ALLEN, Texas – In a critical ‘must win’ situation on Friday night, the Allen Americans came up short yet again to the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs who have shut the Americans down in almost every game in the series.
The Americans once again tried to shake things up with some line alterations but they were again, to no avail. The question of dealing with the ‘Bugs is not in their lineup, the Americans owned the season series 8-1-1 and the ‘Bugs learned from the regular season series.
Bossier has completely contained the Americans with an effective neutral zone trap through the majority of the series. When the Americans made some passing adjustments, they have opened the ice up and have been able to generate offense but those runs have been few and far between.
The Americans came out quickly and nearly had an early lead when John DeCaro gave up a big rebound that landed on the stick of Americans winger David Strathman who was unable to connect solidly with the puck and missed a wide open net.
Shortly after, the Mudbugs opened the scoring when Jamie Milam lasered a shot from the point past a completely screened Chris Whitley at 4:05 to put the ‘Bugs up 1-0. It wouldn’t be the last time Whitley would face a shot he had no view on for the evening.
The ‘Bugs were moving the puck through the offensive zone at will, controlling the flow of play like the Americans normally do. The Americans continued to have issues with the ‘Bugs pesky defense and were been unable to move the puck effectively in the offensive zone.
Refusing to create traffic through the slot to screen DeCaro and break down the Bossier defense by jamming it up allowed the Bossier defenders to block several shots and limit the Americans shot total to a weak five shots on goal for the period.
The Americans did manage to get on the board late in the period when Colton Yellow Horn and Judd Blackwater raced in on a two-on-one. Yellow Horn looked as if he was set to pass to Blackwater on his left, causing DeCaro to lean away in anticipation of the pass just as Yellow Horn wanted. Seeing the opening, Yellow Horn drilled a wrist shot past DeCaro to bring the score level at 17:12.
The ‘Bugs got things rolling early in the second when Milam fired a one timer off a loose puck from the point past Whitley for his second of the night at 1:48 into the middle frame. Travis Clayton then added another marker at 17:26 to improve the Bossier lead to 3-1 right off the faceoff.
Allen was able to get more shots on DeCaro but the majority of them were easy saves, contrary to the play at the other end of the ice where Whitley was tested again and again with quality scoring tries. Whitley played very well considering the score and a defense that appeared more of a hindrance than a help, collapsing on the net and screening him rather than attacking the puck carrier more aggressively.
The third period opened very quickly for Bossier when David Rutherford scored off a pretty feed by David Pszenyczny at 1:53 to make it 4-1. That goal would chase Whitley from the net in favor of Campbell, who would only be in net a short time himself but long enough to let a pair of pucks past him.
Shortly after, the Bugs poured salt in the wound when Steve Crampton fired a one-timer past Campbell followed by Jeff Kyrzakos’s score just 40 seconds after at the 3:14 mark.
As with Whitley, blame cannot solely be placed on Campbell’s net minding for he had a defense in front of him that looked listless and lost, overwhelmed by Bossier’s play, very atypical of the Americans standard of play.
Whitley was quickly returned to the net, as the spark hoped to be gained by pulling him backfired and left the Americans further in the hole. The Americans however would not go quietly into the night, once again finding that powerful offense that has been shut down this series and putting a scare into the Mudbugs.
As the game wound down, the Americans went on an impressive three goal run in a little over three and a half minutes. First to score for Allen was Nino Musitelli, who fired a quick shot past DeCaro on the power play at 14:16.
Revived by the goal and desperate to climb the treacherous peak they put before themselves, the Americans went to work. Blackwater carried the puck across the blue line, put on a nifty deke and wired one past DeCaro at 16:58 to cut the Bossier lead in half, 6-3.
With their reinvigorated hustle, the Americans drew a late power play and capitalized again when Musitelli backhanded one past DeCaro at 17:55. The Americans seemed to have found their confidence once again and pulled Whitley for the extra attacker. The ‘Bugs defense clamped down and shut out the Americans from any more shots on net to preserve the win, 6-4.
The late drive should give the Americans regained confidence in their offensive capabilities that to this point has been held at bay by Bossier. With elimination once again staring them in the face, Allen will have to reach deep as they did in the Odessa series, come out determined to play their game and dictate the flow of play for sixty minutes to Bossier.
Otherwise, their incredible season run will end Sunday evening.
Game five is set for Sunday at 4:05pm CST at the CTC in Bossier.
Contact the writer at maurice.fitzgerald@prohockeynews.com
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