Rampage Edge Stars in Shootout, 4-3
Apr 14, 2018|
Three Stars: Shots: Goaltenders: |
CEDAR PARK, Texas - After a dominant third period highlighted by scoring the tying goal with a minute to play, the Texas Stars couldn't get over hump in a 4-3 shootout loss to the San Antonio Rampage on Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park.
The regular season finale was the Stars' final tune-up before their postseason run begins. Brian Flynn knotted the score with an extra-attacker goal with 1:13 to play in regulation. San Antonio's Klim Kostin put the finishing touch on the game in round five with the shootout-winner.
The Stars (38-24-8-6) open their Division Semifinal Series against the Ontario Reign on Thursday at 7 p.m. CST at H-E-B Center.
San Antonio (35-31-10-0) carried their 3-2 lead into the final minutes of regulation before Texas opted for the empty-net with just over two minutes remaining. Justin Dowling found some open ice in the left circle and generated a rebound chance that Flynn was able to bang home for his 18th of the season. Travis Morin also assisted on the goal for his league-leading 51st of the season.
Neither team could score in overtime, or through the first four rounds of the shootout before Kostin ended things.
Landon Bow stopped 18 of 21 shots in the loss while Adam Werner earned the win stopping 25 of 29 shots, plus all five shooters he faced.
San Antonio's Taylor Richart opened the scoring just over a minute into the game on the power play for his first career goal. Sheldon Dries responded for Texas with six minutes to play in the first after forcing a turnover behind the Rampage net and stuffing home his 19th goal of the season.
The Rampage jumped ahead again less than two minutes into the second when Reid Petryk forced a turnover in the Texas zone and muscled a backhand shot through Bow's leg pads to make it 2-1. Tony Calderone tied things up again for the Stars at 6:17 with a power-play strike for his first career goal. Gavin Bayreuther set up the rookie forward in the right circle for an assist to extend his point streak to five games, but Zach Sanford added a power-play goal of his own shortly after to make it 3-2 Rampage.
Photo Credit: Derek Sparta/Texas Stars