Stars Fall in Game 3 by a 6-1 Final
Apr 28, 2016Boxscore
Shots:
Stars - 29
Gulls - 48
Stars Facing Elimination in Game 4 Friday
SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Gulls used a three-goal second period to break open Game 3 and finish off a 6-1 win over the Texas Stars in front of 6,571 on Thursday night at Valley View Casino Center to take a 2-1 lead in their Pacific Division Semifinal series.
With the loss, the Stars (1-2) now face elimination in the best-of-five series entering Game 4 on Friday night at 9:05 p.m. CST.
Esa Lindell was the lone goal-scorer for the Stars to extend his point streak to six games dating back to the regular season. Mike Sgarbossa finished with a three-point game for the Gulls (2-1) with a goal and two assists. Anton Khudobin stopped 28 of 29 shots in net to earn the San Diego win while Jack Campbell stopped 42 of 48 in the loss.
Leading 1-0 after the opening period, San Diego scored three times in the second to open up the game. Nick Ritchie finished off an odd-man rush from Chris Mueller’s centering feed at 8:51 for his third of the playoffs. Sgarbossa then slipped a power play goal past Campbell off a counter-attack rush down the middle of the Texas zone midway through, and Joseph Cramarossa made it a 4-0 lead for the Gulls at 14:27. Sgarbossa and Cramarossa each scored their first of the playoffs.
Lindell tried to spark a comeback at 3:22 of the third with a goal from the left point for his second of the postseason, but Stefan Noesen buried a loose puck in a scrum of players two minutes later to make a 5-1 cushion for the Gulls. Chris Wagner added one more late that deflected off a Texas skate.
Both teams benefitted from early power plays in the first, but Brandon Montour made it count for the Gulls with a one-time blast from the point to open the scoring six minutes into the game.
San Diego went 2-for-6 on the power play after Texas held them scoreless through the first two games. The Stars finished 0-for-4 on the man-advantage. Texas was outshot 48-29 in the game.
The Texas Stars are the primary development affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars and currently in their seventh season at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. Full season, 24-game and 12-game ticket packages for the 2016-17 campaign are on sale now. For more information, call (512) GO-STARS (467-8277) or visit TexasStars.com.
| Three Stars: 1. Anton Khudobin (SD) 2. Chris Wagner (SD) 3. Shea Theodore (SD) |
Goaltenders: W - Khudobin L - Campbell |
Photo Credit: Vince Rappleyea/San Diego Gulls