A TALE OF TWO GAMES

Two nights, two games, one landslide win one landslide loss. The games could not have been more opposite if they had been dreamt up. This is just further proof that there will be more growing pains for the new team.

Friday night the Bulls returned home to play the Stockton Thunder. This was one of the games I was looking forward to the most out of the whole season! It was Cap Night, and there are few things better than new gear. David and I headed to the Palace after work. There was a great crowd. And an added goodie was Sergio Romo, Ace San Francisco Giants Relief Pitcher, dropped the First Puck.

Sergio Romo of the SF Giants (picture courtesy of Rocky Barbanica)

The Thunder scored first, but that was the end of their offense, it was all Bulls the rest of the game. The team was in complete control of the game. Every player was moving in unison. Passes connected, hits smashed, Power Plays worked, as every cylinder fired on queue.

It will go down as one of the best hockey games I’ve ever attended. Everything was spot on. The music was excellent, the new intermission games the team now have for the fans are fun, (I LOVE Friday Night BINGO!), and a great sized crowd made for a victory of 4-1 Bulls over Thunder even sweeter.

Coach Curcio, Ryane Clowe & the Bulls Bench

I hadn’t planned on going Saturday night for the game versus the Ontario Reign. Money is hard at the moment and I shouldn’t have spent it, but it was so much fun Friday that I said, why not, to myself and headed out on my own. I bought a ticket in the Dress Circle. The seats are great there. For $26, you get a nice overview of the game and can follow the puck and action as it happens.

It was Poster Night with a cool calendar of this season’s games. The crowd was smaller and there were a lot of First Timers there. Many were there only to see Devin Setoguchi, one-time favorite Sharks player, who’s now with Minnesota Wild, temporarily playing for the Ontario Reign.

The game was the worst the Bulls have played so far. A complete mirror-opposite of Friday night’s. Going from the Best to the Worst overnight is remarkable and I’m not completely sure how it was done but I’ll give my thoughts in just a bit.

There was NO BULLS OFFENSE, it was missing the entire game. In the first few minutes of the Second Period, the shots were 17 Reign, 2 Bulls and it hardly improved. From faceoffs to passes, the Bulls didn’t show up for Saturday’s game. So many missed opportunities! At one point, the Reign net was completely open and the Bulls’ shot was so off the mark that the whole crowd groaned in unison. It was a painful night. Forward Evan Barlow slammed his stick into the tray angrily halfway through the Second Period. But the game didn’t get any better. It got uglier.

There were two power plays that gave the Bulls nothing. Please refer back to my prior post about power plays being one of the team’s weaknesses. This is a key area they will need to overcome to ensure success. The other area, penalties was also HUGE Saturday. There were many unnecessary ones. Too Many Men on the Ice? This one always gets to me. I know things move fast but please, use caution! And then at the end of the game, a couple players just lost their cool, which I have no respect for. I don’t care how badly the team is losing, there’s really no reason to throw fits. Sure, have a couple good fights, that shows you’re still in it, but to slam your stick down on the ice or get in an argument with the Ref does NOT solve anything!

Onto Saturday’s crowd. If you’re just there to see Setoguchi, then you’d better ONLY root for the Reign. Don’t you DARE cheer for the Bulls in one minute and cheer for Setoguchi when he scores for the Reign in the next! And yes, there were A LOT of Bulls first-timers who did that! Even if you like a member of another team, it’s in extremely bad taste to root for them when they score for the opposing team and then pretend you’re a fan of the home team! Pick one team or another! Be a Bulls fan or don’t be. I liked Setoguchi when he played for the Sharks too, but now he doesn’t, so I moved on, time for others to do the same.

I know the Lockout has been good for ECHL teams as far as attendance, but in some ways it’s been negative because many of the fans don’t “get” the ECHL. They don’t respect the league and aren’t trying to understand how it works. They don’t think the players are good or aren’t even paid! Those fools sitting in back of me were talking, they were drunk so it was quite loud. One of them said “So, which players are professional?” Another said “I don’t know the numbers of the two that are.” This went on for a while. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I said, “they’re all professional.” One replied back “No, I mean, which ones are ‘actual’ professionals.”

At that point, I just shook my head. Anything further would have been wasted energy on my part. I blame the movie “Goon” for losers like them. Even though it was an entertaining movie, it was highly inaccurate and really hurt minor hockey’s image. There’s no way in hell drunks like this could go to an NHL game and act like that.

They were screaming at the top of their lungs things like “USA! USA!” Huh? Most of the players are from Canada. Finally in the Third Period, they got up and tried to get into the Goal-Area bar that’s just open for Elevated, Glass & Box Seat Holders. I of course, watched their whole drunken escapade and eventual denial of entry. It was much more fun than the game at that point except for one fight at the end of the game by Jordan Clendenning, which was a pretty good one.

Don’t go to a Bulls game and think you can act like a complete drunken loser and scream whatever you want. You’re still at a PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY GAME, so think of the people around you. Try to show some respect. Also, The Bulls are an independent team. Sure, they’re affiliated with the Sharks but they are NOT owned by them. This is a different league with different players, so think of them in that light. I know this is new to all of us and new is hard sometimes, but new is also fun, isn’t it?  

The team is going through a learning curve now and it’s going to be hard to find consistency. They will find it, hopefully sooner rather than later, but they will find it.

Wednesday, November 14^th, they travel back to Ontario to take on the Reign once more. Hopefully this time we will be victorious and then this Friday, November 16^th, they begin a 3-game homestand with one game against the Idaho Steelheads and two games versus the Utah Grizzlies.

GO BULLS!

BULLS LOOK TO STOP DOWNWARD SLIDE

The Bulls first road trip was not an easy one. All in all, it reminded us all that the team is still gelling,

still learning to work together, so it’s not going to be smooth, it’s not going to always turn out in wins.

The last two series were sweeps against the Bulls. These were difficult losses. Out of these, only the third Alaska Aces game was close, the rest were pretty lopsided. The last match up of the road trip was probably the hardest loss to the Ontario Reign. At least it was the hardest for me. The Bulls started out strong and stumbled over themselves in a disappointing loss to the LA Kings affiliated team. In the end, the Bulls lost three to one, simply running out of time.

I’m not saying the team is not good; they’re a very good team. They have heart, have some great players and a great coach. And I know they can and will get better.

There are several areas the team could work on. I’ll focus on two areas of improvement. The first is Penalties. I don’t have any figures in front of me, but I’ve listened to nearly every game road game and the team gets itself into trouble every time they draw an unnecessary penalty. These can go from anything to Boarding to Unsportsmanlike Conduct to Slashing. There doesn’t seem to be enough discipline yet on the lines to hold their energy still and not get into trouble with the Refs. So much time is spent in Penalty Kills. I am not saying don’t get penalties. They’re a huge part of the game and should be there, but be smart about the ones you do incur. An Unsportsmanlike Conduct you receive after the whistle is blown because you’re angry is unacceptable.

The second areas are the Power Plays.  In one of the Alaska games the Bulls’ power play stat was zero out of six. This is if not yet alarming then perhaps they are surely noticeable.  Many times the team will pass the puck around, in much like San Jose Sharks fashion, not even making any play for the net. There should be more aggression towards shots at the net.

I also realize that yes, San Francisco is a new team and we fans must have patience. And I do. But, I will not hesitate to point out obvious weaknesses when I see them. Team Strengths? We have some great players! Peter Sivak, Justin Bowers & Jordan Morrison are only three of the team’s top players. I see good, fast skating, lots of heart, good shot-taking at times and even when the team is down by many goals, they don’t give up. And that means a lot. And no doubt much of the mistakes and miscues are because no one is used to working with each other. Patience, my friends. Keep repeating this often.

Tomorrow night, Friday, November 9^th, the Bulls will have two games at home, one with Stockton and one on Saturday with Ontario.  

Bulls have signed San Jose Sharks’ Ryane Clowe, who for now, will not be playing. He won’t be playing in either of the Bulls’ games at the Cow Palace this weekend. After reading CSN Bay Area writer Kevin Kurz, it doesn’t sound like he’s going to, but maybe I’m being pessimistic.

Edmundton Oiler’s Defenseman Theo Peckham is currently playing games for the Bulls. He skated for the team in his first game against the Reign Wednesday. I look forward to seeing him Friday at the Palace. He should add some strength to the Bulls’ D-line.

If you haven’t Bulls’ bought tickets yet, why not? Stop bitchin’ about the Lockout and come watch a game; it’s great hockey!

GO BULLS!!!

San Jose Sharks Ryane Clowe Practices with SF Bulls

Ryane Clowe

Nothing is official or signed or announced on the Bulls website, but Ryane Clowe was practicing with the Bulls at Yerba Buena Ice today. He may be signing with them for the extent of the Lockout. The Bulls fell three games straight to the Alaska Aces this past weekend and one of the reasons is the Aces have three NHL players with them on the team temporarily during the Lockout. 

I also heard on Twitter that Devin Setoguchi signed with the Ontario Reign today. 

I have mixed feelings about this. Of course like everyone I want the Lockout to end. If we do get Clowe to play games with the Bulls, it will be fun to watch him, and with players like Dubinski in Alaska and Setoguchi in Ontario, we need to compete. We were swept in that series to the Aces primarily because they have three NHL players in their lines. But with these players taking spots on the roster also means less space for up-and-comers who need their time in the minors. Let's hope the guys can get some good skills and few tips from Clowe while he's there, except for maybe that one about hitting the puck from the bench. 

I'll let you all know if Clowe signs.

Speaking of the Lockout, one of the few "pluses" was reading box scores in the San Francisco Examiner this morning. That was fun! So, enjoy it until the NHL starts back up and we're regulated back to a couple sentences every week or so. 

GO BULLS!

San Francisco Examiner Oct 30, 2012

HOCKEY HEAVEN ALASKA

October 27, 2012

Mystery, Alaska promo poster

The opening scenes remain some of the most memorable for hockey lovers. It’s a tiny fairytale-ish town deep in snow where everyone loves ice skating and skate everywhere around the village. For hockey fans, “Mystery, Alaska” is in the Top 5 of most hockey movie lists. It’s a great little film about a people’s love of the greatest sport. Alaskans call their state Hockey Heaven. It’s easy to see why. With winter the most abundant season, ice is easy to come by.

The open frontier of our 50^th State is made for winter sports. The Iditarod Trail Dog Sled Race is the most popular sporting event in Alaska. Started in 1973 as a test to push both dog teams and mushers, but now attracts more than 50 teams. The multi-day race pushes the limits in endurance for human and dog and if you get the chance to watch the highlights on television, I highly recommend it.

Iditarod Trail Dog Sled Race

Also popular is downhill skiing. Alyeska Resort is the largest ski area in the state. With 650 inches of snowfall annually, it offers nearly year-round skiing. There are endless backcountry venues for adventurous skiers as well which are a mere helicopter ride away. Not only is downhill skiing popular, but cross country skiing holds court in Alaska. Sometimes, it’s a preferable way to get around. Literally millions of acres are open to the back country skier.   

In fact, being out in the ice and snow is what Alaska is all about. It’s not a place for the meek and mild. If you rely on others to do things for you, or prefer room service to making a meal for yourself, then you probably won’t last long in the Cold North. Hard work and efforts are rewarded with living through another season and sometimes a little extra. Men have made fortunes and lost them in Alaska.

With this pioneering spirit, it’s no wonder hockey is huge here. The Alaska Aces (ECHL) are the only professional hockey team in our largest state.  They started as the Anchorage Aces 1989 as semi-pro in the Pacific Southwest Hockey League. Then the Aces joined the Pacific Northwest Hockey League until the team went into the West Coast Hockey League (WCHL). The WCHL was merged into the ECHL in 2003.

The Aces have won the Kelly Cup (the championship title in the ECHL) twice, the first time in the 2005-06 season and the second in the 2010-11 season. This season the team is probably most known for having Brandon Dubinsky on the team, at least for the first part of the season during the NHL strike. He was with the New York Rangers last year, but was part of the large trade to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Rick Nash. Dubinsky is an Alaska native so if he can’t play in the NHL, it must be nice for him to at least be at home close to his family. Aces fans are rabid about their team. The team mascot is a large polar bear named Boomer and fans bring Aces’ cowbells to every game.

Boomer - Aces' Masoct

Besides pro-hockey, there are collegiate teams Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves and the Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks. In the Juniors, Alaska has three teams: the Alaska Avalanche, Fairbanks Ice Dogs and the Kenai River Brown Bears.

Tourists may only see Alaska while the sun shines endlessly in a brief summer sky, green pastures glow dotted with wildflowers, but real Alaskans know that Alaska lies on the wintry slopes, the snowy fields and the ice.

San Francisco will play three games this weekend in Anchorage. They lost the first 4-1 to the Aces. Tonight they pick it up where they left off and try to swing things their way.

As always, listen to the action on www.knbr.com

GO BULLS!

Martha Hughes

A Few Words about the NHL & Lockout

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s the middle of the week and a good time for me to say my thoughts on the ongoing NHL Lockout. Although this is a blog about the San Francisco Bulls ECHL hockey team, I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention what is on every hockey lover’s mind.

 

I miss the NHL. I miss the San Jose Sharks. I miss seeing NHL games on television. I miss seeing the standings and dreaming about the Sharks being good this season. But, then I wake up and realize none of this may happen this time around.

 

Now, I will not get into who I think is wrong or right in the Lockout issue. I do think both sides hold enough of the blame and a responsibility to the fans to knock it off and get back to playing hockey that it makes me sad they are being so stubborn. If they love the game so much they should each give in and play.
 

As much as I love the Sharks, going to their games does cost me a bundle. Even the cheap seats are expensive. The least expensive seats start at $70.00 in the Upper Deck to a less popular game and go up if you want a weekend game or to a game with a rival team. Add in food, transportation costs, and it’s a very pricey evening. I lucked out getting a couple free tickets last season, but this time around, I doubt it would be the same.

 

Let’s talk about the time it takes for the average San Franciscan to get to HP Pavilion. Many of us do not own cars, so we’re stuck on the Drunk Train, or CalTrain as it’s more commonly known. The “Commuter Express” takes about an hour to get down there, yet the last train back north stops at every station and takes 90 minutes leaving at 10:20pm. If fans miss this train, they’re stuck in San Jose until 4:00am. Who knows how many possible attendees miss out on hockey because the hassle of getting to San Jose is too great.
 

With the SF Bulls arrival it opens to the doors to great hockey at amazingly affordable prices. Sure, it’s not the NHL, but the play is just as fast, just as exciting, perhaps more so. There are fewer called penalties, certainly A LOT less icings penalized I’ve noticed. The athletes are trying to make names for themselves, they don’t have gigantic contracts and aren’t too comfortable with their teams.

 

I continue to hear people bemoaning that “there’s no hockey!” This is wrong. There’s lots of great hockey. What they really mean is: “There’s no hockey on my TV that I can sit and watch without doing anything to support it.” If you are a fan of hockey and truly miss it, check out the Minor Leagues. The US and Canada both have great leagues. Hell, even Mexico has a hockey league! So support Minor League hockey!

 

I love the Sharks and will always love them. I may not always be willing to shell out a couple hundred just to go to a game, however. It doesn’t make sense to me, especially when I can spend the same amount and go to a whole season of Bulls’ games. The owners and players are pricing themselves right out of many fans’ bank accounts and they don’t get it. Their loss, I say. Now, when’s the next ECHL game?

 

GO BULLS!

 

Martha

 

BULLS SPLIT 2-GAME SERIES WITH CONDORS, OCTOBER 20, 2012

After a hard fought Saturday night game, the San Francisco Bulls lost in a Shootout to the Bakersfield Condors, 2-1. Even though it was a loss, it was one of the team’s most exciting games. Defense was strong and the entire team played one of their best games.

Bakersfield scored a goal in the 1^st Period and led 1-0 until the 3^rd Period when Team Captain Justin Bowers got the only Bulls goal. Dean Ouellett of the Bulls hurt his shoulder in the 2^nd Period but was back skating in the 3^rd, fortunately.

Friday night’s game was even better. I was only able to catch the end of the game, as it was the same night as the San Francisco Giants’ Game 5. I couldn’t miss watching that, of course, which we won 5-0 against the dreaded St. Louis Cardinals. I got home early enough to catch the end of the Bulls game, with the team winning 5-3. This was also the Bulls first ever Road Victory!

The Bulls have finished three games into a nine-game road trip, the longest of the year. They’ll be making this trip every year due to the Grand Nationals which happen in October at the Cow Palace. It’s one of the biggest rodeos in the country. I remember going to it every year with my dad and having a great time.

If there is one part of the game the team has to work on, it’s Shootouts. There have been only been two, I realize, but they have lost both. It will be a huge milestone for the team to win one. The fact that they are able to keep games tied and into Overtimes and then into Shootouts is a very positive sign.

The online broadcast was much better than previously. It was near-perfect. The volume was high enough. The only complain I have is throughout the game there was a sharp tapping sound that was a bit disruptive. I don’t know what it was, but hopefully, the technical team can smooth it out in time for the next broadcast.

The next game for the team is in Alaska against the Aces. Starting time is 8:00pm. The team will be practicing at Yerba Buena Ice during the upcoming week, but I don’t see the schedule on the Bulls website, so give the team office a call for practice times. Regular practice sessions are free and open to the public.

GO BULLS!

Martha Hughes

Bulls Lose In a Shootout October 17, 2012

There was a lot going on Wednesday night when the Bulls played the first of nine games on the road. The Giants had a rain delay and it just happened that their game restarted at the very same time as the Bulls. So I watched the game on television while listening to the Bulls game online.

The Reign started out getting a score in the first 13 seconds of the game, but then the Bulls took control of the game, eventually leading 4-1. Until the last three minutes of the game, where the Reign scored three times!

Bulls celebrate goal 10/17/12 (Courtesy of SF Bulls)

A five-minute Overtime went with no goals so the Shootout began and the Reign shot the most goals, taking the game. At least the Bulls gained one point.

Bulls fans can listen to every game online at knbr.com. For the first part of the game, the volume was really low. It was difficult to listen to until finally it was turned up. And then, in the last three minutes of the game when the Reign scored enough to tie the game, the connection was lost. So, all of us fans were left not being able to listen at all. We couldn’t hear again until the game ended.

Another thing that is very distracting is that the radio feed is about two to three minutes behind real time. So, if you follow Twitter you will see what happens before it is broadcasted.

This is all new to everyone. It will take time to work all the kinks out. So, be patient, I’m sure all the technical stuff will get better with time.

Next up, the Bulls play two games in Bakersfield.

GO BULLS!

Martha