AHL Texas Stars

Gameday Preview - Texas at Grand Rapids

Published on April 4, 2012 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Texas Stars News Release


Texas Stars (30-36-2-2, 64 points) at Grand Rapids (31-28-6-4, 72 points)

Texas and Grand Rapids meet for the fourth and final time this season. Wednesday's meeting marks the 16th all-time meeting between the two teams. Texas leads the all-time series with an 8-6-1-0 (17 points) mark against the Griffins, including a 4-3-0-0 record at Grand Rapids. The Griffins are 7-5-1-2 all-time against the Stars, accruing a 3-2-0-2 record at Van Andel Arena. With a 5-2 win in the last meeting on Mar. 13, the Griffins ended a five-game winless skid to the Stars. The Griffins enter the game in 13th place of the Western Conference, six points out of the eighth and final playoff spot with seven games remaining. Grand Rapids has three home games and four road games remaining on the schedule. Texas is in 15th place of the conference, 14 points back of the final playoff spot with six games remaining (2 home, 4 away). The Stars are mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.

Texas has three wins in its last ten games, going 3-7-0-0 over that span. The team is coming off an 8-4 loss at home on Sunday to Lake Erie. The eight goals surrendered broke the team mark for most goals allowed in one home game The team dropped to 17-16-2-1 at home this season, having outscored the visitors 123-121. The Stars are 13-20-0-1 on the road this season, having posted back-to-back wins on their last trip. The team has been outscored 110-86 on the road this season. Texas will only play three out of the remaining seven games against division foes. The Stars are 14-24-0-2 against the West Division and 7-6-0-0 against the North Division. Texas' scoring has been spread out evenly this season, with 58 first-period tallies and 83 second-period markers. The Stars lead the opposition in second-period scoring with an 83-77 edge. In all, the club has been outscored by the opposing team 231-209 for the season. The Stars have struggled defensively, allowing a league-high 82 first-period goals. Texas is eighth in the league with a 2.99 goals per game average and it ranks 29th defensively with a 3.37 goals against average. The Stars are 20-2-1-1 when leading after two periods of play. Texas is 4-30-0-0 when trailing after two periods of play, with all four comebacks occurring at home. The team is 15-14-2-2 in games decided by one goal this season. Texas is second 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 fourth in the AHL with a team-record 12 shorthanded goals scored this season.

The Griffins are coming off a 4-2 loss in Toronto on April 1, falling to 14-15-3-2 on the road this year. Over the last ten games, the team is 5-5-0-0. Grand Rapids is 17-13-3-2 at home this season, outscoring opponents 124-114. In all, the Griffins have outscored their adversaries 223-221. The Griffins have made 17 overtime appearances, going 3-6-4-4 in games when tied after regulation. Grand Rapids is 21-11-1-3 when scoring the game's first goal. In 25 games against West Division foes, the Griffins are 10-11-3-1. The club is outscoring opponents 70-63 in the first period of play and has been outscored 89-70 in the second period of action. The 89 goals against in the second period is the second highest total allowed in the AHL. The Griffins have bested the opposition 76-59 in the third period. Grand Rapids is ranked third in the league offensively, averaging 3.23 goals per game. The Griffins are 28th in the AHL defensively, allowing 3.20 goals per game. Grand Rapids leads the league with 34.04 shots per game. The team ranks 16th in the league, averaging 15.65 penalty minutes per game.

Texas Stars

Center Travis Morin is the clubhouse leader with a team-record 50 assists and 62 points in his first 70 games played. He ranks in the top five of the AHL for assists and top ten for points. With a goal on Thursday at home against Hamilton, the Brooklyn Park, MN, native surpassed the team record for most points in one season. He beat center Aaron Gagnon's mark of 58 points in 78 games of the 2009-10 season. Earlier in the season, Morin surpassed Perttu Lindgren's record of 33 assists in one season, set in 2009-10.

Rookie forward Matt Fraser is second in team scoring with 51 points in 67 games. He leads the team with 33 goals scored and is second with 227 shots on net. Fraser sits in the top three of the AHL for goals scored. He is also tied for seventh overall among all rookies in points and the winger is first in shots. Fraser set the Stars single-season record for goals in one season, surpassing the old record of 27 set by Aaron Gagnon (09-10). The Red Deer, AB, native is the first Texas Star to reach the 30-goal plateau in one season.

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 29 assists and he is third with a career-high 50 points in 69 games. Sceviour has career-highs for goals as well, potting 21 on the year. He leads the club with 233 shots on goal this year, placing him third in the league. Wathier has 18 goals and 23 assists for 41 points in 69 games played. He is the team's all-time leading goal scorer with 56 goals for Texas. Rookie Scott Glennie is fifth overall on the team with 37 points off 12 goals and 25 assists in 66 games played.

Jordie Benn leads all defensemen in scoring with nine goals and 19 assists for 28 points in 56 games played. Defenseman Brenden Dillon is second in points from the blueline with five goals and 21 assists for 26 points in 70 games played. He also leads all defenders with 89 penalty minutes. Dillon is one of three remaining skaters (Morin, Luke Gazdic) to have played in every game this season. Veteran Brad Lukowich has 26 points off 22 assists and four goals in 63 games played. Dan Spang has three goals and 20 assists for 23 points in 64 games played.

Goalies Andrew Raycroft, Tyler Beskorowany and Jack Campbell split time in net for Texas. Campbell has started the last six games since turning pro on March 21st. The rookie netminder is 3-2-0 with a 2.80 goals against average and a .920 save percentage. In his first six starts, Campbell has posted his first shutout, regulation win and shootout win. His 19 saves in the first period against Hamilton on Thursday set a Stars season-high for the most in any period. Beskorowany is 10-19-0 with a 3.39 goals against average and a .886 save percentage. Raycroft is 9-10-1 with a 3.16 goals against average and a .891 save percentage in 21 starts for the Stars.

Special Teams

The Stars have converted 61 of 316 power plays for a 19.3% conversion rate, as Texas is seventh overall in power play percentage. The Stars have killed off 215 of 261 opponents power plays (82.4%), ranking 14th overall on the penalty kill. The Griffins are 15th in the AHL on the penalty kill, stopping 82.2% of their opponents' power plays. Overall, Grand Rapids ranks 21st in the AHL on the power play after going 48-for-298 (16.1%).

The Grand Rapids Griffins

Left wing Gustav Nyquist is still on recall to Detroit, leaving as the leading scorer for the Griffins. Nysquist posted a team-high 36 assists and 58 points in 56 games played. Nyquist is one of three rookies to rank in the top 20 of the AHL scoring race. The 22-year-old is fourth overall in the AHL rookie scoring race and fifth overall in assists by a first-year player. Veteran center Jamie Johnson surpassed his 2010-11 point total, posting 55 points in his first 69 games played, including placing second on the team with 20 goals. Johnson recorded 38 points in 78 games last year. Veteran right wing Chris Conner has 16 goals and 51 points in 54 games played, placing third on the team. Third-year Griffin Tomas Tatar is fourth overall in team scoring with 49 points in 69 games played. Tatar is third in goals (19) and fourth in assists (30). Former Dallas and Texas Star Fabian Brunnstrom has ten goals and 22 assists for 32 points in 39 games this year. Despite missing over 30 games with an injury, left wing Chris Minard has 20 goals and 31 points in 32 games played. He is second among active skaters with a +16.

Defensemen Brendan Smith and Doug Janik lead the Griffins blueline. Smith has ten goals and 34 points in 50 games. Janik leads the team with a +18 and is second among defensemen in scoring with 29 points in 60 games played. Blueliner Garnet Exelby leads the Griffins and ranks fourth among all AHL D-men with 173 penalty minutes in 68 games played.

In net, the Griffins sport goalies Jordan Pearce and Tom McCollum. McCollum is 9-12-0 with a 3.48 goals against average and a .893 save percentage. Pearce is 3-7-1 with a 3.53 goals against average and a .874 save percentage.

Dallas Assigns Jordie Benn

The Dallas Stars announced on Monday that the club has assigned defenseman Jordie Benn to 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. 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.

At the time of his recall, 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.

Texas Stars forward, Dallas native Austin Smith Named Hobey Baker Finalist

Stars prospect and Dallas native Austin Smith, who led the nation in goals with 36 in his senior year at Colgate, was named on Thursday as a top-three finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, which is given to the nation's top player in college hockey. He is joined by Minnesota-Duluth senior Jack Connolly and Maine's Spencer Abbott as top-three finalists.

Smith was signed to an entry-level contract earlier this month by the Dallas Stars and he currently plays for Texas, Dallas' primary development affiliate in the AHL. He has appeared in five games for Texas, setting up two goals. The announcement of the Hobey Baker Award winner will take place on April 6 at the Davis Conference Center at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla.

Smith has racked up the awards this season as he was named ECAC Hockey Player of the Year and was a first team All-ECAC Hockey selection. This past week, Smith was named Player of the Year by College Hockey News, as well as to the publication's First Team, joining the other top-three finalists. He was a two-time ECAC Hockey/Fischer Hockey Player of the Month and a two-time player of the week. Smith also helped Colgate achieve their highest national ranking since 2000 as the Raiders reached No. 7 in the country during its seven-game unbeaten streak in late 2011.

Smith enjoyed a stellar senior campaign, ranking first nationally in goals with 36 and third in points with 57. The Dallas native collected points in all but five games in 2011-12 and had goals in 24 of Colgate's 39 contests. In 10 of the 19 wins by the Raiders this season, he had the game-winner or assisted on the winner. The senior forward was the first 30-goal scorer in ECAC Hockey since 2001. He registered 16 multi-point games and nine of those were multi-goal games. Smith recorded a +25 ranking overall. His six shorthanded goals overall also leads the nation. He has posted seven power-play goals, five game-winners and two game-tying goals on the season. Smith became only the 10th player in school history to reach 75 goals and 75 assists in a career.

LAST THREE GAMES

Lake Erie 8 at Texas 4 4/1/12

The Texas Stars were defeated by the Lake Erie Monsters 8-4 in front of 5,416 fans at Cedar Park Center on Sunday. Lake Erie scored four goals in the first period, en route to a four-goal win over the Stars. Monsters center Peter MacArthur led the charge with a goal and three assists. In his first pro start, Lake Erie goalie Calvin Pickard stopped 25 shots for the win. Stars' right wing Colton Sceviour registered two goals on the night and left wing Mike Hedden had a goal and an assist. Left wing Francis Wathier also added two assists. Center Travis Morin and left wing Luke Gazdic both scored for Texas. Stars' goalie Tyler Beskorowany suffered the loss in a relief effort, stopped 12 of 16 in the final two periods.

Lake Erie 0 at Texas 4 3/31/12

The Texas Stars defeated the Lake Erie Monsters 4-0 in front of 6,289 fans at Cedar Park Center on Saturday night. Texas goalie Jack Campbell stopped all 30 shots he faced, securing his first professional shutout. The Stars netted three goals in the first period of play and cruised to a four-goal win. Four Stars' skaters registered multi-point nights. Left wing Matt Fraser scored twice, as Texas ended a six-game winless streak at home. Forwards Mike Hedden and Luke Gazdic each added a goal and an assist. Center Travis Morin put up two assists, as the Stars improved to 17-15-2-1 at home this season. Lake Erie goalie Cedrick Desjardins stopped 25 in the loss.

Hamilton 4 at Texas 2 3/29/12

The Texas Stars were defeated by the Hamilton Bulldogs 4-2 in front of 5,824 fans at Cedar Park Center on Thursday night. Texas goalie Jack Campbell stopped 35 of 38 shots, including a team season-high 19 shots in the first period. Center Travis Morin scored his 11th goal of the year, breaking the team's record for most points in one season with 59. Rookie right wing Austin Smith registered his first professional point with an assist, while fellow rookie Taylor Vause notched his first professional assist. Left wing Luke Gazdic also scored for the Stars. Hamilton center Joonas Nattinen scored the game-winning goal with 1:16 left in the third period.

What's Ahead:

DATE OPPONENT TIME RADIO

Wednesday, April 4 at Grand Rapids 6:00 PM (CT) 92.5 FM

Thursday, April 5 at Peoria 7:00 PM 92.5 FM

Tuesday, April 10 vs. Chicago 7:30 PM 104.9 FM

* All times listed are central time

Check out the Texas Stars Statistics

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American Hockey League Stories from April 4, 2012


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