Bees-Corpus set for pivotal showdowns

HIDALGO — By itself, the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees’ two-game set with the Corpus Christi Rayz is more important than a typical December matchup. The Rayz (9-14-3) lead the Bees by one point for the fifth and final playoff spot in the Southern Conference and the two teams are also division rivals separated geographically by just 125 miles.

But after what the Bees (8-13-4) have gone through the last two weeks, allowing 28 goals in their last three games, there is a feeling around the team that these next two games mean just a little bit more.

“Things aren’t as bad as they seem right now. We’re still in the running but you always want to bounce back and make a statement,” Bees defenseman Adam Blanchette said. “Just to show the league and show ourselves that we’re a good team and we’re here to play.”

After their last five games, the Bees probably have to prove all over again that they are a good team.

On the recent four-game trip, RGV only earned one point, and that was after squandering a 3-0 lead in Amarillo. Since that loss two weeks ago, the Bees have been outscored 28-10 and haven’t been close to earning one point, let alone two.

Bees captain Rob Voltera didn’t sound like he knew why the Bees have given up so many goals recently.

“That’s a good question,” Voltera said. “If we knew that, we would have stopped it from happening. It was just breakdowns and we played some good teams out there (on the road trip) and they seemed to capitalize on every single mistake we made.”

Defensively, the Bees have slipped to the bottom of the CHL, allowing almost 40 shots per game, worst in the league. They’ve also surrendered 107 goals, the second most in the league behind Austin

“We got to figure it out, I mean there’s something going on there, right?” Blanchette said. “We’ve got the group of guys that can play a lot better. We’ve shown it. We’ve got to figure out what’s going on and we’re going to fix that.”

So, what changes will take place tonight?

“Hopefully less goals against,” Bees coach Paul Fixter said. “I think we’re going to see a good work ethic and a hungry team and a team that’s committed. Let’s face it, we’re just a small winning streak away from getting back in this.

“We’ll see what happens at about 10 p.m. (tonight).”

At about that time after the last four games, the Bees have been dealing with losses, three of which were embarrassingly one-sided.

“We all feel like we’ve been kicked and stomped on, and we have,” Fixter said. “But that just means you have to get up.”

Fixter, whose job it is to get the team back up, praised the Bees after Thursday’s practice, calling it “one of the best we’ve had all season.” He acknowledged his team needed a loose practice after being blown out 18-7 over its two games in Arizona.

When asked about keeping the morale of the Bees up, Fixter quipped, “Welcome to my world.”

“It’s what I have to do. It’s my job,” Fixter said. “It’s not easy but it’s challenging and I like challenges. The bottom line is we have to find ways to win games and the morale will be back up.”

ICING: Bees forward Adam Edinger was not at practice Thursday. Fixter said the forward went home to Ohio for the holidays but was unable to make it back to the Valley because of the weather in the Midwest.

Fixter said he’ll play tonight if “he’s back in time. I don’t even know where he is quite honestly.”

Brian Sandalow covers the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4436.