Tight Game Slips Away from Texas

Apr 14, 2021

SAN JOSE, California – The Texas Stars, American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars, fell 4-2 to the San Jose Barracuda tonight and have now split the first four games of their six-game season series. The Stars capitalized on a dominant 7-2 win on Tuesday but were upended by a pair of goals from Maxim Letunov in the third at Solar4America Ice at San Jose tonight.

 

The Barracuda spot Texas three early advantages in the game but following a 3-for-4 game on the power play, Texas failed to score on the advantages in the first. What they did was bring that momentum into the opening goal. Immediately following their third power play chance and only 22 seconds left in the first period, Jerad Rosburg collected a cross ice pass from Adam Mascherin. The defenseman scored his first goal of the year lifting a shot over the blocker of goaltender Sam Harvey. Mascherin’s assist brings him to 29 points (15-14=29) which are one shy of the league lead.

 

San Jose took a page from the Stars and scored their opening goal quickly after their second power play of the night. Ivan Chekhovich net his first goal of the year just eight seconds after the power play had expired to even the score. Two minutes later, they grabbed their first lead of the night. Joachim Blichfeld collected a puck that was cleared to center ice and passed the Stars defense for a breakaway. He slipped it past Adam Scheel in net to make it 2-1 San Jose.

 

The first and only power play goal of the game came from Texas. After an interference penalty to Lean Bergmann, Zachary Gallant cross checked Jake Slaker from behind and gave the Stars a 5-on-3 advantage. Only 17 seconds into the advantage Ben Gleason found some space in the right circle and wedged a wrist shot under the crossbar to tie the game at 2-2 three minutes before the second intermission.

 

Scheel was a big part of the Stars in the second period and the entire game. The netminder finished his fourth straight game with 30 or more saves, making 36 total stops including 19 in the second period alone. At the other end of the ice Harvey made 29 saves in his second win this year. Both victories have come against Texas.

 

Letunov scored the eventual game winning goal on a broken play in the Stars defensive zone. As the Stars were completing a line change, the Barracuda entered the zone and set up shop. A scramble in front of the net found the winger before slipping in his eighth goal of the season. He would tack on the empty net goal in the final 20 seconds to earn the 4-2 win.

 

Texas’ push in the third included a nearly two-minute stretch with the goaltender pulled late in the game, attempting to tie the score. The uninterrupted attack failed to best Harvey, sending several shots toward the net and each time corralling the rebounds. The team ended the game 1-for-6 on the power play and stopped all four of San Jose’s power play chances.

 

The Stars will face the Barracuda again on Friday night at 8 p.m. CT, switching locals to SAP Center at San Jose.

Photo Credit: Kavin Mistry, San Jose Barracuda

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Game Info	Shots	Goaltenders	3 Stars (Xerox Business Solutions Southwest)
Boxscore	TEX: 31	W: Sam Harvey (SJ)	1: Maxim Letunov (SJ)
Photo	SJ: 40	L: Adam Scheel (TEX)	2: Ivan Chekhovich (SJ)
Video			3: Adam Scheel (TEX)