SAN FRANCISCO TOPPLED BY ALASKA

It’s hard being a fan sometimes. It’s even harder being a fan of a minor league team affiliated with a major league one. Things are made difficult because you never know when one of your best players will get called up leaving your team to do the best they can without him.

This is the case with the Bulls. Due to Thomas Greiss, backup Goalie of the San Jose Sharks’ injury, Alex Stalock of the Worcester Sharks flew to San Jose, which left Worcester without a backup. Thomas Heemskerk went to Worcester to fill in, leaving the Bulls with just one goalie. I wrote about this in yesterday’s blog. This is exciting for Heemer, the best thing that’s happened to him. However, it comes at the worst possible time for the Bulls as we need wins more than anything.

Bryan Cameron

The Bulls are only six points ahead of Bakersfield in the race for the eighth and final spot in the playoffs. Taylor Nelson is working hard. As the only goalie we have (we have a backup, but he’s more of the friend of one of the players there just in case), he’ll have to play every single game until Heemskerk comes back.

Word has it that both Heemskerk and Kris Belan will be back this week, which is great news for San Francisco. We’ll need them for the final push into the playoffs.

Until then, Alaska had control of the entire game last night, beating the Bulls 6-2. But don’t blame Nelson for all of it. This is his first year and he’s trying as hard as he can. San Francisco offense has to work a little harder and get more shots on goal. Power Plays have to be better than they have been lately.

Yanni Gourde & Kory Falite

Also, Ian Schultz was pulled due to a possible lower body problem he was having, but I was told this was a precautionary measure rather than an injury. I hope he’s OK, because he gives the team extra muscle, as well as being a good skating presence.

Interesting side note from last night: A few years ago I published an underground metal music magazine called BAST magazine. I printed it for 15 years. It was a big part of my life and loads of fun. I spent weeks each summer traveling to metalfests in the US and Europe while furiously trying to meet printing deadlines. I still have many friends in the music community worldwide because of it and people still remember the magazine. Last night, I ran into an old metalhead friend, Neil. It brought up some great memories and good experiences.  

Metalheads Neil & Myself

BAST magazine

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This afternoon the team takes on the Las Vegas Wranglers. I’m hoping we can get some revenge for the beatings we took in the teams last two meet-ups. Game starts at 2:15pm. Be there!

GO BULLS!

BULLS LOSE SECOND CLOSE GAME TO ACES

Or: My Adventures with Grumpy Russians, Annoying Drums & Drunk Bimbos

The wind whipped down from San Bruno Mountain through the parking lot of the Barn causing my allergies to bloom out of control. I’ve been sniffing out of control all day. Spring is here indeed.

Friday night was the second game in the battle between the Bulls and Alaska Aces. And battle it was…

Before getting into the game, yesterday, Thomas Heemskerk was called up to San Jose due to Sharks backup Goalie Thomas Greiss’ injury. So, it would be Taylor Nelson with no one backing him up. The team frantically looked for someone to back him up just in case something happened. They found a friend of Hans Benson who owns a motorcycle shop to fill in. I’m very happy for Heemer; this is his first chance to shine in the biggies. On a more selfish note, Alex Stalock should be there from Worcester shortly, so we should be getting Heemer back soon, and that is good for the Bulls.

Nick Walsh and Tristan King

Warm ups was the usual cool social gathering time for fans. I love this time to get some pics and say hi to my hockey friends. With so many new members, it was nice to be able to get a bit more familiar with their faces, skating styles and try to memorize their numbers. Was also fun watching a friend of the emergency backup goalie laughing at him from the glass. I think the backup was maybe as tall as I am and I’m only five feet, four inches.  

Jordan Morrison & Dylan King

As I was doing my usual thing during the warm-ups, four older, very large guys walked up to the glass, all wearing European jerseys. They didn’t say anything. They just stuck together like an Eastern European wall, frowning while watching the Bulls.

Grumpy Russians

I smiled broadly and said “Hi!”. They said nothing and didn’t smile at all. A couple of them kept their arms folded. OK, so they were Grumpy Russians, as was to call them the rest of the night. Now, I understand that they probably couldn't speak English, but everyone worldwide knows what Hi means. I’ve traveled to many countries and the best way to get non-English speakers to open up is to be as friendly as possible and welcoming. These fellas, though filled the stereotype of stoic Russians.

The Aces won this game 3-2, but as I stated earlier, it was a real battle! From the very start the Aces seemed to have chips on their shoulders. One Ace player hit Yanni Gourde super hard and Ian Schultz stepped up and fought him. Minutes later, Mikael Tam was into it with another Ace player. The entire First Period was filled with chirps from both sides. I think the Alaska management should spend a bit more and get a better hotel because their players were really cranky! Maybe they need a better night’s sleep before the game.

Schultz Getting Chippy

The Aces scored first and the Bulls kept up for most of it, but in the end the Aces had one more winning goal. But it was a great effort. Taylor Nelson did an incredible job. Yanni was his usual Roadrunner self, zipping through the Aces lines as if they were in slow-mo. He scored first for the Bulls and Bryan Cameron made his first Bulls goal in this game as well. The team plays together better than ever in their brief history. There’s a great chemistry between the members. I thought if they had had this line-up a few months earlier, how things would be so different!

It was a nice size crowd for the game. Friday and Saturday night’s games are the team’s Eco-Friendly weekend. They gave away reusable grocery bags last night and Saturday night’s game are travel mugs.

Attacking the Aces net

I took a few minutes and talked to one of the men who wear the ECHL jackets. Mike, his name is and he told me how the ECHL officials work. They’re all volunteers. There’s about a dozen of them and they do this because they love hockey. They’re hired directly by the ECHL so there’s no connection between them and the Bulls and thereby no bias in their decisions.  

Also during the game there was a drum group. They were talented and provided some entertaining beats between the action and during the intermissions. However, I do have a gripe. When the play resumes on the ice, they need to stop playing. Throughout the game last night this drum group kept going on while the game was in action. This was not only distracting for the crowd, but could have been a hindrance to our players. So, if you want to do your thing during downtimes, that’s good, but be aware of what’s going on in the game.

Me with Ian Schultz & Kory Falite

I take the free shuttle the team provides from BART. It’s an excellent idea and I love the fact that I don’t have to be herded onto another MUNI bus to get to games. Last night they must have been short on buses or drivers or both. One of the buses used was a limo bus, which I had never seen before. Some drunk girls in front of me squealed that they were going to be on the “good” bus. When it was obvious that there wasn’t room for us on that bus and that we’d have to wait for the next one. One of the girls had plowed her way onto the limo bus and threw a fit and didn’t want to get off after she was told she would have to because it was already full. The manager at the stop kept trying to tell her there wasn’t room but she wouldn’t listen. The regular shuttle bus pulled up behind the limo bus in the meantime so the rest of us readied to get on it.

“I don’t want to get on that one,” she whined.

“OK,” I told her, “then you can walk to BART. The rest of us will take THIS shuttle bus.”

She shut up for a few minutes. But then, when I was talking about hockey to one of the cool ushers who take the shuttle, she spouted that basketball is better. So I knew as much about her as I ever needed to know. I laughed to myself, shook my head and continued my conversation with the usher.

Over the months since the Bulls started, the ushers have gotten into the swing of things and do a great job. Most of them are friendly and I love greeting them when I go to games. It wouldn’t be the same without them. I worked in the rock music business for a long time, so I know how much it means to ushers when patrons are nice to them. Be nice to your usher.

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Bulls play the final game against the Aces tonight, Saturday at the Barn. You’d better be there, going to raise the roof.

Tomorrow, San Francisco take on the Las Vegas Wranglers to avenge the beating the team took from them last weekend.

GO BULLS!

  

BULLS NEARLY DEFEAT THE ACES & BULLS WEEKLY

None of us in the stands were really sure how Wednesday’s first match against the Alaska Aces would go. We hoped, we crossed our fingers for the best, but there had been so many trades recently that the team hardly had a chance to play together or even remember each other’s names.

Mark Isherwood

It was a fierce, close game. Alaska won 2-1, but the Bulls were never out of it. I was amazed at the team’s new symmetry. There is chemistry in this new line-up that the team hadn’t had before. Of course there have been moments of brilliance with all of the past members, but never anything like this. The team continually won face-offs, and not just when Jordan Morrison, the Bulls Face Off King, was in the circle. Yes, it’s true. It was also the smoothest I’ve ever seen them in line transitions. Offense was great, defense was sharp and Thomas Heemskerk was tight. No one could expect them to play perfectly, but I was very impressed with how well they did.

Rob Kwiet

A couple things I took note of from Wednesday’s game. Yanni Gourde is a speedy skating machine! He can zip up and down that rink faster than the speed of light! He scored his first home goal, which was the only one the Bulls would get in the game. But I watched some of the other new players and was quite impressed with Kory Falite’s skating, as well as Mark Isherwood. There are so many new Bulls members, it will take a few games to study them and get to know their style, so I’ll let you know what I think in future blogs.

Alaska has 94 points. The closest team in points is Ontario with 88. The Aces are the top team in the ECHL. The next two games against them will be tough, they will be battles. I’m so happy the Bulls are prepared to give Alaska a taste of their sharpened horns!

Next two games to finish the series with Alaska are Friday night and Saturday night.

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Today was, (THANKFULLY!!) the deadline for ECHL trades, so NO MORE trades for the Bulls. And with the deadline, they completed their transaction with the Gwinnett Gladiators by acquiring Nick Walsh (F). He has some decent numbers, so we’ll see how he does.

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Earlier tonight was the return of Bulls Weekly. Jason’s guest was Alternate Captain Jordan Morrison. Jordan was a great guest, smart, quiet but meaningful, determined and fun. We had a good time at Pedro’s tonight.

Jordan Morrison

Next Bulls Weekly is next Thursday, March 14^th. BE THERE!!!

Hope to see you at a game soon! Remember, the season is nearing an end you do NOT want to be left behind!

GO BULLS! 

BIG TRADE BEFORE DEADLINE

Three events sparked the huge trade occurring yesterday, Thursday, March 5^th. First, Kris Belan was promoted by his mother team the LA Kings to the AHL Manchester Monarchs. Second, the Bulls were swept by the Las Vegas Wranglers and Third, the ECHL trade deadline looms ahead on March 7^th.

Belan was like the Bulls superglue. He held the team’s offense together when he was on the ice, while never forgetting to check the defense. He had the most penalty minutes, but most of the time kept the thoughtless ones to a minimum. Belan is a smart player and this is what will take him to great places. When the Bulls lost him, a huge void in the team could not be filled by anyone present.

This was made painfully aware in the two Las Vegas games.  The offense was sluggish and penalties overtook everything else.

The window is closing quickly for trades to happen. Tomorrow is the last day. There are 13 games left in the regular season for the team. Add to this that San Francisco is only slightly ahead of Bakersfield by eight points, and it’s easy to see our eighth (and last) position in the playoffs is tenuous.

The Bulls traded four players yesterday to the Utah Grizzlies for three of their top players. One of the Bulls players traded, Jordan Clendenning, was very popular with the fans and he will be missed by many. Let me say that I do understand it’s very hard to lose a player that you like. The fans go see them play every home game. They get pictures taken with them; maybe talk to them a bit after the game or at a social event. And the players are cool people!  

However, something had to be done, and if you take a look at the numbers of the three new players, they are exciting. Kory Falite, Mark Isherwood and Ian Shultz should bring some good energy to the Bulls lines.

The upcoming series with Alaska starting tonight should make all Bulls fans aware that the team needs to play better than they did against the Wranglers.  Let’s hope this latest round of trades brings the Bulls success and leads us straight into the playoffs!

Tonight, Friday and Saturday the Bulls play the Alaska Aces at the Cow Palace. Sunday, the Bulls play Las Vegas at the Cow Palace.

Thursday is Bulls Weekly at Pedro’s Cantina at 6pm!

GO BULLS!

I HAVE A FAVOR…

…to ask of Bulls fans.

The Bulls will be playing three games against the Alaska Aces, starting this Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Bobby Hughes of the Aces (no relation)

This means that Thursday all day and night they’ll be free. They may get a morning skate in and then a nap that afternoon and then have the evening free.

Nick Mazzolini of the Aces 

The team will probably want to see some of our fairly more touristy areas, so, because we are such an awesome city filled with friendly, warm, welcoming people (OK, I’m stretching it, but you get my point), if you San Francisco inhabitants happen to run into any visiting Aces players, invite them to the nearest Watering Hole and buy them a drink, or three. Don’t be shy or stingy, this is your DUTY as a Bulls fan to help out the Bulls!  

Do a few shots of Jaeger with them, I’m sure they’ll appreciate it. Set up some inviting Pedron glasses, who could resist? Consider your hangover on Friday as taking one of the team.

These three games are most likely going to be what the playoffs will be like, so it’s important for us to get whatever edge we can, seeing that our penalties can be wild and our offense tame.

(And yes, this was written tongue planted firmly in cheek so please take it as so.)

Wednesday is 2-for-1 hotdogs, so be there when the Bulls take on the Aces!

GO BULLS!!!

BULLS DROP TWO IN SIN CITY

Friday, March 1, 2013

The Bulls lost to the Wranglers 2-1. Penalties littered the Friday night game against the Las Vegas Wranglers like the morning after a hippie jam fest. It was ugly.  

True, Michael Tam was suspended for a questionable Boarding call. He was suspended through Sunday. From what I understand it was a terrible call.

Yanni Gourde scored the one Bulls goal in the First Period.

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Sunday March 3, 2013

The team seemed tired through this afternoon game and again, it was overloaded with penalties.

The Bulls lost 6-2 and couldn’t get any offense going until the Third Period, but by then it was too late. At least they made an effort, getting in two goals. Defensemen Dylan King and Simon Danis-Pepin scored the two Bulls’ goals.    

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If you see a pattern in the games the Bulls lose and the amount of penalties they receive in those lost games, you’re not alone. The more penalties they receive, the more likely they are to lose. This is because the Bulls have been hurting their own chances of winning with penalty-laden games as of late as much as any other opponent has beaten them.

Along with the penalties, sometimes it seems, as this weekend, that the Offense is tired. They need to pick up speed, to kick it into overdrive. The lines have been changed a lot recently. I think that the offense will find its’ energy after the team gets to know each other a bit more.  

I have written about the penalty problem on more than one occasion. The Bulls are a passionate and young team. Emotions can flare, it happens.

All is not lost. I’m not a doom and gloom person. Even if nothing is being said in public, even if nothing seems to be happening on the outside, I believe this is being worked on and will be taken care of by the Playoffs. I still have faith in the Bulls and know that great things are happening. We are a FIRST YEAR team and it will take time for all things to gel.

The Bulls come home to the Barn Wednesday (thank goodness!) to play the Alaska Aces for three games through Sunday. Be there!

GO BULLS!

A LOSS & A WIN IN THE MOUNTAINS

This week we’ve seen the Bulls play two games. Both have been exciting matches bringing out the best in the players.

The first was in Salt Lake City against the Utah Grizzlies. It was the team’s first view of former teammates Alex Tuckerman and Martin Lee. The Bulls lost to the Grizzlies 2-1, but it was a close game. Dean Ouellet scored with an assist from new player Yanni Gourde. It was Gourde’s first game and his first point.

This was also the first time we were able to hear from Tuckerman after being traded. Jason Lockhart interviewed him during the Second Intermission and I dare say my eyes were a little watery.

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The second game was in Loveland, Colorado versus the Colorado Eagles. In this game, every team member gave something, though there is no question that Goaltender Thomas Heemskerk was the Number One Star of the night. Without his 35 saves in regulation time and incredible effort during the shootout, the Bulls would not have won.

The Eagles scored first, but the Bulls tied it back up with a goal from Bryan Cameron. Unfortunately, Jordan Clendenning’s tripping penalty led to a Colorado goal that making it 2-1. Simon Danis-Pepin tied it back up (his third goal of the season). The Eagles took the lead once more, but Peter Sivak saved the day by tying it back up in the last four minutes of the game.

Neither team scored in the Overtime Period, so it went into a Shootout. Heemskerk was able to stop the five Colorado shot attempts. Dean Ouellet scored the only San Francisco one, which was enough for the Bulls to win the game 5-4 final score.

This win puts the Bulls eight points ahead of Bakersfield in the Playoffs run.

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Friday March 1^st and Sunday March 3^rd, the Bulls play the Las Vegas Wranglers in Las Vegas. Listen to both games online at knbr.com

The Bulls are back at the Barn next Wednesday, March 6^th versus the Alaska Aces.

GO BULLS!