Jerome Bechard returns from six-game suspension on Friday

Columbus coach Jerome Bechard returns behind the bench Friday night in Louisiana following the end of six-game suspension.

The Cottonmouths won four of six games while Bechard was suspended from an incident that took place in the loss to Peoria on Dec. 19th when forward Craig Siumchuk rushed into goalie Kyle Rank, forcing him into the goal post, knocking him out.

Bechard was suspended six games while Simchuk got 28. Garrett Lockridge got three for leaving the bench during that game.

"I think the suspension added a little spark to our club," Bechard said. "The team took offense to the suspensions, but the most important thing to take from it is the guys took a negative situation and rallied together to turn it into a positive."

Led by assistants Brad Prefontaine and John Beirchen, Columbus managed to go 4-1-1 with all four wins coming against opponents who reside ahead of them in the standings. Now sitting at .500 and sixth overall, the Snakes have separated themselves from the bottom of the pack in the nine-team league.

"I think this was not only just a learning experience for me, but the guys on the ice," Bechard said "My time off the ice and in the stands gave me the chance to really see what our inconsistencies have been, and I think it's translated to better play on the ice."

One of those key areas Bechard has stressed the most has been their play on defense. Through 25 games, Columbus is allowing a league-high 35.7 shots on goal per game while no other team in the SPHL is allowing more than 30.

"Defense comes down to hard work and more importantly doing it at the right times," Bechard said. "Instead of over-thinking, our forwards need to react with instinct, that one second we are taking away by thinking is causing us to be one second closer away from the puck."

While the Cottonmouths are slowly finding their identity, their opponents on Friday, the Louisiana Ice Gators, are very much in search of theirs as well. Since their 5-0 road win over Columbus back on Nov. 27, Louisiana has gone 4-7 and currently is riding a two-game winning streak, their longest of the season.

"Last time out they simply outhustled us and ran us out of the building," Bechard said. "We can't go out and think about Louisiana or any other team, we have to go out and continue to play our style of hockey and not worry about what the team across from us is doing."

Following Friday's game in Louisiana, Columbus will return home Saturday night to host Huntsville.

This story was originally published January 7, 2016 at 6:51 PM with the headline "Jerome Bechard returns from six-game suspension on Friday ."