Stars Sweep Season Series Over Admirals in 3-2 Shootout Win
Apr 3, 2015MILWAUKEE, Wisc -- Jack Campbell made the key save and Justin Dowling scored the shootout-winning goal in round five to lift the Texas Stars to a 3-2 road win over the Milwaukee Admirals on Friday night in front of 5,303 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center to sweep the four-game regular season series between the two clubs.
Campbell denied Pontus Aberg with a glove save, and Dowling ripped a wrist shot from the slot past Marek Mazanec in round five to seal the Texas win. Derek Hulak, Travis Morin, and Devin Shore also scored for Texas (34-21-13-1) in the shootout. With the win, the Stars maintain their hold on sixth-place in the AHL's Western Conference playoff race with seven games remaining in their season. The Stars also closed the gap on fifth-place Oklahoma City to two points with the win.
Texas visits the Chicago Wolves Saturday night at 7 p.m. in another crucial battle as the Wolves sit three points back of the Stars with a game in hand.
The teams needed extra time after trading goals through the first two periods and holding each other scoreless in the third. Derek Hulak opened things up at 10:42 of the first with a rebound goal generated by Dowling's wrist shot in the left circle for his 19th goal of the season. Kevin Fiala knotted things up less than five minutes later off a Texas turnover, beating Campbell from the left circle for his third against the Stars this season and 11th overall.
In period two, Travis Morin tapped in a Greg Rallo crossing feed at the left side of the crease for his 20th of the season and the 350th point of his Texas Stars career to make it 2-1, but Austin Watson deflected Anthony Bitetto's point shot on the power play for the Admirals (33-25-7-6) to tie the game again at 2-2.
Both goaltenders were active throughout the game as Campbell earned the win with a 34-save performance. Mazanec stuffed his third loss of the season against the Stars, stopping 33.
Texas went 0-for-2 on the power play while the Admirals finished 1-for-4.
Photo Credit: Scott Paulus/Milwaukee Admirals
| Three Stars: 1. Justin Dowling (TEX) 2. Marek Mazanec (MIL) 3. Jack Campbell (TEX) |
Shots: Stars - 36 Admirals - 35 |
Goaltenders: W - Campbell L - Mazanec |