Stars End Road Trip with a Convincing Win and a Share of First Place

Jan 11, 2025

ROCKFORD, Illinois – The Texas Stars, American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars, overwhelmed the Rockford IceHogs 6-1 Saturday at the BMO Center to cap a perfect Midwest road trip 3-0-0-0. The Stars now hold a share of first place in the Central Division after winning their seventh straight road game.

After a scoreless first period, Antonio Stranges broke open the scoring 55 seconds into the second period. Stranges was sprung on a breakaway from an Emillio Pettersen stretch pass and slid a backhander through Mitchell Weeks’ pads and into the net. Kole Lind then provided some insurance, taking a pass from Cameron Hughes, who had positioned himself behind the Rockford net. Hughes found Lind in a soft spot between the defense in front of the net, and Lind one-timed the puck into the top corner.

Just over a minute past the halfway point, Hughes extended the lead further, firing a shot on the power play from the left point through a screen that beat Weeks on the glove side. With 18 seconds remaining in the period, Curtis McKenzie buried a one-timer on a setup pass from Hughes beneath the goal line for McKenzie’s first of two goals in the game. Hughes finished with four points (1-3=4), just one game after scoring a hat trick Friday against Milwaukee.

The Stars added their fifth goal of the game at 5:44 of the final frame. Chase Wheatcroft sent a pass from behind the net to Jack Becker in the slot, and Becker fired it past Weeks. With just under five minutes remaining, McKenzie converted on the power play, catching a pass from Stranges in front of the net. McKenzie dropped to one knee and one-timed the puck into the Rockford goal.

Rockford broke through in the final three minutes, when Landon Slaggert pounced on a loose puck behind Texas goaltender Remi Poirier and put it into the net to make it 6-1.

Poirier stopped 30 of 31 in the victory for the Stars. Weeks turned away 24 of 30 in the loss for the IceHogs.

The Stars return to action next Saturday at 7:00 p.m. When they play host to the Milwaukee Admirals at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. Tickets are on sale at www.texasstars.com/tickets.

The Texas Stars are the primary development affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars. For more information, call (512) GO-STARS (467-8277) or visit TexasStars.com.

Photo Credit: Rockford IceHogs

Game Info	Shots	Goaltenders	3 Stars (Ubeo Business Services)
Boxscore	TEX: 30	W: Poirier (TEX)	1: Poirier (TEX)
Photo	RFD: 31	L: Weeks (RFD)	2: Hughes (TEX)
			3: McKenzie (TEX)