HIDALGO, Texas – The Rio Grande Valley Bees have loaded the bus and are buzzing their way into Thunder territory. The Killer Bees, 4th-seeded in the Berry conference will begin their fight for the Presidents Cup with the number one seeded Wichita Thunder on Friday.
The Killer Bees completed the regular season with a record of 32-27-7. 30 of those 66 games were played against playoff teams; of these games, Rio Grande Valley finished with eight wins (three against the Allen Americans and five against the Texas Brahmas), 20 losses and two overtime losses (against the Rapid City Rush and the Evansville IceMen).
The Killer Bees have a record of 0-3 against Wichita this season but enter the playoffs on a roll, finishing with an impressive 9-2-0 mark (18 points) and winning eight of their last nine games to enter the post-season as one of the hottest teams in the league.
Forward Dan Gendur finished the year with a bang, scoring three goals with two assists. He topped the Killer Bees all-time single-season record for points with 73 points (28 G, 45 A). Teammate Aaron Lee ended the year as the hottest goal scorer in the CHL with an eight-game goal scoring streak (longest in the CHL this season). Lee finished with a franchise record 38 goals (second in the CHL).
It will be interesting to see if the Killer Bees continue the “every four year pattern (2004, 2008, 2012)” of the lower-seeded team beating the higher-seeded team in the first round. Perhaps the hockey gods will be on the side the Killer Bees in this one.
However disadvantageous the statistics appear, it is possible for a 4th-seeded team to oust the 1st-seeded team in the first round of the playoffs. In 2004, Wichita (4th) removed Colorado (1st) from the playoffs by winning the series 3-1. In 2008, Texas (4th) did the same to Bossier-Shreveport (1st) winning the series 4-0.
Putting aside the numbers, another obstacle the Killer Bees will face is the Wichita crowd – it is common knowledge how tough they can be. Overcoming the mental game of the jeering and heckling is something the Killer Bees will have to prepare for mentally.
As for the player roster, experience and cohesiveness is an important factor. 17 of the 19 players on the Bees playoff roster consist of players who have played together for over 20 games; some having played almost every game together (Nicolas Rioux (D) and Aaron Lee (F) both played 65/66 games).
The additional two players are defensemen John Madden and Cody Carlson. Madden signed a contract with the Bees late in the season playing just four games and finishing with a +4 rating. Carlson was signed from the WHL.
Putting the statistics and the mental preparation required to win this game aside, the most important determinant of whether the Bees will win or lose this series comes down to the players on the ice. Do they have the instincts to predict the Thunders moves’ and block the shots? Do they have the defensive power to protect the netminder? Do they have the mental strength to silence the crowd? I don’t know but I cannot wait until Friday to find out. Let’s play some hockey boys! Contact the writer at julie.harmon@prohockeynews.com
