Texas Stars Power Through Iowa in Third Period for 8-4 Win
Feb 5, 2021DES MOINES, Iowa – The Texas Stars, American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars, mounted a massive six-goal, third period after trailing through 40 minutes of play to take an 8-4 win over the Iowa Wild on the AHL’s opening night. Texas improves to 10-2-0-0 in season opening games in franchise history after the win at Wells Fargo Arena.
Riley Damiani scored his first two professional goals and Adam Mascherin tied a personal record with four points (1-3=4) in the outing.
Texas fell behind in the first period on an early Wild power play goal, one of two that Iowa would score in the game. Dmitry Sokolov scored the opening tally as it redirected into the net from the blue line. Texas answered late in the period as Nick Baptiste connected on a redirect in front of the Wild net with seven minutes to play in the period. Joseph Cramarossa regained Iowa’s lead less than three minutes later, scoring on a five-hole shot after a long breakaway pass.
Texas’ response in the second period came on the power play as Damiani collected a pass from Josh Melnick and then launched a shot from the left circle. His first pro goal tied the game and held until the final four minutes of the middle stanza. Connor Dewar broke past the Stars defense for another power play goal on a short breakaway to take back the lead for a third time. It was the final time the Wild would hold the advantage and Iowa finished the night 2-for-6 on the power play with Texas staying out of the box in the third period.
Mascherin began the spread where Texas scored four goals in under three and a half minutes. His unassisted power play tally soared past netminder Hunter Jones’ glove hand and 17 seconds later, Damiani lifted one past Jones’ blocker side for his second of the night. Another newcomer to the Stars, Nick Moutrey turned in back-to-back goals, scoring at 9:10 and 10:50 of the third. His first tally came off a deflected Tye Felhaber shot in a 2-on-2 transition and the second was a rifled shot from the top of the left circle.
Adam Beckman would stop the bleeding with eight minutes left in the game, spinning a quick shot from the left circle past the pads of Colton Point in the Texas net. The celebration was short lived as Anthony Louis net a late Stars power play goal off the cross bar and Nikita Scherbak threw in a long empty net goal from 175 feet away in the final minute.
Texas wrapped up the stellar night with a 3-for-6 performance on the power play and turned 45 shots on net, including 21 in the third period. Point made 23 saves in his first win of the season while Jones lost his first professional start with 37 saves.
Texas has now earned points in 17 of the last 21 meetings with the Iowa Wild and hold a 14-6-0-2 record at Wells Fargo Arena all-time.
Photo Credit: Shane Abbitt, Iowa Wild
| Game Info | Shots | Goaltenders | 3 Stars (Xerox Business Solutions Southwest) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boxscore | TEX: 45 | W: Colton Point (TEX) | 1: Riley Damiani (TEX) |
| Photo | OPP: 27 | L: Hunter Jones (IA) | 2: Adam Mascherin (TEX) |
| Video | 3: Connor Dewar (IA) |
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