Stars Suffer 2-0 Loss to Grand Rapids
Mar 27, 2015CEDAR PARK, Texas – Tom McCollum kept the Texas Stars offense in check with 34 saves to lead the Grand Rapid Griffins to a 2-0 win on Friday night at Cedar Park Center in front of 5,079 in attendance.
Jack Campbell suffered the loss for Texas (32-20-13-1) despite a 36-save performance. McCollum made key saves when they were needed for the Griffins (39-19-6-2), including two stops midway through the second period robbing Greg Rallo and Derek Hulak alone in the slot on two separate individual chances.
Texas and Grand Rapids face off again Saturday at 7 p.m. at Cedar Park Center.
Mark Zengerle’s tip-in goal at 9:36 of the second period was the game-winner after Andreas Athanasiou’s assist off a faceoff win in the left circle. Landon Ferraro added Grand Rapid’s other goal with a wrist shot from the right circle at 4:26 of the third for his 25th of the season.
Neither team could manage a special teams goal as the Stars finished 0-for-4 on the power play and the Griffins, 0-for-2. It was only the second shutout suffered by the Stars this season. San Antonio topped Texas back on Nov. 23 in a 3-0 final.
The two teams surrounding Texas in the Western Conference standings, fifth-place Oklahoma City and seventh-place Milwaukee, also lost their respective games in regulation – so the Stars did not gain or lose any ground in the conference playoff race. Sent down from the NHL’s Dallas Stars on a conditioning assignment earlier in the day, Valeri Nichushkin made his Cedar Park Center debut and finished with three shots on goal for Texas.
The Texas Stars entered the 2014-15 season as the AHL’s defending Calder Cup Champions. Single-game tickets for the remainder of the 2014-15 season are on sale now, and fans can now place season ticket package deposits for the 2015-16 campaign. For more information, call (512) GO-STARS (467-8277) or visit TexasStarsHockey.com.
Photo Credit: Christina Shapiro/Texas Stars
| Three Stars: 1. Tom McCollum (GR) 2. Jack Campbell (TEX) 3. Mark Zengerle (GR) |
Shots: Stars - 34 Griffin - 38 |
Goaltenders: W - McCollum L - Campbell |