Lone Star Brahmas – Amarillo Bulls Preview For Oct 17, 2014
By Kirk Estes
This weekend will mark the first meeting between the Lone Star Brahmas and the Amarillo Bulls for the 2014/15 season in Amarillo. The two teams have gone in different directions since the NAHL Showcase Tournament. The Brahmas are 3 – 1 – 1 post tournament while the Bulls are 0 – 4 – 1.
Lone Star is riding a three game win streak after sweeping the Corpus Christi Icerays over the weekend. In the home opener Friday night, the Brahmas jumped out to a two goal lead in the first only to see the Icerays tie it up in the third sending the game to OT. Sebastian Vidmar and Johan Steen teamed up to get the overtime game winner just 42 seconds into the extra period. TJ Black picked up the win with 19 saves. On Saturday Vidmar had two more goals as the Brahmas sprinted to a 5 – 2 win. Four of the five goals were scored by Swedish born players. Jake Kupsky got the start for the Brahmas and made 21 saves to register the win.
Amarillo played only a single game over the weekend against the Wichita Falls Wildcats, a game the Bulls would just as soon forget about. The Wildcats were up four early in the second before Mitchell McPherson finally got the Bulls on the board at the 4:40 mark. The McPherson goal would be the only bright spot for Amarillo as Wichita Falls cruised to a 9 – 1 win. Jacob Weatherly took the loss in net facing 45 shots on goal.
Last season the Brahmas were 4 – 8 – 0 against the Bulls who went on to win the NAHL South Division Title.
| Last 5 Games | W |
L
OTL
Pts
Brahmas
3
1
1
7
Bulls
0
4
1
1
Special Teams
When it comes to special teams play, the Brahmas and Bulls are relatively on the mad advantage it is on the penalty kill where Lone Star holds a distinct advantage.
The Brahmas’ overall power play comes in at 14.0% on 6 goals in 43 opportunities. On the road they are setting at 17th in the league at 11.1% after scoring 2 goals on 18 chances. Amarillo’s power play is two spots behind the Brahmas scoring 6 goals in 44 opportunities or 13.6%. At home they have been fairly shaky at only 9.4% with 3 goals on 32 power plays.
When Lone Star’s penalty kill is on the ice, they are 7th in the league at 87.0% giving up just 6 power play goals on 46 opportunities. On the road they are at 85.2% giving up 4 goals on 27 kills. The Bulls’ power play overall 21st in the league at 76.4% after allowing 13 goals in 55 penalty kills. The 13 goals allowed is most in the league. At home they are setting at 76.5% with 8 goals allowed on 34 kills.
Goaltending Comparison Last 5 Games
W |
L
OTL
SO
GA
GAA
SV
SV%
Brahmas
3
1
1
0
10
2.00
136
.932
Bulls
0
4
1
0
22
4.40
148
.871
Who is Hot (Last 5 Games)
| Brahmas | G |
A
Pts
Sebastian Vidmar
6
4
10
3
3
6
1
4
5
1
2
3
1
2
3
Johan Steen
1
2
3
Bulls
G
A
Pts
0
4
4
1
2
3
2
0
2
1
1
2
Two Tied at
0
2
2
Inside the Game
Amarillo’s Connor Wood is third in the league in PIMs with 42 and Rusian Rakhmatov is leading the league in minor penalties with 13. They have contributed to Amarillo being the second most penalized team in the league at 25.89 minutes per game.
Sebastian Vidmar is second in the league in goals scored at 9 and first in the league in game winning goals with 4. He has had the game winning goal in the last three Brahmas games.
Both of Lone Stars goalies are in the top 20 in the league. Jake Kupsky has a 2.13 GAA and a .926 SV% while TJ Black owns a 2.67 GAA and a .899 SV%.
Caleb Thompson is tied for second among defensemen in plus / minus rating at a +9.
Amarillo has been outscored 3 – 14 in the first period while playing even in the second and third periods at 8 – 8 and 11 – 11. This may bode well for the Brahmas, the first period has been their best so far this season outscoring their opponents 11 – 7. Lone Star has been outscored 5 – 7 in the second, but rebounded to win the third 9 – 7.
Both teams have a negative shot differential. Lone Star’s is -31 and Amarillo’s is -54.[Related-Category]
Lone Star is averaging 2.89 goals scored per game compared to Amarillo’s 2.44 per game. It is on the defensive side where the Brahmas hold the advantage allowing 2.44 goals per game 6th lowest in the league while Amarillo allows 3.89 per game, 22nd in the league.
So far in the first 9 games of the season the Brahmas five Swedish born players Sebastian Vidmar, Johan Steen, Anton Santesson, Ludvig Larsson and Oskar Andren have scored 23 points on 12G – 11A.