SHOOT OUT WINS IT FOR SAN FRANCISCO & VISITS FROM OLD FRIENDS

The Bulls had a special Tailgate party for their multi-game ticket holders today before the game with the Utah Grizzlies. It was set up in an outdoors area between the Barn and the outer buildings. Lots of picnic tables were placed side-by-side, as well as a long line of food, including hot dogs, chips, beans, potato salad and pasta salad.

Team members came out and greeted us and took lots of pictures with us. There was also a raffle with many fun prizes. Some were quite imaginative and would have been a blast to win, including a few signed sticks, a signed jersey. One prize was even getting to sit next to Jason Lockhart for the Third Period of a game and another one was playing team gear assistant for a game. 

Tailgate Party

Dan & Scott Langdon

Mikael Tam, Myself & Christian Ouellet

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This game was also the Bulls pre-St. Patrick’s game. They gave out 2,000 green Bulls caps. This one is one of my favorite promotional caps. I think I’ll probably have Bulls caps in nearly every color after this season, one for every day of the week!   

Tonight was the first time the ex-Bulls members who had been traded a couple weeks ago have been back to San Francisco. Some of us were so excited to see them we waited impatiently in the visitor’s side of the rink for them to take to the ice during pre-game warm-ups. Smiles were exchanged between players and fans. Alex Tuckerman, Jordan Clendenning, Jonathan Lessard, Martin Lee, Cody Carlson and Sebastien Trudeau were back! I think some of their teammates were a little grumpy about the attention they were getting. I noticed their fellow Grizzly Tommy Maxwell snarling a little from us waving and smiling at the guys. Or, maybe Maxwell was just having a bad day, he seemed to be getting into a whole lot of chirping with a few Bulls players later in the game.

Alex Tuckerman

The Puck Alex Gave Me Tonight

It was a wild and high-scoring game, ending in a Shootout which the Bulls won 6-5! Utah scored first, but Peter Sivak answered later that First Period. Bryan Cameron scored the 2^nd goal in the Second Period, giving San Francisco the lead. The Grizzlies came back and tied, but Sivak scored again, giving the Bulls the lead once more. Utah tied it up once more. Jordan Morrison scored and SF lead again! But Utah would not give up and tied it yet again. Christian Ouellet gave the Bulls the lead for the last time. The Grizzlies tied it up where it would stay through the rest of the regular time and through Overtime.

Tuckerman, Jordan Clendenning & Dean Ouellet (Photo: Dan Parks)

Only one Utah player could score past Taylor Nelson, while Cameron and Dean Ouellet scored on Grizzlies Goalie Ben Meisner.

There was a great fight in the First Period between Captain Scott Langdon T.J. Battani. That really got the team and crowd into the game. No one has timing in their fights like our Captain! There was also plenty of chirping between Maxwell and Nick Tuzzolino of Utah and Mikael Tam, Rob Kwiet and Ian Schultz. I've never seen Kwiet bothered so much before, he's usually co calm on the ice.  

 Taylor Nelson made 31 saves and ruled the net. Dean Ouellet leads the league in six shootout goals. It was a superb team effort that paid off greatly in the end.

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Tomorrow’s game versus Utah starts at 2:15pm. It’s Star Wars Day, so if you’re into that, wear your best outfit and even if you’re not, still go! A portion of the game's proceeds will go to the Always a Dream Foundation and Kristi Yamaguchi and Bret Hedican will be at the game. So be there, help out this great cause and root for the our Bulls!!! 

GO BULLS!