Gameday Preview: Stars at Oklahoma City Barons

Texas Stars 14-8-2-2, 32 pts #5 Western Conference

at

Oklahoma City Barons 13-9-1-3, 30 pts #7 Western Conference

December 21st at 7:00 PM

Cox Convention Center, Oklahoma City, OK

Texas travels to Oklahoma City tonight for a two game set against the Barons tonight and tomorrow. The Stars are 0-2 against OKC this season, losing both games by two goals.

After all the fanfare surrounding the Barons and their NHL level players, it turns out that playing defense is kind of important. This year's iteration of the OKC club doesn't do that quite as well as the last. 2011-12 Goalie of the year, Yann Danis, has a 2.63 GAA this season with a .916 SV%. He has a winning record, 10-6-3, but mostly thanks to the offensive firepower.

OKC has averaged five goals against Texas in each of the two games. However the Stars, who were struggling more on offense the last times they played, only managed three on average.

"[Game plan is] to try to keep them off the sheet," said Coach Desjardins. "Last time we played them we had a good first period and then they got four in the second. We have to make sure we stay to our gameplan."

Since that last game at home before Thanksgiving, Texas has really been on a tear. They have failed to get points in only one of the twelve games since that night.

Yes, last weekend's games in Abbotsford were huge because of where the Heat are in the standings. This weekend's games are just as big from a morale and self-belief stand point. OKC is the big, bad team that was supposed to steamroll everyone. If Texas can do what they did to Abbotsford in OKC as well, Christmas break will be much sweeter for the Texas Stars.

Stars injury/call up report:
Glennie (hand)

Website: okcbarons.com
Blog (unofficial): NewsOK's Barons Hockey
Blog (unofficial): Oil Field Hockey
Twitter: @OKCBaronsHockey