AHL Texas Stars

Gameday Preview - Texas at Houston

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


Texas Stars (10-6-0-0, 20 points) at Houston Aeros (9-7-1-2, 21 points)

Texas hits the road for a game Sunday in Houston before heading back to Cedar Park Center to face the Aeros on Wednesday night. After tonight's road game, Texas will open up a season-long seven-game home stand. Texas enters Sunday's game in Houston with a season-high four-game winning streak. The Stars are meeting Houston for the third of 12 meetings this season. Houston has taken the first two games of the series. Last season, the two teams played a total of 12 times, with the Stars going 8-3-0-1. Texas is 8-5-0-1 in the all-time series. The Stars are coming off a 2-0 win Saturday night at home, while the Aeros fell 5-2 in Chicago last night.

Houston has a three-game winning streak on home ice and the Aeros are 3-3-1-0 at the Toyota Center this year. Texas is 4-2-0-0 on the road after going 22-14-2-2 last season. Texas is 4-2-0-1 all-time at the Toyota Center. The Stars are 6-4-0-0 in the last ten games, while the Aeros are 6-2-0-2 in their last ten.

Texas forwards Colton Sceviour and Travis Morin led the Stars with nine points in 12 games against Houston last year. Sceviour had a team-leading seven assists in the series. Left wing Francis Wathier was second on the team with six assists and eight points in 12 contests with Houston. Goalie Brent Krahn was 2-1-0 with a 2.01 goals against average and a .933 save percentage. Richard Bachman was 0-1-0 with a 3.06 GAA and a .923 save percentage against Houston.

Jean-Michel Daoust led the Aeros in scoring last year against Texas, scoring two goals and totaling eight points in 12 games. Right wing Jon DiSalvatore added three goals and five points against the Stars. Defenseman Maxim Noreau had four assists in 12 games against Texas in 2009-10. Aeros goalie Anton Khudobin went 2-4-0 with a 2.80 goals against average and a .883 save percentage.

Stars Recall Goalie Tyler Beskorowany from Idaho, LeMay Assigned Back to Allen

Cedar Park, TX - The Texas Stars announced on Thursday the club has recalled goalie Tyler Beskorowany from the Idaho Steelheads, Texas' ECHL Affiliate. The team also announced that goalie Adrien LeMay has been assigned to the Allen Americans, the Stars' Central Hockey League Affiliate.

At the time of his call up, Beskorowany ranked among the best goalies in the ECHL, including the third best save percentage (.932) and the fifth best goals against average (2.27). In ten games with Idaho, the rookie netminder is 4-3-2 and sits fourth in the league for minutes played (582) and third with 303 saves. The 20-year old played in one preseason game for Texas on Oct. 2, posting 20 saves in a 4-2 loss to Oklahoma City.

The Dallas Stars drafted Beskorowany in the second round (#59 overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. The 6-foot-5, 205-pounder spent the 2009-10 season with the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL. In 62 appearances, Beskorowany posted a 29-25-4 mark with a 3.52 goals against average and a .903 save percentage. For his OHL career, the Hammer, ONT native went 52-56-17 with a 3.69 goals against average and a .902 save percentage.

The Texas Stars returned goalie Adrien LeMay to the Central Hockey League's Allen Americans. LeMay dressed in Tuesday night's 8-2 win over Chicago, but did not play. In six games with Allen, LeMay is 4-1-0 with a 2.85 goals against average and a .914 save percentage.

What's Ahead:

DATE OPPONENT TIME TV/RADIO

Wednesday, Nov. 24 vs. Houston 7:30 PM 104.9 FM

Friday, Nov. 26 vs. Milwaukee 7:30 PM 1530 AM

Saturday, Nov. 27 vs. San Antonio 7:00 PM 104.9 FM

Wednesday, Nov 30 vs. Oklahoma City 7:30 PM 104.9 FM

Friday, Dec. 3 vs. San Antonio 7:30 PM 104.9 FM

* All times listed are local time

Upcoming Home Games and Promotions:

Houston at Texas on Wednesday, November 24, 2010 at 7:30 PM

Milwaukee at Texas on Friday, November 26, 2010 at 7:30 PM

* 3-2-1 Friday's ($1 hot dogs, $2 sodas, $3 domestic drafts)

* The first 2,500 fans receive a Texas Stars Ear Buds compliments of Best Buy

GAME RECAPS:

Milwaukee 0 at Texas 2 11/20/10

The Texas Stars defeated the Milwaukee Admirals 2-0 in front of 5,716 fans on Saturday night at Cedar Park Center. Texas goalie Richard Bachman (5-2-0) stopped all 26 shots to secure his second shutout of the season and third in his AHL career. Stars forwards Greg Rallo and Raymond Sawada each scored in the team's fourth straight victory. The Stars snapped a Milwaukee seven-game unbeaten in regulation streak and improved to 6-4-0-0 at home. Milwaukee goalie Mark Dekanich (8-2-2) stopped 30 of 32 shots in the loss.

Texas 2 at Oklahoma City 11/19/10

The Texas Stars defeated the Oklahoma City Barons 2-1 in a shootout in front of 4,481 fans on Friday night at the Cox Convention Center. Texas center Aaron Gagnon ended the shootout in the fifth round, scoring the decisive goal for the road win. Stars goalie Richard Bachman did the rest, stopping 35 shots in regulation and four of five in the shootout to preserve the win. Texas forward Travis Morin scored the only goal in regulation as the Stars improved to 4-2-0-0 on the road this year. Barons goalie Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers made 17 saves in the third period and finished with 34 in the defeat.

Chicago 2 at Texas 8 11/16/10

The Texas Stars defeated the Chicago Wolves 8-2 on Tuesday in front of 4,699 fans at Cedar Park Center. Texas broke three team records in the lopsided win, including five power-play goals and six second-period goals. Right wing Tomas Vincour scored two of the team's record setting eight goals. Seven different forwards lit the lamp for the Stars and all but two skaters picked up a point as the team improved to 5-4-0-0 on home ice. Defenseman Dan Spang and forward Fabian Brunnstrom each picked up three assists as Texas handed Chicago its sixth straight defeat. Center Travis Morin (1g,1a) and right wing Ray Sawada (2a) also enjoyed a multi-point night as the Stars improved to 3-0-0-0 against Chicago this season. Texas goalie Richard Bachman stopped 26 shots in the win. Chicago goalie Drew MacIntyre stopped 21 of 28 shots in the loss and was pulled after 40 minutes of play.

The Texas Stars

After 16 games of action, center Travis Morin leads Texas in scoring with six goals and 14 points. Left wing Francis Wathier is tied for the team lead with six goals, including a team-high four on the power play. Wathier is also tied for second overall in points with forwards Scott McCulloch, Mathieu Tousignant, Greg Rallo, and defenseman Dan Spang, each has seven points. Forwards Aaron Gagnon, Fabian Brunnstrom and Tomas Vincour, as well as defenseman Philip Larsen, are all tied for sixth in team scoring with six points each. Mathieu Tousignant and Luke Gazdic lead Texas with 27 penalty minutes each.

Texas Stars goalies Richard Bachman and Tyler Beskorowany split time in net for Texas. Brent Krahn is currently out with an injury. Krahn has appeared in nine games, posting a 5-4-0 mark, a 2.93 goals against average and a .898 save percentage. Bachman has appeared in eight games, going 5-2-0 with a 1.91 goals against average and a .937 save percentage. Bachman ranks fifth overall in the AHL for goals against average and third in save percentage. Beskorowany has yet to make his AHL debut.

The Stars 26-man roster is composed of three goalies, eight defensemen and 15 forwards. Texas returns 15 players from the 2010 Western Conference Championship squad. The players range from ages 19 to 34 with an average age of 24.16. Eight players are 22-years old or younger, including two 19-year olds. The roster is made up of six different nationalities. The roster also features 17 NHL draft picks, including ten Dallas Stars draft picks.

The most notable forward returnees on the Stars roster include Aaron Gagnon, Travis Morin and Greg Rallo, three of the top scorers on the team in 2009-10. Gagnon scored a team-high 27 goals and totaled 58 points in a breakout year. Morin and Rallo also had breakout years. As an AHL rookie, Morin finished in the top ten for points by a rookie and was second on the team with 52 points. Rallo had a career-high 19 goals and 44 points on the year.

On defense, the Stars return Maxime Fortunus, Matt Stephenson and Trevor Ludwig. Also, veteran defender and two-time Stanley Cup Champion, Brad Lukowich rejoins the team. Last season, Lukowich started the year with Texas and played in the first 29 games. He was recalled to Vancouver on New Year's Day and did not return.

Both goaltenders saw action for Texas last season. Returning starter Brent Krahn played in 22 games, going 17-4-0 with a 1.83 goals against average and a .945 save percentage. His season was shortened due to injuries. Richard Bachman played in seven games for Texas last year, posting a 4-3-0 record, a 2.02 goals against average and a .933 save percentage.

The Houston Aeros

The Aeros return 14 players from 2009-10 team that went 34-34-7-5 with 80 points and a seventh place finish in the West Division. Houston hired their eighth head coach in team history this summer, bringing in Mike Yeo to replace Kevin Constantine. Yeo played for the Aeros from 1994-99 and he spent the last four seasons as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Yeo helped the Pens win the Stanley Cup in 2009.

Rookie center Jarod Palmer leads Houston in scoring with 11 points and he is tied for the team-lead with eight assists in 16 games played. Defenseman Maxime Noreau and right wing Jon DiSalvatore are tied for second in scoring with ten points each. Right wings Carson MacMillan and Jean-Michel Daoust are tied for fourth in scoring with nine points each. Right wing Petr Kalus leads the team in goals scored with six in 19 games played. Forward Matt Kassian leads the team with 45 penalty minutes in 16 games played.

Goalies Anton Khudobin and Matt Hackett split time in net for Houston. Khudobin is 5-5-1 with a 2.06 goals against average and a .933 save percentage. He is seventh in the AHL in goals against average and fifth in save percentage. Hackett, a rookie netminder, is 4-3-1 with a 2.82 goals against average and a .908 save percentage. Hackett is a first-year pro who was drafted by the Wild in the third round (#77 overall) in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He spent last season in the OHL with the Plymouth Whalers, going 33-18-3 with a 2.62 goals against average and a .925 save percentage.

The Houston returnees include the top four scorers from last year. Forward Jean-Michel Daoust led the team with 21 goals and 55 points in 78 games played. Right wing Jon DiSalvatore tied Daoust for the team lead with 21 goals and was second on the team with 52 points in 79 games. DiSalvatore has scored 20 goals or more in seven straight seasons. Defenseman Maxim Noreau returns after leading the team in points among blueliners. Noreau scored 18 goals and set up 34 others for 52 points in 76 games plated. As a rookie, Chad Rau finished fourth on the team in scoring with 19 goals and 38 points in 79 games played.

Former Star Warren Peters has six points in 19 games with the Aeros this season, including a goal and an assist in two games against Texas. Peters was instrumental in the Stars run to the Calder Cup Finals. He enjoyed an AHL career-high 20 goals and 34 points in 61 games with Texas last year. Peters also played in 23 Calder Cup Playoff games with four goals and four assists. The Saskatoon, SK native led the team with 56 penalty minutes in the post season.

Special Teams

After finishing second overall last season on the penalty kill, the Stars rank 14th overall at 89.5%. Texas sits 17th in the AHL, converting on 17.1% of its power plays. The Aeros are 25th overall on the power play, converting 14.4% of the time. Houston is third overall on the penalty kill, stopping 89.5% of its opponents' power plays.

Offense and Defense

The Texas Stars are fifth overall in team defense, allowing 2.50 goals against per game. Texas is ranked 18th out of 30 teams, scoring an average of 2.69 goals per game. Houston's defense is tied for seventh overall with a 2.58 goals against per game. The Aeros sit 25th offensively, averaging 2.58 goals per game.

Check out the Texas Stars Statistics

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



American Hockey League Stories from November 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