Barons Games Notes and Playoff Update

Published on April 8, 2011 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Oklahoma City Barons News Release


For the Barons, it all comes down to this weekend. A three-game road trip through the teams in Texas will determine the fate of the Barons in their chase for a birth in the Calder Cup playoffs.

Entering play tonight, the Barons have 87 standings points and are in fifth place in the West Division, three points behind the Peoria Rivermen and one point ahead of the Chicago Wolves. The top four teams in the Western Division will qualify for the postseason. An exception would occur if the fifth place team in the West Division has more points than the fourth place team in the North Division. If that occurs, the fifth place team from the West Division would take the place of the fourth place team in the North Division. IF the playoff started today, that exception would occur, with the Barons taking the fourth place spot in the North Division.

Oklahoma City Barons (38-28-2-9) at San Antonio Rampage (39-31-4-3)

Game 78 | Road Game 38 | AHL Game 1171

April 8, 2011, 7:00 pm CDT | AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX

Broadcast: KXY 96.1 FM

TONIGHT: The Barons begin their final 3-game weekend of the season with the 10th and final meeting with the San Antonio Rampage (Phoenix Coyotes). OKC is 4-5-0-0 against the Rampage, with a 2-2 mark at the AT&T Center. The teams last met Mar. 10 at San Antonio, with the Rampage prevailing 4-3. The Barons are fifth in the West Division, 3 points back of a third-place tie between Texas and Peoria, 1 point up on Chicago and 2 ahead of San Antonio.

OFF THE TOP: Tonight begins a 3-game trip through Texas, taking the Barons to San Antonio, Cedar Park and Houston over a 3-day span to conclude the regular season. The Barons wrapped up their home schedule with back-to-back shutout wins last week, downing Rockford 7-0 on Friday and Texas 2-0 on Saturday in their most recent action. The blankings were the first two of the season for goalie Jeff Deslauriers, whose combined 55 saves earned him Reebok/AHL Player of the Week honors.

NONE AGAINST: Including the final scoreless minutes of his previous start before the consecutive shutouts (a 6-5 shootout loss Mar. 25 at Houston) Jeff Deslauriers brings a personal shutout streak of 126 minutes, 29 seconds into tonight's game. OKC's team shutout streak is 124 minutes, 20 seconds dating to the last time a Barons netminder allowed a goal. The last goal against OKC was scored by Houston's Warren Peters against Bryan Pitton in the third period of a 5-4 loss Mar. 27.

WINS AND LOSSES: The Barons' consecutive wins last weekend produced their fourth 2-game home winning streak, matching their best of the season at the Cox Center. OKC's best overall winning streak was 5 games from Oct. 24-Nov. 5. The best road winning streak is also 5 games, from Oct. 24-Nov. 26. OKC owns the league's fourth-best point percentage in road games at .608 with a 20-12-0-5. The Barons are winless in their last 5 road games at 0-3-0-2.

GIROUX STREAKING: Alexandre Giroux, the AHL's second-leading scorer with 74 points, brings a team-best 9-game point streak into tonight's contest. Giroux has 3 goals and 8 assists during the streak, which matches the longest active point streak in the league. Giroux is the first-team left winger on the AHL post-season All-Star Team, his third straight season as a first-teamer. That feat has been accomplished by only two other forwards in AHL history (Pete Leswick, 1948-50 and Art Stratton, 1963-65). Giroux has had seven consecutive 30-goal seasons, tying a record held by AHL Hall of Famer Dick Gamble. Giroux is currently 10th in AHL history in goals with 340.

MCDONALD SECOND IN GOALS: Right winger Colin McDonald is second in the AHL in goals with a career-high 36 and leads the league with 17 power play tallies. McDonald's previous career high was 13, set last year. Hamilton's Nigel Dawes leads the league with 41.

SPECIALIZATION: OKC did not score or allow a power play goal in the 2 shutout wins last weekend. The Barons went 8-for-8 on the penalty kill against Rockford and Texas and have denied 13 straight opposing power plays dating to their last man advantage goal against on Mar. 27 at Houston. OKC was 0-for-7 on the power play last weekend and is 0-for-10 since their last PP goal Mar. 27.

TWO NEW PLAYERS: The Oilers signed forward Hunter Tremblay and defenseman Martin Marincin to Amateur Tryouts this week. Tremblay, 25, has been signed to a one-year contact for next season. He just finished a 4-year career at the University of New Brunswick. The 19-year-old Marincin was the 46th pick in last year's draft out of Slovakia.

Last 5 games:

Date Opp. Result OKC Goalie (GA,SV) Opp. Goalie Attn.

Mar. 25 @ Hou L, 1-4 Deslauriers (3, 14) Hackett (1, 26) 6,313

Mar. 26 @ Hou L, 5-6 (SO) Pitton (5, 30) Tordjman (5, 33) 7,927

Mar. 27 @ Hou L, 4-5 Pitton (5, 20) Hackett (4, 20) 4,582

Apr. 1 Rockford W, 7-0 Deslauriers (0, 33) Toivonen (3, 6) 4,816

Apr. 2 Texas W, 2-0 Deslauriers (0, 22) Bachman (2, 33) 8,833

Next games (all times Central):

Date Opp. Site Time Broadcast

Apr. 9 @ Texas Cedar Park Center 7:00 KXY 96.1 FM

April. 10 @ Houston Toyota Center 4:05 KXY 96.1 FM

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American Hockey League Stories from April 8, 2011


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