Texas Stars Weekly Update - Mar. 14, 2017
Mar 14, 2017Stars Hit the Road for Three Games in Four Nights
Last week’s record: 1-3-0-0
Overall record: 27-29-1-3
CEDAR PARK, Texas – After wrapping up a four-game homestand the Stars now hit the road this week for three games in four nights beginning Wednesday when they visit the Chicago Wolves.
-- THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE —
March 15 at 7:00 p.m. CST at Chicago Wolves:
The Texas Stars face the Chicago Wolves for the fourth and final time of the 2016-17 series on Wednesday night. The Stars are looking to snap a three-game skid against the Wolves, who are 8-0-2-0 in their last 10 games. Chicago earned the win in games one and three while the Stars took game two in overtime. Stars forward Jason Dickinson currently leads all skaters in the series with four points (1-3=4) in three games while Chicago’s Kenny Agostino is the AHL’s leading scorer with 73 points this season (21-52=73).
March 16 and March 17 at 6:00 p.m. CST at Cleveland Monsters:
The Texas Stars and Cleveland Monsters square off for a weekend set of games at Quicken Loans Arena on Friday and Saturday. The two games, which mark the third and fourth meetings between the two clubs, will be the last time these teams face each other this season. Texas is 1-0-0-1 against the AHL’s defending Calder Cup champions this year. Maxime Lagace earned a 1.45 GAA and a .944 SV% in two games against the Monsters while Nick Moutrey tallied two points (1-1=2) and a +2 rating for Cleveland.
-- LAST WEEK’S RESULTS --
March 8 vs. Grand Rapids Griffins, 5-4 Win:
Gemel Smith tallied his first career hat trick, but it was the Texas Stars penalty-killing unit that stole the show in the third period in a 5-4 comeback win over the Grand Rapids Griffins on Wednesday night at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. Trailing 4-2 entering the third, Smith buried two shorthanded goals on the same Griffins power play to knot the score. Brandon DeFazio then tipped home the game-winner as Texas scored three goals in a 94-second span to come from behind and split their four-game season series with Grand Rapids.
March 10 vs. Iowa Wild, 5-1 Loss:
A three-goal third period allowed the Iowa Wild to run away with a 5-1 win over the Texas Stars on Friday night in the first of a two-game set between the two teams at H-E-B Center. Ethan Werek scored the lone goal for Texas. Alex Tuch and Sam Anas each scored twice for the Wild. Alex Stalock stopped 32 shots in net to earn the win and keep the Texas offense at bay.
March 11 vs. Iowa Wild, 3-2 Loss:
A 39-17 shot differential and a third-period rally put the Texas Stars on the doorstep of forcing overtime but the home team came up short in a 3-2 loss to the Iowa Wild at H-E-B Center. Matej Stransky and Brandon DeFazio each scored for Texas in the third to close the gap to one, but Alex Stalock and the Iowa defense held off a Texas power play for the final 1:36 of the game to seal the win. Stalock finished with 37 saves on the night.
March 13 vs. San Antonio Rampage, 2-1 SO Loss:
Rocco Grimaldi tied things up in the dying minutes of the third, and Brendan Ranford added the finishing touch against his former team with the shootout-winner, as the San Antonio Rampage topped the Texas Stars at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park by a 2-1 final. Justin Peters’ 26-save performance kept Texas in the lead until 3:57 remained in the game when Grimaldi struck on a power-play goal to force overtime. Ranford was the only goal-scorer in the shootout to lock up the win after being traded from the Stars back in mid-February.
-- NEWS, NOTES AND UPCOMING MILESTONES –
The month of March is the busiest for the Texas Stars this season. Texas plays 15 games, including a stretch of seven games in 11 days that began March 8 against Grand Rapids. Nine of the Stars 15 March games are being played at H-E-B Center. Texas currently leads the AHL, and has tied a franchise record, with 13 shorthanded goals this season. 10 different players have scored shorthanded this season for Texas (Austin Fyten, Ethan Werek, Travis Morin, Stephen Johns, Justin Dowling (2), Brandon DeFazio, Gemel Smith (3), Patrik Nemeth, Remi Elie and Matej Stransky). Three times this season Texas has tallied a pair of shorthanded markers in a game: Nov. 16 at Grand Rapids, Nov. 25 at San Antonio and March 8 vs. Grand Rapids.
-- UPCOMING PROMOTIONS --
The Stars return home on Wednesday, March 22 to host the Tucson Roadrunners at 7:30 p.m. on a Winning Wednesday matchup. If the Stars win, fans can redeem their ticket stub for a free ticket to the team’s next Wednesday home game on April 5th against the Bakersfield Condors.