Red-hot Mudbugs ice sinking Hounds

Youngstown rallied from a 2-0 deficit before falling, 3-2.

By TOM WILLIAMS

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

YOUNGSTOWN — Looking for something to offset winter’s chill? Try the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, the hottest team on ice.

Friday, the Mudbugs won their 14th-straight game, defeating the SteelHounds 3-2 on a goal late in the third period.

Tonight, the Mudbugs will go for the Central Hockey League record of 15 when they take on the SteelHounds (20-12-2, 42 points), who have lost five straight.

“We need to got our urgency, desperation back,” SteelHounds coach Kevin Kaminski said. “We have got to bring these guys back down to Earth.”

The latest defeat was a heartbreaker after the SteelHounds battled back from a two-goal deficit to tie the game on Kirill Starkov’s goal about seven minutes into the third period.

The SteelHounds outshot the Mudbugs, 40-18.

“The guys responded,” Kaminski said of the first-period adversity. “That was a great effort.”

With 1:48 remaining in regulation, SteelHounds forward Eric Prezpiorka was penalized for hooking. Thirty-five seconds later, Chris Brossard beat SteelHounds goalie Andy Franck with a long shot.

Still, the SteelHounds weren’t finished as Brassard was penalized in the final minute. But even with two extra skaters, the SteelHounds couldn’t beat DeCaro a third time.

“Johnny played well,” Mudbugs (24-7-3, 51 points) coach Scott Muscutt said of DeCaro (13-4-2). “The saves that he made to keep us in it were phenomenal.”

Kaminski said, “Their goalies DeCaro and [Ken] Carroll are one-two in the league right now. DeCaro is solid, he makes himself big, [has] good rebound control. He obviously won them the game tonight.”

Still, Kaminski was pleased with the effort the SteelHounds produced.

“I thought our guys were relentless tonight on the cycle, the forecheck, pucks to the net, people to the net,” Kaminski said. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t get that extra goal.”

Muscutt said that the hardest-working team didn’t win.

“Honestly without question, we got outplayed tonight,” said Muscutt whose Mudbugs have not trailed in a game since Dec. 21. “For the first 20, I thought we played well, played the kind of hockey we need to play. For the next 40 minutes, they were the better team on the ice.”

A little more than two minutes into the game, Brassard picked up a loose puck and hit a streaking Brett Smith who beat Franck.

Nine minutes later, the lead doubled when Tyrel Lucas beat Franck with a 35-foot slapshot near the end of an extended power play.

“Even in the first period, we were fine,” Kaminski said. The D awareness [that allowed] a guy sneaking behind us, that can’t happen. The second goal was on the power play.”

On their 23rd shot, the SteelHounds finally beat DeCaro as Joel Irving took a pass from Kurtis Dulle and fired from the slot through DeCaro’s pads.

The SteelHounds dominated the second period, allowing no shots for almost 16 minutes.

williams@vindy.com