Texas Drops 4-1 Decision to Manitoba in Road Trip Opener

Nov 11, 2019

WINNIPEG, Manitoba – The Texas Stars, American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars, fell to the Manitoba Moose 4-1 on Monday night in the opening game of a week-long road trip. Josh Melnick tallied the Stars lone goal, his second in as many games, but the tally was not enough to spark a comeback.  

 

Manitoba jumped ahead 3-0 in the first period during a four-minute surge. Eight minutes into the game, Ben Gleason was whistled for high sticking, giving Manitoba the first power play of the game. Midway through the advantage, Michael Spacek took advantage of the opportunity as he cleaned up a rebound that bounced off the end wall and then Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger. Moments later, Cole Maier sent a long pass up to Brent Pedersen for a perfect breakaway chance. Pederson then faced Oettinger one-on-one and lifted the puck over the netminders left leg for Manitoba’s second goal. With seven minutes until the intermission, Manitoba upped their lead to three goals immediately following a Stars power play. After Skyler McKenzie exited the penalty box, the winger fed Jansen Harkins in the slot where he slid a backhanded shot around Oettinger’s pad.

 

Texas broke through in the second as Riley Tufte worked his way into the zone and took a shot at the Moose net. The rebound bounced off the pads of Michael Berdin and onto the stick of Melnick. The forward then shot a rocket past Berdin for Texas’ first goal of the game. Melnick’s tally was the first to get past the Moose goaltender in over 150 minutes and was his second goal in three games since returning to the lineup from injury. The Stars were unable to notch another tally on the scoreboard despite several changes in the second period.

 

In the final period of play, Texas could not find the two goals necessary to level the score. The Stars also needed to kill off a lengthy 5-on-3 penalty kill to put the Moose 1-for-6 on the power play. Texas ended the night empty on two power plays as well. Harkins added a sweetener with his second of the game, scoring on the empty net with 1.1 seconds left.

 

Berdin continued his hot streak for the Moose with a 32-save victory and has made 99 saves to earn three straight wins. Oettinger suffered the loss as the Moose found the back of the net three times and added an empty-net goal on 33 shots.

 

The team will face the Moose again on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. before traveling to Toronto, Ontario to face the Toronto Marlies on Saturday and Sunday. Puck drop in Toronto both nights is at 3 p.m. CST.

 

Written by Stevie Golding

Photo Credit: Manitoba Moose

 

Game Info	Shots	Goaltenders	3 Stars (Xerox Business Solutions Southwest)
Boxscore	TEX: 33	W: Mikhail Berdin  (MB)	1: Mikhail Berdin (MB)
Photo	MB: 31	L: Jake Oettinger (TEX)	2: Jansen Harkins (MB)
Video			3: Skyler McKenzie (MB)