Rampage Halt Texas' Point Streak at 7, Beat Stars 5-1

The Rampage really needed a win tonight. After losing four straight games, San Antonio had dropped from #1 in the West and was poised to drop to #4 if they fell tonight to the Stars. Meanwhile, Texas's point streak had to come to an end at some point. The Stars could not stretch the streak to eight games and fell in regulation for the first time since December 14th. Texas had five goals scored on them for the first time since the 8-5 dismantling in Rockford.

Texas started things out on the nice foot with an early goal by Fabian Brunnstrom. The winger took the puck in alone after getting past the Rampage's point men. His slapshot from the top of the left wing circle beat Climie on the blocker side for a 1-0 lead at the 4:10 mark of the first. The goal stretched Brunnstrom's scoring streak to four games.

The Stars continued to pour it on in the shot count but couldn't kill off a Travis Morin holding call in the past four minutes of the period. Andrew Ebbett tapped home a power play tally from the back door after a pass from the point ticked off a Stars defenseman and right to his stick. The Stars outshot San Antonio 12-4 in the period.

Things went backwards for the Stars in the second period. At one point, the Stars were being outshot 11-3 in the period. Matt Watkins got things started early with a goal at the 1:44 mark. Watkins came off the boards behind the net and beat Bachman at the pipe. The rookie netminder couldn't hug the iron tight enough and it was 2-1 Rampage.

San Antonio scored their 3rd goal in 6:41 of game time just 80 seconds later. Tyler Mosienko, a one-time Wrangler under Glen Gulutzan, scored on a one-timer from the low left-wing circle. Texas continued to look out of it until after a Mathieu Tousignant "fight" toward the end of the second. Tousignant was only given double roughing minors instead of a major. Texas finished out with the last 4 shots of the period to lead 19-16 but was down 3-1.

If the second period was bad, the third period was worse for the Stars. Texas continued to hemorrhage goals in the period at an unusual pace for the team. Garrett Stafford scored five-hole coming around the net at the halfway point of the period. Mikkel Boedker beat Bachman clean blocker side high from the high slot two and a half minutes later to salt it away. Texas and San Antonio tied up on shots in the period with 7 a side. Texas led overall 27-23.

Tonight's lines:
Wathier-Gagnon-Vincour
Brunnstrom-Morin-Rallo
Sceviour-Tousignant-Sawada
Gazdic-Roman-Backman

Lukowich-Stephenson
Fortunus-Benn
Spang-Ludwig

Bachman

Injuries, scratches, and notes:
Chupp (scratched)
Blindenbacher (unspecified injury)
McCulloch (upper body)
Krahn (lower body)
Larsen (call up)

Tonight's attendance was 7,701.

AHL Gamesheet - Texas at San Antonio - January 7 2011

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