Cursed Game Ones
Before heading into the bye-week last weekend, the IceRays had played two consecutive series in which they dropped the first game 6-2 and responded with a hard-fought, low-scoring victory the following night. During both of those defeats, the team was off to a rocky start, began to turn the tide, but conceded a momentum-shifting goal to dash their hopes at a comeback.
In both second games, the Rays competed a full 60+ minutes against the top two teams in the division and salvaged victories from the series. Tonight, they play against the number three team in the division and will be looking to get off to a stronger start to the series than they have in the previous two.
The Matchup
The Lone Star Brahmas were extremely quiet at the trade deadline. They had already made their big move a month earlier, sending Austin O’Rourke and Jared Domin to Amarillo in exchange for Jon Russell and Steven Ipri. Without question, the trade has worked out for the Brahmas so far. In their last matchup against the IceRays, Russell tallied a hat trick and Ipri added two assists.
Lone Star is coming off an obliteration over Topeka in North Richland Hills last weekend, which augmented their current four-game winning streak they’ve been on since their Alaska trip. However, Corpus Christi is 4-1-1 in their last six games against them, with the lone regulation defeat being a 5-1 outlier at the beginning of January. The Rays took three of four points from the series the last time hosting them at the American Bank Center.
Rest and Recovery
Immediately following their bye-week at the holiday break, the IceRays went on a four-game point streak, three of which came against first-place Shreveport. It seems to have come at an opportune time, as a number of players were beginning to find themselves plagued by the injury bug. The Rays played extremely well after getting an off-weekend the last time around, and this time they’ve added a couple of new pieces to the puzzle.
Trade Deadline Recap
At the deadline, teams are often given the label of “buyer” or “seller” depending on their position in the standings. The IceRays did a little bit of both on Tuesday night. CJ Regula was sent to the Minnesota Wilderness in exchange for a tender and a second-round draft pick. They also acquired Grayson Gavin from the Fairbanks Ice Dogs, as well as Adam Kadlec, who cleared USHL waivers. Gavin will suit up tonight for Corpus Christi and will wear #18, while Kadlec is out for tonight and questionable for tomorrow. Kadlec will sport #8.
