Low Energy Stars Drop 6-2 Decision to Rampage

(Credit: Andy Nietupski/Texas Stars)

Coming off last night's shootout loss, Texas was looking for a similar effort with a better result tonight. They got neither as the team dropped a 6-2 decision to the San Antonio Rampage, fueled primarily by a second period outburst from the visitors.

"We didn't have enough drivers on the bus tonight," said Coach Derek Laxdal. "We had a few passengers and not enough drivers."

The first period was relatively sleepy. San Antonio came out with decent energy but the period ended scoreless. The true difference was a seven minute stretch in the second that saw the Rampage collect five straight to make the score 5-1.

"It was five or six minutes of not even that bad of play, but bad bounces," said Travis Morin. "We were trying to do too much after the first few, and it snowballed."

It was a tough momentum swing for the team and the building as Texas had just broken the scoreless tie with a power play goal from Morin. Dominic Toninato got a redirection past Landon Bow to tie it and then Andrei Mironov scored to make it 2-1 less than two minutes after Morin's goal.

"On the first one, we lost a box out at the net," said Laxdal. "The second one was just a funnel where the wingers are instructed to sprint out on the D man and they didn't. We just played kind of passive."

With Texas on the power play and looking to tie things up, Reid Petryk sprinted out off a shot block in the San Antonio zone to notch a shorthanded goal, making it 3-1. Landon Bow was bowled over on the play but goalie interference was not called. Laxdal noted, "All we had to do was force the puck down the wall" on the power play, as opposed to taking the shot and allowing that block.

Turnover would generate goals four and five as Texas found itself down 5-1 at the 12 minutes mark of the second. Mike McKenna would come in to relief Landon Bow after the rookie allowed 5 goals on 14 shots. McKenna did not allow a goal on 12 shots. To end the second, Curtis McKenzie would score on a solid effort, falling down as he snuck the puck in far side.

Texas did look better in the third, outshooting San Antonio 14-9 but without a goal to show for it. Laxdal assessed the entire performance, "Energy in the group wasn't high. We were second on pucks, and they had more energy than we did." The Rampage would add an empty net goal in the last frame to set the final at 6-2.

Texas will look for an energy boost as they soldier on to their third game in as many nights tomorrow afternoon against these same Rampage in San Antonio.

Tonight's lines:
McKenzie-Hintz-Gurianov
Dickinson-Morin-Ully
Dries-Dowling-Flynn
French-Markison-Laberge

Heatherington-Regner
Mangene-Bayreuther
Bodnarchuk-Hansson

Bow
McKenna

Injuries, scratches, and notes:
Rallo, McNeill, Fyten, Bystrom (scratch)
Elie (call-up)

Tonight's attendance was 5,432.

AHL Gamesheet - Texas v. San Antonio - October 21 2017