AHL Texas Stars

Gameday Preview - Milwaukee at Texas

Published on February 7, 2012 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Texas Stars News Release


Milwaukee Admirals (23-19-1-1, 48 points) at Texas Stars (20-22-1-2, 43 points)

The Stars and the Admirals meet for the third time this season. This marks the 17 th all-time meeting between the two teams that will play a total of four games this season. In 16 all-time regular season meetings, Texas is 11-5-0-0 against Milwaukee, including a 6-3-0-0 record at the Bradley Center. Overall, the Stars are 5-2-0-0 all-time at home against the Admirals. Milwaukee will play back-to-back games at Cedar Park Center, starting on Tuesday and ending on Wednesday. It will be their only visit to Cedar Park Center this season. Milwaukee is currently three points behind Rochester for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Texas has four wins in its last ten games, going 4-6-0-0 over that span. The Stars have lost four straight after winning three straight. The team is coming off a 4-3 loss against Charlotte Thursday night. Texas continues a three-game home stand on Tuesday that will conclude on Wednesday with Milwaukee. Texas is 10-8-1-1 at home this season, outscoring the opposition 68-60 at Cedar Park Center. Texas has taken seven of the last ten home games and posted points in eight of the last ten. The Stars are 9-15-0-2 against the West Division and 8-7-1-0 against the Midwest Division. Texas' scoring has been spread out evenly this season, with 41 first-period tallies and 52 second-period markers. Since Dec. 3 (last 25 games), Texas has outscored the opposition 34-21 in the second period after getting outscored in the middle frame 26-18 in the previous 20 games. The Stars lead the opposition in second-period scoring with a 52-48 edge. The club has been outscored by the opposing team 139-132 for the season. Texas is 12th in the league with a 2.93 goals per game average and it ranks 25th defensively with a 3.09 goals against average. The Stars are 14-0-1-1 when leading after two periods of play, but they are 2-19-0-0 when trailing after two periods of play. The team is 10-9-1-2 in games decided by one goal this season. Texas and Manchester are tied for the AHL lead with five overtime wins this season, going 5-0-1-2 when tied after regulation. The Stars are tied for second in the AHL with ten shorthanded goals this season.

The Admirals come into Tuesday night's game after a 2-1 loss in Houston on Sunday night. The victory ended a five-game losing skid for the team. Over the course of the last thirteen games, the team is 9-3-1-0. The Admirals are 9-11-0-1 on the road this season, having been outscored by the opposition 54-45. Milwaukee is 14-8-1-0 at home this season and 3-6-1-0 in the last ten games played. The Admirals are heading into this evening's game after winning one game. Milwaukee has outscored its opponents 79-63 on home ice this season. The team ranks 29th out of 30 AHL teams in penalty minutes per game (13.57 per game). The club thrives on the first goal of the night, going 13-6-0-0 when opening the scoring. The Admirals are 6-1-0-1 against the West Division this year, with their only loss coming at the hands of Texas. Milwaukee ranks last in the AHL with one shorthanded goal this season. Despite outscoring the opposition 41-36 in the first period of play, the Admirals have been outscored 48-34 in the second and 45-31 in the third. Milwaukee sits 17th best in the AHL with a 2.82 goals against average. The Admirals rank seventh in the league with a 2.66 goals against average. Milwaukee ranks fourth best in the league by allowing only 27.52 shots per game. Milwaukee is 15-1-0-0 when leading after the first period and 16-1-0-0 when leading after the second period of play this season. The club is 10-7-1-1 in one goal games this season.

Texas Stars

Center Travis Morin and winger Matt Fraser lead Texas in scoring. Morin is the clubhouse leader with 33 assists and 39 points in his first 45 games played. He ranks in the top five of the AHL for assists and top ten of the league for power-play helpers. Rookie forward Matt Fraser is second in scoring with 35 points in 43 games. He leads the team with 21 goals scored and 150 shots on net. Fraser sits in the top ten of the AHL for goals scored, including ranking tied for sixth in power-play goals (9). Fraser is tied for sixth overall among all rookies in points and first in shots.

Colton Sceviour, Francis Wathier and Ryan Garbutt round out the top scorers for Texas. Colton Sceviour is second on the team with 21 assists and he is third with 29 points. Sceviour has seven assists and eight points in his last nine games. His assist on Saturday against Charlotte moved him into second all-time on the Stars scoring list with 101 points. Center Ryan Garbutt has 29 points (13g-16a) in 45 games. He is second on the team in goals scored and tied for third in assists. He also leads the team with 84 penalty minutes, followed by Francis Wathier's 68 and Luke Gazdic's 64 minutes. Garbutt is tied for fourth in the AHL with five shorthanded points and second with four shorthanded assists. Wathier is tied for third overall on the team with nine goals and he is fifth with 25 points. Rookie center Scott Glennie has seven points in his last 10 games, scoring three goals and setting up four others. Stephen Schultz has three goals and four points over the last five games.

Jordie Benn leads all defenders and is tied for fifth in the AHL with eight goals. He also is first among Texas blueliners with 20 points in 41 games played. Captain Brad Lukowich is tied for second among Texas defensemen in scoring with 17 points in 38 games played. Dan Spang leads all defensemen with 15 assists and he is tied for second with 17 points in 44 games. Rookie Brenden Dillon (2-14-16) is fourth in points and he is first among D-men with 48 penalty minutes. Veteran defender Maxime Fortunus has 15 points in 41 games.

Goalies Andrew Raycroft and Tyler Beskorowany split time in net for Texas. Raycroft is 6-6-1 with a 2.72 goals against average and a .908 save percentage in 13 starts for the Stars. He posted a season-high 42 saves at Oklahoma City last Saturday. Beskorowany is 6-10-0 with a 3.10 goals against average and a .891 save percentage.

Special Teams

The Stars have converted 43 of 210 power plays for a 20.5% conversion rate, as Texas ranks sixth overall in power play percentage. The team has 15 power-play goals over the last 15 games - going 15-for-67 over that span. Texas is scoreless in its last 16 power-play attempts. The Stars have killed off 144 of 173 opponents' power plays (83.2%), ranking 11th overall on the penalty kill. Texas has the fewest penalty kills in the AHL at 173. The Admirals are 28th in the AHL on the penalty kill, stopping 77.5% of their opponents' power plays. Overall, Milwaukee ranks eighth in the AHL on the power play after going 35-for-173 (20.2%).

The Milwaukee Admirals

Center Chris Mueller leads Milwaukee in scoring with 19 goals and 31 points in 41 games played this season. Mueller is tied for the team lead with seven power-play goals and he is first with 103 shots on goal. Center Kyle Wilson leads the club with 19 assists and is second with 30 points in 38 games played. Wilson has a team-high nine points (4g-5a) over his last ten games played. Right wing Juuso Puustinen is second on the team with 14 goals and third with 26 points in 40 games played.

Rookie Michael Latta is fourth on the team in scoring with 12 goals and 12 assists for 24 points in 38 games played. He leads the Admirals with a +12. The first-year forward is also the team leader with 72 penalty minutes. The team is without rookie defenseman Ryan Ellis and second-year forward Gabriel Bourque. Ellis had 17 points in 26 games prior to his recall to Nashville. Bourque had 16 points in 25 games before heading to the Music City. Rookie Victor Bartley is the Ads current leader for points from the blueline. He has 18 assists and 23 points in 44 games played.

In net, the Admirals sport goalies Jeremy Smith and Atte Engren. Smith is 18-14-1 with a 2.40 goals against average, a .911 save percentage and one shutout. Engren is 4-5-0 with a 2.81 goals against average and a .899 save percentage.

Shorthanded Supremacy

The 2011-12 Texas Stars are rewriting the team record books for shorthanded goals. So far this season, Texas has an AHL-high seven shorthanded goals scored at home this year. In all, the Stars rank in the top five of the AHL with ten shorthanded goals this season. In the Stars Inaugural season, the team mustered two SHGs at home and two on the road for four on the season. Texas scored two SHGs at home in 2010-11 and tallied three on the road for five in the team's second full season in the AHL. Center Travis Morin and forward Ryan Garbutt lead the charge. Garbutt has a team-high four shorthanded assists and a five shorthanded points. Morin has three shorthanded assists and four shorthanded points. Matt Fraser leads the team with two shorthanded goals this season. Rookie defender Brenden Dillon has a shorthanded goal and three shorthanded points.

Dallas Assigns Adam Pardy for Conditioning

The Dallas Stars announced on Monday that the club has assigned defenseman Adam Pardy to the Texas Stars, Dallas' primary affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL), on a conditioning assignment. Pardy is expected to play Tuesday and Wednesday night for Texas against the Milwaukee Admirals. He is scheduled to rejoin the Dallas Stars on Thursday in Columbus.

Pardy, 27, has skated in 22 games for Dallas this season, recording one assist and 15 shots. The 6-4, 220-pound defenseman from Bonavista, NL has appeared in 169 NHL games, notching 27 points (four goals, 23 assists)

Dallas Summons Vincour

The Dallas Stars announced on Friday that the club has placed left wing Brenden Morrow on injured reserve with an upper body injury retroactive to Feb. 2 and recalled forward Tomas Vincour (vin-sooer) from the Texas Stars, Dallas' primary affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL).

Vincour, 21, has earned one goal and two assists totaling three points in 18 contests for Dallas this season. The Brno, CZE native is being recalled from Texas, where he ranks third in team goal scoring with 11 goals in 18 games. The second-year pro was drafted in the fifth round (#129 overall) by Dallas in 2009.

Texas Recalls Coyle From Idaho

The Texas Stars announced on Wednesday that defenseman Jace Coyle has been reassigned from the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL to the Texas Stars. Texas is Dallas' primary affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL) and Idaho is Dallas' ECHL affiliate.

The rookie defenseman has split time between Idaho and Texas this year, recording an assist in 17 games with the Stars this season. The rookie defender has played in 13 games with Idaho, setting up two goals.

LAST THREE GAMES

Charlotte 4 at Texas 3 2/4/12

The Texas Stars were defeated by the Charlotte Checkers 4-3 in front of 5,889 fans at the Cedar Park Center on Saturday night. Center Travis Morin scored late in the third period, pulling Texas within one goal, but the Checkers held off a late rush by the Stars to seal the win. Centers Angelo Esposito and Ryan Garbutt also scored in the Stars defeat. Texas goalie Andrew Raycroft stopped 21 of 25 shots as the Stars fall to10-8-1-1 at home. Charlotte right wing Jerome Samson put up a goal and added an assist on the night. Forwards Zac Dalpe, Jared Staal and defenseman Michal Jordan each registered a goal for the Checkers. Charlotte goalie John Muse stopped 33 of 36 shots in the win.

Texas 1 at Houston 3 2/2/12

The Texas Stars were defeated by the Houston Aeros 3-1 in front of 5,248 fans at the Toyota Center on Thursday night. Aeros defenseman Chay Genoway broke a 1-1 tie at 8:39 of the third period, giving his club the lead for the remainder of the contest. Forward Casey Wellman scored and added an assist, as the Aereos ended a six-game winless skid. Houston goalie Matt Hackett stopped 26 of 27 Texas shots in the win. Texas goalie Andrew Raycroft stopped 32 of 34, as the team slipped to 10-14-0-1 on the road this season. Texas forward Ryan Garbutt scored the team's lone goal.

Texas 1 at Oklahoma City 3 1/28/12

The Texas Stars were defeated by the Oklahoma City Barons 3-1 in front of 5,606 fans at the Cox Convention Center on Saturday night. Barons' goalie David LeNeveu stopped 22 of 23 for the win. Texas goalie Andrew Raycroft stopped a season-high 42 of 44 shots in the loss. Barons' forwards Ryan Keller, Philip Cornet and Hunter Trembley each scored in the win. Texas left wing Francis Wathier netted the lone goal in the Stars defeat.

What's Ahead:

DATE OPPONENT TIME RADIO

Tuesday, February 7 vs. Milwaukee 7:30 PM 104.9 FM

Wednesday, February 8 vs. Milwaukee 7:30 PM 104.9 FM

Friday, February 10 at Rochester 6:35 PM 92.5 FM

Sunday, February 12 at Hamilton 2:00 PM 104.9 FM

Wednesday, February 15 at Lake Erie 9:45 AM 1530 AM

* All times listed are central time

Check out the Texas Stars Statistics

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American Hockey League Stories from February 7, 2012


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