Game Day Preview Manitoba at Texas
Published on December 14, 2010 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Texas Stars News Release
Texas and Manitoba meet for the second time this season and the sixth time in AHL history. The two teams will play a total of four games this season, with Tuesday's game as the final meeting at Cedar Park Center. Texas will visit Manitoba for a pair of games in March. The Stars lead the all-time series with a 3-1-1-0 record against the Moose. Texas is 3-0-0-0 against Manitoba at Cedar Park Center.
The Stars are 10-5-1-1 at Cedar Park Center this season and 5-3-1-1 in the last ten games. The Stars have collected points in seven of their last nine games (5-2-1-1) and 12 of their last 16. Texas has played the fewest road games in the AHL (11) and the most home games (17) in the league. The Stars are finishing a stretch of six games over eight days. Texas just finished a road trip which consisted of four road games in five nights. The Stars are coming off a 4-2 loss at Grand Rapids on Sunday.
Manitoba is 6-6-0-4 on the road this year and 3-4-0-3 in the last ten games played. The Moose conclude a four-game road trip on Tuesday, which included stops in Oklahoma City and San Antonio. The Moose are winless in their last three games, including a 5-4 shootout loss at San Antonio on Saturday.
Dallas Recalls Fistric, Assigns Fortunus
The Dallas Stars announced on Sunday that the club has recalled defenseman Mark Fistric from his conditioning assignment with the Texas Stars, Dallas' primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL). He will join Dallas in San Jose Sunday afternoon. The club also announced that defenseman Maxime Fortunus has been assigned to Texas.
Fistric, 24, was assigned to the Texas Stars for conditioning on Dec. 8. He appeared in three games for Texas, going scoreless with two penalty minutes. Fistric suffered a lower-body injury on Nov. 22 and missed seven games prior to the conditioning assignment. He has skated in 16 NHL games so far this season, accruing one assist and 20 penalty minutes. Last season he played in 67 games for Dallas, collecting one goal, nine assists and 10 points, all career highs. The Edmonton, Alberta, native posted a plus/minus rating of +27 last season, which ranked him 10th overall in the NHL and was the only player from a non-playoff team to be ranked in the top 35.
The 6-foot-3, 234-pound defenseman has skated in 156 career NHL games, all with Dallas, tallying 17 points (1g, 16a), 155 penalty minutes and a +28 plus/minus rating. Fistric was drafted by Dallas in the first round (28th overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
Fortunus, 27, was recalled by Dallas on Dec. 9, but did not appear in a game. He has played in 25 games for Texas so far this season, posting seven points (2g, 5a) and eight penalty minutes. Fortunus made his NHL debut last season with Dallas, appearing in eight games and accruing four penalty minutes. The La Prairie, Quebec, native, helped Texas reach the Calder Cup Finals in the 2009-10 season, tallying 23 points (11g, 12a) in 72 regular season games during the club's inaugural season.
Dallas Assigns Philip Larsen, Texas adds Goalie LeMay
The Dallas Stars announced on Thursday that the club has assigned defenseman Philip Larsen to the Texas Stars, Dallas' primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL). Dallas placed center Toby Petersen on injured reserve, retroactive to Dec. 2. The Texas Stars announced that goalie Adrien LeMay has been recalled from the Allen Americans, Texas' Central Hockey League (CHL) affiliate.
Larsen, 21, has skated in three games for Dallas this season, collecting one assist. He has spent the majority of 2010-11 with Texas, playing in 18 games, recording nine assists and four penalty minutes. The Esbjerg, Denmark, native made his NHL debut last season with Dallas, dressing in three games and posting one assist. Larsen skated in 116 games from 2006-2010 for Vastra Frolunda of the Swedish Elite League, tallying 27 points (3g, 24a). The 6-1, 183-pound defenseman was drafted by Dallas in the fifth round (149th overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.
Adrien LeMay has played 11 games with Allen this year, going 8-2-0 with a 2.99 goals against average and a .905 save percentage.
Dallas Recalls Goalie Richard Bachman
Cedar Park, TX - The Dallas Stars announced on Wednesday that the club has recalled goaltender Richard Bachman on emergency conditions from the Texas Stars, Dallas' primary affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL). The move was made as a precaution due to Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen experiencing lower-body stiffness at Wednesday's morning skate.
Bachman, 23, has played in 16 games for Texas so far this season, posting a 9-4-1 record with two shutouts. He holds a 2.01 goals against average (GAA), a .931 save percentage (SV%) and has tallied one assist. The Salt Lake City, UT native was named the Reebok/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Nov. 21, 2010 after posting a 3-0-0 record in three starts and giving up only three goals for a .970 GAA and a .967 SV% with Texas. The 5-10, 170-pound goaltender spent the majority of 2009-10 with the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL, going 22-7-4 with a 2.28 GAA and a .910 SV%. Bachman also played in eight games for Texas last season, posting a 4-4-0 record with a 2.15 GAA and a .932 SV%. He played two years at Colorado College after getting drafted by Dallas in the fourth round (120th overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.
What's Ahead:
DATE OPPONENT TIME TV/RADIO
Friday, Dec. 17 at San Antonio 7:00 PM 104.9 FM
Saturday, Dec. 18 vs. Hamilton 7:00 PM 104.9 FM
Monday, Dec. 20 vs. Oklahoma City 7:30 PM 104.9 FM
* All times listed are local time
GAME RECAPS:
Texas 2 at Grand Rapids 4 12/12/10
The Texas Stars were defeated by the Grand Rapids Griffins 4-2 in front of 3,373 fans on Sunday afternoon at Van Andel Arena. Grand Rapids forward Tomas Tatar scored at 14:03 of the third period, breaking a 2-2 tie and giving Griffins a lead they never surrendered. Despite 37 saves, Stars goalie Tyler Beskorowany (2-3-0) suffered the loss. Texas right wing Raymond Sawada scored in the defeat, extending his points streak to six straight games. Center Travis Morin netted his team-leading 12th goal of the year, as Texas finished its four-game road trip 2-2-0-0. Griffins goalie Joey MacDonald (5-3-1) stopped 22 shots in the loss.
Texas 3 at Milwaukee 2 OT 12/11/10
The Texas Stars defeated the Milwaukee Admirals 3-2 in overtime in front of 4,477 fans on Saturday night at the Bradley Center. Texas center Travis Morin slipped in a rebound 17 seconds into overtime, giving the Stars a dramatic win on the road. Texas goalie Tyler Beskorowany made 33 saves for his second straight win. Stars forward Sean Backman extended his points streak to five games with a goal, as Texas improved to 6-4-0-0 on the road this season. Forward Colton Sceviour also scored in the win, as Texas picked up its second straight win and the team's third victory in the last four contests. Admirals goalie Chet Pickard (1-4-1) carried a shutout into the third period, but was unable to hold on for the win with 31 saves.
Texas 4 at Grand Rapids 3 12/10/10
The Texas Stars defeated the Grand Rapids Griffins 4-3 in front of 7,272 fans on Friday night at Van Andel Arena. Stars goalie Tyler Beskorowany made 44 saves, including 17 in the third period for his first AHL victory. The Stars built a 4-0 lead and hung on for the 4-3 win, their first victory in regulation in four trips to Grand Rapids. Forwards Greg Rallo, Mathieu Tousignant and Sean Backman netted goals as the Stars improved to 5-4-0-0 on the road this season. Center Travis Morin scored a goal and added an assist as Texas picked up its ninth win in the last 14 games. Griffins goalie Joey MacDonald (4-3-1) stopped 20 shots in the loss.
The Texas Stars
After 28 games of action, center Travis Morin leads Texas in scoring with 12 goals and 25 points. Right wing Greg Rallo is second on the team in scoring with 17 points in 28 games played. Right wing Colton Sceviour is ranked third on the club with 14 points and third on the team with ten assists. Defenseman Dan Spang and Francis Wathier are tied for fourth on the team with 13 points each. Wathier is tied for the team lead with five power-play markers and he is second with nine goals. Forwards Fabian Brunnstrom, Ray Sawada and Mathieu Tousignant are tied for sixth overall with 12 points each. Tousignant leads the team with 43 penalty minutes, followed by left wing Luke Gazdic, who has 41 penalty minutes.
Texas Stars goalies Tyler Beskorowany and Adrien LeMay fill the net for Texas. Brent Krahn is currently out with an injury and Richard Bachman is on recall to Dallas. Bachman appeared in 16 games, going 9-4-1 with a 2.01 goals against average and a .931 save percentage. Bachman ranked sixth overall in the AHL for goals against average and seventh in save percentage at the time of his recall. Beskorowany is 2-3-0 with a 3.61 goals against average and a .905 save percentage. Krahn has appeared in nine games, posting a 5-4-0 mark, a 2.93 goals against average and a .898 save percentage. In his last three starts, Beskorowany has stopped 114 of 122 a .934 save percentage.
LeMay has yet to make his AHL debut.
Shooting Stars
Right wing Sean Backman had a five-game point streak snapped in Grand Rapids on Sunday. Over the span, the rookie scored three goals and dished out three assists for six points. Center Travis Morin has a point in seven of his last eight games, scoring five goals and totaling eight points. Right wing Raymond Sawada has a point in six straight games and has collected a point in eight of his last nine.
The Manitoba Moose
The Moose return only six players who played the majority of the 2009-10 season. Last year, Manitoba went 40-33-5-2 with 87 points and a fourth place finish in the North Division. Manitoba fell in the first round to Hamilton in the 2010 Calder Cup Playoffs. Manitoba hired Claude Noel to replace Scott Arniel as Head Coach on June 21, 2010.
Second-year right wing Sergei Shirokov leads the Moose with 18 points, including a team-high 12 assists in 26 games played. Shirokov finished ninth overall in the AHL in rookie scoring last year. Left wing Bill Sweatt is second on the club in scoring with six goals and 17 points in 26 games played. Two rookies are third and fourth on the team in scoring for Manitoba. Center Cody Hodgson leads the Moose with ten goals and is third on the team with 16 points in 24 games played. Hodgson was Vancouver's first-round draft pick (10th overall) in 2008. Center Jordan Schroeder is fourth on the team in points with 13. Schroeder joined the Moose for end of the 2009-10 regular season and the 2010 Calder Cup Playoffs after a successful run at the University of Minnesota. Schroeder had nine points in the last 11 AHL regular season games and turned in six points in six playoff games. Schroeder was Vancouver's first round draft choice (22nd overall) in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
The Sweatt brothers rank second and seventh overall in points for the Moose. Bill Sweatt is second on the team with 17 points and 11 assists. He was drafted by Chicago in the second round pick (38th overall) in 2007 after a four-year career at Colorado College. Lee, the eldest of the two, sits seventh on the team with four goals and nine points in 26 games played.
Goalies Eddie Lack and Tyler Weiman split time in net for Manitoba. Lack is 7-6-2 with a 2.17 goals against average and a .922 save percentage. He is eighth in the AHL in goals against average and 10th in save percentage. Weiman is 5-4-2 with a 2.96 goals against average and a .888 save percentage.
Special Teams
After finishing second overall last season on the penalty kill, the Stars rank 23rd overall at 80.2%. Texas sits 21st in the AHL, converting on 16.3% of its power plays. The Moose sit 30th overall on the power play, converting 10.3% of the time. Manitoba is fifth overall on the penalty kill, stopping 86.4% of its opponents' power plays.
Offense and Defense
The Texas Stars are tied for ninth overall in team defense, allowing 2.75 goals against per game. Texas is tied for 14th out of 30 teams, scoring an average of 2.96 goals per game. Manitoba's defense is 13th overall with a 2.88 goals against per game. The Moose sit tied for 22nd offensively, averaging 2.77 goals per game.
American Hockey League Stories from December 14, 2010
- Manitoba Slips by Texas 3-1 - Texas Stars
- Moose Wrap up the Road with 3-1 Win in Texas - Manitoba Moose
- Buck Scores, Aeros Beat Bulldogs - Houston Aeros
- Heat Shutout Americans 1-0 - Abbotsford Heat
- Irving, Heat Burn Amerks 1-0 - Rochester Americans
- Bulldogs Iced 3-1 by Aeros - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Moose Release Lemieux from PTO - Manitoba Moose
- IceHogs Bowl-A-Thon on January 23, Morin and Potulny Assigned to Rockford - Rockford IceHogs
- San Diego Surf Prepare for Key Two-Game Stretch - AHL
- Hurricanes Recall Bryan Rodney from Charlotte - Charlotte Checkers
- Sound Tigers Weekly Report - December 14 - Bridgeport Islanders
- Sound Tigers Host Hockey Game to Benefit Fallen Firefighters - Bridgeport Islanders
- Griffins Look to Continue Home Resurgence - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Eight Teams Compete in Admirals High School Hockey Showdown - Milwaukee Admirals
- Marlies Look to Bounce Back with Pair of Games Against Rochester This Weekend - Toronto Marlies
- Phantoms Announce Roster Moves - Adirondack Phantoms
- Falcons Weekly Notes - Springfield Falcons
- Game Day Preview Manitoba at Texas - Texas Stars
- Canucks Assign Guillaume Desbiens to Moose - Manitoba Moose
- Reese and Rakhshani Returned to Sound Tigers - Bridgeport Islanders
- Rampage to Host 6th Annual Teddy Bear Toss this Friday - San Antonio Rampage
- Drilling For Wins In Oklahoma City - AHL
- Game Night: Amerks, Heat Square off in North Division Battle Tonight - Rochester Americans
- Rivermen Weekly - Peoria Rivermen
- Gameday: Aeros at Bulldogs - Houston Aeros
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