AHL Texas Stars

Game 4 Preview: Hamilton at Texas

Published on May 21, 2010 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Texas Stars News Release


Texas took its first win of the series and cut the Hamilton lead in half at 2-1 with a Game 3 win on Wednesday night. Hamilton seized a 2-0 series lead by taking Games 1 and 2 of the Western Conference Finals at Copps Coliseum last weekend.

This is the first time Texas meets Hamilton in the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Stars swept Rockford in the first round and edged Chicago in seven games of second round to advance to the Western Conference Finals. Hamilton took out both Manitoba and Abbotsford in six games in the first and second rounds, advancing to a third-round match up with Texas. The two teams met twice during the regular season with each team winning on the road. Hamilton beat Texas in the first regular season meeting on October 24 at Cedar Park Center, a 2-1 shootout win. The Stars won 5-0 at Hamilton in the second meeting of the season on February 16 at Copps Coliseum. The win was the only Texas victory over a Canadian based team in the regular season.

Texas went 24-13-1-2 at home in the regular season and is 5-1 in the postseason. The Stars have outscored their opponents 21-16 in their first six home games of the playoffs. Hamilton had one of the best road records in the AHL with a 27-7-1-5 record away from Copps Coliseum in the regular season. The Bulldogs are 3-4 in the playoffs on the road, getting outscoring by opponents in the first seven road games 29-22.

Hamilton tied Hershey for the fewest regulation losses and finished with the second highest point total in the AHL, posting a 52-17-3-8 regular season record. The Bulldogs racked up 115 points, 16 ahead of Texas' 99 points in the regular season.

Western Conference Finals Schedule (best of seven)

Game 1 - Texas 2 at Hamilton 3 (OT)

Game 2 - Texas 1 at Hamilton 3

Game 3 - Hamilton 4 at Texas 5 (OT)

Game 4 - Fri., May 21 - Hamilton at Texas, 7:30 pm CT (HAM leads series 2-1)

Game 5 - Sat., May 22 - Hamilton at Texas, 7:00 pm CT

*Game 6 - Mon., May 24 - Texas at Hamilton, 6:30 pm CT

*Game 7 - Wed., May 26 - Texas at Hamilton, 6:30 pm CT

*if necessary

Series Notes....

In the first three games of the series, Hamilton has outscored Texas 10-8. The Bulldogs have scored the first goal in each game of the series, posting a 7-1 mark in the playoffs when they get on the board first.

Hamilton forwards David Desharnais and Brock Trotter lead the way in scoring for the series. Trotter leads all scorers with three goals and three assists for six points, while Desharnais has a goal and four assists. Ryan Russell has two goals and two assists. The Stars are led in series scoring by Jamie Benn, who has three goals and a total of four points. Defenseman Andrew Hutchinson is tied for the team lead in points (4) and he has a team-high four assists.

Hamilton goalie Curtis Sanford (2-1 in series) has a 2.63 goals against average and a .896 save percentage. Texas goalie Matt Climie is 1-2 in the series, with a 3.33 goals against average and a .903 save percentage.

Hamilton is 5-13 on the power play in the series, while Texas is 5-12.

Game 3 Recap:

The Texas Stars defeated the Hamilton Bulldogs 5-4 in overtime on Wednesday night in front of 4,535 fans at Cedar Park Center in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. Stars defenseman Ethan Graham scored the game-winning goal 2:13 into overtime, giving Texas its first win of the series. Hamilton leads the best-of-seven series 2-1. Forwards Jamie Benn and Perttu Lindgren each had a goal and an assist, as Texas improved to 5-1 at Cedar Park Center in the playoffs. Stars defenseman Andrew Hutchinson dished out three assists, as the two teams combined for five power-play goals on the night. Centers Warren Peters and Aaron Gagnon also scored in the Stars victory. Texas goalie Matt Climie (2-2) made 31 saves in his second win of the playoffs. Bulldogs' goalie Curtis Sanford (4-1) stopped 29 Texas shots in the loss, ending his four-game winning streak.

Game 2 Recap:

The Texas Stars were defeated by the Hamilton Bulldogs 3-1 on Sunday in front of 2,897 fans at Copps Coliseum in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals. Hamilton forward Brock Trotter set up two goals, including the game-winning goal by defenseman Alex Henry at 4:52 of the second period. Bulldogs' goalie Curtis Sanford (4-0) stopped 22 Texas shots for his fourth straight win. Texas goalie Matt Climie (1-2) made 27 saves in his second straight defeat. Stars center Warren Peters scored the only Texas goal of the night.

Game 1 Recap:

The Texas Stars were defeated by the Hamilton Bulldogs 3-2 in overtime on Friday night in front of 2,977 fans at Copps Coliseum in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. Hamilton leads the best of seven series 1-0. Forward Brock Trotter scored a power-play goal 14 seconds into overtime, lifting the Bulldogs over the Stars in the series opener. Trotter finished with two goals in the game. Stars rookie Jamie Benn scored two goals, as Texas dropped its first Game 1 in this year's playoffs. Hamilton center David Desharnais scored and added two assists in the first win of the series for Hamilton. Hamilton goalie Curtis Sanford (4-0) stopped 18 Texas shots in the win. Texas goalie Matt Climie made 35 saves in the overtime loss.

Stars Notes - Playoffs

Rookies Travis Morin and Jamie Benn lead Texas in postseason scoring. Benn has a team-leading 11 goals and 19 points, ranking first among all AHL rookies in playoff scoring and tied for second overall in the AHL. Benn is tied for the AHL lead in goals scored. Defenseman Andrew Hutchinson is second in team-scoring with a team-high nine assists and 13 points in 14 games. Hutchinson is second in playoff scoring for all AHL defensemen with 13 points. Morin is second on the team with eight assists and tied for third with 11 points in 14 games. Center Perttu Lindgren is tied with Morin, totaling 11 points in 14 games played. Morin is tied for second among all AHL rookies in playoff scoring. Defenseman Dan Jancevski is tied for fourth among all AHL defenders with nine points and Maxime Fortunus is tied for seventh with eight points. Jamie Benn leads the Stars with 46 shots on goal, followed by Landon Wilson's 36 and Greg Rallo's 35.

Goalie Brent Krahn (7-3) has a 2.32 goals against average and .928 save percentage. Matt Climie (2-2) has a 3.32 goals against average and a .897 save percentage in five appearances.

Stars Notes - Regular Season

Center Aaron Gagnon led Texas in scoring during the regular season with 27 goals and 31 assists for 58 points in 77 games. Gagnon has posted career highs for goals, assists and points. Forward Travis Morin finished second on the team in scoring with 52 points. Morin finished the year ranked fifth in the AHL for points by a rookie. Perttu Lindgren led the team with 33 assists and was third in team scoring with 47 points in 74 games played. Defenseman Andrew Hutchinson led all Texas defensemen with 28 assists and 37 points in 77 games and he was ranked in the top 20 for points by an AHL defenseman. Winger Luke Gazdic was in the top five among AHL rookies with 155 penalty minutes and 21 major penalties over 49 games played.

Goalies Matt Climie and Brent Krahn split time in net for Texas during the regular season. Goalie Matt Climie (21-17-3) had a .919 save percentage and a 2.46 GAA in 43 games played. Krahn (17-4-0-0) posted a 1.83 GAA and a .945 save percentage this year, including five shutouts.

Regular Season vs. Hamilton

Texas winger Mathieu Beaudoin and defenseman Andrew Hutchinson led the Stars in scoring in the regular season series. Both skaters posted a goal and two assists for three points in two games. Defenseman Garrett Stafford, as well as forwards Aaron Gagnon, Warren Peters and Raymond Sawada also had two points in two games.

Goalie Matt Climie went 0-0-1 with a 0.93 goals against average and a .974 save percentage. Richard Bachman was 1-0-0 with a 0.00 GAA and a 1.000 save percentage, posting his first career AHL shutout against the Bulldogs in February.

Bulldogs Notes - Playoffs

Center David Desharnais leads the Bulldogs in playoff scoring with 18 points in 15 games. Desharnais is tied for fourth in the Calder Cup Playoffs for points and second with five power-play goals. Desharnais won the ECHL's Kelly Cup in 2008, piling up 33 points, including 24 assists in 22 playoff games. Defenseman Andre Benoit, who won a Calder Cup with Hamilton in 2007, is tied for third in team scoring with 14 points in 15 games. Benoit is tied for the team lead with 11 assists and he leads all AHL defensemen in playoff scoring. Benoit also leads the Bulldogs with nine power-play assists. Right wing Mike Glumac leads the team with ten postseason goals and is fourth in points with 13. Brock Trotter is second on the team in goals with eight and second overall with 16 points in 15 games played

The Bulldogs are currently missing defenseman P.K. Subban, as well as forwards Ben Maxwell and Tom Pyatt, all remain on recall with the NHL's Montreal Canadiens. Montreal is currently in the Eastern Conference Finals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Subban played in six Calder Cup Playoff games prior to his recall, leaving with six assists and nine points in six games played. Maxwell compiled 28 assists and 44 points in 57 regular season games, while Pyatt posted 35 points in 41 regular season contests.

Goaltenders Cedrick Desjardins and Curtis Sanford have both played in the Calder Cup Playoffs with Desjardins getting the majority of the starts. Desjardins is 6-4 with a 2.62 GAA and a .902 save percentage. In 2008, he guided the ECHL's Cincinnati Cyclones to the Kelly Cup, earning MVP honors. Prior to the start of the 2010 Calder Cup Playoffs, Desjardins had not made his AHL playoff debut. In 26 ECHL playoff games, Desjardins went 17-8 with a 2.22 GAA and a .928 save percentage.

Sanford is 4-1, winning Games 5 and 6 of the North Division Finals, as well as Games 1 and 2 of the Western Conference Finals. Sanford has with a 1.99 GAA and a .928 save percentage in the 2010 Calder Cup Playoffs. Heading into this year's playoffs, Sanford was 4-9 with a 2.50 GAA and a .924 save percentage in 13 career appearances in the AHL playoffs. Sanford posted a 9-4 mark in 14 ECHL playoff appearances with a 2.07 GAA.

Bulldogs Notes - Regular Season

Center David Desharnais led the Bulldogs in scoring during the regular season, despite missing 20 regular season games. Desharnais was fifth overall in the AHL with 78 points in 60 games. Desharnais also led the team with 51 assists, including a team-high 21 on the power play. Forward Brock Trotter was first on the team with 36 goals and placed second on the team with 77 points in 75 games played. Trotter's 36 tallies placed fourth overall in the AHL. Rookie defenseman P.K. Subban led all Hamilton defensemen in scoring and placed third overall in the AHL among all defensemen and fourth among all rookies with 53 points in 77 games played. The All-Star led all AHL blueliners with 18 goals and he tied for the league lead with a +46. Forward Ryan White led Hamilton with 173 penalty minutes in 62 regular season games.

Goaltenders Cedrick Desjardins and Curtis Sanford both ranked in the top three for AHL goaltenders, splitting time in net during the regular season. Desjardins led the league with a 2.00 goals against average, placed second with six shutouts and finished fourth with 29 wins. On the year, Desjardins went 29-9-4 with a 2.00 GAA and a .919 save percentage in 47 appearances. The 24-year old was chosen as an All-Star goalie for the 2010 Canadian AHL All-Star team, and was also selected as Reebok/AHL Goaltender of the Month for December. Desjardins allowed only nine goals on 177 shots in December, beginning the month with three shutouts in his first four starts. Over his four-year career, Desjardins is 49-27-5 in the AHL with a 2.34 GAA and a .917 save percentage.

Sanford finished third overall in the AHL with a 2.13 in 41 games. Overall, Sanford went 23-11-3 with four shutouts and a .916 save percentage. The veteran goalie recently returned to the line-up in the second round after suffering an injury in Abbotsford on March 27. Over his ten-year career, Sanford is 100-76-6 in the AHL with a 2.34 GAA and a .921 save percentage.

Regular Season vs. Texas

In two regular season games, the Bulldogs scored one goal against Texas. Forward Mathieu Darche scored the lone Hamilton goal, which was assisted by Ben Maxwell and Mathieu Carle in October. Goalies Curtis Sanford and Cedrick Desjardins both played against Texas. Sanford won a 2-1 shootout at Cedar Park Center in October, stopping 24 of 25 Texas shots for the win. Desjardins was relieved by Sanford on February 16th after allowing three goals on 17 shots. Sanford finished 1-0 against Texas with a .929 save percentage and a 1.84 GAA, while Desjardins went 0-1 with a 6.60 GAA and a .850 save percentage.

"Special" Teams - Playoffs

Hamilton is fifth overall on the power play at 22.9%, and is 13th on the penalty kill at 74.6%. Texas is fourth overall on the power play at 24.1%. The Stars penalty kill is at 70.9% and ranked 15th overall, last of the four remaining teams in playoffs.

"Special" Teams - Regular Season

The Texas Stars penalty kill was second overall on the penalty kill at 86.4%. Texas ranked ninth best in the AHL, converting on 19.1% of its power plays. The Bulldogs were 13th overall on the power play, converting 17.6% of the time. Hamilton was sixth overall on the penalty kill, stopping 85.4% of their opponents' power plays.

Offense and Defense - Playoffs

The Stars sit third offensively, averaging 3.36 goals per game. Texas is sixth defensively with a 2.79 goals against average, allowing 39 goals in 14 postseason games. Hamilton is fourth offensively, scoring 3.33 goals per game and third overall with a 2.67 goals against average.

Offense and Defense - Regular Season

The Texas Stars were second overall in team defense, allowing 2.48 goals against per game. The Hamilton Bulldogs finished first with a 2.28 GAA. Texas was ranked 12th out of 29 teams, scoring an average of 2.98 goals per game. Hamilton's defense ranked seventh overall with a 2.68 goals against per game. The Bulldogs were third offensively, averaging 3.39 goals per game.

Check out the Texas Stars Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



American Hockey League Stories from May 21, 2010


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central