Makes you feel sorry for Thunder fans

Like lots of other hockey fans, I love to get online and trash talk to other fans, especially when their team is coming to town.  It's fun to know that I get to go to the DCC and enjoy watching a game they have to listen to online.  And I can usually talk the smack with the best of them.  But not this time.  Last night the RiverKings played the Wichita Thunder, and it was just plain sad.  The RiverKings might have had more of a challenge taking on Sister Mary's Secretarial School for Blind Girls.  The RiverKings won, easily, 3 - 0.  And honestly the score could have been 10-0, but it seemed the RiverKings decided not to work too hard for the second and third periods.  I'm not sure if I should be mad that I only got to see 20 minutes of hockey, or grateful to the RiverKings for taking it easy and not risking any injuries, or cramps, or broken nails.

OK, in all fairness, this game was so one-sided, the RiverKings could have gone home during the first intermission and I don't think the score would have been much different.  We were wondering if they just got bored, or if they just decided to treat the rest of the game like a practice.  After that third goal all we saw was a bunch of skating and passing.  And whatever it was the Thunder players were doing.   

There were a couple of guys that risked breaking a sweat in the the second and third.  As usual, Right Wing Rick Kozak had to get in a fight.  And even though I do enjoy the good smackdowns he's known to deliver, last night at the end of the fight he took a pretty cheap shot that earned him a game misconduct.  You'd think a guy coming off a suspension would be a little smarter.  Let's hope the league doesn't penalize him too much more as a repeat offender, because we really need him.  Sure, he's good for the fights, but he can also shoot.  If he can cook and kill bugs, I'd have to say he's the perfect man.

We also saw some action from a couple of the other usual suspects.  Sheldon Wenzel got into it twice with Wichita Winger Kyle Bruce.  The first fight went to Wenzel by a bit, but the second time around he definitely got beat.  I'm not sure what kind of bad blood exists between these two, but I hope Wenzel manages to get over it, cause Bruce has his number. 

And unfortunately we also got treated to another Stoddard whipping.  Don't get me wrong, I like this kid.  He's fast, and he's tough and he's not afraid to get his hands dirty defending a teammate.  Darrell Stoddard has a lot of spunk.  Unfortunately he keeps picking fights he can't win.  At first it was kind of cute.  And then you just had to admire his persistence.  Now, with the season really beginning to shape up, the fights are getting old.  I think it's especially frustrating because unlike Kozak, Stoddard is fighting, but not scoring.  He has yet to find the back of the net this season.  He's a Forward, and I'm pretty sure they're supposed to score some goals. 

Enough harping on the bad, let me cover the bright spots.  The number one star last night was definitely RiverKings goalie, Sebastien Centomo.  Dude is awesome in net.  While Wichita's jailbird goalie Laplante got more of a workout, Centomo played another killer game and got a shutout.  We also saw some awesome play from Ryan Campbell, Derek Landmesser and Steve Makway.  And even though Chad Wollard didn't score any goals last night, he managed two assists, and is still having a smokin' hot season. 

The RiverKings are out of town for their next two games, making a road trip through Texas and Oklahoma.  They'll be back home on the 7th against a very tough Youngstown team.  I hope that the league doesn't come down too hard on Kozak, and that he works out some of these anger management issues during the trip, because we need him putting points up.  I'm also hoping that this season continues with this pace because the RiverKings are really on fire this year.  This season it's a lot of fun to be a RiverKings fan.   

And last but not least, I hope this guy gets some cream or some ointment or something, cause that looks like it itches.