Stars Edged by Flames in 3-2 Loss
Dec 5, 2014GLENS FALLS, N.Y. – Brett Ritchie provided the offense and Anders Lindback stopped 26 shots in his goaltending debut, but the Texas Stars came up short on Friday night, falling to the Adirondack Flames in a 3-2 final at Glens Falls Civic Center.
Ritchie’s second goal of the game came with 2:22 remaining in regulation to pull the Stars within one, after deflecting Julius Honka’s shot from the point for his sixth of the year. With Lindback pulled, the Stars generated a last-minute push, but Flames goaltender Joni Ortio weathered the storm as part of his 37-save night to seal the win.
The Stars (7-7-7-0) continue their road trip on Sunday at 2 p.m. against the Hamilton Bulldogs.
Adirondack (13-9-1-0) took an early lead just 1:34 into the game as former Star Taylor Vause tapped home his second of the season and the first of his two-goal night on an odd-man rush. The Stars answered back at 11:53 when Ritchie snapped home a wrist shot from the right circle for his second consecutive game with a goal since returning from injury.
In the second, Mark Cundari slipped a shot from the point past a screened Lindback at 3:42 to make it a 2-1 game. Vause then extended the Adirondack lead to 3-1 in a scrum at the front of the net with 7:29 remaining.
Three of the Stars’ five power play attempts came during the second period, where Ortio shined with a series of acrobatic saves to contain a Texas offense that peppered 14 shots in the frame alone. The Stars finished 0-for-5 on the night. Adirondack went 0-for-4.
Lindback was making his debut for the Stars after being assigned by the NHL’s Dallas Stars on Thursday. Travis Morin extended his point streak to three games with an assist on Ritchie’s second goal. Maxime Fortunus saw his three-game point streak for Texas end in the loss.
Defenseman Connor Hardowa also made his debut with the Stars after signing a tryout agreement with the club yesterday.
Three Stars:
1. Taylor Vause (ADK)
2. Joni Ortio (ADK)
3. Mark Cundari (ADK)
The Texas Stars entered the 2014-15 season as the AHL’s defending Calder Cup Champions. Single-game tickets and season ticket packages for the 2014-15 campaign are on sale now. For more information, call (512) GO-STARS (467-8277) or visit TexasStarsHockey.com.
Photo Credit: Adirondack Flames