AHL Texas Stars

Gameday Preview - Texas at Rockford

Published on December 8, 2010 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Texas Stars News Release


Texas and Rockford meet for the second time this season and the 14th time in AHL history. The two teams will play a total of six games this season, including three at Cedar Park Center. The Stars lead the all-time series with an 11-2-0-0 record against the Hogs, including a perfect 5-0-0-0 mark at the Rockford MetroCentre. In the first meeting of the season, the Stars beat the IceHogs 4-3 in a shootout at Rockford on October 27.

The Stars are 4-3-0-0 on the road this season and 6-2-1-1 in the last ten games. Texas enters tonight's game having won eight of its last 12 games. Over that span, the Stars have outscored their opponents 43-21 and taken points in ten of 12. The Stars have collected points in five straight games (3-0-1-1) and they wrapped up a seven-game home stand with a 4-1-1-1 mark. The Stars have played the fewest road games in the AHL, but Texas will play four road games in the next five nights with two stops in Grand Rapids and one in Milwaukee this weekend. Texas is coming off a 5-2 win over Manitoba on Tuesday night. The Stars are the most disciplined team in the AHL, spending 12.13 minutes per game in the penalty box.

The IceHogs are 3-5-0-1 at home this season and 3-5-0-2 in the last ten games played. Only Milwaukee (8) and Norfolk (7) have played fewer home games than the IceHogs. Rockford has played 23 games this year, the fewest by any team in the AHL. The IceHogs have two wins in their last seven games. Over that span they have been outscored 22-13. Rockford is coming off a 2-1 win at Houston on Friday night. The Hogs rank fourth overall in the AHL, averaging 22.57 penalty minutes per game.

Texas forward Travis Morin led all scorers in the season series and playoff series last year. Morin had nine assists and ten points in eight regular season meetings and posted seven assists in four playoff games. In all, Morin had 16 assists and 17 points in 12 games versus Rockford. Stars goalie Brent Krahn went 4-0-0 in the regular season with two shutouts, a 0.99 goals against average and a .971 save percentage at Rockford. In the playoffs, Krahn went 4-0 with a 1.25 goals against average and a .961 save percentage versus the IceHogs. Last season, IceHogs defenseman Brian Connelly had three assists in four playoffs games against Texas and four assists in eight regular season meetings with the Stars.

Dallas Assigns Left Wing Francis Wathier

Prior to the Tuesday night's game, the Dallas Stars announced that the club has assigned left wing Francis Wathier back to the Texas Stars, Dallas' primary minor league affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL). Wathier, 26, has played in 23 games for Texas so far this season, ranking second on the team in goals (eight) and tied for third in points (11). In 2009-10, he recorded 40 points (19g, 21a) in 76 games with Texas and helped the Stars reach the Calder Cup Finals in the club's inaugural season. Wathier also ranked second on the club in penalty minutes during the regular season (101). The St. Isidore, Ontario native made his NHL debut last season with Dallas, appearing in five games and recording five penalty minutes. Wathier was drafted by Dallas in the sixth round (185th overall) at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Texas Recalls Rookie Forward Tristan King

The Texas Stars announced on Sunday that the club has recalled forward Tristan King from the Idaho Steelheads, Texas' ECHL Affiliate. King played in six games for the Steelheads, scoring one goal and three assists for four points. Prior to heading to Idaho, King played in nine games for Texas, scoring two goals and two assists.

Dallas Recalls Center Aaron Gagnon and Defenseman Philip Larsen

The Dallas Stars announced on Friday that the club has recalled Texas Stars center Aaron Gagnon. Gagnon, 24, appeared in 20 games for Texas this season, scoring five goals and four assists for nine points with six penalty minutes. He was recalled by Dallas on October 17 and appeared in one game at Tampa Bay. He was assigned back to Texas the following day. Gagnon signed as a free agent with Dallas on February 2, 2007.

Prior to the game on Saturday, the Dallas Stars announced that the club has recalled defenseman Philip Larsen from the Texas Stars, Dallas' primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL). Larsen, 20, has appeared in 18 games for Texas this season, earning nine assists with four penalty minutes and a +2 rating. He has played in two games for Dallas this year and earned an assist. Larsen was selected by Dallas in the fifth round (149th overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

What's Ahead:

DATE OPPONENT TIME TV/RADIO

Friday, Dec. 10 at Grand Rapids 6:00 PM 104.9 FM

Saturday, Dec. 11 at Milwaukee 7:30 PM 104.9 FM

Sunday, Dec. 12 at Grand Rapids 3:00 PM 104.9 FM

Tuesday, Dec. 14 vs. Manitoba 7:30 PM 104.9 FM

Friday, Dec. 17 at San Antonio 7:00 PM 104.9 FM

* All times listed are local time

GAME RECAPS:

Manitoba 2 at Texas 5 12/7/10

The Texas Stars defeated the Manitoba Moose 5-2 on Tuesday night in front of 3,217 fans at Cedar Park Center. Rookie forwards Sean Backman and Cody Chupp had multi-point nights with a goal and an assist, leading the Stars to a three-goal win over the Moose. Forwards Raymond Sawada, Francis Wathier and Greg Rallo also tallied goals in the victory as Texas improved to 10-5-1-1 at home. Texas goalie Richard Bachman (9-4-1) stopped 26 of 28 shots for the win. Manitoba goalie Tyler Weiman (5-4-1) stopped 18 of 22 shots in the loss.

Houston 4 at Texas 3 (OT) 12/4/10

The Texas Stars were defeated by the Houston Aeros 4-3 in overtime on Saturday night in front of 5,009 fans at Cedar Park Center. Houston's Cody Almond slid in a rebound 2:42 into overtime, breaking the tie and give the Aeros their fourth win in five games against Texas this season. Texas erased two separate deficits to force the overtime, including Cody Chupp's goal with 5:02 remaining in regulation to tie the game 3-3. Stars forwards Travis Morin and Colton Sceviour also scored in the Texas defeat. Stars defenseman Severin Blindenbacher set up two goals as Texas fell to 9-5-1-1 at home this season. Texas goalie Richard Bachman stopped 32 of 36 shots in the overtime loss. Houston goalie Anton Khudobin (9-5-1) stopped 21 of 24 shots in the win.

San Antonio 2 at Texas 1 (SO) 12/3/10

The Texas Stars were defeated by the San Antonio Rampage 2-1 in a shootout in front of 5,976 fans on Friday night at Cedar Park Center. Former Texas Stars goalie Matt Climie (10-4-0) stopped 26 of 27 shots in regulation and all four attempts in the shootout to preserve the Rampage win. Rampage winger Brett MacLean scored the only San Antonio goal in regulation, helping the Rampage end a three-game winless skid against Texas. Stars left wing Fabian Brunnstrom scored the only Texas goal of the night, as the Stars earned a point in their first shootout loss of the season. Texas goalie Richard Bachman stopped 30 of 31 shots in regulation and one of three attempts for his first shootout loss of the year.

The Texas Stars

After 24 games of action, center Travis Morin leads Texas in scoring with nine goals and 21 points. Right wing Greg Rallo is second on the team in scoring with 14 points in 24 games played. Left wings Fabian Brunnstrom and Francis Wathier are tied for third on the team with 12 points each. Wathier is tied for the team lead with nine goals and he leads Texas with five power-play markers. Center Mathieu Tousignant and defenseman Dan Spang are tied for fifth in team scoring with 11 points each. Spang is the team leader among defensemen in scoring. Left wing Luke Gazdic leads the team with 41 penalty minutes.

Texas Stars goalies Richard Bachman and Tyler Beskorowany split time in net for Texas. Brent Krahn is currently out with an injury. Bachman has appeared in 16 games, going 9-4-1 with a 2.01 goals against average and a .931 save percentage. Bachman ranks sixth overall in the AHL for goals against average and he is seventh in save percentage. Bachman has started seven straight games and played ten of the last 11 for Texas. Beskorowany is 0-1-0 with a 3.01 goals against average and a .900 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.

The Stars 24-man roster is composed of three goalies, seven defensemen and 14 forwards. Texas returns 15 players from the 2010 Western Conference Championship squad. The players range from ages 20 to 34 with an average age of 24.16. Eight players are 22-years old or younger. The roster is made up of six different nationalities. The roster also features 17 NHL draft picks, including ten Dallas Stars draft picks.

Rockford IceHogs

Rockford Head Coach Bill Peters enters his third season with the IceHogs. Peters guided the Hogs to a second straight 40-win season last year. Prior to joining the IceHogs, Peters was the head coach for the WHL Spokane Chiefs for three seasons. In his final year in the WHL, he led the Chiefs to the 2007-08 Memorial Cup championship.

Defenseman Brian Connelly leads Rockford in scoring with 13 assists and 16 points in 23 games played. Center Ryan Poltuny is second on the team with 13 points in 22 games played. Potulny is tied for the team lead with six goals. Veteran center Jeff Taffe is third on the team with five goals and 11 points in 18 games played. Rookie Jeremy Morin is tied for fourth on the club, putting up a team-leading six goals and nine points in 17 contests. Five other skaters are tied for fourth on the team in scoring including former first round pick Kyle Beach. Beach leads the team with 64 penalty minutes in 22 games played, trailed by left wing Kyle Hagel's 63 penalty minutes.

Goalie Alec Richards is 6-6-1 with a 2.65 goals against average and an .908 save percentage. Richards posted his first career AHL shutout against Abbotsford on October 15th. Hannu Toivonen backs up Richards in net with a 3-5-2 mark, a 2.94 goals against and an .897 save percentage.

Rockford returns nine players from the 2009-10 team that made the playoffs and finished with a 44-30-3-3 record (94 points, fourth place West Division). Center Evan Brophey returns to Rockford for his fourth season after scoring 14 goals and setting up 17 others for 31 points in 79 games played. Defenseman Brian Connelly will play his third season with the IceHogs after assisting 31 goals and totaling 35 points in 78 games played. Left Wing Rob Klinkhammer is back for his third season after posting 24 points in his sophomore year.

Rockford also features former Texas Stars defenseman Ivan Vishnevskiy, who has five points in seven games for the Hogs. Vishnevskiy played in 51 games for the Texas Stars in 2009-10, before Dallas traded him to Atlanta in the Kari Lehtonen deal. In the offseason, Vishnevskiy was traded by the Thrashers to the Blackhawks, who then assigned him to Rockford. He has eight points in 18 games with the Hogs.

Rockford has plenty of new faces this season, including forwards Kyle Beach and Jeremy Morin, as well as defensemen Wade Brookbank and Garnet Exelby. Beach, Chicago's first round pick (11th overall) in 2008, has three points in six games. Morin, a second round pick of Atlanta in 2009, has four points in six games. Brookbank and Exelby are veteran defenders. Exelby has over 400 games of NHL experience, while Brookbank has played in 127 NHL games and over 300 in the AHL. Center Jeff Taffe has posted 314 points in 395 AHL games, including 75 points in 74 games with Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton in 2008-09.

"Special" Teams

After finishing second overall last season on the penalty kill, the Texas Stars penalty kill is 23rd overall at 80.9%. Texas ranks 19th best in the AHL, converting on 17.2% of its power plays. The IceHogs are 23rd overall on the power play, converting 14.8% of the time. Rockford is 15th overall on the penalty kill, stopping 82.7% of their opponents' power plays.

Offense and Defense

The Texas Stars are fourth overall in team defense, allowing 2.50 goals against per game. Texas is ranked 16th out of 30 teams, scoring an average of 2.88 goals per game. Rockford's defense ranks 20th overall with a 3.00 goals against per game. The Hogs sit 29th offensively, averaging 2.30 goals per game.

Josh Fisher

Texas Stars

Director of Media Relations and Broadcasting

w: 512-600-5016

c: 512-431-8226

f: 512-600-5020

2100 Avenue of the Stars

Cedar Park, TX 78613

v:*

TEXAS STARS MEDIA NOTES

Texas Stars (14-8-1-1, 30 points) at Rockford IceHogs (9-11-0-3, 21 points)

Texas and Rockford meet for the second time this season and the 14th time in AHL history. The two teams will play a total of six games this season, including three at Cedar Park Center. The Stars lead the all-time series with an 11-2-0-0 record against the Hogs, including a perfect 5-0-0-0 mark at the Rockford MetroCentre. In the first meeting of the season, the Stars beat the IceHogs 4-3 in a shootout at Rockford on October 27.

The Stars are 4-3-0-0 on the road this season and 6-2-1-1 in the last ten games. Texas enters tonight's game having won eight of its last 12 games. Over that span, the Stars have outscored their opponents 43-21 and taken points in ten of 12. The Stars have collected points in five straight games (3-0-1-1) and they wrapped up a seven-game home stand with a 4-1-1-1 mark. The Stars have played the fewest road games in the AHL, but Texas will play four road games in the next five nights with two stops in Grand Rapids and one in Milwaukee this weekend. Texas is coming off a 5-2 win over Manitoba on Tuesday night. The Stars are the most disciplined team in the AHL, spending 12.13 minutes per game in the penalty box.

The IceHogs are 3-5-0-1 at home this season and 3-5-0-2 in the last ten games played. Only Milwaukee (8) and Norfolk (7) have played fewer home games than the IceHogs. Rockford has played 23 games this year, the fewest by any team in the AHL. The IceHogs have two wins in their last seven games. Over that span they have been outscored 22-13. Rockford is coming off a 2-1 win at Houston on Friday night. The Hogs rank fourth overall in the AHL, averaging 22.57 penalty minutes per game.

Texas forward Travis Morin led all scorers in the season series and playoff series last year. Morin had nine assists and ten points in eight regular season meetings and posted seven assists in four playoff games. In all, Morin had 16 assists and 17 points in 12 games versus Rockford. Stars goalie Brent Krahn went 4-0-0 in the regular season with two shutouts, a 0.99 goals against average and a .971 save percentage at Rockford. In the playoffs, Krahn went 4-0 with a 1.25 goals against average and a .961 save percentage versus the IceHogs. Last season, IceHogs defenseman Brian Connelly had three assists in four playoffs games against Texas and four assists in eight regular season meetings with the Stars.

Dallas Assigns Left Wing Francis Wathier

Prior to the Tuesday night's game, the Dallas Stars announced that the club has assigned left wing Francis Wathier back to the Texas Stars, Dallas' primary minor league affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL). Wathier, 26, has played in 23 games for Texas so far this season, ranking second on the team in goals (eight) and tied for third in points (11). In 2009-10, he recorded 40 points (19g, 21a) in 76 games with Texas and helped the Stars reach the Calder Cup Finals in the club's inaugural season. Wathier also ranked second on the club in penalty minutes during the regular season (101). The St. Isidore, Ontario native made his NHL debut last season with Dallas, appearing in five games and recording five penalty minutes. Wathier was drafted by Dallas in the sixth round (185th overall) at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Texas Recalls Rookie Forward Tristan King

The Texas Stars announced on Sunday that the club has recalled forward Tristan King from the Idaho Steelheads, Texas' ECHL Affiliate. King played in six games for the Steelheads, scoring one goal and three assists for four points. Prior to heading to Idaho, King played in nine games for Texas, scoring two goals and two assists.

Dallas Recalls Center Aaron Gagnon and Defenseman Philip Larsen

The Dallas Stars announced on Friday that the club has recalled Texas Stars center Aaron Gagnon.

Gagnon, 24, appeared in 20 games for Texas this season, scoring five goals and four assists for nine points with six penalty minutes. He was recalled by Dallas on October 17 and appeared in one game at Tampa Bay. He was assigned back to Texas the following day. Gagnon signed as a free agent with Dallas on February 2, 2007.

Prior to the game on Saturday,

the Dallas Stars announced that the club has recalled defenseman Philip Larsen from the Texas Stars, Dallas' primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL). Larsen, 20, has appeared in 18 games for Texas this season, earning nine assists with four penalty minutes and a +2 rating. He has played in two games for Dallas this year and earned an assist. Larsen was selected by Dallas in the fifth round (149th overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

What's Ahead:

DATE OPPONENT TIME TV/RADIO

Friday, Dec. 10 at Grand Rapids 6:00 PM 104.9 FM

Saturday, Dec. 11 at Milwaukee 7:30 PM 104.9 FM

Sunday, Dec. 12 at Grand Rapids 3:00 PM 104.9 FM

Tuesday, Dec. 14 vs. Manitoba 7:30 PM 104.9 FM

Friday, Dec. 17 at San Antonio 7:00 PM 104.9 FM

* All times listed are local time

GAME RECAPS:

Manitoba 2 at Texas 5 12/7/10

The Texas Stars defeated the Manitoba Moose 5-2 on Tuesday night in front of 3,217 fans at Cedar Park Center. Rookie forwards Sean Backman and Cody Chupp had multi-point nights with a goal and an assist, leading the Stars to a three-goal win over the Moose. Forwards Raymond Sawada, Francis Wathier and Greg Rallo also tallied goals in the victory as Texas improved to 10-5-1-1 at home. Texas goalie Richard Bachman (9-4-1) stopped 26 of 28 shots for the win. Manitoba goalie Tyler Weiman (5-4-1) stopped 18 of 22 shots in the loss.

Houston 4 at Texas 3 (OT) 12/4/10

The Texas Stars were defeated by the Houston Aeros 4-3 in overtime on Saturday night in front of 5,009 fans at Cedar Park Center. Houston's Cody Almond slid in a rebound 2:42 into overtime, breaking the tie and give the Aeros their fourth win in five games against Texas this season. Texas erased two separate deficits to force the overtime, including Cody Chupp's goal with 5:02 remaining in regulation to tie the game 3-3. Stars forwards Travis Morin and Colton Sceviour also scored in the Texas defeat. Stars defenseman Severin Blindenbacher set up two goals as Texas fell to 9-5-1-1 at home this season. Texas goalie Richard Bachman stopped 32 of 36 shots in the overtime loss. Houston goalie Anton Khudobin (9-5-1) stopped 21 of 24 shots in the win.

San Antonio 2 at Texas 1 (SO) 12/3/10

The Texas Stars were defeated by the San Antonio Rampage 2-1 in a shootout in front of 5,976 fans on Friday night at Cedar Park Center. Former Texas Stars goalie Matt Climie (10-4-0) stopped 26 of 27 shots in regulation and all four attempts in the shootout to preserve the Rampage win. Rampage winger Brett MacLean scored the only San Antonio goal in regulation, helping the Rampage end a three-game winless skid against Texas. Stars left wing Fabian Brunnstrom scored the only Texas goal of the night, as the Stars earned a point in their first shootout loss of the season. Texas goalie Richard Bachman stopped 30 of 31 shots in regulation and one of three attempts for his first shootout loss of the year.

The Texas Stars

After 24 games of action, center Travis Morin leads Texas in scoring with nine goals and 21 points. Right wing Greg Rallo is second on the team in scoring with 14 points in 24 games played. Left wings Fabian Brunnstrom and Francis Wathier are tied for third on the team with 12 points each. Wathier is tied for the team lead with nine goals and he leads Texas with five power-play markers. Center Mathieu Tousignant and defenseman Dan Spang are tied for fifth in team scoring with 11 points each. Spang is the team leader among defensemen in scoring. Left wing Luke Gazdic leads the team with 41 penalty minutes.

Texas Stars goalies Richard Bachman and Tyler Beskorowany split time in net for Texas. Brent Krahn is currently out with an injury. Bachman has appeared in 16 games, going 9-4-1 with a 2.01 goals against average and a .931 save percentage. Bachman ranks sixth overall in the AHL for goals against average and he is seventh in save percentage. Bachman has started seven straight games and played ten of the last 11 for Texas. Beskorowany is 0-1-0 with a 3.01 goals against average and a .900 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.

The Stars 24-man roster is composed of three goalies, seven defensemen and 14 forwards. Texas returns 15 players from the 2010 Western Conference Championship squad. The players range from ages 20 to 34 with an average age of 24.16. Eight players are 22-years old or younger. The roster is made up of six different nationalities. The roster also features 17 NHL draft picks, including ten Dallas Stars draft picks.

Rockford IceHogs

Rockford Head Coach Bill Peters enters his third season with the IceHogs. Peters guided the Hogs to a second straight 40-win season last year. Prior to joining the IceHogs, Peters was the head coach for the WHL Spokane Chiefs for three seasons. In his final year in the WHL, he led the Chiefs to the 2007-08 Memorial Cup championship.

Defenseman Brian Connelly leads Rockford in scoring with 13 assists and 16 points in 23 games played. Center Ryan Poltuny is second on the team with 13 points in 22 games played. Potulny is tied for the team lead with six goals. Veteran center Jeff Taffe is third on the team with five goals and 11 points in 18 games played. Rookie Jeremy Morin is tied for fourth on the club, putting up a team-leading six goals and nine points in 17 contests. Five other skaters are tied for fourth on the team in scoring including former first round pick Kyle Beach. Beach leads the team with 64 penalty minutes in 22 games played, trailed by left wing Kyle Hagel's 63 penalty minutes.

Goalie Alec Richards is 6-6-1 with a 2.65 goals against average and an .908 save percentage. Richards posted his first career AHL shutout against Abbotsford on October 15th. Hannu Toivonen backs up Richards in net with a 3-5-2 mark, a 2.94 goals against and an .897 save percentage.

Rockford returns nine players from the 2009-10 team that made the playoffs and finished with a 44-30-3-3 record (94 points, fourth place West Division). Center Evan Brophey returns to Rockford for his fourth season after scoring 14 goals and setting up 17 others for 31 points in 79 games played. Defenseman Brian Connelly will play his third season with the IceHogs after assisting 31 goals and totaling 35 points in 78 games played. Left Wing Rob Klinkhammer is back for his third season after posting 24 points in his sophomore year.

Rockford also features former Texas Stars defenseman Ivan Vishnevskiy, who has five points in seven games for the Hogs. Vishnevskiy played in 51 games for the Texas Stars in 2009-10, before Dallas traded him to Atlanta in the Kari Lehtonen deal. In the offseason, Vishnevskiy was traded by the Thrashers to the Blackhawks, who then assigned him to Rockford. He has eight points in 18 games with the Hogs.

Rockford has plenty of new faces this season, including forwards Kyle Beach and Jeremy Morin, as well as defensemen Wade Brookbank and Garnet Exelby. Beach, Chicago's first round pick (11th overall) in 2008, has three points in six games. Morin, a second round pick of Atlanta in 2009, has four points in six games. Brookbank and Exelby are veteran defenders. Exelby has over 400 games of NHL experience, while Brookbank has played in 127 NHL games and over 300 in the AHL. Center Jeff Taffe has posted 314 points in 395 AHL games, including 75 points in 74 games with Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton in 2008-09.

"Special" Teams

After finishing second overall last season on the penalty kill, the Texas Stars penalty kill is 23rd overall at 80.9%. Texas ranks 19th best in the AHL, converting on 17.2% of its power plays. The IceHogs are 23rd overall on the power play, converting 14.8% of the time. Rockford is 15th overall on the penalty kill, stopping 82.7% of their opponents' power plays.

Offense and Defense

The Texas Stars are fourth overall in team defense, allowing 2.50 goals against per game. Texas is ranked 16th out of 30 teams, scoring an average of 2.88 goals per game. Rockford's defense ranks 20th overall with a 3.00 goals against per game. The Hogs sit 29th offensively, averaging 2.30 goals per game.

Check out the Texas Stars Statistics

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American Hockey League Stories from December 8, 2010


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