Playoff Bound! Stars Clinch Playoff Spot in 8-5 Win
Apr 9, 2016
Boxscore
Photos
Postgame Video
Shots:
Stars - 51
Barracuda - 30
Dickinson, Dowling and Stransky All Score Twice for Texas
CEDAR PARK, Texas – The Texas Stars rallied from a 5-2 deficit behind the offense of Jason Dickinson, Justin Dowling and Matej Stransky to earn a playoff berth with an 8-5 win over the San Jose Barracuda in front of a sold out crowd at Cedar Park Center.
All three players finished with two goals for Texas, who recorded their highest offensive output of the season with eight goals just 24 hours after being shut out by the Barracuda. The Stars (39-25-7-3) return to the postseason for the sixth time in their seven-year history with the win. The Stars and Barracuda (30-25-8-30) split their six-game season series with three wins each.
The Stars host the San Antonio Rampage on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. CST.
Ryan Caprenter scored twice, John McCarthy, Jeremy Langlois and Barclay Goodrow all scored to give San Jose their 5-2 lead midway through the second. Up to that point McKenzie and Dickinson were the only goal-scorers for Texas, but the offensive flood gates spilled open the rest of the way.
Stransky and Esa Lindell each scored in the final two minutes of the second to make it a 5-4 deficit for Texas entering the break.
Dowling slipped home his first of the night 1:47 into the third from the right circle to knot the score, and Stransky banked a wrist shot off the crossbar at 10:41 from the top of the slot to push Texas in front for good. Dowling and Travis Morin connected on a shorthanded 2-on-1 rush to push the Texas lead to 7-5. Dickinson buried a rebound goal at 16:28 for eighth and final Texas goal of the night.
Aaron Dell suffered the loss for San Jose stopping 43 of 51 shots. Maxime Lagace started the game for Texas but was pulled midway through the second for Jack Campbell. Lagace went six of nine and Campbell stopped 19 of 21 in the Texas win.
The Stars finished 1-for-3 on the power play and San Jose went 0-for-2.
The Texas Stars are the primary development affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars and currently in their seventh season at Cedar Park Center. 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. Matej Stransky (TEX) 2. Justin Dowling (TEX) 3. Mike McMurtry (TEX) |
Goaltenders: W - Campbell L - Dell |
Photo Credit: Christina Shapiro/Texas Stars