AHL Texas Stars

Gameday Preview- Chicago at Texas

Published on April 10, 2012 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Texas Stars News Release


Chicago Wolves (40-26-3-3, 86 points) at Texas Stars (30-38-2-2, 64 points)

The Stars and the Wolves meet for the fourth and final time this season. The Wolves lead the season series by taking the first two meetings of the season. The Stars took the last encounter, a 4-3 Texas win at Chicago. This marks the 18th all-time meeting between the two teams. The Stars are 11-5-1-0 all-time against the Wolves, including a 4-3-1-0 mark at home. Texas took the season series in 2010-11 by posting a 6-0-0-0 mark against the Wolves. Chicago is 6-9-1-1 all-time against Texas, including a 2-6-0-1 record at the Cedar Park Center. Chicago is currently locked in a division race with Milwaukee and Peoria four points back. The winner of the Midwest Division will lock in the #3 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The Wolves have four games remaining, with two on the road and two at home. Texas is in 15th place of the conference, 18 points back of the final playoff spot with four games remaining (2 home, 2 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 its third straight defeat, a 3-1 loss at Peoria on Tuesday. The team is 17-16-2-1 at home this season, having outscored the visitors 123-121. Texas has one win in the last eight games at home. Texas will only play three out of the remaining four games against division foes. The Stars are 14-24-0-2 against the West Division and 9-8-2-0 against the Midwest Division. Texas' scoring has been spread out evenly this season, with 58 first-period tallies and 85 second-period markers. The Stars lead the opposition in second-period scoring with an 85-79 edge. In all, the club has been outscored by the opposing team 238-213 for the season. The Stars have struggled defensively, allowing a league-high 83 first-period goals. Texas is eighth in the league with a 2.96 goals per game average and it ranks 29th defensively with a 3.31 goals against average. The Stars are 20-2-1-1 when leading after two periods of play. Texas is 4-32-0-0 when trailing after two periods of play, with all four comebacks occurring at home. The Stars are 4-16-0-0 at Cedar Park Center when trailing after two frames. The team is 15-15-2-2 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 Wolves are coming off a 3-0 win at Oklahoma City on Saturday night. It marked the fourth win in the last six games. The Wolves are 7-2-1-0 on the season and 20-12-3-1 on the road. Chicago is playing the sixth of seven straight on the road. The team is 3-1-1-0 after the first five games, making stops in Abbotsford, Oklahoma City, Houston and San Antonio. Chicago is outscoring opponents 199-179 overall, including a 101-93 advantage on the road. Chicago ranks fourth best in the AHL defensively, allowing only 2.49 goals per game. Offensively, the Wolves are 18th best in the league with 2.76 goals per game. Chicago has 72 goals scored in the first period, 75 in the second and only 48 in the third. The team is 25-2-0-1 when leading after the first period and 33-4-0-0 when leading after the second period. Chicago is 16-11-3-3 in games decided by one goal. The Wolves are 11-7-1-2 against the West Division this season.

Texas Stars

Center Travis Morin is the clubhouse leader with a team-record 52 assists and team-record 64 points in his first 72 games played. He ranks in the top five of the AHL for assists and in the top ten for points. With a goal on Thursday, March 29, at home against Hamilton, he 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 54 points in 69 games. He leads the AHL with 36 goals scored and is second on the team with 237 shots on net. Fraser is sixth 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 30 assists and he is third with a career-high 51 points in 71 games. Sceviour has career-highs for goals as well, potting 21 on the year. He leads the club with 238 shots on goal this year, placing him fifth in the league. Wathier has 18 goals and 24 assists for 42 points in 71 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 68 games played.

Jordie Benn leads all defensemen in scoring with nine goals and 19 assists for 28 points in 58 games played. Defenseman Brenden Dillon is second in points from the blueline with five goals and 21 assists for 26 points in 72 games played. He also leads all defenders with 91 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 64 games played. Dan Spang has three goals and 20 assists for 23 points in 66 games played.

Goalies Andrew Raycroft, Tyler Beskorowany and Jack Campbell split time in net for Texas. Campbell has started the last eight games since turning pro on March 21st. The rookie netminder is 4-3-0 with a 3.00 goals against average and a .915 save percentage. His 19 saves in the first period against Hamilton on March 29th 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 321 power plays for a 19.0% conversion rate, as Texas is ninth overall in power play percentage. The Stars have killed off 222 of 269 opponents power plays (82.5%), ranking 14th overall on the penalty kill. The Wolves are eighth in the AHL on the penalty kill, stopping 84.2% of their opponents' power plays. Overall, Chicago ranks 26th in the AHL on the power play after going 46-for-310 (14.8%).

The Chicago Wolves

The Wolves partnered up with Vancouver for a new affiliation agreement, which led to a coaching change. Craig MacTavish is behind the bench for the Wolves this season, after coaching the NHL's Edmonton Oilers from 2000-09. He finished his eight seasons with Edmonton going 301-252-47-56. MacTavish played center for 19 seasons for the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis Blues .

Forward Mark Mancari paces the Wolves in scoring. He is first on the team with 56 points off 29 goals and 27 assists in 66 games played. The 6-foot-4 winger is tied for the AHL lead with nine game-winning goals this year. He also leads the Wolves with 221 shots on goal. Veteran Darren Haydar leads the Wolves in assists (34) and he is second in points (54) in 67 games played. The 2007 AHL MVP leads the team with 19 power-play assists and 25 power-play points. Second-year center Jordan Schroeder is third on the squad, followed by Stephen Reinprecht. Schroeder has 20 goals and 43 points in 72 games played, while Reinprecht has 29 assists and 40 points in 54 games played for Chicago. The veteran center was acquired after going scoreless in five games with San Antonio. Forward Tim Miller is fifth on the club in scoring with 37 points in 71 games played. The third-year pro is fourth on the team in goals. Miller played for Texas coach Jeff Pyle in Gwinnett from 2009-11. The 24-year-old leads Chicago with a +18.

Kevin Connauton leads all Chicago defensemen in scoring with 13 goals and 30 points in 71 games played. Overall, Connauton is fourth among all AHL defenders in goals and he is fourth with 188 shots on goal. Veteran Nolan Baumgartner is second with 21 points in 58 games.

In net, the Wolves feature former Texas Star Matt Climie and Eddie Lack. Climie is 20-10-0 and sporting a 2.45 goals against average and a .923 save percentage. He played for Texas during the team's inaugural season in 2009-10. Lack is 20-19-3 with a 2.26 goals against average and a .926 save percentage.

Dallas Assigns Brenden Dillon, Jordie Benn, Scott Glennie and Tomas Vincour

The Dallas Stars announced on Sunday that the club assigned defenseman Brenden Dillon, forward Scott Glennie, defenseman Jordie Benn and forward Tomas Vincour to the Texas Stars, Dallas' primary affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL).

Dillon, 21, has played in 72 games for Texas this season, scoring five goals and adding 21 assists for 26 points and 91 penalty minutes. He was signed to a three-year contract as a free agent on March 3, 2011. The 6-3, 212-pound defenseman made his NHL debut on April 7 vs. the St. Louis Blues registering a team-leading six shots and four hits in 19:59 of ice time.

Glennie, 21, has played in 68 games this season for Texas and has 12 goals and 25 assists for 37 points. He made his NHL debut on April 7 vs. the St. Louis Blues, earning two hits and two penalty minutes. The 6-2, 200-pound forward from Winnipeg, Manitoba, was selected in the first round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft (No. 8 overall).

Benn, 24, collected two assists in his three 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.

Vincour, 21, appeared in 47 games for the Dallas Stars this season, collecting five goals, seven assists and six penalty minutes during the 2011-12 campaign. The 6-2, 204-pound forward was Dallas' fifth-round selection (129th overall) in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

Labrie Reassigned to Idaho for ECHL's Kelly Cup Playoffs

The Dallas Stars announced on Sunday that the team has reassigned defenseman Hubert Labrie from the Texas Stars to the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL.

Labrie, returns to Idaho for the ECHL's Kelly Cup Playoffs. He played in eight games for the Steelheads in 2011-12, scoring one goal and adding four assists for five points. The rookie defenseman also played in 33 games for the Texas Stars this season, scoring two goals and totaling three points. Labrie turned pro after playing the previous four years in Gatineau of the QMJHL from 2007-08. In 192 QMJHL games, the 21-year-old defenseman scored ten goals and set up 38 others for a total of 48 points.

LAST THREE GAMES

Texas 2 at Peoria 3 4/5/12

The Texas Stars were defeated by t he Peoria Rivermen 3-2 in front of 5,235 fans at Carver Arena on Thursday night. Rivermen forwards Patrick O'Sullivan and Adam Cracknell scored 2:22 apart midway through the third period to propel Peoria past Texas. Rivermen goalie Jake Allen stopped 32 of 34 Stars shots, as his club improved to 19-17-1-0 at home this season. Texas forward Matt Fraser extended his team record for goals in a season, netting both Stars goals and pushing his total to 36 for the year. Texas goalie Jack Campbell took the loss with 35 saves on 38 shots.

Texas 2 at Grand Rapids 4 4/4/12

The Texas Stars were defeated by the Grand Rapids Griffins 4-2 in front of 8,457 fans at Van Andel Arena on Tuesday. Griffins forward Joakim Andersson registered a hat trick and helped Grand Rapids stay in the playoff hunt with a two-goal win. Despite making 16 saves in the first period and finishing with 30 for the game, Texas goalie Jack Campbell suffered the defeat. Stars forwards Matt Fraser and Shawn Weller each scored, as the team fell to 13-21-0-1 on the road this season.

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.

What's Ahead:

DATE OPPONENT TIME RADIO

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

Friday, April 13 at San Antonio 7:00 PM 92.5 FM

Saturday, April 14 vs. Oklahoma City 7:00 PM 92.5 FM

Sunday, April 15 at Houston 5:05 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 10, 2012


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