Rockford IceHogs Hand Texas 12th OT Loss of the Season

Jack Campbell stops 24 of 28 shots in his first AHL start since January 20th
(Credit: Christina Shapiro/Texas Stars)
If nothing else, the new overtime rules have been exciting for fans in Cedar Park. Unfortunately, they haven't translated to points for the Texas Stars this season. Texas suffered its league-worst 12th overtime loss tonight against the visiting Rockford IceHogs.

"3-on-3 is our nemesis right now," said Coach Laxdal. "We had some chances to score. Meech has a good look. Nemeth has a good look where we don't get a shot off. Usually when you don't score, you know what's going to happen right after that."

Jack Campbell "deserved a better fate," according to Greg Rallo. In his first start for the Stars since January 20th, Campbell played well, stopping several breakaways and power play chances, but ultimately suffered the loss in OT.

Greg Rallo gave the summary of the IceHogs' effort on the night.

"They're the classic case of team without superstars that just plays hard. They are constantly transitioning quick. We have to limit our turnovers and keep it in their ends."

Rockford controlled the action in the first period, outshooting Texas 11-5 and out chancing them 13-4. Their control led to the only goal of the period from either squad. Brandon Mashinter scored on the power play as a strange bounce off the boards put the puck behind Jack Campbell, who had squared to the initial shot.

"Rockford had a good energy early on," said Laxdal. "We battled back to find some energy in the second and we got better as the game went along."

Greg Rallo evened things up on the power play in the second period. Off the pass from Derek Meech in the corner, Rallo beat Michael Leighton for his 19th of the year.

Mark McNeill regained the lead for Rockford on a very nice individual effort, cutting across the crease left to right and beating Campbell to the right post on the play.

The eventful second closed with Scott Glennie scoring his eighth of the season. The play was generated off a nice effort by Patrik Nemeth to sneak down from the point and take the initial shot. Faille's rebound shot went out to Glennie, who found twine for the 2-2 score.

Travis Morin found the scoring touch that brought him the AHL MVP trophy last season in the third period to push the game to overtime. Morin carried the puck through half of the offensive zone, deked a Rockford defender out of his jock and found an open Jamie Oleksiak. The former first-rounder one-timed the puck past Leighton, who was not expecting the shot in the slightest.

The Stars made it to OT on the goal but fell in the 3-on-3 portion. The frenetic frame ended with Pierre-Cedric Labrie's goal immediately after a chance by the Stars at the other end. Such is usually the way in the 3-on-3 OT, as Laxdal indicated in postgame.

Rockford will stay in town to play the Stars again tomorrow night.

Tonight's lines:
Ranford-Dowling-Smith
Hulak-Morin-Rallo
Stransky-Faille-Glennie
Henderson-Root-Mangene

Gaunce-Oleksiak
Meech-Wrenn
Honka-Nemeth

Campbell

Injuries, scratches, and notes:
Jokipakka, McKenzie, Ritchie (call up)
Troock, Valentine, Peters (scratch)
Fortunus, Faksa (injury)

Tonight's attendance was 4,347.

AHL Gamesheet - Texas v. Rockford - February 27 2015

Comments

  1. Another head scratch-er. In a game against a team we can consider in the playoff mix with us Laxdal goes with the goalie that has in pretty much every-way struggled this year and kept the guy who has gotten them into the mix on the bench. I like Campbell, I'm sure we all want him to turn it around but as it sits now we are a one goalie team, accept it.

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  2. Jack Campbell sucks. I am so sick and tired of everyone making excuses for him. Here we read that he "deserved a better fate" and on Twitter I was reading about how the first two goals "were not his fault" or "can't blame Campbell entirely for that one."

    I am sorry, but this guy is a L-O-S-E-R. You put him in, he loses. I am so sick and tired of people getting behind a guy who "looks good losing." That is the biggest trap in all of sports. The fans are constantly making excuses for the goals he lets up, excuses for the games he takes the loss on, excuses for why his stats aren't better, excuses for everything.

    Why don't we just get real: This guy is not the prospect we thought he was. He just isn't. He's had ample opportunity to prove his worth, and he can't. He has had tons of time to develop as a player, and he hasn't. This guy will never be an NHL goalie, and he barely cuts it at the AHL level. Send this kid back to the ECHL.... FOR GOOD!

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  3. So you have obviously never spent any time between the pipes. I did not see the first goal, but that second goal was a total let down of the defense. We had two chance to put a body on him and he skated right past both guys and then with that level of speed there is little chance to save that goal. Campbell has to stand his ground or open up for a straight on shot, the shooter goes across goal and all Campbell can do is sling across and cover the ice as best as possible. The puck was lifted over his leg...That is a goal in the ECHL, AHL, and the NHL almost every time if the shooter has that type of speed going.

    The overtime goal, again we had no body on the guy and let him into the zone at full speed. The closest star was at the blue line as he approached the goal and you could see our defender was totally out of it. Jack had a number of great saves right before, each of which had great potential to go in.

    Goal keepers take longer to develop than any other position in hockey. I do believe that has been talked about here many times. Do I think that he is the prospect that everyone thought he could be? No. But to call him a Loser is harsh.

    I think that what you see is a fan base that supports our team. Unlike the many Dallas fans that call for the head of every goal keeper on a loss or a defenseman that gives up a pass or shooter that misses the goal, we support our team through the good and the bad. We have Jack and it is the job of the team to build him up or trade him. You do not get better by facing teams that you are much better than, you get better by playing against people that are better than you. That means that you will win and lose and the goal is to get better as you move along.

    Will he ever be an NHL level keeper? Still too early to judge. More time and less injuries will tell that story and getting his head about him. Last night was the most emotion that I have seen out of him in a loss, which I was happy to see. Giving up that goal, even though he had little chance to save it obviously made him very mad. That is a great thing, now he needs to let it go and make ready for the next game.

    Stick by your team through thick and thin!!! GO STARS!!!

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  4. Every save "has the potential to go in." That's why it's a save. Campbell makes some saves. They all do. It's the ones he lets go to lose games that concern me.

    Get well Jussi!!!!!!

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  5. I rest my case. Campbell was HORRIBLE tonight. When he let up his fifth goal, the Hogs only had 21 shots on goal. He was CONSTANTLY out of position, and a few times was so laughably far away from the goal that people in our section were standing up and screaming at him. The first two goals on him were easy stops. This guy is not prime time material, and his lousy performance tonight sucked all the air out of the team. Campbell must go!

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