AHL Texas Stars

Gameday Preview- Texas at Peoria

Published on April 5, 2012 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Texas Stars News Release


Texas Stars (30-37-2-2, 64 points) at Peoria Rivermen (37-30-2-2, 78 points)

The Stars and the Rivermen meet for the fourth and final time this season. This marks the 18th all-time meeting between the two teams. The Stars lead the season series by taking two of the three previous meetings. The last time the two teams met, Texas beat Peoria 6-2, improving to 8-8-1-0 all-time against the Rivermen. Peoria leads the all-time series with a 9-6-1-1 record against Texas. The Stars are 3-4-1-0 at Carver Arena all-time. Texas lost its only visit of the season to Peoria, a 5-3 loss on October 27th. Peoria is currently holding the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Rivermen have five regular season games remaining, including two at home. 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 a 4-2 loss at Grand Rapids on Wednesday. The Stars fell 13-21-0-1 on the road this season, having taking two of their last three road games. The team has been outscored 114-88 on the road this season. Texas will only play three out of the remaining six games against division foes. The Stars are 14-24-0-2 against the West Division and 7-7-0-0 against the North Division. Texas' scoring has been spread out evenly this season, with 58 first-period tallies and 84 second-period markers. The Stars lead the opposition in second-period scoring with an 85-78 edge. In all, the club has been outscored by the opposing team 235-211 for the season. The Stars have struggled defensively, allowing a league-high 83 first-period goals. Texas is eighth in the league with a 2.99 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 4-31-0-0 when trailing after two periods of play, with all four comebacks occurring at home. The Stars are 0-17-0-0 on the road when trailing after two frames. 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 Rivermen are coming off a 1-0 win at home over San Antonio on Sunday. The win ended a five-game winless skid (0-4-0-1). Prior to the winless skid, the Rivermen ripped off five straight wins. After Thursday night's home game, Peoria plays three of the last fouor games on the road with visits to Houston, Oklahoma City and Chicago. The Rivermen are 18-17-1-0 at home this season and 5-4-1-0 over the last ten games. Peoria has lost four of the last five home games. The team has edged its opponents 102-97 at Carver Arena this year. The Rivermen are 11-7-1-0 against the West Division this season. Peoria's scoring is evenly dispersed over three periods of play with 55 first-period tallies, 77 second-period goals and 69 in the third. The team ranks ninth best in the AHL offensively, scoring 2.90 goals per game. Defensively, the Rivermen are sixth best in the league with 2.68 goals against game. Peoria is third to last in the AHL, allowing 33.97 shots per game. The team is 28-3-0-0 when leading after two frames, but 4-19-2-1 when trailing after two periods. The club is 14-13-2-2 in games decided by one goal this season.

Texas Stars

Center Travis Morin is the clubhouse leader with a team-record 51 assists and 63 points in his first 71 games played. He ranks in the top five of the AHL for assists and top ten for points. With a goal last 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 52 points in 68 games. He leads the team with 34 goals scored and is second with 231 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 70 games. Sceviour has career-highs for goals as well, potting 21 on the year. He leads the club with 235 shots on goal this year, placing him third in the league. Wathier has 18 goals and 23 assists for 41 points in 70 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 67 games played.

Jordie Benn leads all defensemen in scoring with nine goals and 19 assists for 28 points in 57 games played. Defenseman Brenden Dillon is second in points from the blueline with five goals and 21 assists for 26 points in 71 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 65 games played.

Goalies Andrew Raycroft, Tyler Beskorowany and Jack Campbell split time in net for Texas. Campbell has started the last seven games since turning pro on March 21st. The rookie netminder is 3-3-0 with a 2.99 goals against average and a .914 save percentage. His 19 saves in the first period against Hamilton last 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 319 power plays for a 19.1% conversion rate, as Texas is ninth overall in power play percentage. The Stars have killed off 218 of 265 opponents power plays (82.3%), ranking 15th overall on the penalty kill. The Rivermen are fifth in the AHL on the penalty kill, stopping 84.5% of their opponents' power plays. Overall, Peoria ranks sixth in the AHL on the power play after going 55-for-280 (19.6%).

The Peoria Rivermen

Center T.J Hensick leads the team in assists and points, totaling 46 helpers and 67 points in 61 games played. He ranks among the league leaders in points and assists, including power-play assists (17) and power-play points (26). Veteran winger Jonathan Cheechoo is tied for first on the team with 198 shots on goals and he sits second on the club with 54 points in 66 games played. Cheechoo leads the team with 24 goals. Left wing Derek Nesbitt is third overall on the team with 53 points in 66 games played. He is second on the team with 22 goals and is a perfect 7-for-7 in shootouts this season. Right wing Adam Cracknell leads all Peoria forwards with a +22 and he is fourth on the team with 46 points off 20 goals and 26 assists in 67 games played. Cracknell is tied for the team lead in shots at 198. Left wing Patrick O'Sullivan was acquired from Portland nearly a month ago. In his first 12 games, O'Sullivan has seven assists and 11 points in 12 games.

Offensive defenseman Danny Syvret leads the Peoria blueline with 34 assists and 41 points in 70 games played. He is second overall on the team in assists and leads the team with 18 power-play assists. Rookie defender Cade Fairchild is among the AHL leaders with a +28 in 63 games played this season. He also is second among Peoria defensemen in scoring with 32 points. Fairchild was named to the AHL's All-Rookie team on Wednesday.

Jake Allen and Alex Stalock man the crease for Peoria. After Ben Bishop was traded by St. Louis to Ottawa on February 26th, Jake Allen assumed the number one spot. Since Bishop's departure, Allen is 6-6-0-0 with a 2.33 goals against average and a .929 save percentage. For the season, the second-year pro is 11-18-2 with a 2.89 goals against average and a .916 save percentage. Alex Stalock is 3-1-0 on the year, posting a 1.86 goals against average and a .936 save percentage. In three appearances with Peoria, Stalock is 2-0-0 with a 1.13 goals against average and a .964 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

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.

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.

What's Ahead:

DATE OPPONENT TIME RADIO

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 5, 2012


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