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Do the Bulldogs have enough to do it? |
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Bensenville, IL-
That's the question surrounding The Chicago Bulldog
players, Fans and Management. Surprisingly, the Chicago
Bulldogs go into the second half of the season not in
last place, but a few wins from at the very least
making the playoff tournament. With very little fanfare
considering it was less than a few months ago that Joey
V. grabbed The Stanley Roper Cup and immediately passed
it to Anthony Micheles. It made for one of the most
overblown, saccharine-coated stories in hockey history
but it was a gripping finish since we so rarely see the
Bulldogs in any kind of final let alone a Championship.
A few months later, though, the question marks
surrounding the Bulldogs seem to outnumber the
reasons to expect more euphoria in the city of
Chicago. There are reasons to believe the Bullies
will be in the hunt until the end. However, they
mainly centre around goaltender Alex Martinez and
the club's defensive prowess -- a big difference
from the Flying Hawaiian squad of a few months ago.
There's the strength of the defense corps led
by Jason Darfler and James Senne, who both elevated
their game. Losses of Ted Markos and Sean O'Connell
weren't felt as much as expected.
However, the questions begin from there. Having
the best defense is great but The Bulldogs has had
plenty of trouble putting the puck in opposing
nets.
Dan Ayotte was a candidate for team MVP last
season but ended the season playing in only 6 games
and scoring 7 points. He is also MBM (Missing
Because of Marriage) Ryan Gerstner cracked the
20-point barrier for the season but the kid had to
go off to college for the season (what ever happened
to the job at Burger King?). Then there's Joey V. He
limped through the season, collecting only 3 goals
and 8 points, and is continuing to fight Drug's,
Women and Alcohol. A big boost is quickly coming
since Cornis appears to be closer to actually
hitting the net instead of the post..
Once again, that eventual bonus will come with
doubts. After all, Cornis the Great will likely
be Brad the Average when he tries to hit the ground
running after missing several year's worth of action
due to Inline Hockey, the Flu, Asthma, Gonorrhea,
Mano -- including a ruptured spleen. "It's going to
take awhile to get back to full strength.. That's
what we're working on. It's a long season, so
there's no rush," Corins told Chicago Tribune of his
return to the Ice Hockey Game.
Can the Bulldogs claim a 2nd consecutive title??
Stay tuned ...
