Stars Split Weekend Pair with Charlotte in 3-1 Loss
Dec 13, 2014CEDAR PARK, Texas – Greg Rallo scored his fourth goal in three games to give the Texas Stars a chance at the very end, but an empty-net goal by the Charlotte Checkers sealed the 3-1 final on Saturday night at Cedar Park Center to close out the Texas homestand in front of 4,853.
The Stars (10-8-7-0) took four of six points on the home stretch despite seeing their three-game win streak come to an end. Drew MacIntyre of Charlotte out-dueled the Stars’ Anders Lindback with 34 saves to earn the win. Lindback stopped 27-of-29 in the loss.
Chad LaRose slipped in the empty-net goal from center ice for the Checkers (9-14-2-0) for his fourth of the season. The Stars opted for the extra attacker after Rallo’s power play goal with 9:40 left in the third cut the deficit to 2-1. The veteran forward deflected a point shot by Maxime Fortunus for his seventh of the season. Radek Faksa also tallied an assist.
Charlotte opened the game’s scoring at 7:26 of the first when Andrew Rowe deflected a rising slap shot from the point through the legs of Lindback. The Checkers extended their lead to 2-0 off a rebound goal by Jordan Staal, who trailed Rowe on a breakaway that was initially stopped by the Stars goaltender before tapping home a loose puck at 11:24.
The Stars continued their pressure as the game wore on with 25 of their 35 shots coming in the second and third periods, but MacIntyre held up the Checkers’ lead long enough for LaRose to seal it.
Rallo’s goal gives the Stars a power play tally in six of their last eight games. The Texas penalty kill unit continued their strong play as well having killed off 30 of their last 33.
The Stars finished 1-for-6 on the man-advantage. Charlotte went 0-for-2.
Justin Dowling remains on 99 points in his AHL career.
Three Stars:
1. Drew MacIntyre (CHA)
2. Brett Ritchie (TEX)
3. Justin Dowling (TEX)
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: Christina Shapiro/Texas Stars
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