Stars Blank Roadrunners in 2-0 Shutout
Feb 15, 2019|
Dahill Office Technology Corporation Three Stars: Shots: Goaltenders: |
CEDAR PARK, Texas – The Texas Stars, American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars, returned home to the H-E-B Center from a four game road trip to meet the Tucson Roadrunners. Philippe Desrosiers stopped 29 shots including a game high 12 saves in the third period to earn his second career shutout.
Texas and Tucson each came into the game ready to battle, but the first period ultimately ended scoreless. Both teams had their opportunity on the man advantage, but could not convert in opening frame. The Stars would eventually hold Tucson on all four of their chances, and convert on 1 of 3 power plays.
The period included several beautiful offensive chances on sixteen shots, including a shorthanded try by Denis Gurianov, but the Stars could not get the puck past Roadrunners goaltender Hunter Miska. On the flip side, Tucson fired eight shots at Desrosiers including one that hit the post, but the fourth year netminder stood strong for the team.
The Stars were determined to break the scoreless tie in the second period, and Robbie Payne did just that at 7:53. Brad McClure carried the puck into the zone and slid it to Adam Macherin who found Payne sneaking up from behind the Roadrunners net. The forward tallied the eventual game winning goal by firing a wrister into the top left corner of the net past Miska. Payne got the monkey off his back, scoring his first goal of the year.
With just under five minutes to play in the second, Michael Mersch cashed in on the power play to extend the lead to two. He netted his 100th career goal by following up a rebound on a shot by Travis Morin. Mersch has scored four goals in the last six games and has four points in the last two contests. The score remained 2-0 for the final minutes of the second period, and the entirety of the third.
The Roadrunners pushed the pace in the final period, pulling Miska for an extra skater with three minutes remaining in the game. Desrosiers would earn himself the first star of the game and his fifth win of the 2018-2019 campaign by fending off 12 shots in the final 20 minutes of play.
Photo Credit: Andy Nietupski