I scream, you scream, we all scream

If you have not been to morning hockey game....you will have another chance in  February. 
Go-it's fun..IF you like 1000s of kids screaming their hearts out..
I do advise to take earplugs and USE them.
They will protect your tender eardrums - a bit at least.


But all kidding aside, this morning's game between Aeros and Rockford Icehogs was entertaining.

In the first, Aeros up with a goal by DiSalvatore with Kassian and Almond.
A real wonder that the Hogs did not get a goal, while Anton Khudobin was way out of his crease,
actually BEHIND the net and sprawled on the ice.
With two refs it was surprising to see only few penalties called,
neither team able to take advantage of the 'a man short' moments.

 In the second, Conelly scored to make it even 1-1.
Then there was a bit of scuffling/roughing between McBride (yes, the spunky one IS back) and Brophy. 
A dislodged Aeros net.
And the case of "all fall down" - well, just three - Aeros skaters in a heap,
while Potulny potted the puck to make it 2 Hogs 1 Aeros.
A Battle of the Bs ensued - that's Bagnall and Bollig, with Bollig wrestling Bagnall to the ice-a clear winner in that contest. 5 min. majors for both, plus Di Salvatore with a 2 min. minor, but Hogs did not utilize this.

Just into the Third, Daoust with Almond gave Aeros the goal to make it even, 
but Hogs came right back with another goal by Connelly (unassisted) - Aeros 2 Hogs 3.
Igor Makarov was injured, requiring consolation by fellow Russian speaker Khudobin, 
and attention by the Hogs trainer, after which he was able to skate back to bench to applause by fans.
With just a few moments to go, Almond with DiSalvatore and Palmer evened the score forcing the game into overtime, which was scoreless.
And so we went to a shoot out.. Wellman and DiSalvatore getting 2 goals, while - uh oh- Vishnevsky (remember him from last season!) faked out Khudobin and was the only Hog to put the puck in.

At one time in the third, I truly marvelled at the best passing to keep puck alive,
seen in quite a while, by Aeros Nr.s 42, 28, 16 and 6 (it was 6?).
Noreau once again had the most icetime in the first two periods, although, so it seemed to us, McBride was right behind him. McBride is a quicksilver skater, agressive, fast and flexible, not afraid to tackle players taller than him,  kind of younger  Daoust. :-)... perhaps, and he sure looks like a Doppelgaenger of former Aeros skater John Lammers (now in the Czech republic, in the city where they brew and DRINK Pilsner beer ..LOL).
Hannu Toivonen ..tried his best, he did stop 36 of 39 sog (3 of 5 in Shoot Out) by the Aeros.
Khudobin had it easier with only 28 sogs - he stopped all but three, and all but 1 in the Shoot Out.

And they DID!

Twice it seemed the Aeros had another goal, once by Brandon Buck which went high over a prone Toivonen with space to spare on either side!  And McBride seemed close to a goal, but it was not to be.
Photos later.