Taylor Peters Goal Pushes Texas Stars to 3-2 Series Lead

Texas win gives them a chance to close out series in Monday's Game 6

Kevin Henderson celebrates Scott Glennie's goal
(Credit: Graig Abel)
The fourth line continued to be a huge difference maker for the Texas Stars this afternoon in Toronto. Tied at one after forty minutes, Taylor Peters scored his first professional playoff goal to push the Stars past the Marlies in a tight 2-1 contest. After splitting their home games, Texas went to Ontario and took two of three from the Maple Leafs' affiliate. That earned them a 3-2 series lead and a chance to close out the series with a Game 6 win back in Cedar Park on Monday.

Cristopher Nilstorp got the start and stopped 17 of 18 shots in the game. Derek Meech had two assists, his first two points in the series, and earned first star honors. Spencer Abbott had the only Toronto goal. Texas outshot the home side 33-18.

It was absolutely not the start that Texas wanted but the first period had promise. The Marlies opened the scoring for the twelfth time in the postseason off a fluke goal. Spencer Abbott passed the puck toward an on-rushing Josh Leivo from the right wing corner below the goal line. The pass never made it to Leivo as it deflected off the stick of Patrik Nemeth and past Cristopher Nilstorp for the 1-0 score. Nilstorp had no chance as he had already been tracking the pass and was squaring himself to Leivo on the left wing. It was the Marlies first shot of the game, even though it really wasn't much of a shot.

Texas torched the Marlies' net the rest of the frame, outshooting Toronto 17-5. That included three Stars power plays that came up empty.

Texas got into penalty trouble themselves in the second period on some questionable calls. Maxime Fortunus got the puck stuck in his gear and was called for closing his hand on the puck as he tried to free it. A few second later, Jyrki Jokipakka was called for tripping. It was a 95 second long two-man advantage for the deadly Toronto power play.

The Stars got the kill and swung the momentum all in one shift. Just after Jokipakka stepped back onto the ice, Texas rushed up the ice on a 4-on-2 against a tired power play crew. That setup an extended visit in the Marlies zone. An initial shot by Derek Meech deflected perfectly to Scott Glennie, who ripped it blocker side high on MacIntyre from the left wing hashmarks to tie it at one.

Shots were 26-11 in favor of the visitors after forty minutes.

Texas just needed that one shot, one rebound, one chance in the third period with things all tied at one. The fourth line continued to show why they are difference makers for the Stars as they got that chance and finished. Matej Stransky rushed in with the initial shot and Taylor Peters followed the rebound.

Peters, who has only played six games in the playoff run, beat out Kevin Marshall for the puck and backhanded it past MacIntyre's glove for the 2-1 lead. With 11 minutes left, Peters' first professional power play goal had put the Stars ahead in Game 5.

With 1:16 left in the third, Drew MacIntyre found his way to the bench for the extra attacker. A Marlies icing infraction and a deflection out of the rink in the Toronto zone put two faceoffs in their defensive zone late in the contest. The home club didn't have a chance to mount much of an offensive on Nilstorp and the Stars sealed up a 2-1 victory.

Game 6 will be Monday night in Cedar Park. A Texas victory would close out the series and send the Stars to the Calder Cup Finals.

Tonight's lines:
McKenzie-Morin-Ranford
Glennie-Jeffrey-Hedden
Henderson-Mueller-Ritchie
Peters-Faksa-Stransky

Jokipakka-Nemeth
Gaunce-Oleksiak
Meech-Fortunus

Nilstorp

Injuries, scratches, and notes:
Labrie, Guptill, Troock, Hulak, Vause, Wrenn, Byström, Desrosiers (scratched)
Klingberg, Dowling, Campbell, Petersen (injury)

Today's attendance was 5,671.

AHL Gamesheet - Texas at Toronto - May 31 2014

Comments

  1. Marlies are posers, they are done. Gotta admit this series has grown a new found hatred for Marlies and their bush league style. Without the goal tending they have had they never would of even made it to the playoffs. I do however thank them for eliminating the real teams in their bracket so we didn't have to face a quality team in the Western Conference Finals.

    What is the schedule going to be in the finals? Will it still be 3-2-2, which would mean I doubt we see the Stars lift the cup on our ice, or will they do a more traditional schedule?

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  2. it will be 2-3-2 home ice advantage against the icecaps Carl (this is Joseph btw) the conflict is if we win the west that both teams will have to take a week off to rest then start here june 8-9 for games 1-2 . then off to Newfoundland for game 3 on a Wednesday night 6pm. games 4&5 June 16 &17th

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    Replies
    1. It looks like Game 1 would be Friday. Rouse HS graduates have already been notified and the contingency plan is for them to graduate at Gupton Stadium.

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  3. I feel good about the Stars 5-on-5. The last time the Marlies scored even strength off their own sticks was in Game 3. They don't have anything but special teams and goal tending.
    I fully expect the Marlies to be at their most vicious. They're going to do whatever is necessary to stay in the playoffs. Hopefully they'll get overzealous and take each other out again.

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