GAME NOTES
BARONS GAME NOTES - MAY 3
By Josh Evans, OKC Barons
San Antonio Rampage at Oklahoma City BaronsCalder Cup Playoffs | Series “K” Western Conference Semifinals | Game 1
May 3, 2012, 7 pm CDT | Cox Convention Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Broadcast: KXY 96.1 FM
TONIGHT: The Barons open a playoff series at home for the first time in the team’s 2-season AHL history as they host the San Antonio Rampage (Florida Panthers) in the opener of a best-of-7 Western Conference semifinal. Each of OKC’s two previous series have started on the road, including this year’s opening-round victory over Houston (3 games to 1). OKC has had an 8-day break since their last game on April 24. This series is a 2-3-2 format, with the first 2 and potentially last 2 games at the Cox Center. OKC is the Western Conference No. 1 seed; San Antonio is No. 6.
LOOKING BACK: The Barons and Rampage split 8 meetings this season, with each team going 2-2 on its home ice. OKC won the first 3 meetings, but San Antonio took 4 of the last 5 including the final two games by 1-0 scores. Each team shut out the opposition twice in the season series. The all-time series spanning the past 2 seasons is even at 9-9, with all games between the teams decided in regulation. OKC is 4-5 all-time at home against the Rampage, while the Barons have gone 5-4 at the AT&T Center.
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Each team enters this round following their first Calder Cup series wins. The Barons topped Houston 3 games to 1, winning both road games and splitting a pair at the Cox Center. OKC is 1-1 in Calder Cup series after debuting last season. In its third playoff series in club history, San Antonio won both home games against No. 3 seed Chicago, but dropped Games 3 and 4 at Allstate Arena. The fifth and deciding game went to a second overtime before Roman Derlyuk’s goal ended the series.
SLINGS AND AEROS: OKC out-shot Houston in each game of the first round, coming just short of doubling the Aeros in shots for the series, 143-76. The Aeros out-shot the Barons in only one period during the 4 games, the third period of Game 4 by an 11-10 margin. Yann Danis played the entire series, notching 1 shutout, a 1.01 goals-against average and .947 save percentage. The Barons had at least 1 goal in 9 of the series’ 12 periods. The only periods where they didn’t score came in a 1-0 loss in Game 3. OKC received goals from 10 different players and points from 16 of its 18 skaters in the first round.
SPECIALTY ITEMS: The Barons are 2-for-18 on the power play in the playoffs, connecting in each of the first 2 games of the series at Houston. OKC was 0-for-11 in the 2 games at the Cox Center. OKC went 13-for-13 on the penalty kill against the Aeros and is the last remaining playoff team with a 100 percent PK rate. The Rampage were a league-best 7-for-22 in the first round with the man advantage. They went 16-for-21 (76.2%) on the penalty kill against Chicago, a rate that was 13th out of 16 first-round teams.
ONES AND ZEROES: Combining regular season and playoffs, the Barons have been involved in five 1-0 games this season after not having any in 2010-11. OKC split four 1-0 games during the regular season, beating the Rampage once and losing to them twice by that score, while also topping Charlotte 1-0. OKC dropped a 1-0 final in Game 3 of its first-round series against the Houston Aeros. OKC has been involved in four shutouts in its 10-game Calder Cup history. In addition to the Game 3 loss, the Barons blanked Houston 5-0 in Game 1. OKC and Hamilton traded 2-0 finals in last year’s opening-round best-of-7.
GOOD OMENS: By scoring at least 4 goals in each of its 3 wins in the first round, the Barons improved their combined regular season and playoff record to 24-0-0-0 when scoring 4 or more in a game. Ryan Keller and Josh Green had 2-goal games in the first round. On 19 occasions (regular season and playoffs) OKC has had a 2-goal game, but the Barons have yet to record a hat trick this season. When the Barons received a goal from a defenseman this season they went 15-2-0-2 and when Philippe Cornet lit the lamp the team went 18-1-0-0 in the regular season. Cornet and the defense corps each scored once in the first round, with Dylan Yeo and Cornet both tallying in the series-clinching, 5-2 win over Houston April 24.
First Round Series Results:
Date Opp. Result OKC Goalie (GA,SV) Opp. Goalie Attn.
April 19 @ Hou W, 5-0 Danis (0, 14) Hackett (L)/Brodeur 3,158
April 20 @ Hou W, 4-1 Dans (1, 19) Hackett (L)/Brodeur 4,756
April 22 Hou L, 0-1 Danis (1, 20) Brodeur (0, 31) 2,859
April 24 Hou W, 5-2 Danis (2, 19) Brodeur (4, EN, 22) 1,922
Current Series Schedule (all times Central):
Date Opp. Site Time Broadcast
May 3 SA Cox Center 7:00 KXY 96.1 FM
May 5 SA Cox Center 7:00 KXY 96.1 FM
May 7 @ SA AT&T Center 7:00 KXY 96.1 FM
May 10 @ SA AT&T Center 7:00 KXY 96.1 FM
May 11* @ SA AT&T Center 7:00 KXY 96.1 FM
May 13* SA Cox Center 4:00 KXY 96.1 FM
May 15* SA Cox Center 7:00 KXY 96.1 FM
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