Bullfrogs Struggle, but Beat Dallas

The under-motivated Bullfrogs continued to stumble toward the playoffs as the Roller Hockey International regular season came to a sluggish close Monday against last-place Dallas.

For the second consecutive night, the Bullfrogs put on a sub-par performance, but pulled out a 5-4 shootout victory in front of an announced crowd of 2,422 at the Arrowhead Pond.

The victory raised the Bullfrogs’ record to 21-3-2. They wrapped up the Western Division title two weeks ago and have been marking time since.

Coach Brad McCaughey, who said before Monday’s game that he “just wanted to get out without any injuries,” had only 10 skaters in uniform and went with Cory Cadden in the net so that Rob Laurie, whose 4.94 goals-against average remains the lowest in team history, could rest. Cadden (4-0-2) had a poor second quarter in which he gave up four goals, erasing a 2-0 Bullfrog lead. But the 6-foot-2, 195-pound in-line journeyman stood tall in the shootout, stopping three of the four shots he faced.

“Tonight was a nothing game,” Bullfrog defenseman Sean Whyte said. “At halftime Brad was yelling at us. We played [poorly]. But we won.”

McCaughey continues to lament how the Bullfrogs, who have now won seven straight, have played down the stretch.

“The guys probably don’t want to be here,” McCaughey said. “From their point of view they’re playing to make $100. From mine, I want to get ready for the playoffs. We haven’t been playing that well, and in the playoffs anything can happen.”

The playoffs begin Wednesday at the Pond. The Bullfrogs will be idle in the first round while Las Vegas and San Jose battle at 7:30 p.m. for the right to face the Bullfrogs 24 hours later in the semifinal round. The championship game, which pits the finalists from the Eastern and Western divisions, is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sunday at the Pond.

While Monday was little more than a chance to go through the motions, Bullfrog winger Hugo Belanger picked up his 37th goal of the season with three minutes 23 seconds left in the first quarter. That gave him the league lead in goals.