Pro hockey: Jackalopes, Ice Bats begin test of survival

Since the second week of October, 17 teams in the Central Hockey League have been battling for  64 games to be one of 10 survivors to reach the Ray Miron President's Cup playoffs.

The Odessa Jackalopes are one of the participants after missing out last year.

Odessa, which finished third in the Southwest Division behind Arizona and New Mexico, is the No. 4 seed in the Southern Conference. The Jackalopes will play host to the Austin Ice Bats at 7 p.m. today at Ector County Coliseum in Game 1 of a best-of-3 opening-round series.

The teams will be in Austin on Wednesday, and they will return to Odessa for deciding third game if necessary on Thursday.

The winner will play four-time Southern Conference champion Laredo.

Odessa has defeated Austin in three of the four games that the teams have played. The Ice Bats won 5-4 in a 13-round shootout on Nov. 17 in Austin.

ODESSA VS. AUSTIN -- THE POSITION BREAKDOWN

Here's a quick look at how the Jackalopes and Ice Bats match up:

Forwards

Odessa has one of the most prolific lines in the league with center Nathan Ward and wings Sebastien Thinel and Dominic Leveille. The three have combined for 207 points (86 goals, 141 assists) this season, and Ward recorded career highs in goals (20) and assists (43).

Centers Olivier Proulx (12-24-36), Mike Rutter (8-20-28) and Mike MacDonald (10-13-23) are capable of scoring or setting up teammates for Odessa.

On the forecheck, Odessa looks for Brian Swiniarski, Mark Johnson and John Osborne to create havoc in the corners by using their physical-style to create turnovers in the opponent's zone and quick scoring chances.

Brendan Cook is the catalyst for Austin's offense with 64 points (35-29), and he has 11 goals and 10 assists on the power play and six short-handed goals on the penalty kill. Mike Bartlett came to Austin off waivers from Arizona and is the Ice Bats' second-leading scorer with 49 points.

R.G. Flath, John Ronan and Ted Vandermeer have combined for 120 points, but the sleeper may be right-winger Henry Kuster, a 6-foot-1, 228-pounder who was a former second-round pick of the Boston Bruins in 1996.

>> Advantage: Odessa.

Defensemen

Odessa hopes to have its defensive corps shored up with the return of captain Jose Legge, who had missed seven weeks with a broken bone in his foot but played in the regular-season finale at Arizona.

Legge's return will allow Odessa coach Paul Gillis to have seven healthy defensemen for the first time in two months.

Mario Joly (13-28-41), Alex Dunn (13-20-33) and Josh Chase (4-20-24) are the offensive threats from the blue line, while Legge, Chris Brannen, Kevin Wilson and Ryan Palmer stay at home on defense.

Veterans Darryl McArthur, the team's captain, and Jason Tessier, a three-time CHL All-Star, lead Austin's blue-line. Both players also have been finalists for the league's most outstanding defenseman award.

Tessier is more prolific offensively with 44 points (10-34), with 33 (8-25) of his points coming on the power play. McArthur, slowed by injuries this season, scored 31 points (5-26) in just 51 games.

Stuart Kerr is the most physical of the Austin defensemen with 208 penalty minutes this season.

>> Advantage: Odessa.

Goaltending

Odessa began the season with longtime standout Mike Gorman between the pipes and promising rookie Alexandre Vincent in the wings, but Vincent was the starter by the end of the season.

Vincent went 21-11-4 with four shutouts and a 2.79 goals against average.

Gorman, battling back from surgery on both ankles last summer, struggled at times in putting together an 11-14-3 mark with three shutouts and a 3.28 goals against average.

Gorman has been in 20 postseason contests with the team.

Austin went through four different goaltenders this season - current starter Miguel Beaudry, backup Doug Groenestege, Miroslav Kopriva and Peter Brady.

Beaudry has been the workhorse, finishing with a 22-18-1 record with two shutouts and a 2.68 goals against average in 43 games. He owns the only victory in the season series against Odessa.
>> Advantage: Even

>> Prediction: Odessa, 2-0.

Southern Conference

Austin Ice Bats vs. Odessa Jackalopes

>> What: Best-of-3 opening-round series.

>> Series Schedule: 7 p.m. today, Ector County Coliseum; 7:38 p.m. Wednesday, Chaparral Ice, Austin; 7 p.m. Thursday, Ector County Coliseum (if necessary)

>> Coaches: Austin, Brent Hughes; Odessa, Paul Gillis.

>> Division: Austin, Southeast; Odessa, Southwest.

>> Records: Austin 29-33-2; Odessa 32-25-7.

>> Season Series: Odessa won 3-0-1.

>> Next Opponent: Series winner plays the Southern Conference champion Laredo Bucks (42-19-3).

>> Playoff Appearances: Austin 5; Odessa 6.

>> Last Playoff Appearance: Austin 2002-03; Odessa 2005-06.

>> Deepest Advancement: Austin, President's Cup Final (2002-03, vs. Memphis, lost 4-1; 2001-02, vs. Memphis, lost 4-1); Odessa, Southern Conference Final (2005-06, vs. Laredo, lost 4-1).

>> Previous Playoff Meetings: None.

>> Austin Leaders: Scoring - Brendan Cook 64 points (35 goals-29 assists), Jason Tessier 44 (10-34). Mike Bartlett 43 (17-26), Goaltending - Miguel Beaudry 22-18-1 (2 shutouts, 2.68 goals against average, .920 save percentage).

>> Odessa Leaders: Scoring - Sebastien Thinel 83 points (34 goals-49 assists), Dominic Leveille 81 (32-49), Nathan Ward 63 (20-43), Mario Joly 41 (13-28). Goaltending - Alexandre Vincent 21-11-4 (4 shutouts, 2.79 goals against average, .921 save percentage).

>> Notes:  Austin won five of its last six games to earn the final playoff spot. The Ice Bats will be physical and try to take away the neutral zone. ... Odessa clinched their playoff berth on March 1 with a victory over Amarillo, but the Jackalopes went 2-8 to close out the regular season. ... The return of Thinel and Leveille paid dividends as the players combined for 164 points, nine shy of their total from two seasons ago. ... Rookie goaltender Vincent supplanted Mike Gorman as Odessa's starter during the second half of the season, but Vincent needs to regain his first-half form that saw him post three shutouts.

>> On the Net: Austin, www.icebats.com; Odessa, www.jackalopes.org.

>> Radio: Odessa games can be heard on KMCM-FM (96.9)

>> Video: Games may be available at www.nifty-tv.com/chl/

Northern Conference

MISSISSIPPI RIVERKINGS VS. TEXAS BRAHMAS

>> What: Best-of-3 opening-round series.

>> Series Schedule: 7:05 p.m. today, Southhaven, Miss.; 7:05 p.m. Wednesday, North Richland Hills; 7:05 p.m. Thursday, North Richland Hills (if necessary)

>> Coaches: Mississippi, Kevin McClelland; Texas, Dan Wildfong.

>> Division: Mississippi, Northeast; Texas, Northeast.

>> 2007-08 Records: Mississippi 39-21-4; Texas 40-22-2.

>> Season Series: Mississippi won 4-3.

>> Next Opponent: Series winner plays the Northern Conference champion Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs (44-14-6).

>> Playoff Appearances: Mississippi (as Memphis) 9; Texas (as Fort Worth) 3.

>> Last Playoff Appearance: Mississippi 2006-07; Texas 2001-02.

>> Deepest Advancement: Mississippi, President's Cup Final (2002-03, vs. Austin, won 4-1; 2001-02, vs. Austin, won 4-1); Texas, President's Cup Final (1997-98, El Paso, lost 4-0).

>> Previous Playoff Meetings: 1 (2001-02, first round, Mississippi won 3-1).

>> Mississippi Leaders: Scoring - Ryan Campbell 76 points (30 goals-46 assists), Chad Woollard 68 (37-31), Ryan Held 63 (30-33), Luis Dumont 51 (16-35), Derek Landmesser 50 (8-42). Goaltending - Sebastien Centomo 18-9-3 (3 shutouts, 2.51 goals against average, .915 save percentage)

>> Texas Leaders: Scoring - Jordan Cameron 64 points (30 goals-34 assists), Blair Manning 63 (11-52), Andres Strome 60 (34-26), Scott Sheppard 54 (28-26), Grant Jacobsen 53 (15-38).

>> Notes: Mississippi punched its playoff ticket on Friday night with a victory over Corpus Christi. ... The RiverKings played in the Northeast Division, which saw all four teams reach the postseason. ... Mississippi started 18-6-1 record this season, but the RiverKings cooled off to a 21-15-3 mark during the second half of the year. ... Goaltender Centomo posted a 16-1 record during the team's run to the title in 2001-02. ... Texas, back in the playoffs after six years, played much better at home (23-8-1) than on the road (17-14-1). ... Wildfong retired as an active player after the 2006-07 season with Bossier-Shreveport and brought several of his former teammates - Manning, Sheppard, Craig Minard and goaltender David Cacciola - with him.

>> On the Net: Mississippi, www.riverkings.com; Texas, www.brahmas.org.