Texas Stars Weekly Update - Jan. 25, 2016
Jan 25, 2016
Stars Open Week with Big Wednesday Matchup
Last week’s record: 2-1-0-0
Overall record: 23-16-3-3, .578 Win Pct. (3rd, Pacific Division)
CEDAR PARK, Texas – The Texas Stars open up a three-game week with a Wednesday night matchup putting second place in the Pacific Division on the line.
-- THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE --
January 27 vs. San Jose Barracuda, 7:30 p.m. CST:
The Stars and Barracuda face off for the fourth time this season in a matchup that puts second place in the AHL’s Pacific Division on the line. San Jose currently holds a .579 points percentage on the season, while the Stars are right behind in third at .578. Texas is 1-2-0-0 against San Jose this season with all three prior meetings coming on the road. San Jose’s Nikolay Goldobin leads all skaters in the series with six points (5-1=6).
January 29 at 6 p.m. CST and January 30 at 12 p.m. CST at Lake Erie Monsters:
The Stars travel to Cleveland for the first and second games of four total matchups this season against the Lake Erie Monsters. The Monsters are currently fifth in the AHL’s Central Division and led by TJ Tynan with 26 points this season (3-23=26). Texas holds a 7-5-2-2 record against Central Division opponents this year.
-- LAST WEEK’S RESULTS --
January 22 vs. San Diego Gulls, 3-2 Loss:
The Texas Stars knotted the score with 3:15 remaining in regulation but Stefan Noesen’s game-winner came less than a minute later to lift the San Diego Gulls to a 3-2 win on Friday night in front of 4,220 in attendance at Cedar Park Center. Matej Stransky scored the tying goal for Texas late in the third off Matt Mangene’s centering pass from the corner. Philippe Desrosiers suffered the loss in net, stopping 23 of 26 shots, and it was the first loss for Texas against San Diego in four meetings this season.
January 23 vs. San Diego Gulls, 5-2 Win:
The Texas Stars used a balanced attack to open up a three-goal lead and skated their way to a 5-2 victory over the San Diego Gulls on Saturday night in front of 5,460 in attendance at Cedar Park Center. Radek Faksa’s late second-period goal stood up as the game-winner. Faksa, Derek Hulak and Greg Rallo each finished with a goal and two assists for Texas. Maxime Lagace stopped 29 of 31 shots in net as the Stars tallied their fourth win over San Diego in five meetings this season.
January 24 at San Antonio Rampage, 6-1 Win:
For the second straight night, the forward line of Greg Rallo, Derek Hulak and Radek Faksa was the story as they led the Texas Stars offense to a 6-1 road win over the rival San Antonio Rampage on Sunday in front of 4,211 fans at AT&T Center. Rallo (two goals, one assist), Faksa (one goal, two assists) and Hulak (one goal, one assist) combined for nine points in the Texas win and 18 points over the past two games. Maxime Lagace stopped 30 of 31 shots in net for his eighth win of the season, and the Stars picked up their sixth win over the Rampage in 10 meetings this year.
-- PRACTICE/TRAVEL SCHEDULE --
Monday: Day Off
Tuesday: Practice, 10 a.m. CST
Wednesday: Texas Stars vs. San Jose Barracuda, 7:30 p.m. CST
Thursday: Travel Day
Friday: Texas Stars at Lake Erie Monsters, 6 p.m. CST
Saturday: Texas Stars at Lake Erie Monsters, 12 p.m. CST
Sunday: All-Star Break
-- NEWS, NOTES AND UPCOMING MILESTONES –
Travis Morin is fourth in the AHL with 40 points on the season. Greg Rallo is tied for the AHL lead with 11 power play goals this season. The forward line of Rallo, Radek Faksa and Derek Hulak have combined for 18 points over the past two games. Maxime Lagace stopped 59 of 62 shots (.951 SV%) in his two wins over the weekend. With a win on Wednesday against San Jose, the Stars would take over second place in the AHL’s Pacific Division. The top three teams in the Pacific are guaranteed to qualify for the Calder Cup Playoffs at the end of the regular season.
-- UPCOMING PROMOTIONS --
Wednesday’s game against San Jose is a Winning Wednesday with the Stars. If the Stars win, fans in attendance will receive a free ticket to the team’s next Wednesday home game on March 2 against the Iowa Wild. It is also an H-E-B Night where fans that donate any H-E-B-branded, non-perishable food item at the box office will receive five dollars off their ticket purchase.
The Texas Stars are the primary development affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars and currently in their seventh season at Cedar Park Center. Full season, 24-game and 12-game ticket packages for the 2015-16 campaign are on sale now. For more information, call (512) GO-STARS (467-8277) or visit TexasStars.com.