Bring on the Apes!

Brahmas host Amarillo Gorillas tonight at NYTEX

The Texas Brahmas (4-5-2) host the Amarillo Gorillas (6-5-0) tonight at the NYTEX Sports Centre with the opening face-off at 7:05pm. This is the second of three games between the two clubs this season and the only one to take place at NYTEX. The teams played last Friday in Amarillo with the Gorillas winning 4-3.

The Brahmas have lost the last two games in a row, on Sunday vs. Bossier-Shreveport (5-1) and on Wednesday against the Allen Americans (2-1). They are 2-2-0 at home. Amarillo has also lost its last two games, both against Colorado, (4-2, 6-3). They are 2-3-0 on the road.

Danger sign: The Amarillo Gorillas are 6-0 this season when scoring first. The league’s leading goal scorer, Joe Guenther (11 goals), has scored two of the team’s six first goals.

Their top three scorers are Joe Guenther (F) with 15 points (11 G, 4 A, +8), Jake Morrisette (C) with 13 points (7 G, 6 A, -2) and Anthony Battaglia (F) with 12 points (5 G, 7 A, +9). Their top defensive scorer is Andrew Smale with seven points (0 G, 7 A, +9).

No particular goons on this team. Most of them play dirty. Keep a particular eye out for Chris Cloud (F) and James Jernberg (D).

The Gorillas are ranked eighth in the league on the power play with a 16.39 percentage and 10th on the penalty kill with an 82.26 percentage.

Not sure who we’ll see in goal tonight for the Gorillas, Mike Brown (4-3-0) or Tuomas Lohtander (2-2-0). They split losses with the Eagles but Brown was successful (if you can call it that) against the Brahmas last week.

The Brahmas are four points behind Laredo, who is in second place in the conference with 14 points. I don’t think anyone will catch up with Odessa, so the number two spot is the one to fight for. A win tonight will do much for the Brahmas morale, the fans, and for the momentum to take into tomorrow’s game with Rio Grande Valley. Four points picked up this weekend would be big (understatement emphasized).

Odessa, Rio and Laredo are the Thursday, Friday, Saturday opponents next week when the Brahmas head South for a three game “on the border” road trip before returning to NYTEX to face the Jackalopes on Wednesday, the 25th.

The Brahmas’ top three scorers are AJ Gale (F) with 11 points (7 G, 4 A, +1), Jason Deitsch (F) with eight points (1 G, 7 A, 0) and Grant Jacobsen (F) with seven points (5 G, 2 A, -3). The leading defensive scorer remains Kevin McLeod (5 G, 1 A, -2).

They are ranked 13th in the league on the power play with an 8.70 percentage and seventh on the penalty kill with an 84.00 percentage. They also lead the league with four short-handed goals.

Who’s in goal tonight for the Brahmas? Your guess is as good as mine. Brett Jaeger (2-4-0) had a horrible night in Allen and has one win (at home, against Tulsa) in the last five games. With that in mind, and with six consecutive conference games beginning tonight, I’d put in Palmer, who not only has a better record (2-1-2) with points earned in his overtime losses but also is second in the league in GAA (2.40) and fifth in save percentage (.916).

Tonight's game will not be broadcast on Internet radio. It will be shown on CHL-TV if you are unable to attend in person.

Image Credit: Amarillo Gorillas