AHL Texas Stars

Gameday Preview - Texas at San Antonio

Published on April 10, 2011 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Texas Stars News Release


Texas and San Antonio meet for the tenth and final time this season, the 22nd meeting in AHL history. The two teams played a total of 12 times last year with the Stars taking the season series by posting an 8-4-0-0 mark against the Rampage. The Stars have taken six of the nine games in this year's season series. The last meeting was on March 4th, a 6-5 overtime win for Texas at Cedar Park Center. Texas is 14-5-0-2 all time against San Antonio, including a 5-4-0-1 mark at the AT&T Center, where Texas has four shutouts. The Stars are coming off a 2-0 loss at home to Oklahoma City on Saturday night. San Antonio fell 5-3 in Chicago on Saturday evening. Sunday is the last day of the regular season in the AHL as teams complete the 75th regular season in league history.

Texas is 19-16-1-3 away from Cedar Park Center this season and 6-4-0-0 in the last ten games. The club will finish up a stretch of three games in three days on Sunday. Texas played in Milwaukee on Friday night and at home on Saturday against Oklahoma City. Texas also plays the final game of seven games over ten days. All seven games have been against division opponents. The Stars are 31-18-2-4 against the West Division this season and 10-9-2-1 against the North Division this season. Texas is the least penalized team in the league accruing 12.85 penalty minutes a game. The Stars are 22-5-4-6 in one-goal games this year and 25-1-1-1 when leading after two periods of play this season. When trailing after two periods of play, the Stars have a 9-22-2-1 mark. The nine wins are the most of any team in the AHL when trailing after two frames.

San Antonio is 22-14-1-2 at home this year and 2-6-1-1 in the last ten games played. The Rampage are 7-3 in shootouts this season and have a 26-25-4-2 record against the West Division. The Rampage have scored the first goal of the game 38 times this season, one of the lowest total in the AHL. When San Antonio scores first, the team is 19-9-1-2. They have been outscored 81-56 in the first period of play, but have outscored their opponents 76-73 in the second period of play this season. San Antonio has allowed 11 shorthanded goals this year, one of the highest totals in the league. When leading after two periods of play, the Rampage have a 23-3-2-2 record. When trailing after two periods of play, they have a 5-25-2-0 mark. The team has a 10-5-0-1 record when they are tied after two periods.

Through the first nine games of the series, right wing Greg Rallo leads all Texas scorers with eight points and five goals. Texas center Aaron Gagnon is second with six points off three goals and three assists. Stars Scott McCulloch, Dan Spang, Travis Morin and Brad Lukowich each have five points in the series. San Antonio's Alexandre Picard has six points in five games, including four goals. Defenseman Garrett Stafford, a former Star, has two goals and four assists for six points in six games against Texas. Viktor Tikhonov has five points in six games.

Texas goalie Richard Bachman is 4-1-1 with a 2.46 goals against average and a .915 save percentage with a shutout. Tyler Beskorowany is 0-0-1 with a 1.85 goals against average and a .935 save percentage. Brent Krahn went 2-0-0 with a 1.98 goals against average and a .930 save percentage. Former Texas goalie, Matt Climie is 3-4-0 with a 2.89 goals against average and a .910 save percentage for San Antonio. Climie has posted two shootout victories over Texas this season.

Texas Has Three Possible First Round Opponents Heading Into Season Finale

The Stars have control of their own destiny heading into the final day of the regular season with three potential first round opponents. Texas would be the lower seed and start on the road against West Division rivals Milwaukee or Houston. The possibility of Texas sliding to the fifth and crossing over to the North Division keeps a series with Hamilton alive. If Texas wins at San Antonio it will clinch the three seed and play Houston. In all there are ten scenarios of combinations to determine which seed the Stars will get. The scenario of Texas playing Houston is a 60% chance. Texas playing Milwaukee is a 30% chance, leaving a Hamilton series at a dismal 10%. Peoria holds the tie breaker over Texas. If Texas fails to register a point on Sunday, the Rivermen will get the higher seed. Oklahoma City can take the tie-breaker if the club wins in Houston and Texas fails to gain at least one point.

2011 Calder Cup Playoff Tickets on Sale Now

Cedar Park, TX - Texas Stars announced on Saturday that tickets for the 2011 Calder Cup Playoffs are on sale now at the Cedar Park Center box office.

Fans looking for tickets to see the Stars defend their Western Conference crown may call 512 GO-STARS to purchase a playoff strip, which includes tickets for every Texas Stars playoff home game at Cedar Park Center. Fans looking to purchase individual game tickets will be able to do so online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling TicketMaster at (800) 745-3000.

First Round Pick Scott Glennie Joins Texas Stars

Cedar Park, TX - The Texas Stars announced on Wednesday the club has signed forward Scott Glennie to an Amateur Tryout Agreement (ATO).

Glennie recently completed a four-year run with the Western Hockey League's Brandon Wheat Kings. He finished second in team scoring this season with a career-high 91 points, including 35 goals and 56 assists in 70 regular season games played. The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder was chosen by the Dallas Stars in the first round (8th overall) of the 2009 National Hockey League Entry Draft. The Winnipeg native led Brandon in playoff scoring with three goals and 10 points in six games. The Wheat Kings fell to the Medicine Hat Tigers in their best-of-seven opening round playoff series.

The 19-year old played in 252 career games for the Wheat Kings and he became the first Brandon player since Marty Murray in 1994 to eclipse the 300-point plateau. Glennie is one of only eleven players to score over 300 career points in franchise history. During his Wheat King career, Glennie scored 121 goals and totaled 308 points. In 39 playoff games with Brandon, he had ten goals and 39 points - good for 15th on the club's all-time list.

PK Finds Groove

The Texas Stars penalty kill is 24th overall at 80.7% this year. The Stars penalty kill has been superb since March 5, stopping 61 of the last 65 attempts (93.8%). Texas went five games without giving up a power-play goal from March 5 - March 13. The Stars' streak ended on March 19 while visiting the Manitoba Moose, allowing one goal off three attempts. In the last ten games, the team has only given up four power-play goals on the last 46 penalty kills (91.3%). Texas went eight for eight on Saturday at home against the Barons.

What's Ahead:

DATE OPPONENT TIME RADIO

2011 Calder Cup Playoffs Schedule TBD

LAST GAMES RECAP:

Oklahoma City 2 at Texas 0 4/9/11

The Texas Stars were defeated by the Oklahoma City Barons 2-0 on Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd of 6,863 fans at Cedar Park Center. Oklahoma City goalie Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers made 22 saves in the win, as the Barons clinched a playoff spot. Forwards Colin McDonald and Milan Kyntar each tallied a goal for the Barons on the night. Texas goalie Richard Bachman stopped 30 shots, as the Stars end their regular season with 22-12-3-3 mark at home.

Texas 3 at Milwaukee 2 4/8/11

Milwaukee, WI - The Texas Stars defeated the Milwaukee Admirals 3-2 on Friday night in front of 5,893 fans at the Bradley Center. Center Travis Morin scored two goals, including the eventual game-winning goal with 3:19 left in regulation to lead the Stars to victory. Texas goalie Richard Bachman stopped 30 shots in the win, as the Stars clinched a spot in the 2011 Calder Cup Playoffs. Right wing Raymond Sawada had a goal and an assist, as Texas ended a three-game slide. Milwaukee defenseman Grant Lewis had a goal and an assist as the Admirals dropped their third straight decision and failed to clinch the West Division. Milwaukee goalie Jeremy Smith made 20 saves in the defeat.

The Texas Stars

After 79 games of action, right wing Greg Rallo leads the team in points with 54 (26g-28a). Rallo also leads the team with 26 goals and 254 shots on net. He is tied for second in the league with seven game-winning goals and he ranks in the top five for shots on goal. Center Travis Morin is second for Texas in scoring with 21 goals and 24 assists for 45 points in 63 games played. Morin returned to the lineup on March 7th after missing 14 games with an injury. Colton Sceviour is third on the team with 41 points and he is fourth with 25 assists in 76 games played. Dan Spang is tied for fourth overall on the team with 37 points. He is third on the team in assists (27), as well as leading all defensemen in goals (10) and shots on goal (167). Left wing Francis Wathier is third on the team with 19 goals and 177 shots in 67 games played. Defenseman Maxime Fortunus leads the team with 29 assists in 73 games played. Center Mathieu Tousignant leads the team with 120 penalty minutes.

Texas Stars goalies Richard Bachman and Tyler Beskorowany fill the net for the Stars. Bachman has appeared in 55 games, going 28-19-5 with a 2.20 goals against average and a .927 save percentage. Bachman ranks in the top five of the AHL for goals against average and save percentage. Bachman has started 38 of the last 50 games and he ranks third in the AHL with 3,191 minutes played in net. Overall, Beskorowany is 7-7-1 with a 2.19 goals against average and a .927 save percentage. Goalie Brent Krahn has appeared in 12 games, posting a 6-6-0 mark, a 3.20 goals against average and a .895 save percentage. Krahn is out with an injury.

Richard the Record Breaker

Rookie goalie Richard Bachman has set numerous team records this year. With 28 wins on the season, Bachman has passed Matt Climie's team record of 21 wins last season. The 23-year old Bachman has topped Brent Krahn's mark of five shutouts in 2009-10. Bachman recorded his sixth shutout of the season on March 22nd against Houston. His 55 appearances have surpassed Climie's record of 43 appearances in one year. Bachman also passed Climie's mark of 2,539 minutes played, seeing a total of 3,191 minutes in the Stars crease this year. The second-year pro and AHL rookie goalie is the Stars all-time leader in most goalie categories. Bachman is 32-22-5 all-time in 62 appearances with Texas. He has played 3,578 minutes, posting a 2.18 goals against average and a .927 save percentage with seven shutouts

The San Antonio Rampage

San Antonio starts its first full season with Ray Edwards as head coach, who took over for Greg Ireland 18 games into last season. Edwards went on to post a 30-23-0-9 record in the final 62 games of the year.

The Rampage are without a handful of the team's top scorers, including forwards Brett MacLean, Andrew Ebbett and left wing Mikkel Boedker. Along with rugged forward Ryan Hollweg, all of the skaters are with the parent club Phoenix Coyotes. Right wing Brett MacLean had 23 goals and 50 points in 51 games played prior to his call up. Ebbett had 38 points in 37 games played, including 27 helpers. Boedker had 22 assists and 34 points in 36 games played.

Two former Texas Stars are the active leaders among Rampage skaters. Right wing Mathieu Beaudoin is the club's active leader with 21 goals and 51 points in 62 games played. Garrett Stafford leads all defensemen with 32 assists and is fourth among active players with 46 points in 64 games played. The former Star is tenth among all AHL defenseman in scoring. Left wing Alexandre Picard is second in scoring on the team, including a team-high 24 goals to go along with 46 points in 58 games played.

In net, the Rampage pair Matt Climie and Joe Fallon. Climie went 21-17-3 with a 2.46 goals against average and a .919 save percentage in 43 games with Texas in 2009-10. This year, Climie is 26-22-3 with a 2.64 goals against average and a .913 save percentage. He has three shutouts and is 6-3 in shootouts this year. Fallon is 2-7-0 with a 3.26 goals against average and a .880 save percentage.

Special Teams

After finishing second overall last season on the penalty kill, the Stars rank 24th overall at 80.7%. Texas sits 19th in the AHL, converting 17.3% of its power plays. San Antonio is second overall on the power play, converting 21.4% of the time. San Antonio is 22nd in the AHL on the penalty kill, stopping 81.0% of its opponents' power plays.

Offense and Defense

The Texas Stars are eighth overall in team defense, allowing 2.65 goals against per game. Texas is ranked 25th out of 30 teams, scoring an average of 2.70 goals per game. San Antonio's defense ranks 22nd overall with a 3.10 goals against per game. The Rampage sits 12th offensively, averaging 2.87 goals per game.

Check out the Texas Stars Statistics

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American Hockey League Stories from April 10, 2011


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