Stars Score Five Unanswered to Top Wild
Mar 29, 2019|
Dahill Office Technology Corporation Three Stars: Shots: Goaltenders: |
DES MOINES, Iowa – The Texas Stars, American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars, scored five unanswered goals against the Iowa Wild tonight to capture a 5-2 victory in their seventh matchup this year. Texas improved to 6-0-0-1 against the third place Wild team and also took sole ownership of fourth place in the Central Division with the win.
Texas’ power play helped propel the team to the win, scoring three goals on the power play for the sixth time this year and the first time since Nov. 25, 2018 against the San Antonio Rampage. Colin Markison, Niklas Hansson, and Michael Mersch each notched goals on the man advantage to fuel the victory.
After trailing 2-0 in the opening period, Texas buried three second period goals. Adam Mascherin broke into the offensive zone on a turnover at neutral ice. Ben Gleason led the pass to Mascherin who broke over the offensive line and tucked a shot off the post on the right side of netminder Andrew Hammond who was tied up in the crease. Mascherin’s 18th of the season put the Stars on the board three minutes into the second period and pulled the rookie into a tie for fourth among first year skaters in the league.
Markison followed up seven minutes later to tie the game. In the late stages of the Stars second power play of the night, the winger broke into the slot and sent a shot to the right side of the net. Hammond was unable to seal off the shot as it trickled through his body and rolled into the net. Markison’s eighth of the season sets a personal best and evened the score before the halfway part of the contest.
Rookie center Rhett Gardner who earned his first pro point with an assist on Markison’s goal, took the eventual game winning goal. Markison payed his line mate back with a pass to the left side of the crease. Gardner ripped a one-timer up and over the shoulder of Hammond to give Texas a lead they never relinquished.
In the third period, the Stars kept the pressure on the Wild, outshooting Iowa 10-5. Hansson was the first to score a power play goal in the period, slamming a one-timer through the Wild goaltenders legs to make it 4-2 with 12 minutes remaining in the game. Both Joel Hanley and Josh Melnick found the scoresheet on the goal extending Hanleys point streak to five games and giving Melnick his first point in professional hockey.
Mersch added the dagger for the Stars on a perfect pass from Travis Morin. The Stars alternate captains hooked up on a pass the found Mersch on the left side of the net for the tap in past Hammond. Mersch now has goals in back to back games and ranks second on the Stars with 22 goals this year.
The Wild jumped out to a first period lead on goals separated by a minute. Sixteen seconds into Iowa’s first power play of the night, Gerald Mayhew scored his 23rd goal of the season to open the scoring on a pass from the club’s leading point getter, Cal O’Reilly. Iowa finished the night 1-for-3 on the power play. The Wild then benefitted from a tie up with Stars netminder Philippe Desrosiers. The goaltender was taken out of the play before Kyle Rau net his team leading 26th goal of the campaign to extend the lead with seven and a half minutes left in the first period.
Desrosiers was spectacular in the game, making 24 saves for the Stars second straight win and earning his eighth victory in the process. Hammond suffered back to back losses at home after making 24 saves. The Wild loss also handed the club their fourth straight defeat and brings the Stars five points away from Iowa in the Central Division standings.
Photo Credit: Iowa Wild