Barons Weekly Report

Published on February 21, 2011 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Oklahoma City Barons News Release


Player of week nomination: Mark Arcobello: 2 goals this past week, the first of his AHL career, with 1 in each of OKC's games during the sweep of Abbotsford. The goals came in his third and fourth career AHL contests. The rookie out of Yale potted his first AHL goal in the second period of Friday's 3-1 win at Calgary to tie score 1-1. Arcobello's long-range backhander with 1:05 left in OT on Saturday sent the Barons to a 3-2 win in Abbotsford. Arcobello had a hat trick in the 2011 ECHL All-Star Game at Bakersfield, Calif., on Jan. 26, and was named the game's MVP.

* THE WEEK AHEAD: The Barons bring a 3-game winning streak into Wednesday's home matchup with Milwaukee, beginning a stretch of 4 games in 5 nights. OKC is 11-for-11 on the penalty kill in its last 3 games. A win on Wednesday would provide OKC its first 3-game home winning streak of the season. The Barons have won 2 straight at home (Feb. 4 and Feb. 9) for just the third time this season.

* BARONS TAKE BATTLE OF ALBERTA: Oklahoma City returned from an 8-day layoff to sweep a 2-game road series with the Abbotsford Heat on Friday and Saturday in their only action last week. Both games were tied deep into the 58th minute. Alexandre Giroux scored Friday's winner with 1:06 left in the third period at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, home of Abbotsford's NHL parent club, the Flames. Giroux's goal gave OKC a 2-1 lead in an eventual 3-1 win. On Saturday, the Barons made their only regular-season appearance of the season in Abbotsford at the Entertainment and Sports Centre. Rookie Mark Arcobello back-handed a sudden-death winner past the AHL's winningest goalie this year, Leland Irving, with 1:05 left in overtime to send the Barons to a 3-2 win. Arcobello, MVP of the ECHL All-Star Game this year, scored his first 2 AHL goals on Friday and Saturday in his third and fourth games of his AHL career.

* GIROUX RANKS HIGH: As a new week begins, Alexandre Giroux remains second in the AHL in goals (28) and points (62) after scoring the game-winner with 1:06 remaining in regulation on Friday in a 3-1 win over Abbotsford. Giroux's 7 game-winning goals lead the AHL. He has goals in 18 of OKC's 56 games and the Barons are 16-0-1-1 when Giroux scores at least 1 goal.

* GERBER WINS AGAIN: Martin Gerber made 18 saves in Friday's 3-1 win and has won 2 straight starts and 3 of his last 4. In his 3 most recent wins, Gerber has allowed just 2 goals, sporting a 0.67 GAA and .975 save percentage in those victories. In home games, Gerber is 8-8-2 with 2 shutouts, a 2.95 goals-against average and .906 save percentage. On the road, he's 11-3-1 with 2 shutouts, a 1.77 GAA and .937.

* HAPPY HOMECOMING: Brad Moran played junior hockey for the Calgary Hitmen and set franchise records for goals and assists that still stand. Moran played in his former arena, now known as Scotiabank Saddledome, for the first time in 10 years on Friday and registered an assist on the winning goal. On Saturday, he returned to his birthplace, Abbotsford, B.C., and scored the Barons' first goal in a 3-2 win.

* HELMER IS GRAND: Bryan Helmer played his 1,000th AHL game on Friday against Abbotsford at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, becoming the seventh American Hockey League player to reach that milestone. Helmer joins AHL Hall of Famers Willie Marshall, Fred Glover, Harry Pidhirny, Mike Nykoluk and Jody Gage, as well as current Providence head coach Rob Murray. Helmer is already the AHL's career leader in playoff games played (138). On Jan. 13, he surpassed John Slaney for the league's all-time points lead among defensemen when he recorded his 520th AHL point. Helmer's first AHL game was Oct. 8, 1993 as a member of the Albany River Rats.

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American Hockey League Stories from February 21, 2011


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