GAME NOTES

BARONS GAME NOTES - OCTOBER 26

By Jim Byers,

Houston Aeros (2-2-1-0) at Oklahoma City Barons (3-2-0-0)    

 Barons Game 6  |  Home Game 4 |  AHL Game 77
Oct. 26, 2012, 7 pm CDT  | Cox Convention Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Radio: KXY 96.1 FM
AHL Media Kit: http://admin.leaguestat.com/download.php?file_path=new-pdf/1009945-40.pdf&client_code=ahl
TONIGHT: The Houston Aeros, top affiliate of the Minnesota Wild, make their first of 6 regular-season appearances at the Cox Center as the Barons play Game 4 of a season-high 7-game homestand. The Barons and Aeros split a pair of pre-season games in OKC, with the Barons taking the first 4-0 before Mikael Granlund’s 4 goals led the Aeros to a 6-2 decision in the rematch. Houston enters this game off a 5-4 overtime loss at home to Milwaukee on Sunday. The Aeros are 2-0-1-0 in their last 3. OKC defeated Lake Erie 4-3 on Tuesday and is 2-1-0-0 so far at home.
OFF THE TOP: Tuesday’s 4-3 Barons win concluded a 4-game season series with Lake Erie. The teams split the series, each club going 1-1 home and away. Three of OKC’s next 4 games (all at home) are against Houston. OKC meets the 3 Texas-based teams 12 times each, accounting for 36 of the Barons’ 76 regular-season contests (47.4%). Last season, the Barons beat Houston 3-1 in the best-of-5 opening round of the Calder Cup playoffs after going 7-0-0-1 against the Aeros in the regular season.
 
TUESDAY TOPPERS: The Barons equaled a club record with 4 power play goals in Tuesday’s 4-3 win over Lake Erie. By going 4-for-7, OKC matched his previous high established Oct. 17, 2010 at Houston (4-for-8) and repeated on Jan. 13, 2011 at Peoria (4-for-8) and Jan. 1, 2012 at Houston (4-for-7). Before Tuesday, the Barons had gone 3 full games without a power play goal and were 1-for-17 on the season. Jordan Eberle tallied a goal and 3 assists on Tuesday. His 4-point night is a team high this season.
 
TWO AND HOLDING: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored his first 2 AHL goals on Tuesday and is the second Baron with a 2-goal game this season, joining Justin Schultz on Oct. 19 vs. San Antonio. OKC has not recorded a hat trick since 2011 AHL goal champion Colin McDonald potted 4 at San Antonio on April 8, 2011. OKC has 19 two-goal games by individuals since the last hat trick (2 this season, 17 in 2011-12) .
 
SCHULTZ SHINES: Justin Schultz leads the Barons in goals (4) and points (8) through the first 5 games. Schultz is the only Baron to register a point in each contest. His 5-game point streak is tied for the best in the AHL in 2012-13. Schultz leads all rookies in points with 8 and is tied with Rochester’s T.J. Brennan for the lead in defense scoring. Schultz’s +5 on Friday (also earned by Martin Marincin) set a club record and his 2 shorthanded goals on Friday are the most in a single game in OKC’s 2-plus years in the AHL.
 
SCHULTZ NAMED CCM/AHL PLAYER OF WEEK: Defensemen Justin Schultz is the CCM/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Oct. 21, 2012. The rookie out of the University of Wisconsin had 3 goals and 1 assist while a +6 in 2 games last week. Schultz is the first Baron to win this honor since Colin McDonald and Jeff Deslauriers swept player of the week for the final 2 weeks of the 2010-11 campaign.
 
OKC Players of the Week during the Barons’ 2-plus seasons in the AHL:
Player                       Week ending     Main accomplishment
Linus Omark          11/7/2010           Scored 5 goals vs. Toronto on Nov. 7
Bryan Helmer        1/16/2011           Became AHL’s all-time leading scorer among defenseman on Jan. 13
Jeff Deslauriers    4/3/2011             Consecutive shutouts vs. Rockford and Texas April 1 & 2
Colin McDonald     4/10/2011           Won AHL goal title with 42nd goal on closing day, April 10
Justin Schultz        10/21/2012        Set club records with 2 shorthanded goals and a +5 on Oct. 19
 
ODDS AND ENDS: Teemu Hartikainen brings a 4-game point streak into tonight’s game, during which he has 2 goals and 4 assists...Hartikainen has an assist in each of those 4 games, earning the club’s longest assist streak so far this season...the Barons have fired at least 30 shots on goal in each of their 5 games this season... their average of 32.8 per game is fourth in the AHL...the Barons have out-shot the opposition in 4 of 5 games and are 2-2-0-0 when collected more shots than the opponent.
 
Recent Results:
Date        Opp.     Result     OKC Goalie (GA,SV)   Opp. Goalie              Attn.               
Oct. 12    @ LE     L, 1-2       Danis (2, 27)                   Aittokallio (1, 29)          12,011             
Oct. 13    @ LE     W, 3-2      Roy (2, 37)                     Pickard (3, 29)             4,136
Oct. 19    SA         W, 5-2      Danis (2, 14)                   Markstrom (4, EN, 29)  6,323
Oct. 20    LE         L, 3-5       Roy (4, EN, 22)               Aittokallio (3, 27)          2,897
Oct. 23    LE         W, 4-3      Danis (3, 28)                   Pickard (4, 34)             2,143
 
Next 5 games (all times Central):
Date      Opp.                  Site                                      Time  Broadcast
Oct. 28   Texas                  Cox Center                           4:00    KXY 96.1 FM
Nov. 2    Houston              Cox Center                           7:00    KXY 96.1 FM
Nov. 3    Houston              Cox Center                           7:00    TBA
Nov. 4    SA                      AT&T Center                        4:30    KXY 96.1 FM
Nov. 9    Abbotsford          Ent. & Sports Centre            9:00    KXY 96.1 FM  

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