Hey, Cowbell Crew: You're Welcome To Vent Here On The Aces' Run Of Injuries

First things first: Save the Friday the 13th references. We can come up with enough cliches on our own.

Still, tough one for the Alaska Aces tonight, and not just because they fell 3-2 in overtime to the Bakersfield Condors, and not just because former Aces center Gino Guyer -- one of the really good guys -- authored the game winner for Bako.

Nope, the bigger deal is the Aces lost defenseman Tyson Marsh to a cut above his right ankle late in the third period. He left the arena with his leg in a boot and using crutches, and was headed to the hospital for further evaluation. He's a tough guy -- he tried to hop to the bench on one leg -- but right now we'd have to say he's out indefinitely.

The Aces also lost defenseman Lee Green, who took a blow to the head, suffered a concussion and did not play after the first period. He, too, was hospital bound.

Already out is defenseman Ryan Turek, who suffered a concussion last Sunday in a 3-0 loss at Ontario. That leaves the Aces with just five D. The only upside -- at least defenseman T.J. Fast came back from AHL Peoria earlier this week, or the Aces would be in an even worse jam.

Former Aces coach Keith McCambridge, a defenseman in his playing days and now an assistant coach at AHL Manitoba, used to lament that it always seemed to be defensemen who went down with injuries, particularly early in the season. Tonight, he seems like a prophet, and rest assured he hates that it is so.