Joe Sports - Blogs about the RiverKings in the Central Hockey League and the hockey world.
I can't believe the 2008/2009 season is over. That means I'm another year older. Boy, time flew by this season. But what a season it was.
Most of the players could be wearing Kings jerseys again next season, but some veterans could be playing elsewhere.
Less than 72 hours after their elimination from the CHL playoffs, Kings players will be moving their gear out of the locker room at the DCC.
It would be better if it were in May sometime and you've just won the cup. It's so disappointing that the Kings were only two wins away from going to the Presidents Cup.
Players and coaches will look back on a season that included both good stretches and bad.
Flashback- Rewind
I’d like to take a bit of time to look back on the year that was, and it was a hell of a year.
Looking back, the Kings first goal was to finish first in the regular season.. We spent a lot of emotion finishing first. Sometimes, when you put that much emphasis in finishing first, the team feels that they achieved their goal and don’t have anything left to go to the next level.
When the playoffs started, I thought we started a little slow versus the Blazers. Our goaltending was not up to par, but the boys came through and won in six games versus the Blazers. We got to the Blazers tandem of netminders.
Colorado, they had a hot netminder. We didn't. Now don't get me wrong, Sims played extremly well in his two games. The kid only played 14 regular season games. Our number one netminder Beech was not up to par in the post season. He wasn't himself in the Blazers or Eagles series.
Against the Eagles, the team wasn't able to produce goals, like they did in the regular season. Of course one reason for that was goaltender Penner. I still believe we have the better team, but Penner was the difference. The shot totals tell you a lot. We just couldn't beat him and that is why they are playing in the Presidents Cup.
The Kings had a regular season record of 4 4-17-3 over 64 games of the 2008/2009 calendar. That’s a 91 point year - a record that put them second overall in the season. Not to shabby I would say.
Players:
Martin Gascon 68 points
Louis Dumont 65 points
Garrett Larson 61 points
Jeff Nelson 58 points
Matt Summers 54 points
Bobby Chaumont 51 points
I could go on and on. We had one of the best offensive units in the league. On any given night, one of the three lines pulled through.
We had one of the best defenses in the league, allowing only on average 25 shots per game.
MVP:
My pick for the season is Louis Dumont. He inspired the fans, he worked hard on every shift and he was always hitting someone. He's beaten away the dark cloud that had hung over this team ever since our Championship seasons and the future looks bright for the first time in a while. He could probably run for mayor right now, frankly.
Most Helpful:
My pick for the season is probably the best playmaker for the Kings, Jeff Nelson ( 39 assists). If he could add 20 goals in a season, he'd be among the best in the league. But nobody is sweating it, because Nelson makes everybody else on the Kings team better whenever he's on the ice. The Nelson, Margeson, Summers line was just awesome in the post season. We should have had them together sooner.
Best Defensemen:
A tie between Jeff Alcombrack and Andrew Lackner. Jeff was his usual stalwart self. This season he finished with 49 points. As for Lackner, he was an absolute rock defensively and he stepped it up in the post season also. He was everything the Kings hoped he'd be when they signed him.
Unsung Hero:
It's gotta be Stephen Margeson. From Defense to Offense - where ever Kaminski put him, he did his job. His work ethic was unreal.His hits were fun to watch, he punished his opponents every time he stepped on the ice. His competitiveness rubbed off on his team, and his dominant play night in and night out gave the team confidence we haven't seen on a RiverKings team in a while. The other teams did not like Margeson. Public enemy number one in Colorado and OKC.
The line of Nelson/Summers/Margeson was magic in the playoffs. On top of that he's a leader on and off the ice. He's a hometown guy, well he will be as he's getting married in Southhaven in June.
Best Game:
Game 4 of the Nothern Conference final, the Kings were on the verge of elimination. The Colorado Eagles had a 3-0 stranglehold in the series. But folks, the RiverKings would not give up.
The overtime hero was Matt Summers as he scored at 3:46 of the double overtime.
"It feels great. I don’t think the best team has won all series, and the best team finally won a game," Summers said. "I don’t know how many heroes there are; it’s everyone. I don’t know the number, but every (gosh) darn guy on the team.
"We felt her coming all night. We had a lot of chances in the first OT, but we didn’t get frustrated. We didn’t get down on ourselves. We kept coming and (Stephen) Margeson – what a beauty pass he gave me. It couldn’t have been any better."
Colorado scored four first period goals. Things looked pretty bleak for the Kings at that point.
Head Coach Kevin Kaminski pulled, Kevin Beech, in favor of Tyler Sims who has seen no post-season action in his career.That seemed to ignite the Kings as Matt Summers scored at 18:44. Landmesser and Nelson assisted on the goal. It was 4-1 Eagles after twenty minutes of play.
In the second period Stephen Margeson beat Penner at 8:42 on the powerplay. Summers and Landmesser assisted.It was 4-2 Eagles. The Eagles quickly answered Margeson's goal at 11:04.
But the never say die Kings scored again to close the gap at 19:10 as Martin Gascon found the back of the net and it was 5-3 Eagles after forty minutes of play. Chaumont and Steward assisted on Gascon's goal.
The third period was all RiverKings as Jeff Alcombrack scored at the 4:18 mark. Jeff's goal was assisted by Nelson and Margeson. Then the comeback was completed as Andrew Lackner took a blistering shot from the point that beat Penner at 15:09. Chaumont and Dumont assisted. It was tied at five after sixty minutes.
Then it was sudden death overtime. First goal wins.
There was tons of scoring chances in the first overtime period, but Penner and Sims both stood on their heads. Sims stopped 11 shots and Penner stopped 16 shots. It was still 5-5 after the fourth period.
In the second overtime period Margeson fed Summers a perfect pass and Summers scored his second goal of the night and the game winner at 3:46. The Kings win 6-5. That was the best game of the year.
It was unbelievable – to be able to see that game live. Even today people think of it as one of the greatest games the Kings have ever played.
To be a part of that; to be on the ice and to be able to play in a game like that must have been very nerve-racking for the players, but it was very exciting, with the atmosphere. The building was electric. Perhaps a little more so, because it was a game that had to be won by the Kings. It was a great experience for fans, but most of all for the players and coach because when you’re done playing or coaching you keep memories like that.
Best Moment:
How cool was it when we won 11 games in a row? February Friday the 13th. - March the 7th. Wow that was a run.
Best Chant:
Louiiie-Louiiie.
Best Coach:
He was the best coach in Kings fans eyes, but he also was the best coach in the CHL.
Head Coach Kevin Kaminski has been selected the recipient of the 2008-09 Central Hockey League Coach of the Year award following balloting among all 16 CHL Head Coaches. The award is presented annually to the Central Hockey League coach judged to have contributed most to his team’s success.
In his first season with the RiverKings, Kaminski earned 10 of 16 first place votes and appeared on all possible ballots (coaches could not vote for themselves).
Great work this year Kevin and I'm sure hoping you're here for the 2009/ 2010 season.
Dumbest move of the season:
Telling us we are getting a new web site, during the Kings/ Eagles series.
Mississippi hockey fans can look forward to a new and improved RiverKings face gracing the World Wide Web soon after the final whistle curtains the end of the 2008-09 Central Hockey League season. The RiverKings have announced they will soon be unveiling a new-look web site at the team’s Internet address, www.riverkings.com.
"This is a very exciting time for us," RiverKings Director of Business Operations Ab Mattice said. "We have made so much progress this year, both on the ice and off, and we feel this web site is the new face of that positive change."
Most Dissapointing:
The attendance at the DCC. 2,992 was the average. It was way below that for the playoffs. Hopefully there is a new marketing strategy for the 2009/2010 season. We have to put bums in the seats at the DCC. I know if they hire the right person it can be done.
The Kings have certainly come a long way in a short while. They've reinvented themselves into a responsible, hard working, defense first team. They've set regular season records and had their most successful playoff since the championship years. They've exorcised the demons that have hung over this team. Most of all, they've captured the imagination of Mississippi and Memphis and instilled it with a hope we haven't had in a long time.
It's a great accomplishment, no doubt. Now their job is to put together a team for the 2009/2010 season. Expectations will be high, the fans will be demanding a Presidents Cup.
For now, though, it's back to the phones and making deals with players for Kaminski.
Will there be any major changes? No, I don’t think so.
We had a good season, so I don’t think that there’s any need to make alot of changes technically.
But, some players will be off to Europe, some might retire and Kaminski might change a few players to make this team even better.
One thing we will probably have to do...the vet limit...some guys are vets and some are going to have vet status for next season. That will put us over the limit, so we have to let some players go. We do have a lot of older players, will they retire?
Here's a great article from the Commercial Appeal - RiverKings upbeat despite playoff defeat
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/apr/28/riverkings-upbeat-despite-playoff-defeat/
Season Ticket Holder Party Set For Tonight !!
The Mississippi RiverKings are gearing up for the annual Season Ticket Holder Party celebration, hosted this year by T.G.I. Friday’s Southaven on Wednesday, April 29, from 6-8 p.m.
The evening will feature fan giveaways, special rate appetizers and drinks, and of course, mingling with RiverKings players, coach and staff.
"We just wanted to thank the fans for a great season and their loyal support," Director of Business Operations Dave "Ab" Mattice said. "The Season Ticket Holder Party is one last ‘thank-you’ and a really fun get-together before the players leave town."
Friday’s has hosted the "T.G.I. Friday’s Official Post-Game Party" following every home game, where players and fans get together and hang out.
"We chose Friday’s because they have been a big supporter of the team," Mattice said. "We thought it was a perfect spot for the Season Ticket Holder Party."
All season ticket holders are invited to the party. For more information, please call the RiverKings office at 662.342.1755.
So that's it for now, check back every so often, as I'll keep you up to date on player signings and trades in the off season.
Have a great off season.
Oh ya, I almost forgot, the Colorado/ Texas best of seven series starts tonight in Colorado. Go Texas Go !!
I'm Joe Sports, have a great day. Have something to say about my blog, post a comment:
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