Texas Ends Pointless Road Trip With 4-1 Loss To Griffs

(Photo Credit: Nicholas Carillo/Grand Rapids Griffins)

Grand Rapids, MI - The Texas Stars, playing sans puck-moving blueliner Derrick Pouliot and AHL point-leader Logan Stankoven, both having been called up to the big club, completed a pointless three-game road trip where they started the trip, taking a 4-1 loss to the Grand Rapids Griffins in front of 10,128 at Van Andel Arena Saturday night.

Despite having arrived in Grand Rapids at 4:00 AM following their 5-3 loss Friday night in Rockford, Saturday night's clash started off promising. Christian Kyrou got the good bounce off of the left post past Griffs netminder Michael Hutchinson from the left circle on a Mavrik Bourque feed to give Texas the early lead just 44 seconds into the game, and the light was lit for the downtrodden Stars, skating without seven of their regulars.

The game - and road trip - caught up with Texas in the second. Jonatan Berggren ripped one past Remi Poirier on an odd man rush to level the game at 1-1 at 7:32 into the second. Elmer Soderblom compounded the situation just thirteen seconds later when he one-timed a Albert Johansson pass past Poirier to make it 2-1 Grand Rapids with 12:15 remaining in the middle frame.

Having been outshot 25-15 through forty, the Stars limped into the third. Simon Edvinsson lit the lamp 6:40 into the third off of an assist from former Star Joel L’Esperance to make it 3-1 Griffs. Dominik Shine capped the scoring with an empty netter with eighteen seconds left to yield the final of 4-1.

Between the pipes, Poirier, the hard luck of late fell to 13-10-3 despite having stopped 31-of-34. Hutchinson improved to 12-8-1 after stopping 22-of-23.

With the win, Grand Rapids 24-15-5-3 (56 pts.) the second place Griffins extended their lead over the third-place Stars 24-20-3-2 (53 pts.) as they head into the backend of the season. Both clubs are being left in the dust as the Milwaukee Admirals have reeled off nineteen straight wins.

Up next, Texas tries to right the ship with a Tuesday/Wednesday affair against the San Diego Gulls. Puck drop for both games of the two-game series is slated for 7:00 P.M.

Tonight's lines:
Rassell-Blümel-Bourque
Stranges-Bäck-Karlström
Wheatcroft-Damiani-McDonald
Mastrodonato-Seminoff-Becker

J. Murray-Petrovic
Grushnikov-White
Karow-Kyrou

Poirier

Injuries, scratches and notes
Stankoven, Pouliot (callup)
Bayreuther (out - ankle)
Berard, Reedy, Caamano (out - upper body)
McKenzie (injury, lower body out until late March/early April)

Tonight's attendance was 10,128

AHL Gamesheet - Texas at Grand Rapids - February 24 2024