| Texas Stars 30-38-2-2, 64 pts #15 Western Conference | v. | Chicago Wolves 40-26-3-3, 86 pts #3 Western Conference |
April 10th at 7:30 PM
Cedar Park Center, Cedar Park, TX
Chicago is a team coming to town with something the play for. Texas is counting down the days until the summer has come. With a point tonight against Texas, Chicago can clinch their berth in the 2012 playoffs. With two, they will be the Midwest Division regular season champions.
A cursory look at Chicago's goaltending would have you believe that Matt Climie is superior tender. While he has certainly done well this year, Eddie Lack actually has the lower GAA. Looking at game-by-game stats, in many of his losses, Lack allowed only 1 or 2 goals. Those are winnable games that you can place clearly on the skaters in front of him now working to get the goals. Climie and Lack each have a win against Texas this year. Lack has the only loss.
Chicago is a great example of a team that came from the mid-pack and dominated the back half of the season to make the playoffs. Since Christmas, the Wolves put together three, four and even five game win streaks with regularity. They vaulted up the standings and knocked Charlotte out of the top spot in the Midwest.
It will be interesting to see what Coach Pyle does with the re-addition of Vincour to the lineup. Vincour, who was on the Stars Clear Day roster, was 11-4-15 in just 18 games played this season. He will likely play in the top six, bumping Shawn Weller to the press box in all likelihood.
When you look at a roster like this at the end of the season, it definitely makes you wonder what the Stars could have done with all of these players for a full season. That is precisely what the Stars hope to have next season as many of these players will stick around for 2012-13.
Stars injury/call up report:
Schultz, Tousignant (injury)
Website: chicagowolves.com
Twitter: @Chicago_Wolves
Twitter: @theshaves (Wolves PxP)
Despite his point production (and for what it's worth, his shooting %, which is like 11/55), at this point in this season to me is Vincour is eating up minutes that could be better spent on other players. I mean really, are a couple of games really going to make a difference in him (unless he gets injured)? I certainly don't expect him to be around here at all next season.
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