Dowling’s Hat Trick Leads Texas Past Rochester, 5-2
Feb 20, 2015ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- A hat trick performance by Justin Dowling sparked the Texas Stars to a 5-2 road win on Friday night over the Rochester Americans in front of 6,293 in attendance at Blue Cross Arena.
Travis Morin (two assists) and Scott Glennie (goal, assist) also tallied multi-point nights for the Stars along with Dowling. Jussi Rynnas turned aside 30 of 32 shots for his 17th win of the season, and Texas has now won three of the first four games on their season-long six-game road trip.
The Stars (24-17-10-1) continue their road trip Saturday when they visit Toronto at 2 p.m. CST.
Tied up 2-2 entering the second period, Greg Rallo snapped the tie at 5:05 on a crossing feed from Morin for his team-leading 18th of the season. Dowling then buried his second of the game from the left circle on the power play with less than a minute remaining to make it a 4-2 lead for the Stars. That's all the offense the Stars would need, but Dowling added an empty-net goal in the closing seconds of the third for the Stars fourth hat trick of the season. Rynnas stopped all 21 shots he faced from the Americans in the final two periods to secure the Texas road win.
Matt Hackett suffered the loss for the Americans (22-28-4-0), stopping 36 of 40 shots.
Texas opened up the scoring just 24 seconds into the game as Glennie lifted home his sixth of the year on a loose puck at the left side of the crease. Rochester tied it up at 9:46 of the frame when Zac Dalpe finished off a crossing pass from the left circle, but Dowling pushed Texas back in front less than three minutes later on a wrist shot from the right circle to make it 2-1. Dan Catenacci slipped home a rebound goal at 14:47 of the opening period to knot the game after one, prior to the Stars offense taking over in period two.
Texas finished 1-for-3 on the power play, and held the Americans scoreless on three man-advantage chances. The Stars have been perfect on the penalty kill in 16 of their last 17 road games. Rallo appeared in his 600th career pro game.
Photo Credit: Rochester Americans
| Three Stars: 1. Justin Dowling (TEX) 2. Scott Glennie (TEX) 3. Travis Morin (TEX) |
Shots: Stars - 41 Americans - 32 |
Goaltending: W - Rynnas L - Hackett |