Texas Strengthens Division Lead with Three Points at Charlotte
Mar 19, 2013STARS WEEKLY (WEEK 24)
First Place Stars Back Home for Three-Game Home Stand
2012-13 Record: 35-16-5-6, 81 points (15-8-2-5 Home, 20-8-3-1 Road), First Place – South Division
Week 23 Recap:
After suffering their worst winless streak of the season (0-3-0-2) the Texas Stars righted the ship with points in all three games in Week 23. Texas began the week with a 4-3 win over Abbotsford to snap the winless run. The Stars erased deficits of 1-0 and 2-1 by scoring three goals in the span of 3:12 early in the second period, including two goals from Mike Hedden, to finish 2-0-1-1 in their season series with the Heat. Justin Dowling returned from injury and assisted on both of Hedden’s goals as he faced Abbotsford for the first time since playing in 30 AHL games for the Heat from 2010-12. Although Dowling returned to action, goalie Cristopher Nilstorp suffered an injury in the game, taking an elbow to the side of the head in the second period from Abbotsford forward Mike Testwuide. Nilstorp was forced to leave the game, while the AHL reviewed the hit and handed down a three-game suspension to Testwuide.
The Stars then hit the road for a crucial two-game weekend series with the Charlotte Checkers. Texas had their way with Charlotte on Friday night, as Colton Sceviour and Travis Morin both found the net twice in a 7-3 romp. Sunday afternoon’s rematch was a much tighter contest. The Checkers grabbed the lead with a power play goal in the final minute of the first period, but the Stars took the lead in the second with goals from Matt Fraser and Mike Hedden, his third of the week. Charlotte again tallied a late goal late in the frame to tie the game at two and after a scoreless third period, won the game in overtime on a goal awarded to Chris Terry after a lengthy video review. All in all, taking three points out of four on the road from their closest rival in the South Division has to be considered a successful road trip.
Week 24 Preview:
With 14 games left in the 2012-13 regular season the Stars are back home for three games at Cedar Park Center this week. On Tuesday Texas once again battles the San Antonio Rampage. Then the Stars will host their second Military Appreciation Weekend of the season. Texas will wear special camouflage jerseys this weekend as they host the Rochester Americans on Friday, March 22nd and the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday, March 23rd. Saturday is Stars Camo Hat giveaway night presented by Round Rock Auto Group and Brigadier General Dean Milner, deputy commanding general III Corps and Fort Hood will drop the ceremonial first puck.
Left wing Matt Fraser (29-13-42) leads the team in goals, points, shots (168) and power play goals (14) and is currently on a five-game point streak with seven points (5 goals, 2 assists) and a +2 rating during that span. Right wing Colton Sceviour (17-23-40) leads the team in game-winning goals (4) and shorthanded goals (4), is tied for the team lead in assists (23), ranks second in goals, points and plus-minus (+18) and has four points (2 goals, 2 assists) and a +4 rating in his last three games. Center Travis Morin (7-21-28) is third on the team in assists, is tied for fifth in points and has seven points (3 goals, 4 assists) and a +3 rating in his last six games. LW Mike Hedden (10-14-24) has four points (3 goals, 1 assist) and a +1 rating in his last four games. C Justin Dowling (9-8-17) has four points (1 goal, 3 assists) and a +4 rating in his last four games.
Week 24 Schedule:
(All games are broadcast LIVE over the Internet at www.TexasStarsHockey.com and the free Radio tab of www.ahllive.com and can be viewed via internet pay-per-view video on www.ahllive.com. All times listed in Central Time)
Tuesday, March 19 – 7:30 p.m. – Cedar Park Center – Cedar Park, TX
vs. San Antonio Rampage (27-26-1-6, 61 pts.)
Fifth Place, South Division
• Team Notes: In their last meeting Texas and San Antonio played a thrilling game that ended in a 12-round shootout; a franchise record for both clubs. Greg Rallo scored a shorthanded goal with 3:41 left in regulation to tie the game at 4-4 and Jed Ortmeyer scored in the 12th shootout round to give the Rampage their second win over Texas this year and first at Cedar Park Center. In the first eight of the 12-game season series the Stars are 6-0-1-1 against San Antonio and have not lost in regulation. Since their marathon shootout game on March 8th, the Rampage have gotten reinforcements from the Florida Panthers as captain Nolan Yonkman and high-scoring forward Jon Rheault have both returned from their NHL call-ups. Since beating the Stars, San Antonio has gone 1-1-0-2 and remains six points behind the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Rampage have 16 games left in their regular season schedule.
• Leading Scorer: Zach Hamill (C) – 38 points (16 goals, 22 assists) and +11 in 56 GP.
• Leading Goaltender: Dov Grumet-Morris (G) – 2.78 GAA, 0.914 save pct., 11-12-4, 2 SO in 29 GP.
• Who’s Hot: C Zach Hamill (16-22-38) leads the team in points, is on a five-game assist streak (5 assists) and has a six-game point streak with six points (1 goal, 5 assists) during that span. C Greg Rallo (21-16-37) leads the team in goals, is tied for second on the team in points and has nine points (5 goals, 4 assists) and a +1 rating in his last six games. D Zach Miskovic (4-7-11) has six points (2 goals, 4 assists) and a +6 rating in his last seven games. LW Quinton Howden (13-17-30) is tied for fourth on the team in points and has four points (1 goal, 3 assists) in his last five games.
Friday, March 22 – 7:30 p.m. – Cedar Park Center – Cedar Park, TX
vs. Rochester Americans (32-24-3-1, 68 pts.)
Second Place, North Division
• Team Notes: This will be the second and final meeting of the regular season between Texas and Rochester. It is also the Americans only trip to Cedar Park Center this year. The Stars won their first meeting with a convincing 5-1 victory over the Amerks on February 20th at Blue Cross Arena. Rochester is currently in sixth place in the Western Conference, but trail Toronto by six points in the North Division standings. The Americans will travel to Oklahoma City on Tuesday to face the ninth place Barons with just two points separating the two teams. The Amerks then play the grueling Texas Triangle this weekend, at Texas on Friday, at Houston on Saturday and at San Antonio on Sunday. Last Friday Rochester had its six-game point streak (5-0-1-0) snapped in a 3-2 home loss to the Albany Devils. The Americans then followed with a 6-1 loss at North Division-leading Toronto on Saturday.
• Leading Scorer: Mark Mancari (RW) – 55 points (19 goals, 36 assists) and -10 in 60 GP.
• Leading Goaltender: David Leggio (G) – 2.65 GAA, 0.920 save pct., 31-19-1, 3 SO in 51 GP.
• Who’s Hot: RW Mark Mancari (19-36-55) leads the team in goals, assists and points, is tied for fifth overall in the AHL in points, had his eight-game point streak snapped last Saturday at Toronto and has 12 points (4 goals, 8 assists) in his last nine games. LW Matt Ellis (4-2-6) has four goals in his last five games. RW Maxime Legault (8-5-13) has five goals and a +3 rating in his last seven games. C Cody McCormick (2-3-5) has four points (2 goals, 2 assists) in his last six games.
Saturday, March 23 – 7:00 p.m. – Cedar Park Center – Cedar Park, TX
vs. Charlotte Checkers (36-22-2-3, 77 pts.)
Second Place, South Division
• Team Notes: One game after the Checkers took one on the chin with a 7-3 loss at home to Texas, Charlotte responded with a narrow 3-2 overtime win over the Stars on Sunday afternoon at Time Warner Cable Arena. It was the team’s first win in five games against Texas this season (1-2-0-2). The victory also snapped a three-game losing streak, the second longest of the season. The Checkers have two road games on the schedule this week, first traveling to Houston to face the Aeros on Thursday, March 21st and will then head to Cedar Park to battle with the Stars on March 23rd. Saturday’s game will be the sixth of eight regular season meetings between Texas and Charlotte and the last at Cedar Park Center. The Checkers are tied with Grand Rapids for the second most points in the Western Conference (77), four behind the Stars (Texas has a game in hand). Charlotte sits in fourth place in the conference and has a seven-point lead over fifth place Houston. The Checkers boast the AHL’s best penalty kill (86.8%) and are fifth in power play (20.5%). Charlotte has one of the best road records in the league (20-8-2-2) and, along with Texas and Syracuse, is one of the only teams in the AHL with 20 wins on the road.
• Leading Scorer: Chris Terry (LW) – 48 points (23 goals, 25 assists) and +2 in 57 GP.
• Leading Goaltender: John Muse (G) – 3.30 GAA, 0.885 save pct., 6-5-0, 0 SO in 12 GP.
• Who’s Hot: LW Chris Terry (23-25-48) leads the team in goals, assists, points and game-winning goals (8) and has 13 points (7 goals, 6 assists) in his last 11 games. C Brett Sutter (14-24-38) is tied for second on the team in assists and points, is tied for fourth in goals and has five points (1 goal, 4 assists) and a +1 rating in his last three games. LW Matt Marquardt (3-2-5) has four points (3 goals, 1 assist) and a +2 rating in his last four games.
Week 23 Game Results:
March 13, 2013 Abbotsford 3 @ Texas 4
March 15, 2013 Texas 7 @ Charlotte 3
March 17, 2013 Texas 2 @ Charlotte 3 – OT
Stars Player of the Week: (Week 22)
Colton Sceviour – RW – #7 3 GP, 4 Points (2 G, 2 A), +4, 0 PIMs
Texas Stars right wing Colton Sceviour has been one of the team’s most consistent offensive threats and put up a four-point week (2 goals, 2 assist) in three games. The Red Deer, Alberta native continued his white-hot play with an assist on Wednesday night against Abbotsford and then exploded for a game-high three-point night on Friday at Charlotte. During Friday’s game Sceviour scored two goals, including his team-leading fourth shorthanded goal, and added an assist as he became the second Texas player to reach the 40-point mark on the season. Although he had a five-game point streak snapped against the Checkers on Sunday, he has 14 points (5 goals, 9 assists) and a +8 rating in his last 11 games. In 2012-13 Sceviour leads the Stars in shorthanded goals (4) and shorthanded goals (4), he is tied for the team lead in assists (23) and is second in goals (17), points (41) and plus-minus (+18).
Stars Quick Hits:
• 400 CLUB – D Tyler Sloan played in his 400th career AHL game on Wednesday against Abbotsford. The Calgary, Alberta native has posted 63 points (12 goals, 51 assists) and 483 penalty minutes in 402 career AHL games. Sloan has also won two Calder Cup Championships with the Hershey Bears.
• BONUS HOCKEY – By going to overtime on Sunday, Texas has now played in the most overtime and shootout games of any team in the entire AHL. The Stars have played in 18 games that have gone beyond regulation, with an overtime record of 7-5-6. Texas is 2-5 in overtime and 5-6 in shootouts.
• OVER THE HILL – LW Matt Fraser became the first Texas player to reach the 40-point mark this year by scoring his 28th goal of the season on Wednesday against Abbotsford. One game later RW Colton Sceviour became the second Stars player to reach the milestone by scoring a shorthanded goal against Charlotte on Friday.
• ON THE ROAD – Texas became the third AHL team in the 2012-13 season to record its 20th victory on the road by thrashing the Charlotte Checkers 7-3 Friday night at Time Warner Cable Arena. The Stars have a road record of 20-8-3-1 this year, which is one of the best in the league.
• DON’T LOSE – The Stars have the fewest regulation losses of any team in the AHL. Texas has just 16 losses in regulation this year, which is one fewer that Syracuse (17) and two fewer than Springfield (18).
• CENTURY AND A HALF – D Carl Sneep played in his 150 career AHL game on Wednesday versus Abbotsford. The Brainerd, Minnesota native has recorded 77 points (20 goals, 57 assists) and 121 penalty minutes in 152 career AHL games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Texas.
• SHORTHANDED SUCCESS – RW Colton Sceviour scored his fourth shorthanded goal of the season on Friday in a 7-3 win at Charlotte. The Red Deer, Alberta native leads the Stars and ranks second overall in the AHL, trailing Binghamton’s Derek Grant by one for the most in the league.
• CENTENNIAL – LW Francis Wathier recorded his 100th career pro assist on Wednesday vs. Abbotsford. The St. Isidore, Ontario native hit the century mark in his 454th career pro game. Wathier has 85 career pro goals to go along with his 100 pro assists in 456 career pro games.
• APPROACHING STARS MILESTONES: LW Matt Fraser needs 2 points for his 100th career pro point and 3 points for his 100th career AHL point. LW Luke Gazdic is 1 GP away from his 250th career pro game and 7 GP away from his 250th career AHL game. RW Bretton Cameron needs 1 point to record his 100th career pro point. RW Scott Glennie is 2 GP away from his 100th career pro game and 3 GP away from his 100th career AHL game. LW Mike Hedden is 5 GP shy of his 250th career pro game and 5 points shy of his 150th pro point. D Gord Baldwin needs 6 GP to reach his 350th pro game. D Maxime Fortunus is 2 goals away from his 50th career AHL goal and 16 GP away from his 700th pro game. C Toby Petersen needs 4 points for his 450th career pro point. C Justin Dowling is 7 points away from his 100th career pro point. D Hubert Labrie is 12 GP shy of his 100th career pro game.
Stars Week 23 Transactions
March 14 – ADD – Tyler Beskorowany (G) – Reassigned by Dallas (NHL) to Idaho (ECHL).
March 14 – DELETE – Jace Coyle (D) – Reassigned by Dallas (NHL) to Idaho (ECHL).
March 11 – ADD – Matt Fraser (LW) – Returned on loan from Dallas (NHL).
March 11 – DELETE – Tomas Vincour (RW) – Recalled from loan by Dallas (NHL).
March 11 – DELETE – Doug Jones (RW) – Released from PTO, returned to Gwinnett (ECHL).
March 11 – DELETE – Jacob Johnston (D) – Released from ATO.
Texas Stars Team Leaders:
Games Played: Toby Petersen (61)
Goals: Matt Fraser (29)
Assists: Jamie Oleksiak & Colton Sceviour (23)
Points: Matt Fraser (42)
Plus/Minus: Jamie Oleksiak (+20)
Penalty Minutes: Antoine Roussel (107)
Power Play Goals: Matt Fraser (14)
Short Handed Goals: Colton Sceviour (4)
Game-Winning Goals: Colton Sceviour (4)
Shots: Matt Fraser (168)
Shooting Percentage: Matt Fraser (17.3%)
Saves: Cristopher Nilstorp (723)
Wins: Cristopher Nilstorp (18)
GAA: Cristopher Nilstorp (2.27)
Save Percentage: Richard Bachman (0.916)
Shutouts: Cristopher Nilstorp (4)
The Texas Stars now return home for a three-game home stand next week, beginning on Tuesday March 19th at 7:30 pm. against the San Antonio Rampage for another H-E-B Night at Cedar Park Center. 2013-14 Season Tickets are now on sale. Put your deposit for 2013-14 season tickets and receive priority for both Texas Stars 2013 Calder Cup playoff tickets and 2013-14 season seat selection. For more information on Texas Stars season tickets call (512) GO-STARS (467-8277) or visit www.TexasStarsHockey.com.