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AHL Texas Stars

Texas Stars Playoff Update #43

May 26, 2010 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Texas Stars News Release


STARS AND BULLDOGS MEET FOR GAME 7 IN HAMILTON TONIGHT

The Robert W. Clarke Trophy and a berth in the 2010 Calder Cup Finals are on the line tonight when Hamilton hosts Texas in Game 7 of the Western Conference championship series. Tonight's winner will face the Hershey Bears in the AHL's 74th Calder Cup Finals.

The Stars have allowed the game's first goal in all six games of the series to date and have played with the lead for a total of 18:19 out of the 386:11 played (4.7 percent), but are still one win away from becoming the first team since Chicago and Bridgeport in 2002 to reach the Calder Cup Finals in their first AHL season. Four of the first six games in the series have gone to overtime, including Texas's 3-2 win in Game 6 on Monday night. After the Stars came back from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits, Aaron Gagnon scored 18:32 into the first overtime for his sixth goal of the playoffs and first game-winner of the playoffs. Defenseman Garrett Stafford and forward Scott McCulloch also notched Game 6 goals for the Stars. Stafford broke an eight-game drought with his first goal since Apr. 30 at Chicago, while McCulloch scored for the first time since Game 7 of that second-round series vs. the Wolves. Rookie Jamie Benn (13-10-23), who has factored into eight of the Stars' 13 total goals in the conference finals (5-3-8), recorded a pair of assists on Monday for his eighth multiple-point effort this postseason. Of the 10 playoff games in which Benn has contributed to his team's offense, eight have been multiple-point performances. Benn remains one goal shy of the AHL rookie playoff record held by Rochester's Sean McKenna (14 in 1983). Texas is now 9-1 when Benn records a point this postseason, 2-5 when he doesn't. Texas goaltender Matt Climie (4-3, 2.70, .917) made an AHL postseason-high 51 saves on 53 shots to pick up the victory in Monday's contest, his seventh straight start after taking over for the injured Brent Krahn during Game 6 of the division finals vs. Chicago.

Rookie Gabriel Dumont and defenseman Shawn Belle tallied goals for Hamilton in Monday's loss. Dumont had been scoreless in eight straight games since tallying his first professional goal on May 4 at Abbotsford, while Belle recorded his first goal in 39 games dating back to mid-February. Bulldogs leading scorer David Desharnais (9-13-22) picked up an assist to secure his second eight-game scoring streak of these playoffs. Brock Trotter also earned a helper and now shows a point in six of his last seven outings (4-5-9). Hamilton has received defenseman P.K. Subban and forward Ben Maxwell from parent-club Montreal, which was eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Monday. Subban, a member of the AHL's All-Rookie and First All-Star Teams this year, had a team-high nine points (3-6-9) in six AHL postseason games prior to his summons. The Game 6 loss dropped Hamilton to 7-2 at home this postseason, and the Bulldogs have not dropped back-to-back outings at Copps Coliseum since losing to Abbotsford and Texas on Feb. 13 and 16. The Bulldogs have dropped three straight trips to OT after winning eight straight overtime playoff games going back to 2004. The Western Conference Finals are going the distance for the first time since 2003, when Houston defeated Grand Rapids. This is Hamilton's first appearance in a Game 7 since a 3-0 loss to Houston in the deciding match of the 2003 Calder Cup Finals. The Bulldogs are 2-2 all-time in Game 7's, and 5-2 in winner-take-all games. Hamilton is 18-13 all-time with a chance to close out a series, including 12-9 at Copps Coliseum and 2-2 in 2010. The Bulldogs, who opened up a 2-0 series lead before dropping three of the next four games, have never lost a series in which they won Game 1 (15-0). The Stars can also join Abbotsford (2010), Providence (2007), Portland (1996) and Maine (1983) as the only AHL teams ever to win Games 6 and 7 of a series on the road. This is the 79th Game 7 in AHL history. Home teams are 43-35, but visitors have won four of six over the past two postseasons.

Western Conference Finals Schedule (best of seven)

Game 1 - Texas 2 at Hamilton 3 (OT)

Game 2 - Texas 1 at Hamilton 3

Game 3 - Hamilton 4 at Texas 5 (OT)

Game 4 - Hamilton 1 at Texas 2 (OT)

Game 5 - Hamilton 3 at Texas 0

Game 6 - Texas 3 at Hamilton 2 (OT) (Series tied 3-3)

Game 7 - Wed., May 26 - Texas at Hamilton, 6:30 pm CT

WEDNESDAY'S GAME: Game 7 - Texas at Hamilton, at 6:30 pm (CDT) (Series tied 3-3)

TUESDAY'S SCORE: NONE

HERSHEY WAITS FOR THE WINNER OF WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

After beating the Manchester Monarchs in Game 6 of their best-of-seven series at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa., on Saturday night, the Hershey Bears will wait to play the winner of the Hamilton -Texas series for the Calder Cup Finals. The Bears are in the Calder Cup Finals for the fourth time in the five years and for the 22nd time overall. Hershey has won a record 10 Calder Cups in franchise history, most recently in 2006 and 2009.

SERIES SUBPLOTS.......

- The last four Texas wins have come in overtime.

- Texas goalie Matt Climie has posted all his victories in overtime this postseason.

- Texas, which defeated Chicago, 6-5, in overtime of Game 7 of the West Division Finals, is looking to become the fourth team in AHL history to win two Game 7's on the road in the same postseason, following Houston (2003 and 2009) and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (2004).

Playoff Format.......

Four rounds, with each round slated as a best of seven series. The top four teams in each division qualify for playoffs. The teams play within their division for the first two rounds. The division winners will meet in the conference finals. The winner of the Western Conference will play the winner of the Eastern Conference for the Calder Cup. In order to take the Calder Cup, a team must win 16 games.

The Calder Cup.......

The coveted Calder Cup has been a motivational force for American Hockey League teams throughout the League's 73-year history. It is one of our sport's greatest challenges and ultimate honors to hoist the Calder Cup in victory.

The trophy is named for Frank Calder, who served as the National Hockey League's first President from 1917 to 1943. During the 1920's, Mr. Calder was instrumental in guiding hockey into the mainstream of America's major cities including Boston, New York, Detroit and Chicago, while helping in the formation of the American League.

The Calder Cup trophy itself was actually first awarded in 1938 to the Providence Reds for winning the second International-American Hockey League championship. (In 1996, George Parsons of the Syracuse Stars was presented the Calder Cup in a ceremony at the Onondaga County War Memorial, as it is believed the Stars never received a trophy for their 1937 championship.

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