wondering why other teams seemed to be having such a hard time with Allen.  Three straight games, three straight Jacks victories.

With that being said, the team that I noticed chasing the Jacks for first in the Southern Conference down the stretch did not appear to be same team.  Oh yeah, the uniforms and even personnel were the same for the most part, but there was a definite attitude change.  I just wish we could have seen them at least once during the 2nd half of the season to gauge how far they had come.  Unfortunately for one team, we will get to see who truly is #1 in the South.

While the Jacks were involved in an intense series with Texas, Allen was taking on perennial powerhouse, Laredo Bucks.  Laredo however was not having the same kind of spectacular year they usually had, including going like 10-4 against Corpus Christi, a team they normally dominated.  In addition, I believe half of their end-of-season roster had been on IR at one point or another.  Despite this, the series between Allen and Laredo was very intense, and looked to be shifting in Laredo’s favor, when they took a 3-2 series lead.  However, heading back to Allen was just what the doctor ordered for the Americans.  Like most teams in this league, playing on home ice just helps build a teams morale, and it definitely helped the Americans.  In a hard fought game 6, Allen triumphed 3-2 over the Bucks.  So that meant a Game 7, the first of this seasons playoffs.  And while Laredo’s playoff future was on the line, they just didn’t seem to play like it.  So for the 2nd straight year, Laredo was sent packing in the semi-final round, which meant the Jacks would not have to see their hated playoff rivals for the first time since Laredo entered the league.

So that brings us to the Southern Conference series between your #1 Jacks and the #2 Americans, and for the first time since 2002-2003, a guaranteed non-Laredo winner 

For me the keys to this game for the Jacks are:

1.  Goaltending — Both Martin and Toivenen need to be on the very top of there game, neither can afford to have a throw-away game now.  While Juha is 10-1 in the playoffs going back to last season, Gillis can’t rely on him to be in net every night.  In fact, the game 6 breakdown proved it.  Luckily for the Jacks, Martin was able to come in and give the Jacks the confidence they needed to tie the game, and then win it in overtime.  In fact, it was readily apparent after the game 1 loss, that Martin wasn’t going to let it phase him, and kept the Jacks in game 2 all the way to the end when a defensive mistake caused the loss with 7 seconds left in the first overtime.  At the other end of the ice, the Jacks will get to pelt Allen goaltender Chris Whitley, who they saw in all 4 contests during the regular season.  In all honesty, I can’t see Allen coach Dwight Mullins, putting in backup goaltender David McKee unless they are getting hammered real bad.  And I definitely do not see him starting McKee, who was 2-3 in the 5 games he played at the end of the season.

2.  Home advantage — The Jacks really need to take advantage of each home game they get to play, but its not an ultimate necessity.  If the Texas series proved anything, it was that the psychological advantage the NyTex Sports Center once held in the playoffs failed miserably.  In fact the Jacks proved during the regular season they were comfortable playing at home (26-4-2) or on the road (22-7-3).  Maybe the let down of the Rapid City weekend helped to show the weakness in how the Jacks played on the road, and if its fated for the Ray Miron cup finals, the Jacks will be better this time around.  Allen on the other hand, amassed a 19-12-1 record on the road, and a 23-5-4 record in front of their hometown fans.

3.  Special Teams — The Jacks powerplay needs to come back from the vacation it has been taking since the end of the regular season.  The Jacks penalty kill did good, allowing a powerplay goal in 4 of the 6 games against Texas.

4.  Control the Neutral Zone — Plain and simple, the Jacks need to make sure passes are crisp and to their intended targets in the neutral zone, and not get sloppy, causing defensive turn overs.  At the same time, they need to make sure they are covering everybody, because all it takes is one guy to get by you and POW!

5.  Control the Faceoff — The Jacks have arguably the best face-off man in the entire CHL in Kory Karlander.  If he’s not able to take the draw, then Circelli and Thinel are the next ones up.

6.  Pepper the Goalie — This may seem like a no-brainer, but its a fact, especially with Whitley.  One of the things I noticed in that Tuesday game was he would get frustrated when he was facing lots of shots from every angle possible, almost like he wished the defense would pick it up, instead of relying on him.  In fact, hopefully Bodine is feeling better and can position himself right in front of Whitley down in the crease.  Gruenke did an okay job in the Texas series, but there was still mistakes made.

7.  Take Out the Trash — Again, a no-brainer, but its fact.  The defense needs to make sure that Martin’s and Juha’s viwe is as clear as possible.  If you allow one of their big guys to camp out in the crease, it will impede how our goalies operate, and they definitely operate better when no trash is in front of them.

8.  Play Your Game — Herb Brooks said it best, “Play your game!”  Allen has some big guys, who will try to rough up the little guys every chance they get.  Don’t let them.  Yes this will be a physical series, but the Jacks can’t let Allen push them around.

9.  Don’t Take Stupid Penalties — I still believe Game 7 last year could have been closer if cooler heads would have prevailed.  Instead, the stupid penalties were taken, and the Jacks playoff hopes were over before they even realized it.

So thats how I see it anyway.  The Jacks may have the advantage, but you can never count the Americans out.  However, I can’t see the Jacks losing the series either.

So my prediction:  Jacks in 6, just so they can come back and celebrate the accomplishment on home-ice in front of the fans 
See yall tonight Jacks fans, and as always, GO JACKS GO!

One other note:

As far as the Northern Conference series, I really don’t care who wins, but if I’m going to be able to travel to any games, it will need to be the Mudbugs.  However, I’m not sure the Bugs can overcome the psychological advantage the arena in Rapid City provides.  So I predict the series will go to 7 games, and whoever walks out deserves to meet the Jacks 

So first of all congrats to the Jackalopes on defeating the Texas Brahmas in 6 games to advance to the conference finals again.  It was definitely an uphill struggle, especially after dropping the first two games at home.  But the Jacks never gave up, and after taking the next two at the Sardine Can, had the confidence needed to finish off the series.  But did anyone really see the Jacks taking all three games possible at the NyTex?  I certainly didn’t.  Like a Game 3 or 4, and then maybe a game 6, but not 3 total!  The Brahmas are now 15-5 at home, with 3 of those losses coming this season.  The other three teams, especially the Rush, have to be a little worried that whatever home advantage they have, may not be enough now.

I’m not sure what happened to the Jacks special teams after the regular season, but I really would like to see them come back.  The Jacks powerplay was okay during this series, scoring at least one goal in 5 of the 6 games, with Game 2 being the blank.  The Jacks scored 6 powerplay goals total on 33 chances, for an 18.18% powerplay.  The Jacks penalty kill was really good however, allowing only 5 goals on 29 chances, for an 82.76% penalty kill.

Now onto the individual honors for the series.  First of all, congrats to Sebastien Thinel, who had 5 goals and 7 assists in the series, and leads all scorers in the playoffs.  Thinel has had issues in past playoff series scoring, but if this series was any indication, that drought is over!  Congrats to Jeff Pierce, who had 4 goals and 6 assists in the series.  Congrats to Collin Circelli, Mr. Under-rated, who had 2 goals and 5 assists in the series, including the all important clincher goal in the game 6 overtime!  Congrats to Kory Karlander who had 2 goals and 3 assists in the series.  Congrats to Alex Dunn who had 2 goals and 2 assists in the series.  Congrats to Mike Ramsay who had 2 goals and an assist in the series.  Congrats to Dominic Leveille who had a goal and 6 assists in the series.  Congrats to Kenny Bernard and Garrett Gruenke who each had a goal and 2 assists in the series.  Congrats to Phil Plante and Mike Lesperance who each had a goal and an assist in the series.  Congrats to Dave Van Drunen and Brian Swiniarski who each had 2 assists in the series.  Congrats to Jean Bourbeau and Patrick Mbarga who each had an assist in the series.

Now onto the goaltender accolades.  First of all, congrats to Juha Toivenen, who went 3-0 in the series.  Juha replaced Martin in net, starting in Game 3 and was replaced in net before the 3rd period of Game 6.  Juha made 28 saves on 31 shots in Game 3, 27 saves on 28 shots in Game 4, 34 saves on 35 shots in Game 5′s near shutout, and 16 saves on 20 shots in Game 6.  Juha finished the series with a 2.46 GAA and .921 save %.  Martin finished the series 1-2, but was crucial in stopping Texas from winning Game 6.  Martin made 29 saves on 34 shots in Game 1, 27 saves on 30 shots in Game 2, and stopped all 4 shots in the 3rd period of Game 6.  Martin finished the series with a 2.97 GAA and .882 save %.

I thought the series was good overall.  I know some Texas fans are complaining about the officiating, especially in Game 6, but its what I was expecting.  The officiating this year has definitely not been great, but I have seen a difference from all the ticky-tack calls during the regular season, and the few things being called during the playoffs.  I was really impressed again by both Texas goalies.  Brett Jaeger was once again a force in the net for games 1, 2, 3, and 6, despite getting replaced in game 3.  Joe Palmer was phenomenal in game 5, especially with both teams tired from the trip from North Richland Hills to Odessa for a home-and-home set.  Was it a shock to see Jaeger in net for Game 6?  Yes.  Like I said, both goalies in game 5 were phenomenal, despite the travel.  So you can’t hang the loss on Palmer shoulders.  Would it have been a different outcome?  Its possible.  I was also impressed with A.J. Gale’s speed up and down the ice, and can compare it too Kenny Bernard or Josh Chase last season, or even to Mike MacDonald from the 2007-2008 season.

I think its interesting to read some comments on the Brahmas private forum regarding the foreign objects situations.  Several of their fans are actually condoning Wildfong’s actions in game 2, when he threw some pennies out on the ice.  And then they proceed to compare it to an incident that apparently happened in game 6, where Gillis threw a chewed hot dog on the ice.  Really? I guess the fans have inhaled too much Zamboni fumes in their little tin shed, because they apparently cannot see the difference and absurdity in these two situations.  Wildfong intentionally threw pennies on the ice, something he did last year as well, and then tried to blame the fans for it.  Luckily the referee that night was going to hear any argument and give out a stupid penalty to the Jacks for the foreign objects.  Now as far as Gillis’ situation, I cannot see him going through the game with a chewed hot dog in his pocket or mouth, waiting for an opportune time to throw it on the ice.  I believe a fan threw it at him, and either he deflected it, or picked it off and threw it.  And I’m not saying he was right in throwing it on the ice, but the absurdity of the comparison is what makes the situations stupid.  I mean, if the pennies were to have frozen to the ice, and a Texas or Odessa player tripped on them, it could have led to a serious injury.  There’s also the possibility that a puck could deflect of the object, which is why when the carpet freezes to the ice, or a stick shatters, they work to make sure anything on the ice is removed.  Do the Texas fans who think Wildfong was right in actions, not understand this?  I’m not sure they do.  But for these same fans, whatever it takes to win hockey games I guess, including hiring a goon like James Hiebert.  Oh well, to each his own.

The Jacks now get to face the Allen Americans in what should be another tight series.  I will give a brief overview of the series tomorrow.

So until next time, GO JACKS GO!

Jackalopes News

03/24/2010 — Jackalopes, Brahmas will start series Friday

03/26/2010 – Brahmas bully Jacks (Game 1)

03/27/2010 — Brahmas take two from Jacks on last-second goal (Game 2)

03/30/2010 — Jackalopes hit the road with plenty of work to do

03/31/2010 — Jacks offense explodes in must win game (Game 3)

04/01/2020 — Jackalopes try to keep it going

04/02/2010 — Jacks thump Brahmas (Game 4)

04/03/2010 — Jackalopes beat Brahmas, take Series lead (Game 5)

04/04/2010 – Jackalopes wary of wounded Brahmas

04/05/2010 – Circelli lifts Jackalopes into Southern Conference Finals (Game 6)

04/07/2010 — Jackalopes goaltenders pack a potent 1-2 punch

04/07/2010 — Odessa takes on Allen in Southern Conference Finals

The Jackalopes are enjoying the success from the best regular season in franchise history, going 48-11-5 for 101 points.  Bringing back fifteen players from last years team, led to a quick gelling, with the new players able to find their role quickly.  The Jacks brought in veteran goalie Joel Martin, who quickly showed what he could provide to the team, and went on to set a new franchise record for win percentage, and was honored with Outstanding Goaltender of the Year.  The Jacks special teams has been red hot all season, with the powerplay and penalty kill staying at or near the top of the league all season.  The powerplay in particular, has been spectacular, with two long game streaks with powerplay goals (17 and 19).  The penalty kill has been good too, allowing 2 or more powerplay goals in only 9 games this season.

Team Accolades

First of all, congratulations to the Jackalopes for setting a new franchise record, going 48-11-5, for a total of 101 points.  The Jacks are the first team since the 2003-2004 Laredo Bucks (104), to break 100 points.  In addition, as mentioned on Wednesday, congratulations are in order for winning the 2009-2010 Governors Cup as well.  While it is true that only 2 Governors Cup champs have gone on to win the Ray Miron Cup, the Jacks have been bucking trends all season long.  When was the last time a Southern Conference team won the Governors Cup?  2003-2004.  When was the last time a team broke the 100 point barrier?  2003-2004.  Who was the Governors Cup champ in 2003-2004?  Laredo.  Who was the Ray Miron Cup winner in 2003-2004?  Laredo.  The Jacks have as good a chance, as anyone else in the playoffs. 

Congratulations to the Jacks special teams, which finished #1 overall in the league.  The Jacks powerplay was 0-4 against Laredo on Wednesday, 2 for 5 against Laredo on Friday, and 3 for 11 against Rapid City on Saturday.  The Jacks power play finished at #1 in the league, scoring 109 goals on 400 chances, for a 27.25% powerplay.  The Jacks had several opportunities over this week, to help break the previous season record, including a couple of 5-on-3′s on Saturday night going up against the #2 penalty kill.  The Jacks penalty kill was 1 for 5 against Laredo on Wednesday, 0 for 2 against Laredo on Friday, and 0 for 2 against the Rush on Saturday.  The Jacks penalty kill finished at #1 in the league, allowing 52 goals on 376 opportunities, for an 86.17% penalty kill.  The 52 goals allowed, was the least allowed in the league.

Individual Accolades

First of all, I want to give a thank you to every player who has put on a Jacks jersey this season, and provided us fans with one heck of a season.  In addition, while these individual accolades have called out certain players for their performances during the week, we all know it is a team sport, and without the team, these players would not not get these accolades.  So I would also like to congratulate each of the Jacks players for what they have done each and every game, over these 24 weeks.

So lets get to the weekly honors.  First of all, congratulations to Dominic Leveille, who had 3 goals and 2 assists during the week.  Leveille finished #2 for Jacks scorers, netting 23 goals and 53 assists for 76 points in 61 games this season.  Congratulations to Collin Circelli who had 2 goals and 2 assists over the week.  Circelli finished #3 among Jacks scorers, netting 37 goals and 35 assists for 72 points in 63 games.  Circelli finished #1 for Jacks powerplay goals with 18.  Congratulations to Brian Swiniarski who had 2 goals and an assist over the week.  Swiniarski netted 13 goals and 9 assists for 22 points in 43 games this season.  Congratulations to Phil Plante who had 2 goals and an assist during the week.  Plante finished 8th among Jacks scorers, netting 15 goals and 30 assists for 45 points in 63 games this season.  In addition, Plante finished tied for 4th among scoring defenseman this season.  Congratulations to Alex Dunn who had a goal in Fridays game.  Dunn finished 9th among Jacks scorers, netting 16 goals and 28 assists for 44 points in 64 games this season.  Dunn also finished tied for 7th among scoring defenseman this season.  Congratulations to Mike Lesperance who scored a goal in Saturday’s game.  Lesperance finished the season with 9 goals and 21 assists for 30 points in 59 games this season.  Congratulations to Troy Ofukany who a goal in Fridays game.  Congratulations to Mike Ramsay who had 4 assists over the week.  Ramsay finished 4th among Jacks scorers, netting 30 goals and 39 assists for 69 points in 64 games this season.  Congratulations to Sebastien Thinel who had 4 assists over the weekend.  Thinel finished #1 among Jacks scorers, netting 22 goals and 75 assists for 97 points in 64 games this season.  In addition, Thinel finished #2 in the league for scoring, behind Colorado’s Kevin Ulanski, and is a contender for the MVP title.  Congratulations to Jeff Pierce who had 3 assists during the week.  Pierce finished 5th among Jacks scorers, netting 31 goals and 31 assists for 62 points in 63 games this season.  Congratulations to Josh Chase for getting 2 assists over the week.  Congratulations to Kenny Bernard who had an assist in Wednesday’s game.  Bernard finished 6th among Jacks scorers, netting 21 goals and 33 assists for 54 points in 60 games this season.  Congratulations to Dave Van Drunen who had an assist in Wednesday’s game.  Van Drunen scored 2 goals and 13 assists for 15 points in 54 games this season.  Congratulations to Kory Karlander who had an assist in Saturday’s game.  Karlander finished 7th among Jacks scorers, netting 19 goals and 31 assists for 50 points in 64 games this season.

Goaltender Accolades

First of all, I want to congratulate both of our goaltenders on a great season.  For the majority of the season, the two goalies have traded off games, and have more importantly, stayed relatively healthy all season.

So congratulations to Joel Martin who had another great week in net.  Martin stopped 27 of 30 Laredo shots on goal in Wednesday’s game, and 22 of 24 Rapid City shots on goal in Saturday’s game.  Martin finished the season with a 27-6-2 record, 2.50 GAA, .918 save %, with 2 shutouts, and a new franchise record with an .800 win percentage.  Martin finished #1 among all goaltenders, a position he held for a majority of the season, and was named the Most Outstanding Goaltender of Year.  In addition, Martin takes an 8 game win streak into the playoffs.

Congratulations to Juha Toivenen, who stopped 25 of the 28 Laredo shots on goal in Friday’s shootout win.  Toivenen finished the season with a 21-5-3 record, 2.99 GAA, .905 save %, and a shutout.  Toivenen had a really good playoff run last year, and I am looking forward to see him return to that form this year.

Jacks This Week

So now the Jacks wait to see who their conference semi-finals opponent, either #5 Corpus Christi or #4 Texas.  The Texas vs. Corpus Christi best-of-3 series starts tonight in Corpus Christi.  I really want Corpus Christi to win this series, sending the defending cup champs to early tee times.  I also think it could be a really good series between the Jacks and Ice Rays, with every game probably being decided by 1 point.  However, I think it would be sweet revenge to send the Brahmas home in the conference semi-finals.  This could be a good series as well, with the Sardine Can in North Richland Hills being the x-factor here.  Luckily, if it would be required, we have home-ice and thus 4 games here, unlike last years playoffs.  If we can get some good crowds at the Jack Shack, and get it rocking like it was Saturday night, then the Steaks of Skates have no chance.  Either way, the Jacks are looking for a quick ending to the Texas/Corpus Christi series, because it will determine when the conference semi-finals begins.  If its a quick series, ending on Wednesday, then Game 1 will be on Friday night, and Game 2 on Saturday.  If the series ends on Thursday, then Game 1 will be on Saturday, and Game 2 on Sunday.  We don’t want this, because we probably will not get the attendance we need on a Sunday afternoon.  So Jacks fans need to pray for a quick play-in round.

The playoff roster should also be set this afternoon, but no news is available yet.  **EDIT** Josh Chase has been declared an unrestricted free agent.  So thank you Chase for your effort during your brief return to the Jacks, and good luck.

Jackalopes News

• 03-18-2010 – CHL’s Top Six Players Recognized
• 03-18-2010 – Jacks clinch home ice for the playoffs
• 03-19-2010 — Odessa’s Joel Martin Wins Most Outstanding Goaltender Award
• 03-19-2010 — Jackalopes beat Laredo in overtime, again
• 03-20-2010 — Jacks wait for playoff opponent
• 03-20-2010 — Jacks cap best regular season with win
• 03-22-2010 – BLOG:  On to the second season

I will edit this post when the final playoff roster is announced.

So until next time, GO JACKS GO!!!

The Jacks sealed the deal tonight with a 4-3 shootout win over the Laredo Bucks.  Dominic Leveille scored the first shootout goal, and Sebastien Thinel scored the other goal.  At the other end of the ice, Joel Martin was great in the shootout, stopping all 4 Bucks shooters!

The Jacks are guaranteed home ice advantage throughout the entire playoffs now!  This is the 2nd Governors Cup for the franchise.  The first Governor’s Cup was earned in the 2001-2002 season, the first season after the CHL/WPHL merger.

So congrats to the Jacks players, coaches, owners, staff, and all of the fans!

**EDIT**

I thought I would post some pics that I took on my phone on Friday night.  The Governors Cup was on display in the East entrance.  It was funny though, because I kept saying, that we wanted the REAL cup 

Team Accolades

So as always, lets start with the team accolades.  So as mentioned above, congratulations to the Jacks for earning the #1 seed as the Southern Conference regular season champs!  In addition, with the win this afternoon, the Jacks are just one win away from also locking up the franchises second Governors Cup, for the leagues best regular season record.  The Jacks earned the franchises first Governor’s Cup back in 2001-2002, the first year of the WPHL-CHL merger, with a record 47-11-6.  The Jacks are on pace to break that record if they win the remaining 3 games.  They can tie the record, with two wins, and an extra time loss.

The Jacks powerplay did okay this weekend, going 3 for 36 over the four games.  On March 9th, the Jacks went 2 for 9 against the Rush.  On March 12th, the Jacks powerplay was blanked on four chances.  On March 13th, the Jacks powerplay went 1 for 7 against Missouri.  This afternoon, the Jacks powerplay was blanked in 6 chances.  The Jacks powerplay is still #1 in the league, scoring 104 goals on 380 chances, for a 27.37%.  The Jacks still have a shot at setting a new CHL record for best single season powerplay, but will need to get more powerplay goals on fewer chances in the last three games.  The Jacks had their season long, 19 game powerplay goal streak snapped on Friday night.

The Jacks penalty kill allowed 3 goals on 24 opponent chances.  The penalty kill allowed no goals on 3 Rush chances on Tuesday night.  On Friday night, the penalty kill allowed 1 goal on 5 Missouri chances.  On Saturday night, the penalty kill allowed 1 goal on 8 Missouri chances.  This afternoon, the penalty kill allowed 1 goal on 8 Amarillo chances.  The Jacks penalty kill is still tops in the league, allowing 51 goals on 367 opponent chances, for an 86.10% penalty kill.

Individual Accolades

So first of all, congrats to Collin Circelli who had 4 goals, and 4 assists over the four games!  Circelli is currently on an 8 game point streak going back to Feb. 27th, scoring 6 goals and 10 assists during the stretch.  Congrats to Jeff Pierce, who had 3 goals and 2 assists over the week.  Pierce is also on an 8 game point streak going back to Feb. 27th, scoring 7 goals and 7 assists during the stretch.  Congrats to Sebastien Thinel who had 2 goals and 4 assists during the week.  Thinel is on a 9 game point streak, going back to Feb. 26th, scoring 8 goals and 11 assists during the stretch.  Congrats to Thinel, who also scored his 200th goal as a Jackalope on Saturday night!  Congrats to Kory Karlander who had a goal and an assist over the week.  Congrats to Karlander, who scored the 300th goal of his professional career on Tuesday night against the Rush!  Congrats to Phil Plante who had a goal and an assist over the week.  Congrats to Mike Ramsay who had a goal during the week.  Congrats to Kenny Bernard who had 2 assists over the week.  Congrats to Dominic Leveille, Alex Dunn, and Will Bodine who each had an assist during the week.

Goaltender Accolades

So first of all, congrats to Joel Martin, who had a great week in net for the Jacks, winning all 3 games, including a shutout against the Rush, and a shoot-out against Missouri on Friday night.  So yeah, Martin stopped all 28 Rush shots on goal on Tuesday night.  Martin stopped 27 of 30 Missouri shots on goal in regulation and overtime on Friday night.  Martin stopped 24 of 25 Amarillo shots on goal this afternoon.  Martin’s record improves to 25-6-2, with a 2.51 GAA and .918 save percentage, which puts him at #2 in the league.  Martin is also on a 6 game win streak, going back to Feb. 27th!

Juha Toivenen actually had a decent outing on Saturday night, stopping 36 of the 39 Missouri shots on goal in the shoot-out loss.  Toivenen’s record now stands at 20-5-3, with a 2.99 GAA and .906 save percentage.  Don’t fret Jacks fans, and start wondering about Toivenen’s performance.  Despite the injury last year, Toivenen had a really good playoff, especially against Texas getting 2 shutouts on home-ice!

Jacks This Week

So yeah Jacks fans, this week is the end of the regular season, and the Jacks are looking good heading into the playoffs.  The Jacks have two games against Laredo, including one at home, and the end of the regular season game against the Rush.  Laredo is currently sitting in the #3 spot in the conference with 72 points, and Texas is sitting at #4 with 69 points.  If the playoffs were to start today, it would be Laredo playing Allen, which might not be a great series.  Allen is 4-1-0 against the Laredo, while Laredo is 1-2-2.  Laredo has been fighting for their playoff life lately, but I can’t see them bringing much to a series against Allen.  However, a Texas vs. Allen playoff series would probably be good, going possibly 7 games, with both teams really giving their all.  That is, if the season series is any indicator to what could be in the playoffs.  Texas has back-to-back games against the Rush up in South Dakota on Tuesday and Wednesday, which could vault them over Laredo, especially if the Jacks beat the Bucks in both games.

So yeah, even though the Jacks have locked up the #1 seed in the South, they still are playing for the Governors Cup, and home ice through the entire playoffs.  The Rush lead the North now with 88 points and a game in hand over Colorado, who sits at #2 with 87 points.  There’s still plenty of hockey to play, and these games could have a huge impact over the remaining playoff picture.

Finally, what better way to send the Jacks into the playoffs, than with some wins, and packing the Jack Shack on Friday and Saturday!  I’ve already got a few people coming on Saturday, and possibly some people from work coming on Friday!  So tell your family, friends, co-workers, students, who ever!  Tell them to come out and support the #1 Jacks this weekend!

So until next time Jacks fans, GO JACKS GO!

Jackalopes News

• 03/08/2010 — Thinel keeps Jacks’ power play running smoothly
• 03/10/2010 — Jackalopes find revenge against Rapid City
• 03/12/2010 — The Odessa Jackalopes do all sorts of good deeds
• 03/12/2010 – Jacks make trip to Missouri
• 03/13/2010 — Pierce blasts Jacks past Missouri
• 03/14/2010 — Jacks lose shoot out in Missouri
• 03/15/2010 — Jacks beat Amarillo
• 03/15/2010 – Odessa’s Collin Circelli Wins Weekly Award

Team Accolades

So first of all, congratulations to the Jacks for some great games.  Yeah the Colorado game was a disappointment, but with Friday and Saturday’s wins, the disappointment was washed away.  The come from behind win on Saturday was extra gratifying, especially after Laredo was given some rather questionable powerplays and goals.  It was great to see Don McKee honored on Saturday night.  It is my opinion, if it wasn’t for him, the Jacks would’ve folded a long time ago.  The “Slapshot” hockey coaching style of Joe Clark was good to get some butts in the seats for the first two years, but it also allowed the novelty tag to be hung on the team.  McKee in my opinion, helped legitimize the team and the sport in this community!

The Jacks powerplay went 8 for 21 over the 3 games this week, for a 38.1% powerplay.  The Jacks powerplay is still tops in the league, scoring 101 goals on 354 attempts, for a 28.53% powerplay.  And as far as powerplay goals, the next closest team is Laredo, who has scored 71 goals on 336 attempts.  The Jacks powerplay is still on pace for setting a new league record.  The Jacks have scored a powerplay goal in 18 straight games now, going back to Jan. 23rd against Arizona.  The Jacks had a 17 game powerplay streak earlier this season, from Oct. 20th to Nov. 28th.

The Jacks penalty kill allowed 5 goals on 19 attempts for the three games.  The penalty kill drops to #2 in the league, allowing 48 goals on 343 attempts.  The Rapid City Rush have allowed 45 goals on 339 attempts.

Individual Accolades

So first of all, congrats to Jeff Pierce, who had 3 goals and 4 assists over the 3 games.  Pierce has scored 9 points in his last 4 games, with 4 goals and 5 assists.  Congrats to Collin Circelli, who had 2 goals and 4 assists during the 3 game stretch.  Circelli is also on a 4 game point streak, netting 2 goals and 6 assists for 8 points.  Congrats to Sebastien Thinel, who had a goal and 5 assists over the 3 games.  Thinel is on a 5 game point streak, netting 6 goals and 7 assists for 13 points.  Congrats to Dominic Leveille who had 1 goal and 2 assists during the 3 games.  Leveille is also on a 5 game point streak, scoring 2 goals and 4 assists for 6 points.  Congrats to Mike Ramsay, who had a goal and 2 assists over the 3 games.  Ramsay is also on a 4 game point streak, netting 2 goals and 5 assists for 7 points.  Congrats to Kenny Bernard, Brian Swiniarski, Alex Dunn, Troy Ofukany, and Phil Plante, who each had a goal during the 3 game stretch.  Congrats to Mike Lesperance and Kory Karlander who each had an assist during the 3 game stretch.  Karlander is still 1 goal shy of 300 for his career, which goes back to his rookie season with the ECHL’s Columbus Chill in 1995-96.

Goaltender Accolades

While I would like to report some great numbers here for both goalies, but I can’t.  We’ve been blessed (knock on wood), that Martin and Toivenen have both been healthy for the better point of the season.  However, Juha tweaked something before the Colorado game on Wednesday, and his relief of Martin in the 3rd period, was nothing stellar, giving up 4 Colorado goals, including 2 in 40 seconds.  With that being said, here’s the numbers.

Like I said, Joel Martin started Wednesday’s game against Colorado, and stopped 24 of 25 shots he faced.  In his relief, cold off the bench, Juha Toivenen stopped 10 of 14 shots, and earned the loss for the night.  Martin started both games this weekend, and was really good, especially during the 11 round shootout against Laredo.  Martin stopped 30 of 33 Corpus Christi shots on goal on Friday night, and stopped 21 of 25 Laredo shots on goal in Saturday nights game.

Toivenen has now played in 28 games this season, and is 20-5-2, with a 3.00 GAA and 0.905 save percentage.  Martin has played in 31 games, and is 22-6-2, with a 2.62 GAA and 0.916 save percentage.

Jacks This Week

The Jacks have four really important games this week, in which they can clinch the #1 seed in the Southern Conference.  With the overtime loss to Mississippi on Saturday night, the highest Allen can get now is 93 points.  That means the Jacks need 6 points to clinch, and that can come with Jacks wins or Allen losses.

On Tuesday night, the Jacks host the Rapid City Rush, in what should be a great game between the two top teams in the North and South.  The Jacks will be looking to avenge the losses up in South Dakota in February, after they allowed the Rush to come back and beat them in back-to-back games.  While this game is not a must win for either team, there are just 3 points separating the two teams for the #1 spot in the league, and the Governors Cup, which gives home-ice advantage in the league finals.

The Jacks then head out for the final, regular season road trip, which starts with back-to-back games against the expansion Missouri Mavericks, who are coached by former Jackalope great, Scott Hillman.  Missouri is still fighting for a playoff spot, and are currently 5th in the North with 63 points — just two points behind #4 Mississippi, and 3 over #6 Tulsa.

The Jacks will then head to Amarillo for a Sunday afternoon tilt.  This could be the very last game between these two WPHL alums, as Amarillo’s dismal attendance is leading to rumors of them going dark for next year, and maybe longer.

So thats 4 games, against some tough teams, with a possible 8 points, clinching of the Southern Conference, increasing the distance for the Governors Cup and home ice advantage all on the line.  It really should be a great week of Jacks hockey!  Looking forward to seeing yall out at the Jack Shack on Tuesday to watch the jacks put a whopping on the Rush.

Until next time Jacks fans, GO JACKS GO!!

Jackalopes News

• 03/03/2010 – Thinel honored for February play
• 03/04/2010 — Jackalopes can’t hang on in Colorado
• 03/05/2010 — Jacks mend fences with McKee
• 03/06/2010 — Jacks knock of Ice Rays
• 03/07/2010 — Leveille blasts Jacks past Laredo in shootout
• 03/07/2010 — Finalists for Major CHL Awards Announced

Jeff Christian’s daughter Ryan was recently diagnosed with Pediatric Adrenalcortical Carcinoma, a rare disease that affects one in a million people.  Ryan is currently being treated for this cancer at St. Judes Childrens Hospital.  Christan plays for the expansion Missouri Mavericks this year, but has been granted leave by the league to be with his daughter.  The Mavericks organzation is doing what it can to help out their teammate and friend, with a couple of auctions during their last home game this season on March 13th.  However, if you are not a local and want to donate to this worthy cause, address your checks to “The Ryan Christian Love Fund.”  You can then send the checks to:

Missouri Mavericks

19100 E. Valley View Parkway

Independence, MO 64055

More information is available from here:  article.

David Simoes, is a defenseman for the Mississippi Riverkings.  On February 25th, David’s wife Mary gave birth to daughter Lucia Simoes, who is 2 months premature, and weighed 1 lb. 10 ounces at birth.  Lucy is fighting for her life right now, and the Simoes are asking for everyones thoughts and prayers.  Mary’s sister, Katie Reeder has set up a donation fund at Wells Fargo, if you would like to donate any money for Lucy’s care.

Information on the fund can be found here:  article.