Rampage Top Texas in Back-and-Forth Game

(Credit: Christina Shapiro/Texas Stars)
Needing a full two points tonight for a chance at home ice in the opening round, Texas fell in overtime to frequent visitors San Antonio tonight. The game was one of wild swings, which twice saw Texas score to tie the game only to see the Rampage counterattack on the next shift.

"We talked about it in between periods," said Travis Morin. "That those are the biggest shifts, whether they score or we score."

In the end, San Antonio's loose game overcame Texas. The Rampage, who were eliminated from the playoffs a while ago, are trying more things and being more aggressive. Coach Laxdal agreed, saying the Rampage were playing "a wide open game."

San Antonio struck first with a pair of goals that put Texas on the back foot. Curtis McKenzie noted, "I think we were a little loose to start the game and we were playing catch up a lot of the game."

The Stars took their timeout and settled in. Cory Kane scored coming off a penalty kill and Derek Hulak evened things at two. Texas would score the go-ahead goal on the power play, but the Rampage would answer just 14 seconds later. The two clubs traded goals until the Stars found themselves down 5-4 after two periods.

Curtis McKenzie collected his 24th goal of the year on a beauty of a shorthanded chance late in the third to tie things at five all.

He elaborated on the mentality that Texas needs right now in postgame, "Your mentality can't change. You can't play that way or you'll be in trouble to start the playoffs. We have three periods left to prepare ourselves and then it's the real season."

Overtime was overtime for the Stars, who have had bad luck in the 3-on-3 extra frame since its inception. Dennis Everberg scored from the high slot with under a minute left for the final 6-5 score.

One rock solid piece for Texas over the past few months had been goaltending, but with a 6-5 final, that is clearly faltering a bit. Coach Laxdal added, "Probably one question mark is the goaltending. It hasn't been good enough the past ten games. Lagace's got to find his game."

Texas has one more chance for a tuneup Saturday against Manitoba.

Tonight's lines:
Elie-Dickinson-Rallo
McKenzie-Morin-Ranford
Hulak-McMurtry-Stransky
Kane-Army-Mangene

Backman-Honka
Hansson-Lindell
Evans-Bystrom

Lagace

Injuries, scratches, and notes:
Faksa, Ritchie, Johns (call up)
Dowling, Blacker, Shore, Ully, Troock, Smith (injury)

Tonight's attendance was 4,461.

AHL Gamesheet - Texas v. San Antonio - April 13 2016

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