Game weekend! Rampage vs. Charlotte

San Antonio Rampage

4-7-0-1 (9 Pts) 14th in Western Conf.

Last game: Lost (0-3) @ Texas on 11/15

Leaders:
Goals: J.Rheault – 5
Assists: D.Shore – 7
Points: Shore – 9
+/-: M.Caruso - +2
PIM: E.Selleck – 37

Wins: J.Markstrom/D.Grumet-Morris – 2
GAA: Grumet-Morris – 2.15
Save %: Grumet-Morris - .929

Vs.

  

Charlotte Checkers

9-3-0-1 (19 Pts) 2nd in Western Conf.

Last game: Won (4-2) vs Peoria on 11/9

Leaders:
Goals: D.Bowman – 10
Assists: J.Faulk – 11
Points: Z.Boychuk/Faulk – 14
+/-: J.Samson - +8
PIM: N.Blanchard – 28

Wins: J.Peters – 5
GAA: D.Ellis – 1.94
Save %: Ellis .940
Shutouts: Peters/Ellis – 1

Fri. Nov 16th 7:30pm/Sun. Nov 18th 4:30pm

ATT Center

San Antonio, TX

Radio: Ticket 760

     The San Antonio Rampage have issues. When the offense is clicking, the defense is terrible. When the defense is good, the offense is unwatchable. Caught up in all of this are two goalies that deserve better.

     The Rampage have now lost 3 straight games and, for their efforts, welcome in a very good Charlotte squad that has won six out of nine road games and is currently the highest scoring team in the AHL. Buoyed by the league’s #1 power play (#2 on the road scoring at a 33% clip with the man advantage), the Checkers are averaging 3.85 goals per game while only allowing a 5th best 2.46 per game. Drayson Bowman is tied for the AHL lead with 10 goals while teammate Zach Boychuck is just one behind. On defense, the Checkers are just as dangerous. Justin Faulk (3-11-14) and Marc-Andre Gragnani (0-9-9) lead the way with 2011-12 50 point scorer Bobby Sanguinetti also in the fold.

     To make matters worse for Rampage fans, the Checkers are equally as good in net. AHL veteran Justin Peters and Dan Ellis, who has 165 NHL games on his resume should both see the ice this weekend.

     Drew Shore leads the Rampage with 9 points this season. Going into tonight’s game, the Checkers have six(!) players with more points and two players with more than 9 goals. They also have just two regular skaters that are in the “minus” for the season. Meanwhile, the Rampage have two players on the “plus” side. One (Caruso) has played 5 games. The other is Eric Selleck.

     The Rampage HAVE to stay out of the box this weekend. If they keep playing “Follow the Leader” to the sin bin, they are going to have a very long weekend. Also, I know this is a VERY tall order for this current team, but they need to bring the offense early. Charlotte has scored first in 8 of their 13 games and is 5-2-0-1 when scoring first. The Checkers are a slow starting team, getting outscored 9-8 in first periods this season, but have outscored opponents by a combined 42-23 in periods two and three.
    
     I’m expecting a whole lot of “facepalming” this weekend. You know that saying, “hope for the best, expect the worst”?

     Maybe the folks over on the Facebook page should give it the old college try.

     Dollar beer night! WHOOO! Dollar beer makes bad hockey…less bad.