Getting The Itch To Get Going!

• Ok, I'm as antsy as the players to get this series underway. After a layoff of 7 days, it's time to hit the ice for round two between the Rockets and Americans. When the puck officially drops Friday night, the Rockets will have had a layoff of 9 days. It feels like the Christmas break where the team had a ten day break between games.
• Mikael Backlund skated with the team today. Does Gregg Drinnan dare to repeat those words on his blog? If you haven't heard, someone has expressed concern that he mentions Backlund far too often on his blog. How does Drinnan handle the criticism? He goes the route I would take. Mention him to nauseum. I love it. If I was putting money on it, Backlund will play in this series, but game one looks doubtful.
• Who has the best playoff beard? Brandon McMillan has the early lead in his attempt to look like Grizzly Adams. In early voting, defenseman Tysen Dowzak is a strong second. My goal over the next few days is to provide this blog with pictures of the two front runners and post them once we arrive in Kennewick.
• Mark Guggenberger won't says it, but he has to be chuckling inside following the Swift Current Broncos elimination from the WHL playoffs. Guggenberger was traded by the Broncos in a belief that overage goaltender Travis Yonkman was the better choice. Guggenberger doesn't shy away from admitting he is pleased to be playing with the Rockets, and being handed the reins as the teams #1 goaltender.
• How popular is Mark Guggenberger in Kelowna? A local restaurant called the Grateful Fed had a special last week called the...wait for it....the Gugg-en-berger. What is the Guggenberger? It is a turkey burger with cranberry mayo.
• I can hear it from here. Annie Fowler is the beat writer for the Tri City Herald and can be heard clearly from my broadcast location at the Toyota Center while she's banging out a story. The reason? Nails baby. Long finger nails. She is a pleasure to talk too and always has a smile on her face. The Americans are lucky to have someone so upbeat, covering their every move.