Reporter Q&A with Roy Lang
March 28th, 2008, 3:12 pm · 2 Comments · posted by Brian Sandalow
Roy Lang of the Shreveport Times has already responded to my questions about the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs. Here’s the first Reporter Q&A:
Q: What makes the Mudbugs such a great defensive team?
Certainly this has been a yearly debate. Is it the goaltending? Is it a solid, yet underappreciated D-corps? This season it has been a combination of both.
Netminder John DeCaro has been nothing short of phenomenal this season. Obviously, the records speak for themselves. He’s incredibly smooth and unflappable. The only thing keeping him from a higher level is the lack of a contract with an NHL team. There is just no room in the AHL for non-contract goaltenders.
Ken Carroll had one of the best seasons in his storied career. Only a couple late losses left him without record numbers, too.
The blue liners have been terrific this season. Jason Basile, Quade Lightbody, Dale Lupul and Ryan Fairbarn — you don’t hear a lot about them, but that’s generally because they don’t turn the puck over and quietly go about their business.
Q: How are the Mudbugs dealing with the pressure of being both the top seed, and a team with a history of underachievement in the playoffs?
The good news: Most of the current Mudbugs were not affiliated with a lot of the postseason disappointment. Scott Muscutt has taken a different approach this season. Gone is the grinder line that’s symbolized the Mudbugs in recent campaigns. Muscutt now has three scoring lines — evident by the massive amount of 20-goal scorers this season.
Q: What is Scott Muscutt’s biggest worry about his team?
The Mudbugs really didn’t have anything to play for over the final month of the season. Will the rest he gave many of the top players indeed be the correct move or will the layoffs leave the Bugs out-of-sync in the dangerous early rounds?
Q: Why will the Mudbugs win the Cup?
Defense and discipline. The Mudbugs set a boatload of all-time CHL records this season for a reason: They take care of their own end unlike any other team in the league. The addition of a third scoring line takes the pressure off the top guns in the postseason.
John DeCaro — The Mudbugs have the best goaltender in the league. In hockey, that can single-handedly win you a Cup.
Q: Why won’t the Mudbugs win the Cup?
The Texas Brahmas. The biggest obstacle for the Mudbugs lies in the first round. Texas played the Mudbugs better than any other team in the CHL. I’m not saying the Brahmas are the second-best team in the league, they just play Bossier-Shreveport the best.
If the Mudbugs get past Texas, it will be a catapult to a title. The other playoff teams don’t match up as well as the Brahmas do.
Of course injuries to goaltenders could be a wild-card here.
Q: What is your prediction for the Mudbugs?
The postseason disappointment over the past 7 years dies with the Mudbugs raising their first Central Hockey League President’s Cup.
 Thanks again to Roy Lang for his cooperation.
March 28th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
Already two excuses for the first round loss to Texas. They play it the toughest and we sat people early. There will be no catapult to the championship. The goaltending is the key for the Mudbugs. Ironically where did the President’s Cup get them last year? That’s right a tee time, just like this year. I don’t know who will win it, but I will take the field bet everytime. Laredo, Colorado, Youngstown, Arizona or Youngstown everytime over the Mudbugs. You can change the players, but the losing tradition in the playoffs continues for the Mudbugs.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:32 am
To be fair, CHLfan, Roy Lang was asked a question that brought up the so-called excuses. And its true, if the Brahmas win this series, everyone will wonder if resting our best players hurt us.