Two games into the second round of the Playoffs for the President Cup in the CHL, and what started out as a team possessed to win the whole thing, now looks more like a team that has fallen apart at the seams.
The opponent—Odessa Jackalopes, who last year were the best team in the Central Hockey League, went up against these Americans in the division finals, and lost in seven games, this year the Americans, held the best record, and took the Governors Cup for that record, but they look more like a team that just barely skated in the playoffs.
Some of the sloppiness can be accounted for the fact that Allen took 11 days off before this series, they dispatched their first round opponents quickly in three games, and then had to wait to see who they would face in the second round.
However, this team currently doesn’t seem to know where they are and how to play these Jackalopes.
The best player defensively has been nullified by being sent off the ice for games misconducts, and that doesn’t help matters, their goalie has been lit up for 3 goals in game one, and five goals in the second game.
Dwight Mullins, the head coach of the Americans talked about getting ready for the playoffs, and how this team needed to keep with in themselves, to play above what they have done during the regular season. That’s where the this team lost some of their zest in this round of the playoffs, they stop playing within themselves. They can out-skate their opponent but they can’t seem to put the puck in the net when it counts.
Observing from the press area, and listening to those who have covered hockey for more years than I have ever imagined, even though this is minor league hockey, there are those who come out here and write about the game and the season. The Americans are part of the Stars farm system.
Watching the third period of game two, one has to consider the fact that the Americans are the ones with the big target on their back. It seems that the boys have lost a bit of their step, and more so it loks like they have no drive to beat a team in which they owned for the most of the regular season.
How many times have we seen this in every sport, when you have the best record, and you’ve handled your division opponent handedly, then face them in the playoffs, and poof you’re gone!
Saw that with the Cowboys in 07 when they went 13-3 for the season, beat the New York Giants twice in the same year, and then faced them in the division round of the playoffs, only to lose to them at home, and then the Giants went on to beat the then Un-defeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Game two of the second round of the CHL playoffs, and the Americans look frustrated, throwing themselves at the Jackalopes and then getting into fights, though the frustration can also be pointed at the officials on the ice, calling penalties that they shouldn’t have and not calling the ones they should, only to have the Americans play with a man disadvantage as the game wears on, the frustration continues and in the end the result is that the Americans find themselves in a whole down two games to none in the best of five series.
Game three will be on Tuesday night in Odessa from what they call the Jack Shack—and from the looks of things—better bring your popcorn and look for Hulk Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage, because the only thing missing from this game tonight is a steel cage and the best of two out of three falls with a sixty minute time limit—with your referee, Bulldog Danny Pletches..
Jackalopes and the Americans, Tuesday night 7PM and can be heard with my good friend Tommy Daniels calling the game on KLAK on their web www.975klak.com
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