Stars Earn Point But Fall To OKC In SO 3-2

The Stars closed their second three-in-three in as many weekends with the fourth straight loss for the team. However, tonight's game was also the 3rd straight game in which they have earned a point. Texas again needed extra time to decide the victor in tonight's match and fell in the shootout to the Oklahoma City Barons, losing for only the second time to the Oilers farm club.

The Barons got on the board early with Cornet scoring practically from his knees in the high slot to make it 1-0. The second period opened with the Barons' second goal, from Teemu Hartikainen, at the 2:07 mark. At that point, it looked like Texas did not deserve to win the game, coming out sluggish and unmotivated. Fights from Ray Sawada and Luke Gazdic in the middle of the period livened up the crowd and the team.

The Stars struck next with Trevor Ludwig sneaking down from the point to fire a shot past Bryan Pitton on a nice pass from Aaron Gagnon. Greg Rallo got the game tying goal for Texas on a bang-bang play from Jordie Benn behind the net. In the third, it had appeared that Texas scored the go-ahead goal on the power play, but the referee, Ryan Hersey, waived it off. The goal light went on, but there is no replay in the AHL. The game would go to overtime and then a shootout for the second night in a row.

Texas only managed one goal from its crop of shooters, Aaron Gagnon. OKC got two, one from Mark Arcobello and another from Colin McDonald. While Texas earned a point, they also gave up two to a close rival in the playoff battle. These three games, in which Texas had a chance to take the extra point and did not, may come back to haunt them in a month when playoff seeding is decided.

Tonight's lines:
Wathier-Sceviour-Sawada
McCulloch-Gagnon-Rallo
Segal-Roman-Tousignant
Gazdic-Bonk-Chupp

Benn-Fortunus
Lukowich-Monast
Ludwig-Spang

Bachman

Injuries, scratches, and notes:
Backman, Neal, Stephenson (scratched)
Larsen, Morin, Krahn (lower body)
Vincour (callup)

Tonight's attendance was 5,545.

AHL Gamesheet - Texas v. Oklahoma City - February 27 2011

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