AHL Texas Stars

Gameday Preview - Grand Rapids at Texas

March 13, 2012 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Texas Stars News Release


Grand Rapids Griffins (26-23-6-4, 62 points) at Texas Stars (27-29-2-2, 58 points)

Texas and Grand Rapids meet for the third time this season and the second meeting at Cedar Park Center. The two teams will play a total of four times this season. Tuesday's meeting marks the 15th all-time meeting between the two teams. Texas leads the all-time series with an 8-5-1-0 (17 points) mark against the Griffins, including a 4-2-1-0 record at home. The Griffins are 6-5-1-2 all-time against the Stars, accruing a 3-3-1-0 record at the Cedar Park Center. Texas has taken the last five meetings, including the last game between the two on March 7, 2012, a 5-4 overtime win for the Stars. The Griffins enter the game in 13th place of the Western Conference, eight points out of the eighth and final playoff spot with 17 games remaining. Texas is in 15th of the conference, 12 points back of the final playoff spot with 16 games remaining (home, 7 away).

Texas has six wins in its last ten games, going 6-4-0-0 over that span. The team is coming off a 4-3 loss at home on Saturday to San Antonio . The team continues a season-long seven-game home stand on Tuesday. Texas will host Grand Rapids (2), San Antonio (2), Oklahoma City (2) and Abbotsford prior to heading back out on the road March 23. Dating back to December 9th, the team is 13-4-2-0 (.737) over the last 19 games at home. Texas is 16-10-2-1 at home this season, outscoring opponents 103-91 at Cedar Park Center. Texas will only play seven out of the remaining 16 games against division foes. The Stars are 14-19-0-2 against the West Division. Texas' scoring has been spread out evenly this season, with 48 first-period tallies and 72 second-period markers. Since Dec. 3 (last 40 games), Texas has outscored the opposition 54-38 in the second period after getting outscored in the middle frame 26-18 in the first 20 games. The Stars lead the opposition in second-period scoring with a 72-66 edge. In all, the club has been outscored by the opposing team 193-180 for the season. Texas is ninth in the league with a 3.00 goals per game average and it ranks 28th defensively with a 3.22 goals against average. The Stars are 17-0-1-1 when leading after two periods of play, but they are 4-25-0-0 when trailing after two periods of play. The team is 14-12-2-2 in games decided by one goal this season. Texas is tied for first in the AHL with seven overtime wins this season, going 7 (OTW)-2 (OTL)-2 (SOW)-2 (SOL) when tied after regulation. The Stars are tied for second in the AHL with 11 shorthanded goals this season.

The Griffins concludes a five-game road trip on Tuesday, coming off a 5-2 win in Houston on Sunday. So far, the team has gone 1-2-1-0 in the first four games of the road trip. Grand Rapids is 11-12-3-2 on the road this season and 6-3-0-1 in the last ten games. Overall, Grand Rapids has matched its opponents' goal total at 189 per side. On the road, the Griffins have been outscored 87-79. The Griffins have made 16 overtime appearances, going 3-6-3-4 in games when tied after regulation. Grand Rapids is 18-8-1-3 when scoring the game's first goal. In 19 games against West Division foes, the Griffins are 6-9-3-1. The club is outscoring opponents 57-54 in the first period of play and has been outscored 77-62 in the second period of action. Grand Rapids is ranked fifth in the league offensively, averaging 3.20 goals per game. The Griffins are 27th in the AHL defensively, allowing 3.20 goals per game. Grand Rapids leads the league with 34.42 shots per game. The team ranks 15th in the league, averaging 16.39 penalty minutes per game.

Texas Stars

Center Travis Morin and winger Matt Fraser lead Texas in scoring. Morin is the clubhouse leader with a team-record 41 assists and 50 points in his first 60 games played. He ranks in the top ten of the AHL for assists and needs four more to become the first Texas Star to reach 100 assists with the club. Rookie forward Matt Fraser is second in scoring with 45 points in 57 games. He leads the team with 28 goals scored and is tied for the team lead with 197 shots on net. Fraser sits in the top ten of the AHL for goals scored. Fraser is sixth overall among all rookies in points and first in shots. Fraser set the Stars single-season record of 28 goals in one season with a goal on Saturday night against San Antonio. He surpassed the old record of 27 set by Aaron Gagnon (09-10) and Greg Rallo (10-11).

Colton Sceviour, Francis Wathier and Scott Glennie round out the top scorers for Texas. Colton Sceviour is second on the team with a career-high 28 assists and he is third with a career-high 44 points. Sceviour has a point in 16 straight home games, dating back to Dec. 27. Over that span, he has nine goals and 23 points. His streak is the longest in the AHL this season. Scott Glennie is tied for fourth overall on the team with 33 points off 12 goals and 21 assists in 56 games played. Wathier has 15 goals and 18 assists for 33 points in 59 games played.

Jordie Benn leads all defenders and he ranks in the top ten of the AHL among defensemen with nine goals. He also is first among Texas blueliners with 28 points in 57 games played. Veteran Brad Lukowich is second among team defenders with 24 points off 20 assists and four goals in 53 games played.

Goalies Andrew Raycroft and Tyler Beskorowany split time in net for Texas. Raycroft is 9-9-1 with a 3.11 goals against average and a .893 save percentage in 20 starts for the Stars. Beskorowany is 10-15-0 with a 3.17 goals against average and a .894 save percentage. Beskorwany has stopped 252 of the last 277 shots (.910) in his last eight appearances.

Special Teams

The Stars have converted 57 of 272 power plays for a 21.0% conversion rate, as Texas is fifth overall in power play percentage. The Stars have killed off 186 of 227 opponents' power plays (81.9%), ranking 17th overall on the penalty kill. Texas is tied for the fewest penalty kills in the AHL. The Griffins are 18th in the AHL on the penalty kill, stopping 81.5% of their opponents' power plays. Overall, Grand Rapids ranks 21st in the AHL on the power play after going 40-for-253 (15.8%).

The Grand Rapids Griffins

Left wing Gustav Nyquist was recalled by Detroit on Monday, leaving as the leading scorer for the Griffins. Nysquist posted a team-high 35 assists and 55 points in 54 games played. Nyquist is one of three rookies to rank in the top 20 of the AHL scoring race. The 22-year-old is second overall in the AHL rookie scoring race and second overall in assists by a first-year player. Veteran center Jamie Johnson surpassed his 2010-11 point total, posting 47 points in his first 59 games played, including placing second on the team with 19 goals. Johnson recorded 38 points in 78 games last year. Third-year Griffin Tomas Tatar is third overall in team scoring with 40 points in 59 games played. Tatar is fourth in goals (14) and fourth in assists (26). Veteran right wing Chris Conner was recently assigned by Detroit. Conner has 13 goals and totaling 40 points in 44 games played. Former Dallas and Texas Star Fabian Brunnstrom has eight goals and 21 assists for 29 points in 36 games this year. Left wing Chris Minard has returned from injury and has 13 goals and 19 points in his first 23 games back. He is first among active skaters with a +14.

With defensemen Brendan Smith and Doug Janik in Detroit, fellow defender Logan Pyett leads the Griffins D-core with 21 points. Blueliner Garnet Exelby leads the Griffins and ranks fourth among all AHL D-men with 160 penalty minutes in 58 games played.

In net, the Griffins sport goalies Ty Conklin, Jordan Pearce and Tom McCollum. Conklin, an NHL veteran, is 6-3-0 since he was assigned by Detroit on February 21. He has a 2.53 goals against average and a .907 save percentage in nine appearances. McCollum is 6-8-0 with a 3.59 goals against average and a .883 save percentage. Pearce is 3-7-1 with a 3.53 goals against average and a .874 save percentage.

Dallas Recalls Benn

The Dallas Stars announced on Monday that the club has recalled defenseman Jordie Benn from the Texas Stars, Dallas' primary affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL).

Benn, 24, collected one assist in his two games for Dallas this season. He became the 10th player in Dallas Stars history to record his first NHL point in his first NHL game on Jan. 3 in Nashville. Along with younger brother Jamie Benn, they became the third set of brothers in Dallas Stars history and the sixth in team history to play in an NHL game together. He will wear the number 58 with Dallas.

The second-year Star played in 56 games for Texas this season, leading all defensemen with nine goals and 28 points. The Victoria, BC native has played in 116 games with Texas over two years, scoring 11 times and assisting 29 others for 40 points.

Buffalo Sabres Assign Defenseman Schiestel, Stars Shuffle Roster

The Texas Stars announced last Tuesday that the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League have reassigned defenseman Drew Schiestel from the Rochester Americans to the Texas Stars. The Stars released defenseman Cameron Brodie from a PTO. On Wednesday, forward Jake Hauswirth was assigned to Idaho of the ECHL.

Schiestel, a third-year defenseman played in 43 games for Rochester this season. The 22-year old scored twice and set up ten others for 12 points with the Americans. From 2009-11, the 6-foot-1, 197-pounder played for Portland. In 97 AHL games with the Pirates, The Hamilton, ON native scored six goals and added 29 assists for 35 points. The Buffalo Sabres drafted Schiestel in the second round (#59 overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry draft. He played junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League with Mississauga from 2005-07 and with Niagara from 2007-09. In 237 OHL games, the blueliner scored 25 goals and added 86 assists for 111 points. Schiestel made his Texas and home debut on Wednesday against Grand Rapids.

Brodie made his AHL debut and suited up in three games for Texas without collecting a point. The second-year pro will return to Stockton, where he spent the first 43 games of the year in the ECHL. In his time with the Thunder, Brodie totaled five points (all assists) and 54 penalty minutes.

Over a few separate stints, Hauswirth has played in 19 games for Texas this season, setting up one goal for his first AHL point. He started the 2011-12 season with Rio Grande Valley of the CHL, scoring six goals and adding ten assists for 16 points in 24 games played. The Dallas Stars acquired Hauswirth in a trade with the Florida Panthers on December 7. Dallas sent forward Krys Barch to Florida in exchange for Hauswirth and a sixth-round pick. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound right wing is in his third pro season, spending the first two pro years in the ECHL with Cincinnati and South Carolina. In all, the Merrill, WI native has played in 154 pro games, scoring 35 goals and totaling 79 points.

LAST THREE GAMES

San Antonio 4 at Texas 3 3/10/12

The Texas Stars were defeated by the San Antonio Rampage 4-3 in front of 6,575 fans at the Cedar Park Center on Saturday. San Antonio right wing Michal Repik scored the game-winning goal with six seconds remaining in the third. Left wing Luke Gazdic registered two assists on the night. Left wing Francis Wathier scored the game-tying goal in the third period. Center Angelo Esposito and left wing Matt Fraser also scored for the Stars.

San Antonio 3 at Texas 4 OT 3/9/12

The Texas Stars defeated the San Antonio Rampage 4-3 in overtime in front of 4,893 fans at the Cedar Park Center on Friday. Stars' right wing Colton Sceviour scored the game-winning goal with 1:24 remaining in overtime. Left wing Mike Hedden had a goal and an assist, helping the Stars improve to 13-3-2-0 over the last 18 home games. Left wing Matt Fraser and defenseman Dan Spang also scored for the Stars. Texas goalie Andrew Raycroft stopped 25 of 28 shots as the Stars pick up their fifth win over San Antonio this season.

Grand Rapids 4 at Texas 5 OT 3/7/12

The Texas Stars defeated the Grand Rapids Griffins 5-4 in overtime in front of 4,716 fans at the Cedar Park Center on Wednesday. Stars' forward Michael Forney scored the game-winning-goal at 2:03 of overtime. Left wing Mike Hedden, Francis Wathier, Luke Gazdic and center Travis Morin scored for the Stars. Three Texas defensemen had multi-point nights. Jordie Benn, Dan Spang and Brenden Dillon each registered two assists in the win. Texas goalie Tyler Beskorowany stopped 31 of 35 shots for the Stars in the win.

What's Ahead:

DATE OPPONENT TIME RADIO

Tuesday, March 12 vs. Grand Rapids 7:30 PM 104.9 FM

Friday, March 16 vs. Oklahoma City 7:30 PM 92.5 FM

Saturday, March 17 vs. Oklahoma City 7:00 PM 92.5 FM

Monday, March 19 vs. Abbotsford 7:30 PM 104.9 FM

Friday, March 23 at Oklahoma City 7:00 PM 104.9 FM

* All times listed are central time

Check out the Texas Stars Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from March 13, 2012


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