Stars Force Overtime with Late Goal, Fall in Shootout
Oct 12, 2018
DES MOINES, Iowa – The Texas Stars, American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars, needed a late third period goal to come back from a 3-2 deficit and force overtime against the Iowa Wild tonight at Wells Fargo Arena. Forward Denis Gurianov scored his first goal of the year in the final nine seconds to extend the game and give the Stars a point for the third consecutive game. The Wild took the victory with a 4-3 shootout win for the team’s third straight victory at home.
Texas and Iowa opened the game with matching pace, but the Stars were put on two penalty kills in the first period including a 5-on-3 chance. Goaltender Landon Bow made some big saves on the penalty kill to keep the first period scoreless and ended the frame with 10 stops. The netminder finished the game with 27 saves. The Wild would open the scoring in the game as Ryan Murphy tallied his third of the season on a shot from the top of the slot.
The Stars responded less than a minute later to tie the game. Rookie forward Adam Mascherin scored his first career goal by battling in front of the net. Joel Hanley and Erik Condra earned assists as they combined on a one-timer that was stopped by Wild goaltender Andrew Hammond before being put into the empty net 3:56 into the second period.
Defenseman Gavin Bayreuther then put the Stars ahead with the first power play goal of the year. The defenseman was set up for a one-timer by first-year blue liner Ben Gleason for his first career assist. Bayreuther’s one-timed shot in the right circle rang the cross bar before tucking in for a 2-1 Texas lead with 11 minutes left in the period.
Iowa responded with a goal three minutes later by Mike Liambas on the left side of the net to tie the game at the second intermission. A stroke of bad luck put the Stars down in the third period. A pair of broken sticks for Bayreuther and Michael Mersch sprung the Wild up the ice on an odd man rush. Garry Fitzgerald gathered a drop pass at the offensive blue line and walked to the right circle to give Iowa the 3-2 advantage.
For the second straight game, the Stars had the goaltender pulled from the net in the final minute. Bayreuther tossed a long pass up the right side of the ice and found Gurianov wide open at the blue line. The third-year winger walked into the circle and beat Hammond just inside the left post.
The Stars gathered multiple chances in the overtime period but were unable to take in the final goal as Hammond finished the game with 30 saves. Sam Anas scored the lone goal in the shootout while the Stars were stymied on three opportunities.
Texas travels to Rockford, Illinois to face the IceHogs in a Western Conference Final rematch at 6 p.m. tomorrow night at the BMO Harris Bank Center.
Box Score
3 Stars presented by Dahill
- S. Anas (IA)
- G.Fitzgerald (IA)
- D. Gurianov (TEX)