The Insider Preview - Texas Brahmas @ Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees

Final regular season game is possible playoff preview

The Texas Brahmas (42-15-6, 90 points) are in Hidalgo, Texas for the final game of the regular season against the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (34-24-5, 71 points) at the Dodge Arena. The divisional match-up between two playoff bound rivals may be a preview of next weekends series at the NYTEX Sports Center.

The Killer Bees, currently the fourth seed in the Southern Conference will play either the Arizona Sundogs or the Corpus Christi IceRays (to be decided tonight) in an abbreviated three-game series beginning on Monday. The winner of that series will advance to play the Brahmas.

Under the leadership of first-year head coach Chris Brooks, the Killer Bees have transformed from the worst team in the league last season (16-41-7, 39 points), to a playoff bound force to be reckoned with and are by no means, an easy win to get past.

The Killer Bees and the Brahmas have played three times this season, all at the NYTEX Sports Centre. The Brahmas won 2-0 on December 9th and then the Bees returned on December 26th to earn a 3-0 shutout. The Brahmas then defeated them 4-1 on January 25th.

The Bees have won their last three games in a row and seven of their last 10. They are 20-8-3 at home this season and have won their last three games at the Dodge Arena against the Corpus Christi IceRays, the Odessa Jackalopes and the Laredo Bucks.

The Brahmas are coming off a 5-0 shutout of the Laredo Bucks. They split wins in their two-game series against the Bucks but played solid hockey in both games. The Brahmas have won six of their last 10 games. They are 16-10-5 on the road and have gone 3-3 in their last six away games.

The Bees' top three scorers are Jesse Bennefield (LW) with 71 points (35 G, 36 A), Nicolas Dumoulin (D) with 57 points (17 G, 40 A) and Evan Rankin (RW) with 50 points (28 G, 22 A).

On Special teams, the Bees are ranked 10th in the league overall on the powerplay at 16.7% and also 10th at home at 16.7%. On the penalty kill, Rio Grande Valley is ranked 7th in the league overall at 84.2% and 7th at home at 84.1%.

Right Wing Evan Rankin is the Bee to swat in tonight's game. He has scored three goals against the Brahmas this season and has scored nine points (6 G, 3 A) in his last 10 games. He has scored 26 points (17 G, 9 A) on home ice this season.

The Brahmas top three remain Scott Sheppard (F) with 66 points (32 G, 34 A), Jordan Cameron (F) with 59 points (22 G, 37 A) and Grant Jacobsen with 55 points (21 G, 34 A).

On special teams, the Brahmas are ranked 3rd in the league overall on the powerplay at 20.0% and 3rd on the road at 20.4%. On the penalty kill, they are ranked 11th in the league overall at 81.5% and 15th on the road at 76.0% (eek!).

Watch out for any and all of the Brahmas tonight. They have shown the value of the depth of their lines and eight different players have scored goals in their last three games (Burto, Deitsch, Jacobsen, McLeod, Quinn, Rouleau, Sheppard, Skworchinski) alone.

Both Killer Bee goaltenders have been tough opponents this season. I'm not sure if Christian Boucher (17-4-2-2) or Wylie Rogers (17-10-3-0) will bee in net tonight. My money is on Rogers.

I'm not sure about the Brahmas' starter tonight either but I'll go with David Cacciola (14-6-1-3) who is coming off a 5-0 shutout on Thursday night against the Bucks.

The Bees are healthy and expected to be without forward Ryan Shmyr and left wing Trevor Weisgerber.

The Brahmas are expected to be without defensemen Mike Vellinga and Eric Lundberg, both out on injured reserve.

The game begins at 7:35pm and will be broadcast on Nifty-TV.

Photo Credit: Robert Keith

Brahmas show playoff form, shutout Laredo 5-0

Bucks overwhelmed by four goals in the third period

The Texas Brahmas lit the lamp five times in a dominating win over the Laredo Bucks tonight at the Laredo Entertainment Center. The Brahmas set a new franchise record with their 42nd victory this season and netminder David Cacciola's 16 saves tied the single season shutout record at three and set a franchise record for all-time shutouts at five.

I want to highlight second year defenseman Kevin McLeod's contribution of two goals on two shots tonight. McLeod has been outstanding all season long and leads all defensemen in the league with 20 goals, 12 powerplay goals and six game-winning goals. He leads all Brahmas defensemen in points with 49 (20 G, 29 A) and is the teams fourth leading scorer overall.

The Brahmas outshot the Bucks 8-4 in the first period, but neither team was able to get on the board with both David Cacciola and Sebastien Centomo solid in the net. The Brahmas came close with a couple of shots that nearly went in but the Bucks got lucky.

That luck would not hold in the middle frame though, as the Brahmas got on the board first, taking advantage of a five-on-three opportunity provided by forward Rick Kozak (Cross Checking) and defenseman Vincent Zaore (Interference). Thank you, gentlemen! Kevin McLeod's slap shot from the slot beat Sebastien Centomo, who had already stopped 16 shots on goal. Scott Sheppard was in on the assist. The Brahmas led 1-0 at the 9:26 mark.

Jason Deitsch got a rare penalty shot after being taken down from behind during a short-handed breakaway but was unable to find the back of the net through Centomo's tightly closed legs. Kevin McLeod's goal would remain the only score through 40 minutes. The Brahmas led the shot count once again at 15-6 and 23-10 through the second frame.

The third period saw an offensive explosion Brahmas fans haven't seen in a while as four different players found holes in Centomo's force field. Matt Quinn was first up, sending the puck between Centomo's not so tightly closed legs at the 5:23 mark. Craig Minard was credited with the assist. Now it was 2-0 Brahmas.

Jason Deitsch was next up, taking just 50 seconds to find the back of the net on a shot from the circle, assisted by Scott Sheppard and Brandon Benedict. Now it was 3-0 Brahmas.

Bucks forward Igor Agarunov provided another costly man-advantage for the Brahmas when he was called for interference at the 7:13 mark. It would take Kevin McLeod just 48 seconds to find a way past Centomo for his second goal of the night to make it 4-0 Brahmas at the 8:01 mark. That's three goals in less than three minutes folks! Pete Rouleau and Jordan Cameron were credited with the assist.

James Hiebert was called for roughing at the 12:58 mark, setting the Brahmas up for another powerplay score (third of the night) 49 seconds later. This time it was Brahmas leading scorer Scott Sheppard with the goal at the 13:47 mark on an assist from Jason Deitsch and Craig Minard. The final score was now set at 5-0.

Several Bucks players let their tempers and frustration get the best of them in the closing minutes, resulting in some early departures for both teams, but the end result remained - the Brahmas won this game decisively.

The loss for the Bucks, their 23rd of the season, broke the record for most losses in franchise history, breaking the previous mark of 22 set in the 2004-05 season.

The Brahmas outshot the Bucks 9-6 in the final frame and 32-16 in the game.

David Cacciola's win brings his record to 14-6-1-3.

The Brahmas went 3 for 7 on the man-advantage while their penalty killers shut down all five Bucks powerplays. The Brahmas were assessed 14 minutes on 7 infractions while the Bucks were called for 18 minutes on 9 infractions.

All three stars went to the Brahmas. Scott Sheppard received the 3rd star with a goal and two assists on the night. Kevin Mcleod earned the 2nd star with his two goals and David Cacciola got the 1st star for being just that - great game, David!

Personal highlights (besides seeing this win in person): Dan Wildfong giving my four-year-old daughter a fist bump on his way to the ice, shooting photos from the catwalk above the rink in the first period, walking to the locker room with the team after the win and meeting Sebastien Centomo's two-month old baby after the game. (and to think I once, well twice actually, mooned this man during last season's playoffs). Gosh, I love this gig.

I have to say thanks to Brian Benway, the Bucks' Director of Media Relations, for his gracious hospitality during my visits to the LEC. Also, it was great to finally meet Joy Lindsay of the Laredo Morning Times, whose LMT Bucks Blog is probably the best in the league.

You can view the box score here

You can view my photos from the game here (not edited yet)

The Brahmas have left for Hidalgo, Texas where they will play their final game of the regular season against the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees on Saturday night. The game starts at 7:05pm and will be broadcast on Nifty-TV.

Adam Rivet celebrates with his teammates after scoring the game-winner in overtime

Brahmas lose in overtime

Laredo bucks clinch #3 seed, Ruskowski gets 500th win in 4-3 win

Well, as you probably already know, the Brahmas lost tonight, but not without making a valiant effort. Down 2-0 after the first period, the Brahmas managed to score two in the second period and then tie it up again in the third before losing 1:39 into the overtime period on a quick strike by Adam Rivet.

I'm in Laredo for the two-game series and trying to peck this out on my wife's notebook...pictures and details about the game will have to wait until I get home this weekend. In the meantime, here is Brian Benway's game recap.

The Laredo Bucks beat the Texas Brahmas 4-3 in overtime Wednesday night at the Laredo Entertainment Center. With the win the Bucks clinch the third seed in the Southern Conference Playoffs, and it gives Team President/General Manager and Head Coach Terry Ruskowski his 500th career win.

The Bucks have now won four straight games to improve to 35-22-5 (75 points). Ruskowski’s career record now stands at 500-334-75, including 286-120-36 in Laredo. Adam Rivet scored two goals, including the game-winner 1:39 into overtime to lift the Bucks to the win.

The Bucks jumped out in front for the fourth straight game as they took a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.

Matt Miller would put Laredo up 1-0 4:47 into the game when he sent a wrist shot from the slot past Brett Jaeger. Miller took a feed from Jason Dixon behind the net to notch his 14th goal of the year. Dixon (29) and Rick Kozak(22) picked up assists on the tally.

The Bucks would take a 2-0 lead when they struck on the power-play 12:36 into the first. Igor Agarunov sent a slap shot from the right side of the slot. Agarunov knocked in his 19th goal of the season to extend his career high. Kozak (23) and Ryan Salvis (26) picked up assists.

The Bucks outshot the Brahmas in the first period 11-9.

The Brahmas would pick up two goals to tie the game at 2-2 after 40 minutes of play.

Jason Deitch cut the Bucks lead to 2-1 when he scored from the left circle 5:41 into the second. Deitch picked up his 19th goal of the season.

The Brahmas would tie the game at 2-2 when Grant Jacobsen deflected a shot from the left crease on the power-play. The goal was Jacobsen’s 21st of the season.

The Bucks were outshot 15-6 in the second period.

Rivet gave the Bucks a 3-2 lead when he scored a power-play goal 3:40 into the third period.

The Brahmas would tie the game up at 3-3 with 6:11 left in the third, when Pete Rouleau scored on a backhander from the right side of the slot.

Andrew Martin stopped 32 of 35 Brahmas shots to pick up the win, while Brett Jaeger set aside 24 of 28 Laredo attempts.

The Bucks were outshot 35-28.

The Bucks will host Texas again on Thursday night in their regular season home finale.

You can view the box score here

Texas Brahmas clinch the Southern Conference

Rio Grande Valley win delivers the title

The Texas Brahmas clinched the #1 seed in the Southern Conference tonight and will have home ice advantage throughout the South’s playoffs, thanks to an exciting 6-4 come-from-behind win by the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees over the Odessa Jackalopes. In addition, the Mississippi RiverKings lost to the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs tonight, keeping the Governor's Cup very much within reach.

The Brahmas have three games left in the regular season including Wednesday and Thursday's matches against the Laredo Bucks at the Laredo Entertainment Center. The final contest will be against the Killer Bees at the Dodge Center in Hidalgo.

The first two games of the Southern Conference Semi-Finals will be played Saturday, March 28th at 7:05 PM and Sunday, March 29th at 3:05 PM.

Image Credit: Texas Brahmas

The Insider Preview - Texas Brahmas @ Laredo Bucks

Season series tied 3-3, teams meet for two games at the LEC

The Texas Brahmas (41-15-5, 87 points) are in Laredo to take on the Bucks (34-22-5, 73 points) for two games on Wednesday and Thursday nights at the Laredo Entertainment Center. The Brahmas won the Southeast Division (ending five straight seasons with division titles for Laredo) on March 8th and need just one more point to clinch the Southern Conference title. They can win it if The Rio Grande Killer Bees defeat the Odessa Jackalopes tonight.

The Brahmas are currently tied with the Mississippi RiverKings and three points behind the Colorado Eagles in the race for the Governor’s Cup. At this point the cup is the Eagles’ to lose but the race is close enough that anything can happen. Note: The Eagles were the last team to win both the Governor’s Cup and the Ray Miron President’s Cup after the 2004-05 season.

For the Brahmas, the last three games of the regular season are very important. After a number of injuries and a rampant flu bug have sidelined several players, the team needs to prove that they can remain focused and win games on the road against tough divisional opponents if they expect to do well in the playoffs. For head coach Dan Wildfong, the physical issues are not the problem.

"We have enough ability and depth that we should be able to overcome that," he told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "We’re playing an individual game, not a team game. We’re not keeping it simple."

Although they’ve won seven of their last 10 games, the losses have come against formidable opponents including the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs (two losses in a row) and the Laredo Bucks. The Brahmas have to build up their momentum heading into the post-season.

"I think that’s the biggest hurdle that we have right now," Wildfong said. "We have to play playoff hockey going into the playoffs. You can’t sit and wait and then it be too late to figure out what you’re doing wrong. We have to figure that out right now and get it going in the right direction.”

The Brahmas will begin hosting playoff games on March 28th and 29th at the NYTEX Sports Centre.

The season series between the Brahmas and the Bucks is tied thus far, 3-3. The Brahmas won 4-1 at the LEC on January 3rd and 6-2 at NYTEX on January 17th. The Bucks then won 2-1 (Shootout) on December 6th and 5-4 (Shootout) at the LEC on January 21st. The Brahmas split the last two games at home, winning 5-2 on February 20th and then losing 2-0 on March 14th.

The Bucks are within one point of clinching the No. 3 seed in the Conference and will get it with a Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees' loss to the Odessa Jackalopes tonight. Otherwise, they will have to earn it with a win or an overtime loss to the Brahmas on Wednesday. They are 20-8-2 at home but have lost five of their last eight at the Laredo Entertainment Center; the last game played on March 8th. Oh, and I must just mention that Coach Roscoe is going for his 500th win on Wednesday night. No offense coach, but I'd like that mark to come some other time. How about Saturday night in Odessa?

The Bucks' top three scorers are Brent Cullaton with 71 points (20 G, 51 A), Darryl Smith (F) with 67 points (36 G, 31 A) and Alex Goupil (F) with 56 points (23 G, 33 A). Smith was named to the CHL’s All-Rookie Team today.

On Special teams, the Bucks are ranked 6th in the league overall on the powerplay at 18.2% and 3rd at home at 22.6%. On the penalty kill, Laredo is ranked 3rd in the league overall at 85.8% and 5th at home at 86.2%.

The Bucks' power-play has struggled recently. They’ve gone just 5 for 40 on the man-advantage in their last 10 games.

Forward Darryl Smith is the Bucks player to watch with 45 points (24 G, 21 A) and a +14 rating at home this season and nine points (5 G, 4 A) in his last 10 games. Keep an eye on center Ryan Salvis, also. He has led the Bucks in scoring against the Brahmas this season with five points (1 G, 4 A).

The top three scorers for the Brahmas are Scott Sheppard (F) with 63 points (31 G, 32 A), Jordan Cameron (F) with 58 points (22 G, 36 A) and Grant Jacobsen (F) with 54 points (20 G, 34 A).

On special teams, the Brahmas are ranked 3rd in the league overall on the powerplay at 19.7% and 4th on the road at 19.7%. On the penalty kill, they are ranked 11th in the league overall at 81.48% and 15th on the road at 75.5% (eek!).

Scott Sheppard is the Brahmas player to watch with nine points (5 G, 4 A) and a +7 rating against the Bucks this season. He’s also their leading road warrior with 28 points (18 G, 10 A) and a +4 rating when traveling.

I expect Brett Jaeger (28-9-4-2) in net for the Brahmas. Not sure if it will be Sebastien Centomo (20-16-2-2) or Andrew Martin (5-3-1-1) in net for the Bucks. My money is on Martin though, considering his performance at NYTEX last Saturday.

It’s too early to say who will miss the games for both teams, so I’ll just leave it at that. Keep an eye on Pointstreak for updates.

Both games start at 7:00pm and will be broadcast on Nifty-TV. You can also listen on Internet radio here.

Photo Credit: Laredo Bucks

Brahmas notes

• Backup goaltender Cody Daniel was placed on waivers on Sunday morning
• Defenseman Adam Davis was placed on waivers on Monday. He was signed to play one game as a fill in
• Scott Sheppard played in Sunday's match between the Rockford IceHogs and the Houston Aeros. He had a shot hit the pipe in the 5-4 loss for the IceHogs. Sheppard was signed to play in that game only and was released from his PTO on Monday.