Make no ifs, ands, or buts about it, this is the biggest game of the Aces season.
Forget the fact that they have a more than comfortable lead over both New Jersey and Danbury and are sitting pretty atop the EPHL. Forget the fact that no team has even been close to showing the offensive firepower they have this season. While you’re at it, forget how good they’ve been defensively as well.
It’s not that the Aces aren’t a dangerous team. They still have a pair of amazing two-way players in C.J. Tozzo and Mike Christensen and two of the best wingers in the league in Kyle McCullough and Chris Holmes, alongside dependable defensemen the likes of Doug Hoffman and Nick Grove. They also have players like BJ Kuper and Jesse Felten that will run through a wall for a puck.
Add in the recently acquired Joey Grasso and Gabe Yeung and it’s easy to see that the Aces are also bigger and spunkier than they’ve been all season as well, which could easily propose problems for a team like Danbury in the future.
However, without the league’s leading scorer, James Brannigan, the Aces will have to make the appropriate adjustments on the ice if they want to continue to be as successful as they have been this season. Like I said, it’s not as if the Aces still aren’t a team that deserves to be in first place, they are just a different one.
Once players like Tony Resendes and Rob Miller come back from injuries, Brooklyn will be in much better shape, but as of right now, they have to play smart in their own end and make the best out of their powerplay opportunities if they want to continue to dominate. Even without Brannigan, the Aces offense is still extremely scary. Nevertheless, they’ll have to be on their game and playing focused and intelligent hockey. Otherwise, the Rockhoppers have the ability to beat them.
Following a 4-2 loss to the Danbury Mad Hatters on Tuesday, the New Jersey Rockhoppers will have quite a test today as well. Can they bounce back against a battered, but mentally tough and dedicated Aces team? Can they generate enough offense against the Brooklyn defense and their top-notch goaltending duo of Miro Recicar and Eddie Neville?
With players the likes of Kyle Bozoian, Chris Ferazzoli, Drew Sanders and Brice Boudreau, all with comparable offensive numbers to the Aces top four offensive players in McCullough, Tozzo, Christiansen and Holmes, New Jersey isn’t in a situation to be lose a dogfight with the Aces [no pun intended] anymore. With Nick Niedert in net as well, the Rockhoppers have a more than solid goaltender that has proven he can stop the Brooklyn offense.
With all these intangibles in play, this has the makings of one of the best games this season.
Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.
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