The Blue Tongues are on the road this weekend facing off against the Ice Dogs and Bears with a depleted team due to injuries and personal committments. The Tongues solid regular 2nd line made up of Trevor Walsh, Dave Upton and Matt Stubbert are all out this weekend, as is forward Jack Conner and key stay at home defenseman Don Burke.
The lack of depth was prominant in Saturdays 4-1 loss to the Sydney Ice Dogs. The scoreline does not truly reflect the game or how even the teams were, but the loss does show that depth players are essential to a strong team.
Sunday saw a similar situation occur with the Blue Tongues going down 3-2 to the Bears in a shootout. While not a regulation loss, a loss to the Bears is still very much a shock considering they’ve only 4 points this season, including the 2pts they picked up tonight. Andre Selander picked up the only 2 regulation goals.
The Tongues second line has been vital in the recent string of home wins putting up goals and setting up plays. They’re also a solid 2-way line who shut down the opponents while giving the imports a chance to have a rest. Jack Conner, who has been out a few weeks already brings speed and secondary scoring and can play from the top line down, so is very flexible.
One of the biggest losses this weekend however has been Don Burke, who has been absolutely solid on the blueline this season.
According to sources, the Blue Tongues will go into next weekends road games Vs the Melbourne Ice without Walsh, Burke, Upton or Conner.
A solid 3 goal first period by Hershey took the wind out of the Manitoba Moose, and set up was to become the Calder Cup winning game, the 10th in Hersey Bears history, and a new AHL record. Goals by Andrew Gordon, Alexandre Giroux, Chris Bourque and Keith Aucoin helped the Bears secure the victory, with the Moose only scoring once in the game by Mario Bliznack.
The win came the same day Dan Bylsma’s Pittsburgh Penguins won the NHL’s Stanley Cup. Bylsma started the 2008/2009 season in the AHL.
