Wasn't That Just Darling?

Flipping the bird at the refs are for sissys. How about I flip you the goal?

What crossing state lines can do for a team. Last week, many fans expressed their discontent with the way the Solar Bears were playing during their last roadie. However, there was still enough faith for fans to go out and welcome them home after being away for two weeks, and the Solar Bears did not disappoint.  

The Solar Bears began the series against the Wheeling Nailers with a 7-2 Solar Bear scoring buffet where even Mike Liambas got a piece of that pie. But the funny highlight of that day was when Nailers goaltender, Scott Darling, who came in relief after starter Peter Delmas had enough of a beating, made the boneheaded decision to even come out of the net and pass the puck right into Scott Tanski. That led to Tanski skating right past Darling and score easily, despite Darling throwing his stick towards Tanski in an attempt to poke check (which would have been an automatic goal if the ref was paying attention). 

The second game of the series on Saturday was much more thrilling. For once, the Solar Bears allowed it to be a defensive struggle for the Nailers. It was short jokes-target Peter Lenes who kept the Nailers with the lead for most of the game. It wasn't until Ryan Cruthers wristed it into Darling and C.J. Severyn appearing to poke the puck in the goal, although it was awarded to Cruthers, getting his 100th ECHL goal in the meantime. Darling, pissed that he didn't get the whistle he thought was coming showed his inner Hulk and flipped over the net and hit the ref. Being the Darling that he is, he was slapped with only a unsportsmanlike minor. But I guess his apology will keep him out of the suspension line, NOT!

Threw a tantrum #whoopsies #sorryref
— Scott Darling (@SDarling_33) January 20, 2013

The third game was much the second, a defensive struggle. Trailing 1-0 with just over five minutes in regulation, Ryan Cruthers comes through in the clutch inside to tie the game at 1-1, ultimately leading to a shootout. After the first three rouonds came up empty for both teams, Micheal Neal lasers one past Delmas and goalie John Curry finish the rest, stopping the last two shots for the Nailers.

Takaways

• Swept a weekend series
• Got out of the ECHL basement for now
• Defensive improvements
• Rob Mignardi and Josh Caron are back for now

 Opportunities

• Don't shift defensive woes into offensive woes
• Hannu Toivonen had already played his last game for the Solar Bears
• Keep Curry healthy, cause if not, someone who allowed 4.88 GAA in the FHL will have to be trusted in net-minding. 
• Mike Brodeur is still not ready

Meet your new Solar Bears

X-marked players that are currently not playing in Orlando: (from left to right) Brooks Ostergard (released), Josh Caron (callup), Corbin Baldwin (injury), Kyle Medvec (callup), Alexandre Imbeault (traded), Rob Mignardi (callup), Micheal Wilson (on loan), and Nick Petersen (callup)

That lineup looks mighty different than the one we'll see tonight against Wheeling. It happens, and it's going to keep happening. However, it felt like a new world order took place when the NHL lockout ended and players on minor league teams immediately went back. Ryan Reaves went back to Louie's ice den, and B.J. Crombeen who was a Solar Bear for a weekend, can go back to the Ice Palace in which he came from. He's a list of players that the Solar Bears received since the lockout ended on January 5th:

Mike Sgroi

Jesse Dudas

Alain Goulet

• F Jonathan Julianao 
• C Lee McClure
• C Darick Ste-Marie
• F Spencer Bennett
• D Jesse Dudas
• D Mike Kavanagh
• D Alain Goulet
• F Mike Sgroi
• D Nicholas Kuqali

You could've fielded a whole new team. If you didn't think this wasn't going to happen after the NHL lockout, you should've. Julianao and McClure were just bench fillers and were released shortly after their signings. Kavanagh was traded to Cincinnati. Goulet was Mr. Considerations from the Imbeault trade to Alaska. Sgroi comes back to hockey after playing for the Evansville IceMen last season, being brought in as another enforcer, hopefully providing a spark when needed with a good fight.

Expect to never see the likes of Petersen, Medvec, the rest of the Aeros callups, and Fortier in a Solar Bears sweater again this season, but it won't hurt to have them. Wilson and Bryce Lampman may come back. But now, we have a new team, and give a warm welcome as none of these new players have played on our home ice yet. Hopefully, these players will provide a little stability and can help us get out the ECHL basement in the standings.

How the Solar Bears should treat 2013

The Solar Bears are back (obviously). We had ups, we had downs while players had call ups and send downs, sometimes in the same day, just ask Nick Petersen. While it looked as if the season were to just sink into the bottom of the well for all of eternity, there was nothing like some good ole gator wrestling to spark life into each player and fan, solidified by Dan Gendur's hat-less hat trick. (I know, I know, now you know for next time). However, it's a new year and we still have three months of games left before playoffs begin, should the Solar Bears have a chance to make the playoffs, let alone, make a run, here are some things I believe could benefit those chances. Some are more obvious than others, some are more practical than others, some are more comical than others.

Play well with other goaltenders as they do with Curry.

Although he's an okay goalie, I am not on the John Curry bandwagon like most Solar Bear fans. It seems that any game he plays has the potential to be a diaster, luckily it has been kept to a minimal and wasn't his fault when disaster struck. But as of late, whenever Curry is in the net, the defense would actually pick up those sticks and play hockey. In the last 10 games in which Curry was playing, the defense kept the shots under 30 six times and has never had to deal with 40 or more shots this season, while in the 10 games Hannu Toivonen or Darcy Kuemper started, the defense only managed to keep it under 30 twice, including three games in which 40 or more shots were allowed. Key reason, the defense tends to be absent-minded of rebound shots when Hannu or Kuemps guarding net when those same shots are immediately taken by a Bears player. Higher shots, usually tend to mean more goals, usually. Curry won't be playing every game. You'll see Hannu again, you'll definitely see Kuemps again, and when he finally clears his head after being left out the family reunion yet again, you'll see Mike Broduer (Oh, don't give me that look). 

Have the leaders leading

Ryan Cruthers showed us last Friday what a leader was supposed to do, bring out the beast (not a typo) in his teammates while taking no prisoners. It needs to happen more often, not necessarily needing to fight anybody, but always having high energy and pump up your teammates on the ice. Coach Drake Berehowsky may have sent a message to the team by shipping Kevin Baker out about a month ago that other than a text from Houston Aeros GM Jim Mill, if you're not showing example as a veteran, you're outta here.

More Shades!

From Louie's Facebook page

Well how does that help? On the road, not a lot. But at home, where the crowd averages 6,528, it can make a huge difference. You've heard me preach on how Shades is the legend of the Solar Bears and that he is almost nonexistent during the games. Instead of holding up signs from an offshore location for the jumbotron, how about being near the glass towards the end of a close game and lead the home crowd thunder, or coming onto the ice after a Solar Bears win waving a huge "Solar Bears WIN!" sign, I do give him credit with him showing off his duggie skill. I know I'm not the only one who likes to compare Shades to Louie.

Most importantly, play alongside each other.

One player can spark something within the team, but his teammates have to have the fuel to respond, whether it's for the receiving end of a fancy pass, screening the opposing goalie so he can't see the release, or being ready to defend your teammate when the opposing team gets a cheap shot.

Gendur did it Friday, Petersen did it before who's next?

The Bears currently sit two points off the final playoff spot. We won't be able to see them in person here with basketball and the circus in town (which I thought were one in the same) until January 17th. Being outside of Florida hasn't been kind to them, so it will be interesting to see if they can keep it together. When they do come back, and when you see coach Berehowksy make this call for one player, you can rest assure that you will not be banned for throwing a hat on a hat trick.