Mike McKenna's 33 Saves Will the Stars to 2-1 OT Win Over Rampage

(credit: Texas Stars)
The Texas Stars snapped their three game skid with a 2-1 overtime win against the division rival San Antonio Rampage on Sunday afternoon. The game was a grueling goaltender battle with veteran Mike McKenna getting the best of rookie Ville Husso, stopping 33 of 34 shots. With the win, the Stars slide back into the fourth spot in the Central division with a chance to move up to third should the Stockton Heat lose in regulation on Sunday night.

Among the challenges to overcome in the game were the Stars being without several top players due to injuries or call-ups. In what should be considered a stolen game, the Stars were had a perfect day of sorts on special teams, going 6-for-6 on the penalty kill and 1-for-1 on the power play. The Rampage ended up heavily outshooting the Stars 34-21.

The only scoring in regulation occurred in the first period with both teams splitting a pair of goals. The Rampage struck first when former Star Brendan Ranford shot from center ice and the rebound was tipped in by Adam Musil. The Stars answered late in the period with a power play goal from Matt Mangene. Mangene redirected Greg Rallo's one timer in front of the net to even things up.

McKenna's brilliance led the Stars to an opportunity to seal the game in overtime. With 31 seconds left, and with a shootout potentially looming, the Stars created a 3-on-1 rush. Defenseman Brent Regner beat Husso to give the Stars their third win over the Rampage in 10 match-ups this season.

The Stars return to Cedar Park to take on the Iowa Wild on Wednesday. The puck drops at 7:30 PM CST.

Injuries, scratches, and notes:
Hansson, Scarlett, Kelleher (scratch)
McKenzie, Flynn, Dowling (injured)
Dickinson (call-up)

Today's attendance was 4,896.

AHL Gamesheet - Texas at San Antonio - March 4 2018

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