The 2011-12 campaign came to an end this weekend for the Texas Stars (31-40-3-2, 67 pts, #15 Western Conference). For the first time, this franchise is not going to the playoffs. Less than twelve hours after returning from their final road trip, the axe fell. Dallas announced the firing of Coaches Jeff Pyle and Truitt. As the saying goes, you can't fire all the players.

Realistically, this is something that most have been anticipating for a while. Rumors of Pyle losing the room and conflict with veteran players have been bubbling up for a while. Dallas has also not been pleased with Texas's performance this season, as Joe Nieuwendyk told ESPN Dallas yesterday.

Despite lip service at the beginning of the season that the major and minor league clubs would match up their on-ice systems, they never did. Coach Pyle's heavy forechecking style never changed and didn't mesh well with Coach Gulutzan's more defense-first systems. GM Scott White has a stated desire to build his teams on solid D and goaltending, neither of which was solid under Pyle this season.

With the number of prospects now coming through the Stars system, the alignment of the Stars major and minor league on-ice systems is paramount. Even if Texas had some success this year, the system clash wasn't going to be viable long-term.

Texas now has a 50/50 record on ECHL coaches. My bet is that Joe Nieuwendyk spends a lot of time looking at NHL assistants. The organization needs a coach who has a proven record of developing prospects to NHL success. That search will probably start in earnest once the playoffs are over.

More on this week's 1-3 record and the final injury report for the season...

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It's all downhill from here for the Texas Stars (30-38-2-2, 64 pts, #15 Western Conference). With just four games left on the schedule, the season is officially reaching its end this week. Texas will have its full roster of Clear Day players for the final four games, including recently assigned Tomas Vincour, and all of their ATO signees as well.

In a rough season, the key at the end is to find positives to build on for next season, not only for Texas but positives that will trickle up to Dallas. First among these is one that Dallas fans have bemoaned for much of the season: the power play.

Coach Jeff Pyle's power play was a revelation in Texas early. The Stars were clicking along at 30% in the first few months of the season, eventually cooling down to 19.0% currently with 61 goals, ranking 9th in the league. Pyle was renowned for his power play ability in Gwinnett. It is clear that he has a knack for the man-up situation, but a combination of depleted player base and the league learning his tricks depressed that number as the season wore on.

Second, I think several players had breakout seasons. Matt Fraser is the most obvious with eye-popping numbers. Fraser has 36 goals on the season, leading the AHL as a rookie. He needs to work on his defensive game, but it's a great start.

The entire line of Colton Sceviour, Francis Wathier and Scott Glennie put together a great back-half of the season. As I documented here, I believe Sceviour has earned a spot in the NHL with his play this season. Many of the same arguments could be made for Francis Wathier, but he has age working against him. Scott Glennie has added physicality to his skill set thanks to being paired with the two through the season.

Finally, the early indications of the ATO signee play have all been good. That is something to build on. The biggest question that remains is what changes around them. Regarding that, Texas Stars president Rick McLaughlin was recently quoted, "We look forward to seeing the new crop of Texas Stars players to help turn things around in 2012-13."

Discussions about whom are ones we will surely have here and on 100degreehockey.com as the months wear on.

More on the Stars two games this week and the final week of the season inside...

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After two months in the last spot in the Western Conference, the inevitability of missing the playoffs finally was mathematically achieved this week for the Texas Stars (30-36-2-2, 64 pts, #15 Western Conference).

For Texas fans, it's a very strange sensation knowing that the season is over after game 76. There will be no second season this year in Cedar Park. Perhaps it has helped that the Stars have been in this spot for so long; the fans have had a chance to come to terms with missing the playoffs.

The players know that the fan support has been phenomenal given the on-ice product. "The fact that we still have 6,000 plus fans coming out to support us, it was a great crowd," said Luke Gazdic after Saturday's game. "For us to think it was loud [on the ice], it's rockin' in here."

Fans only got one win at home this weekend but had a lot to cheer for. Big game play from Jack Campbell and Austin Smith and re-energized efforts from vets including Travis Morin, Mike Hedden and Luke Gazdic.

"The young guys are energizing us," said Gazdic. "They've got legs for days."

Campbell's first pro shutout was arguably the best home game of the year for this crew. The fans were into it, chanting his name as they waited for his #1 star announcement and cheering every single save. After GAAs over three and save percentages under .900 all year, Campbell is a revelation in net. It is a credit to the fan base that they have recognized his skill so readily.

For now, the Stars play for pride, stats, contracts and the spoiler effect.

More about the games this week inside...

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You might have heard about the Texas Stars' (28-33-2-2, 60 pts, #15 Western Conference) new additions over the past week. As the clock winds down on a disappointing season, Texas got a youth infusion over this past week that will make a difference in the next ten games and fans hope will stick around into next year.

Jack Campbell is the big name among the three new players. The 2010 draft pick joined the team mid-week and started both games this weekend. It wasn't an easy task as the Stars' faced the #1 and #2 teams in the conference. Campbell collected his first pro win against the #2 Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs) on Sunday, carrying a shutout through forty minutes. Campbell made high quality stops with ease and handled the puck frequently in both contests. He is expected to get most of the starts for the rest of the season.

Coming in from the collegiate ranks was Austin Smith, the 2007 fifth rounder out of Colgate. Smith immediately joined the Stars' top line with Colton Sceviour and Francis Wathier. Smith had a minus-3 rating with six shots on the weekend. The line generated opportunities, but I am going to hold off judgement until I can see him with my own eyes.

Finally, Texas picked up Taylor Vause out of the WHL on an ATO, as I mentioned last week. The centre ice man scored his first pro goal, which he was very proud of, in Sunday's game at Toronto.

This week, Texas will add Alex Chiasson out of Boston University. Fans at the Cedar Park Center will have to enjoy his play while they can, as he is slated by many to make the NHL roster next season out of camp.

More on each game and a busy week ahead after the jump...

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Last week in this space, we talked about some franchise records that had fallen this season for the Texas Stars (27-33-2-2, 58 pts, #15 Western Conference). This week, we are also talking about a franchise record broken, consecutive games lost. With their fifth straight, Texas broke that record on Monday night.

Texas has been plagued by bad defensive zone coverage and endemic lack of finish in the offensive zone. "Everybody needs to [step up]," said Coach Pyle. "We give up too many easy goals and situations where you have a way to win and find a way to lose."

For Dallas fans, the big story is amateur tryout contracts. Jack Campbell should join Texas today and Austin Smith as late as Wednesday. Taylor Vause, a signing out of the WHL, played in his first pro game on Monday night and could sign an ELC with Dallas for next season.

As to the ice time for the ATOs: "If they're going to work hard, they'll play as much as we can possibly play them. Obviously the guys [here] right now aren't getting it done, so we'll take a look at the new guys as much as possible."

Pyle added, "Campbell will definitely be getting starts."

Coach Pyle has been a quote machine this past week so I'll close with this one before sending it to the jump:

"We don't deserve the playoffs. I've said from day one: we're riverboat gamblers. You win by the sword; you die by the sword. We deserve what we've got. We've earned the position we're in, even with injuries and callups we've had chances to win. We put ourselves in a position to win and then we don't follow through because we don't have guys committed to the team."

More on a four game week and what's coming along next week after the jump...

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Despite a week with two wins, the Texas Stars (27-29-2-2, 58 pts, #15 Western Conference) are close to sealing their fate as the first edition of the AHL club not to make the playoffs. Needing 28 points to match the current 8th seed's pace, Texas would need a 14-2-0 record from here on out to make the postseason.

While that may be a dire outlook, there are positives to be found among the bigger picture of not making the playoffs. This week's games saw several records set and continued for Texas Stars players. In Saturday's game, Matt Fraser broke the record for goals in a single season, previous set by Aaron Gagnon in 2009-10. Fraser's 28th of the year came shorthanded. He is also tied for the single season record for PPGs at ten.

After an early season cold streak, Colton Sceviour has exploded in the second half. Since December 27th, he has tallied a point in 16 straight home games. He has 33 points overall home and away since Christmas. It is by far the top record in the AHL and for the franchise for such a streak. He's clutch to boot with six game-winners.

Finally, Travis Morin shattered the single season assists record in early February. The record, previously held by Perttu Lindgren at 33, is now at 41 and grows with each helper from Morin's stick.

More inside on OT thrillers and a little help from Buffalo...

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The AHL playoff race is slowly becoming clearer and one thing that has become clear now is that the Texas Stars (25-28-2-2, 54 pts, #15 Western Conference) will probably be on the outside looking in come mid-April. During an intermission interview, Coach Pyle intoned as much, "Our record is what it is, and we deserve what we got." He expanded to talk about how finishing plays and games haunted them all year. It is tough to see this talented roster underachieve so heavily. The raw talent that started out the year hasn't been refined into the polished final product quite yet.

Aside from the Stars split of games in Abbotsford, BC, this weekend, Friday's news out of Stars camp was the "trade" of Ray Sawada for forwards Michael Forney "and" Shawn Weller. You'll notice a lot of quotes there; let me explain. Dallas recalled Sawada and reassigned him to the Atlantic Division leading St. John's IceCaps (Winnipeg Jets). Meanwhile, Winnipeg recalled and reassigned Forney to Texas. In an "unrelated" transaction, Texas received Shawn Weller for future considerations.In the big picture, Texas got a two for one here. Sawada was preparing to play in Friday night's game after playing just one game since December 16th due to injury. With this move, Sawada (still a Dallas contracted player) gets a chance at some meaningful hockey in the playoffs.

The biggest news though was the AHL announcement of Clear Day rosters today, a list of which 22 players can play in the remainder of the season and the playoffs. Ryan Garbutt was left off this list while Tomas Vincour was on it, meaning that Garbutt cannot be assigned to the AHL and is staying in Dallas for the rest of the season. More on the full roster inside.

More on this week's games and full breakdown of Clear Day inside...

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The playoff window is closing quickly for the Texas Stars (24-27-2-2, 52 pts, #15 Western Conference), as the club collected only two of a possible six points this week. All three games this weekend were against divisional opponents, who need the points just as much. Texas had accomplished a streak of four home game wins coming into Saturday's game against the Aeros (Minnesota Wild). Including five against on Saturday, Texas allowed 12 goals in three games and only scored six.

The playoffs are slipping away right now for Texas. The Stars are in last place in the conference and can only afford five more losses before the window closes pretty much completely. Some may call it a lost season, but that's an AHL viewpoint. For Dallas fans, every season has potential whether you win the Cup or you're golfing by Tax Day. Big storylines this year for Texas include the emergence of Richard Bachman to the backup role in Dallas and the growth of Philip Larsen and Tomas Vincour to become every day NHLers.

Further, Texas has some great prospects budding up among their ranks. Older guys like Ryan Garbutt and Jordie Benn played their first NHL games this season after starting their careers in the oft-maligned CHL. Free agent signees (and roommates, no less) Matt Fraser and Brenden Dillon have begun to mature their professional game and could have long NHL careers thanks to wise scouting from Dallas. And finally, drafted prospects like Scott Glennie have taken big steps forward toward NHL careers. While it may be a tough season for Texas fans, Dallas fans have many things to be happy about moving forward.

More on this week's slate of games, Coach's thoughts on Ryan Garbutt, and the burgeoning injury list inside...

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Despite being at thirteenth in the conference, the Texas Stars (23-25-2-2, 50 pts, #13 Western Conference) are on the upswing right now. Previous mired in last place, the Stars found a way to beat the white-hot San Antonio Rampage (Florida Panthers) not once but twice this past weekend to brighten their chances at a playoff berth. Important games against divisional foes, all in the top eight of the conference, lie ahead in the next few weeks. The Stars' next five are against the division and fourteen of the remaining twenty-four overall.

The Stars are thin on extra bodies at the moment with the callup of Ryan Garbutt and injuries to Stephen Schultz and Dan Spang. Schultz's injury was particularly graphic, as he received a high hit from Bracken Kearns and left the ice bleeding from his eye. Even with callups, the Stars only have twelve healthy forwards and six healthy defensemen right now. And yet they are finding ways to win.

"Everybody contributed," said Pyle. "It was a really great weekend."

More inside on the injury report and each game breakdown...

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Youth and a lack of finish have been talking points all year for the Texas Stars (21-24-2-2, 46 pts, #15 Western Conference). Those issues led to an inconsistent week for the Stars as an OT loss and come-from-behind win at home gave way to a five goal thumping in Rochester and a shutout loss against the then last place team in the conference. This team is seemingly stocked with talent, but the pieces are not coming together and haven't all year. Texas has spent most of the season outside of playoff contention and looks like they will finish it that way.

As it stands, Texas is on pace for 71 points, tied with the Rockford IceHogs (Chicago Blackhawks) for last in the conference. The current postseason cutoff is at 84. To keep up with that pace, Texas needs no worse than 38 points in their remaining 27 games, or a 19-8-0 record. While the scheduling gods were kind in that Texas finishes with 16 of their last 27 at home, the playoff push could be over within the next few weeks depending on win-loss.

Despite all the negativity surrounding three losses on the week, Texas did have a very positive game on Wednesday, coming back from down 3-0 to win 6-3, including a hat trick from Ryan Garbutt.

More inside on each game, the week ahead, roster shuffles and injury reports...

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It's been a rough few weeks for the Texas Stars (20-22-1-2, 43 pts, #15 Western Conference), as they have not won a hockey game since January 21st and playoff hopes are dwindling in Cedar Park. In two games this week, Texas fell to the Aeros in Houston (Minnesota Wild) and the Charlotte Checkers (Carolina Hurricanes) at home. The two losses put Texas on a four game skid.

Updating last week's points pace report, the Stars need forty points to stay on pace with the eighth seed in the West. With only 33 games remaining, the task is becoming more daunting by the day. The required .606 win percentage is made more difficult by the sixteen remaining games against their own division, against which Texas has a 9-15-0-2 record on the season. In the plus column, the Stars will play ten of the remaining seventeen against the North Division, which they have a 3-0 record against so far this season. If current pace holds, Texas could be the only team to miss the playoffs in the West Division.

For Coach Pyle, it boils down to two things: self-discipline and finish. Concerning Saturday's game, he opined, "We missed four or five open nets, and the power play was sloppy. We had opportunities, but we didn't have finish."

Also in Saturday's game, Texas had a rough time with unnecessary penalties: "The self discpline of shutting your mouth, doing your job and staying out of the penalty box: that's a big part of the game. That's probably the most important trait any player can have. That's where some of these guys struggle."

More inside on each game, including a rare type of goal by Travis Morin...

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The Texas Stars (20-20-1-2, 43 pts, #13 Western Conference) saw their three game winning streak come to a crashing halt this week with two straight losses on the road. Friday night's game saw six goals against and the first pull for Andrew Raycroft on the season. The surging San Antonio Rampage (Florida Panthers) became winners of six straight with the W. League leading Oklahoma City (Edmonton Oilers) beat up on Texas on Saturday, throwing 44 shots at Raycroft for a 3-1 win.

As the Stars hit the All-Star break, it is clear that there is a huge amount of parity in the bottom half of the standings. Only four points separate eighth from fifteenth in the West; in the East, it's just five. Absolutely no one is out of the playoff race at this point.

By my math, the Stars need forty points in their final thirty-three games to keep pace with the current eighth place finisher. That's a record of 20-13, assuming no OT or SO losses, which have been rare for Texas this year anyways. Among those 33 games are 17 against the division, and only ten are against clubs not currently on pace to make the playoffs. The going's about to get real tough.

More inside on this week's games and injuries to Sawada, Tousignant and Lukowich...

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For the Texas Stars (20-18-1-2, 43 pts, #10 Western Conference), it was a really good week. The Stars assembled just their second three game win streak of the season in defeating the Chicago Wolves (Vancouver Canucks), Peoria Rivermen (St. Louis Blues) and Houston Aeros (Minnesota Wild). Overall, they are 6-2-1-1 in their last ten, which is arguably their best ten game stretch of the season.

Their record has been aided by several big factors. The first game changer was the arrival of Andrew Raycroft. In addition to his 6-2-1 record, 2.41 GAA and .914 SV%, he is a calming influence in the locker room. "He's great in the locker room," said Coach Pyle after the team's 6-2 win over Peoria. "When he says stuff in the locker room, which he does, guys listen. He adds energy and experience, and he's been great since he's been here."

Another big impact over the last ten games has been the play of the Sceviour-Glennie-Wathier line, which I have previously discussed in this space. Over the last ten, they are a combined 10-21-31 with a plus-13 rating. While Matt Fraser was surely deserving of a callup, any of those three could have just as easily gotten the call with their recent play.

Finally, off the Dallas fans' radar, several AHL contracted players have been lighting it up this week. Stephen Schultz, a Colorado College product and curly haired forward, blew up this week with three goals in the three games. Power play time has helped and Coach Pyle speaks highly of him. "Schultz is a sniper. I need a righty out there to fit the chemistry of the power play. He finds a way to get chances." Mike Hedden is the other player on a tear, getting two goal and two assists in three games, including a shorthanded tally.

More inside on this week's games and some thoughts on newcomer Angelo Esposito...

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It was yet another up and down week for the Texas Stars (17-18-1-2, 37 pts, #13 Western Conference). Texas went 2-2 on the week but in uneven fashion, winning against one of the best teams in the league and losing to the absolute worst. Consistency has been an issue all season for this club and it is now exacerbated by losing a key veteran piece in Francis Wathier.

The biggest storyline of the week has been the play of Wathier and his linemates, Colton Sceviour and Scott Glennie. All three are of particular interest to Dallas fans, none more so than first round pick Glennie. With the high pick, high expectations were set. Glennie has finally started to evolve his game to resemble what scouts saw in Brandon of the WHL. Coach Pyle definitely points to the concussion early season and some systems work that needed to be done as the reasons for the slow start. In the last six games, Glennie has eight points (4g, 4a) including two three-point efforts.

Colton Sceviour also picked up his game over the past few weeks. In the ten games since Christmas, Sceviour has four goals and eleven assists, including two game-winners. He's coming up all over the scoresheet and in clutch situations. Wathier, not to be outdone, is quietly having a career year. He is team-best plus-10 as well on a team that has struggled in that area. The next player behind him in that category is vet Brad Lukowich at plus-5.

More on each game, some thoughts on the Roman/Esposito trade, and more inside...

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Just three games were on the schedule for the Texas Stars (15-16-1-2, 33 pts, #14 Western Conference) this week, and the Stars got four of a possible six points. It's been a rough year so far for the Cedar Park faithful, so Stars' fans will take the points even if three of the four come against the worst team in the league, the Rockford IceHogs (Chicago Blackhawks).

Right now, Texas sits in the 14th spot in the conference. Doing the math, Texas will need to improve their winning percentage from .485 to .583 to make up for their current deficit and pull into the 8th seed by the end of the season. That's a 25-17 mark for those keeping track at home. It wouldn't be impossible if not for their record against the West Division, the teams they face the most.

Texas is 7-12-0-2 against the West and 8-4-1-0 against everyone else. Having strong teams in your division can be a beatdown sometimes. Dallas Stars fans are familiar with this from strong Anaheim, San Jose and LA teams over the past few years. For Texas, the demons they face are the OKC Barons (Edmonton Oilers), Abbotsford Heat (Calgary Flames) and Houston Aeros (Minnesota Wild). Texas is 5-9-0-1 against the big three.

Texas has to win those big division games to get back in the mix of things. Of the remaining 42 games, 21 are against the division. It doesn't get an easier from here.

Inside we'll look at each game and get injury reports on three Dallas contract players on the mend...

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Between callups and games lost, it's been a rough two weeks for the Texas Stars (14-16-0-1, 29 pts, #14 Western Conference). The AHL gives a much more significant Christmas break, so the Stars only had one game in the week surrounding the 25th, a strong win over Houston to send them to the break.

After Christmas, Texas returned home to beat the San Antonio Rampage (Florida Panthers) in overtime 3-2. Colton Sceviour scored the game winner. Texas then traveled to Abbotsford, BC, via Seattle for two games against the Heat (Calgary Flames). They dropped both contests just before the New Year and now sit idle until the weekend. Given the callup carousel, that is probably best right now.

As Stars fans know, Jordie Benn and now Brenden Dillon have been called up to Dallas, giving Texas just five blue liners: Brad Lukowich, Maxime Fortunus, Dan Spang, Jace Coyle and Hubert Labrie. Texas GM Scott White will have to add at least one defenseman as Lukowich had been battling a nagging injury and may not be 100% quite yet. Such is life in the AHL.

In other Dallas prospect news, Texas called up Jake Hauswirth, who was not expected to make the jump to the AHL, and liked what they saw. Hauswirth has gotten into four games since the callup and has recorded no points.

Inside we'll break down each individual game and take a look at some winnable weekend games...

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Trailing behind many of their conference foes in games played, the busy past week was a great chance for the Texas Stars (12-14-0-1, 25 pts, #14 Western Conference) to catch up in the points race. With a 2-2 record on the week, the Stars missed their chance to get back to .500 on the season with a loss to San Antonio on Sunday afternoon.

It was really an up and down week for the Stars. After losing to the OKC Barons (Edmonton Oilers) last week, they went to their house and kicked their teeth in in the first and eventually won 3-2. It was a strong win against the #1 team in the league. Then, they played a 3-in-3, losing 2 of 3, both against division foes. The only win on the weekend was at home against the Rochester Americans (Buffalo Sabres), a team that Texas had never played before that night.

Texas scored six goals in that game, including two shorthanded goals, but totaled three goals for in the other two games on the weekend. They bombed Jakob Markstrom with 48 shots on Sunday and still couldn't beat him for more than two. Lack of finish is hurting this team right now in the standings. Coach Pyle openly admits that when you can't get more than two, you aren't going to win a lot of games. Now the question is what to do about it.

More inside on the four games that the Stars had this week and an injury to a Dallas contracted player...

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This Tuesday morning finds the Texas Stars (10-12-0-1, 21 pts, #15 Western Conference) at the bottom looking up in the Western Conference standings. This week's slate of games wouldn't have you thinking that Texas is a last place team, however. They beat the #2 team in the conference in a 3-0 shutout and played tight with the league's top team only to lose 3-2.

It's a cruel fate for the Stars, who are trying to grow together as a team and learn to finish while they are constantly beaten down by the three top teams in the league, who are all in their division. The Oklahoma City Barons (Edmonton Oilers), Houston Aeros (Minnesota Wild) and Abbotsford Heat (Calgary Flames) combine for 30 of 76 total games against the Stars this season.

Coach Pyle talked a lot about finish in Saturday's postgame comments. "We need 50 shots to get 3 goals, and that's where we struggle. You're not going to win scoring two goals every night, you're going to need three and four."

"We get shots, we're putting it to the net but we've got no finish. When you get opportunities, you've got to bury them."

Deeper recap of this week's game and a look at the hellish week ahead for the Stars inside...

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The Texas Stars (9-11-0-1, 19 pts, #13 Western Conference) hit the road this week for an oddly extended road trip against the Charlotte Checkers (Carolina Hurricanes). The Checkers joined the Western Conference this year to make room for the St. John's IceCaps (Winnipeg Jets) in the East. With the long travel distance, Texas played both of their road games against the club in the same week without any in between.

The Stars seem to have made the most of the time off on the road, which is often cited as the place where a group of individuals becomes a team. Brad Lukowich and company enjoyed a Joy Formidable concert on Friday and also tweeted his followers after finding that Luke Gazdic, Ryan Garbutt, and Scott Glennie had left their credit cards at the local Ruth's Chris. It appears Glennie, the rookie, may have "bought" Lukowich dinner that night.

That good bit of bonding turned the 3-2 losing effort on Wednesday into an emphatic 4-2 win on Saturday. Charlotte is a quality team. They are number two in the conference, were on a five game winning streak coming into the week and were 7-1-0-1 at home before Texas got there. Add the reigning AHL Goalie of the Month with Justin Peters in the net, and you've got a nasty matchup. The split was a nice result and now Texas returns home to face Charlotte in Cedar Park.

Inside we'll talk more about each of the games and how Coach Pyle is tweaking his power play to bump up its recent "sag"...

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As you can imagine, the Texas Stars (8-10-0-1, 17 pts, #12 Western Conference) are feeling the ripple effect this week of Dallas's 3-0 loss in Phoenix on Saturday night. As soon as I got word that Kari Lehtonen was out for the Stars, I knew I was watching Richard Bachman's last game in the Cedar Park Center for a while. Further bad news came as Francis Wathier was also needed to fill in after Fiddler's injury. The only saving grace is that Texas didn't need to give up another defenseman. It is unclear who would even be sent at this point.

The other side of the coin for AHL fans is the callup from the ECHL. Who does Texas get to replace the departing players? The Dallas organization does not have a 5th goaltender under contract as we have had in the past, so Texas has signed goalie Jimmy Spratt to a PTO (Professional Tryout) to backup Tyler Beskorowany. Texas has a back-to-back next weekend and a 3-in-3 the week after that, so Spratt will have to get at least one start in the next three weeks. Michael Neal, brother of the Penguins' James Neal, was also called up to bolster the forward ranks. If Trevor Daley can't go for whatever reason moving forward, Texas will have to sign a defenseman as well.

As to the games, it was another mixed bag week. Texas lost to Chicago in regulation on Wednesday at home, allowing two goals in the first five minutes. Then they went to Houston and won on the road against one of the best teams in the division only to turn around and lose at home against the same team, the same as last week.

"I know it's cliched," said winger Luke Gazdic, "But we're not playing a full 60." Coach Pyle added to that, looking to the veteran players to provide consistency to the younger ones. "Our best players have got to be our best players, and right now, they're not."

"We get what we deserve. If you're not totally committed every shift, you're going to struggle."

More inside on each game and the week ahead...

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If you happen to find a full 60 minutes hiding somewhere, please return them to the Texas Stars (7-8-0-1, 15 pts, #11 Western Conference) care of the Cedar Park Center, Cedar Park, TX. At last report, the Stars were in possession of them on Friday night in Houston but lost them on the way home to Cedar Park.

All snark aside, Texas had an up and down week.  Only two games on the schedule for the week, both against Houston, resulted in only two points.  The Houston Aeros (Minnesota Wild) are a strong club and splitting the weekend might have been a good showing, if it weren't for the way it went down.  Texas gave up a point by going to OT on Friday and just flat gave up on Saturday in a 5-1 regulation loss.

Of the game on Saturday, Francis Wathier said, "There's not one guy that played well tonight. It was a team lack of effort."  Things really fell apart during the second period, "Our shifts were way too long," said Wathier. "We didn't put the puck where we wanted it to be."  Texas improved in the third period though, but it was already too late.

Texas is suffering from some consistency issues. Not every period is an even effort and not every game is either. "You've gotta go for 60 or 65," said Wathier.  It's a young club.  Fully half of the roster is 22 or younger, and nine of 24 roster players were born in the the 1990s.

Texas will get a chance to get revenge against the Aeros this weekend with another home-and-home.

More inside about each game and a look at the week ahead...

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It's been a rough week for the Texas Stars (6-7-0-1, 13 pts, #10 Western), who came up winless in their first three games in three nights stretch of the season.  Texas faced off against the division rival Abbotsford Heat (Calgary Flames) at home for two before heading to San Antonio on Sunday for a matinee game against the Rampage (Florida Panthers).  The Stars earned only one point on the weekend, losing their first game in a shootout 3-2.

Overall, it was a very disjointed weekend for the team.  Texas was up 2-0 late in Friday's game, but gave up two late goals including a power play tally on an avoidable penalty, and lost in the shootout. On Saturday, Heat goalie Leland Irving kept Abbotsford in the game, another winnable one for Texas.  The Texas power play had a power outage against the Heat, going 1/13 in the two games. "We're still getting good looks," said Dan Spang. "But we're hitting a lot of crossbars."

Finally, the game in San Antonio was eminently winnable with San Antonio in last place in the league and on a three game losing streak.  Texas got the early lead but fell in regulation with goals from the Rampage in the second and third making the difference.

Whereas last week was about things coming together, this week was about things coming apart.  Perhaps less "coming apart" and more "not yet solidified".  This is a young team still, and the season is only six weeks old. Texas Stars fans seem to be getting restless, but if anything, this is only because they have become accustomed to win to loss ratios of two-to-one.  Texas is just outside playoff contention and getting better as a team each day.

More inside on each individual game and the week ahead...

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It's been a great week for the Texas Stars (6-5-0-0, 12 pts, #8 Western Conference), who returned to the Lone Star State after four on the road for contests against the Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs) and in San Antonio against the Rampage (Florida Panthers).  Texas won both games with key lessons learned in each.

Against a strong Marlies club, Texas allowed two early PPGs but roared back to win 4-3 in OT.  The Stars showed their collective grit and character while killing a 93 second long 5-opn-3 in the second period, which was definitely the turning point of the game. "The momentum coming off that and the fans yelling pumped us up," said winger Colton Sceviour.

The Stars continued their success Sunday against San Antonio, blanking the Rampage 4-0 on Richard Bachman's second shutout performance of the season.  The Stars did not allow a PPG in the game, despite 6 opportunities and are now 13/15 on the PK in their last four after early struggles. "Our penalty kill, statistically, doesn't look good, but we've been battling," said Coach Pyle.

In the win, Texas extended several streaks.  First, Texas set their win streak at three games with the two victories this week and last week's win over the Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville Predators).  Additionally, Tomas Vincour extended his point scoring streak to six games with a goal on Sunday.  He also extended his goal scoring streak to five, tying a Stars record set by Warren Peters in 2009-10.  Francis Wathier has also quietly been having a great season, currently on a five game scoring streak with a goal and assist on Sunday.  He is also plus-4 on the season.

More on each game inside, including some special video of Matt Fraser's physical side...

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The past week saw the Texas Stars (4-5-0-0, 8 pts, #11 Western Conf.) strike it out on the road for the longest road trip of the season.  Four games over six days spanned the newly created Midwest Division, all former members of the West Division, which Texas was a part of last season.  Texas split the road trip, which is really the best you can ask for from any squad on the road.  The Stars won their games at the Rockford IceHogs (Chicago Blackhawks) and Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville Predators) and lost against the Peoria Rivermen (St Louis Blues) and Chicago Wolves (Vancouver Canucks).

With nine of a total of 76 games in the books, Texas has started to develop some notable trends.  The power play was the big story this summer with the arrival of Coach Jeff Pyle and hasn't disappointed.  To this point, the Stars have the best PP% in the league at 37% and have scored half of their goals on the PP (17 of 34).

However, special teams are a two-sided coin.  The Stars' PK is also one of the worst in the league (25th at 75%).  That isn't sustainable in the long run, especially when you add in that Texas is now averaging just under 5 minors a game (as opposed to 3 last season.  That's a goal per game on the PK. Additionally, the Stars are a combined minus-48 in the young season.

The Stars are looking up, however, after beating a perennial playoff contender in the Admirals on Sunday.  The game typified what the Stars want to be with a 50% power play percentage, a flawless penalty kill, and solid and confident goaltending.  This team is just working to find its groove early.  They seem to have all the pieces, but they just have to gel.

More inside about each game and which Dallas Stars one-way contact holder got a healthy scratch this week...

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So far, it's been a rough season for the Texas Stars (2-3-0-0, 4 pts, #15 Western).  It's not going to get much easier as the Stars head out on the road for their first extended road trip of the season.  There were positive signs of life in the Stars' games this weekend, however, which they split down the middle. The Stars dropped their Thursday evening game against San Antonio (Florida Panthers) in heartbreaking fashion 4-3, but earned the full two points in an overtime victory against the Peoria Rivermen (St. Louis Blues) on Saturday night.

Chief among recent news stories for Dallas fans is the assignment of Hubert Labrie and Ondrej Roman to the Idaho Steelheads.  For Labrie, it is expected. After Philip Larsen was sent down to Texas, Labrie was the 8th defenseman and hadn't made it into a game yet. He needs the ice to continue developing.  

Ondrej Roman is another player who needs some ice after getting scratched in three of the Stars' first five games.  He has recorded no meaningful stats and only two shots in those games playing fourth line minutes.This is not a death knell for Roman, but it certainly doesn't feel good. Other popular Texas Stars who got some seasoning in Boise after time with Texas include Luke Gazdic and Mathieu Tousignant. They've both turned out just fine. Time will tell how this sets up Roman's career trajectory.

More on this week's games and a preview of a busy road trip inside...

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This was not a good week for the Texas Stars (1-2-0-0, 2 pts, #11 Western).  After putting up seven goals on the Oklahoma City Barons (Edmonton Oilers) in their season opener, Texas dropped two games by a total score of 15-3 to the Houston Aeros (Minnesota Wild) and those same Barons. Despite that bit of disappointment, it's early in the season.  As any good hockey coach would say, "it's just one game".

There are a positives to look at for the team. Among them is the team's record on the power play.  Even after an 0/6 performance in Saturday's game, Texas has scored on 6 of their 18 opportunities for a 33.3% power play percentage.  The Stars have yet to allow a power play goal at home and are 80% on the PK overall in the young season.

Brenden Dillon, who scored his first pro goal on Friday, is tied for the team lead in scoring with Dan Spang. Travis Morin became the franchise's all-time scoring leader with two points in the loss to Houston.  He is four goals away from becoming the franchise's goal scoring leader as well.

More inside about each game and the injury report, which concerns a recently assigned Dallas prospect...

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For the Texas Stars (1-0-0-0, 2 pts, #4 Western), it was a great opening weekend.  With only one game on the schedule in the first week of the season, this week's Texas Stars Report will be predictably shorter than usual.

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The Texas Stars (0-0-0-0, -- pts, #-- Western) opened training camp last week and will see their first regular season game coming this weekend against the Oklahoma City Barons (Edmonton Oilers).  For Texas and the AHL, it has been a dynamic offseason. I'll go over some of the changes, preview each position briefly and talk about this past weekend's preseason contests.

Coaching changes

Taking over for the newly minted Dallas Stars coach Glen Gulutzan is Jeff Pyle, formerly of the ECHL's Gwinnett Gladiators.  Pyle brings a strong track record of winning and a knack for special teams, especially the power play, to Texas.  Joining him behind the bench to replace Paul Jerrard is Jeff Truitt, formerly of the San Antonio Rampage.

Playoff and schedule changes

The AHL itself saw a few changes in the offseason.  Former Western Conference competitor the Manitoba Moose moved to St. John's and became the IceCaps when the Thrashers moved to Winnipeg.  To accommodate the move, the Charlotte Checkers (Carolina Hurricanes) moved to the Western Conference.

Several scheduling and playoff format changes were made as well.  The AHL will only play 76 games per team this season, down from 80 in previous seasons.  In addition to this, teams will no longer play four games in five nights, though dreaded three games in three day stretches are still on the schedule.  The playoff format switches to mirror the NHL with the top 8 teams in each conference making the cut and the divisional leaders getting the top three seeds. The first round of the playoffs has also been shortened to best of five instead of seven.

More on changes in the AHL, as well as full previews of each position and recap of preseason games inside...

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The Texas Stars (41-29-4-6, 92 pts, #4 West) completed their regular season on Sunday with a playoff spot already secured.  Coming into the final game, there were 10 possible combinations for the final seeding in the West Conference.  With the Oklahoma City Barons and Stars losing on Sunday, Texas will now play the Milwaukee Admirals in the first round.

The Admirals are a good matchup for the Stars.  Despite the Ads' spot as the #1 team in the West, the Stars have taken five of six from the Predator's farm club.  Certainly it is a better matchup than the alternative of Houston, who Texas struggled against this season mightily.  The Stars schedule will be as follows:

Game 1: Texas at Milwaukee on Thursday, April 14 at 7:00 PM
Game 2: Texas at Milwaukee on Saturday, April 16 at 7:00 PM
Game 3: Milwaukee at Texas on Tuesday, April 19 at 7:30 PM
Game 4: Milwaukee at Texas on Wednesday, April 20 at 7:30 PM
*Game 5: Milwaukee at Texas on Friday, April 22 at 7:30 PM
*Game 6: Texas at Milwaukee on Monday, April 25 at 7:00 PM
*Game 7: Texas at Milwaukee on Tuesday, April 26 at 7:00 PM

Tickets are on sale now, and Texas is only a short jaunt down I-35.

The Stars biggest news in the past week, aside for the playoff clinch, was the addition of Scott Glennie on an amateur tryout contract.  The Dallas Stars' first round draft pick from 2009 played in the last four games of the season.  He has not registered a point and is minus-2 with 2 PIMs.

More about each individual game inside...

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