Stars can't finish comeback, lose to Lake Erie 5-4 in OT

The "Q" was packed to the gills tonight, with 18,626 coming into enjoy the Stars and the Monsters. It was the 5th largest crowd in AHL history. The Stars gave them a scare by coming back to tie the game after trailing 4-1. Texas just couldn't finish the comeback though.

The Stars and Monsters traded a flurry of fists and shots in the first period. No score in the first period, but the two teams combined for 21 shots, Lake Erie with 11 and Texas with 10. Also, Luke Gazdic made his return to the ice known just six minutes in, dropping the gloves in just his second game of 2010.

The Stars killed a power play early in the second period and looked to be solid. But a misplay along the blue line by Greg Rallo led to a turnover to the Monsters. Mercier's intial shot was rejected, but All-Star T.J. Hensick put home the pudgy rebound off Climie for a 1-0 lead.

Just one minute and nineteen seconds later, another turnover led to a Monsters goal. Peltier shot one in from the left half-wall that Zanoski tipped past Climie for a 2-0 lead. Two duncical defensive plays lead to two opposition goals. This was not Texas Stars hockey. The Stars had some good shots at the other end throughout the rest of the period. But just before the second period was out, Dupuis found Mercier for his second point of the night to make it 3-0.

The Stars did not get a chance on the power play until early in the 3rd period and didn't do much with it. The Stars were handed another shot to get back in it on a hooking call almost immediately after the first power play expired. Just 7 seconds into the power play, Travis Morin got his 9th of the season from Stafford and Lindgren. The Stars scored the goal by creating traffic in front and Texas looked to have some momentum. Deflating the Stars momentum was the laser beam wristshot (if such a thing is possible) by Ford that beat Climie just 3 minutes later. 4-1 Monsters.

Coming off of this, the Stars got one back. The Monsters suddenly had become penalty prone and were doing the conga line to the sin bin. Bordeleau took a slashing minor at 11:20 of the third. Mathieu Beaudoin beat Monsters goalie Weiman shortside and made it 4-2 on a nice pass from Travis Morin. The Stars pulled Matt Climie with 2:38 remaining. Aaron Gagnon won the face-off back to Morin who got it to Ivan Vishnevskiy who absolutely blasted it from the point and beat Weiman to make it 4-3. Travis Morin wasn't done yet.

The Stars again pulled Matt Climie with just a minute left and Garrett Stafford put one home from the point. Guess who on the assist? Travis Morin is right. It was tied 4-4 with 38 seconds left!! The Stars spent the rest of the third period in the Monsters zone and went to overtime in a game they trailed 4-1 early in the third period.

The Stars skated up and down the ice furiously in the overtime period and Sergei Korostin took a hooking minor. The Stars managed to kill it off... technically. Just three seconds after the penalty expired, Justin Mercier beat Climie stick side over the shoulder to win it 5-4.

Great effort in this game by the Stars to come back from a 4-1 deficit to tie it in just 8 minutes. The goals against could have been prevented with better puck security in the defensive zone. I think that's a basic tenet of the Stars game. Gulutzan will fill in their ears on that.

The Stars and the Monsters will face off again tomorrow at high noon Central Time. Then the Stars will play three at home, one against the West Division leading Milwaukee Admirals and two against the Abbotsford Heat.

Tonight's lines:
Wathier-Morin-Rallo
Korostin-Gagnon-Sceviour

McCulloch-Lindgren-Beaudoin

Gazdic-Tousignant-Shelast

Stafford-Jancevski
Fortunus-Vishnevskiy
Hutchinson-Stephenson

Climie

Injuries, scratches, and notes:
Wilson and Krahn (injured)
DeVergilio and Ludwig (scratched)
Peters, Sawada, and Lukowich (NHL call ups)

Luke Gazdic rejoined the Stars tonight after 5 games out of the lineup with an upper body injury. He looks just fine, picking up a fighting major just six minutes into the game. Travis Morin had the first 4 point game in Texas Stars history (1 G, 3 A). Lake Erie's goal was the only shot of the overtime period.

AHL Gamesheet - Texas at Lake Erie - January 21 2010