Manitoba Slides By Texas in Winnipeg Despite Strong Puck Luck for Stars

(Credit: Manitoba Moose)

Some bizarre bounces in the Stars' favor couldn't help them get past the Manitoba Moose tonight in Winnipeg as Texas fell 4-3. Each of Texas's first two goals involved strange deflections off the left-wing halfwall in the Manitoba zone. The most mind-bending was this tally from Joel Hanley, who scored from center ice on a physics-defying goal:

With the loss, Texas loses some ground in the playoff race. They retain fourth place but lose a game-in-hand against their next closest trailer in Milwaukee, who beat Cleveland tonight. Manitoba jumped to 6th in the division with the two points and now trail the Stars by just two points for the last playoff spot.

Erik Condra had the best chance of a scoreless first period, ringing one off the post on the power play. The quiet first gave way to a busy second period. Cam Maclise and Brad McClure traded goals early in the frame. McClure's tip came off the point shot of Ben Gleason, who got it from Adam Mascherin in the aforementioned left-wing corner Twilight Zone. It looked like Manitoba would achieve the  clear, but the bounce to Mascherin allowed the scoring chance and goal.

Joel Hanley's center ice dump-in goal was next up as a deflection and rolling puck confounded Eric Comrie for the 2-1 lead. Manitoba answered back twice. Marko Dano tipped a power play marker past Landon Bow to tie things.

Then, with twelve seconds left in the period, Cameron Schilling had an open net off the pass from Jimmy Oligny. The net was open as Landon Bow lost his footing and his stick on the preceding play, giving a full 6x4 cage for Schilling's target practice.

After getting some good zone time on the power play in the third, Texas cashed in with Gavin Bayreuther's fifth of the year, a slick pass from Condra to the defenseman sneaking down from the point.

It wouldn't last long as the Moose reclaimed the lead off a rebound goal late in the period.

The Stars took a questionable penalty to kill any momentum that they might have built late in the period. Erik Condra hit the post during the 6-on-5, but that was the closest they would get.

Texas stays in Winnipeg to play Manitoba again on Friday night. There are no AHL games on the schedule tomorrow night, so there's no scoreboard watching to do in the playoff race.

Tonight's lines:
Mersch-Dowling-Condra
Caamano-Morin-Gurianov
Mascherin-Hargrove-McClure
Calderone-Payne-Markison

Heatherington-Hansson
Bayreuther-Hanley
Hanna-Gleason

Bow

Injuries, scratches, and notes:
Scarlett (season-ending ACL injury)
Laberge (upper body)
Nyberg, Phelan (scratch)

Tonight’s attendance was 2,848.

AHL Gamesheet - Texas at Manitoba - March 13 2019