Aces – Mad Hatters Pregame Thoughts

For those who missed the Brooklyn Aces’ last game on December 20, you may have missed a big time moment in the team’s season.

Already without Tony Resendes and Rob Miller, the Aces were forced to skate with four defensemen, with forward Mike Thomson getting double shifted at both positions, but were still able to fight off a New Jersey Rockhoppers team that seems to get better every time it comes to Aviator.

That, my friends, means something.

However, the Aces are still shorthanded and things may get worse before they get better. Out for nearly a period on Saturday, Aces defenseman Nick Grove, who has been extremely steady on both ends of the ice this season, looked extremely uncomfortable on the ice the rest of the game, grimacing with every stride. If the steady Grove is indeed out of the lineup, the Aces will not only need Thomson to play defense the entire game against Danbury, they may need an emergency call up at forward.

Nevertheless, in spite of all of the injuries, the Aces are anything but a down and out team. For the first time in nearly two weeks, the team has all three lines contributing offensively. All three lines also provide extremely different looks, which could tire the Danbury defense out after a period or two.

Everyone knows what the Aces “BMT” line of James Brannigan, Kyle McCollaugh and C.J. Tozzo is capable of, but the team’s new line combinations are also extremely dangerous. Mike Christensen, Mike Thomson and Chris Holmes can be a first line on any other team in the league and with Thomson on the wing now instead of speedster Jesse Felten, that line just got a big injection of grit and shooting ability. The team’s other line of “Super” B.J. Kuper, new addition Eric Frank and the league’s new “heavyweight champion” in Felten is speed personified. However, Frank’s ability to pass, combined with Felten’s hustle and Kuper’s more than solid two-way ability make this a line that can do a lot on the ice as well. If the Aces can find a way to come out hard out of the gate and avoid an early flat effort, the Mad Hatters will have their hands full on defense, which can produce a big period offensively for the team.

As the Aces have proved a handful of times this season, all they need is one big period.

Coming off a 10-2 win against the lowly Hudson Valley Bears on Saturday, Danbury got a hat trick from stud defenseman Dan Hickman, who now has 16 points in 12 games this season. Forward Erik Kent had two goals as well, while leading scorer Igor Karlov [five goals, 18 points] had two assists and Duane Whitehead, the team’s hottest offensive threat as of late, had a goal and an assist.

Simply put, this is not good news for Brooklyn.

Already the grittiest team in the league, if Danbury can now score goals and has options offensively, they will challenge the New Jersey Rockhoppers for second place in the EPHL and perhaps even the Aces in the top spot if they get hot enough. Add in a quality goaltender in Derek MacIntyre [5-2, 3.25 GAA, .905 SP], who has gotten better with every game this season and this has the makings of another quality hockey game.

Photos by Ron Hatcher.

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