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| Kyle McDonald's game-winning goal (Credit: Logan Faust / Texas Stars) |
In game two of the weekend series against division rival Manitoba Moose, the Texas Stars came away with a hard-fought 5-2 victory at the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park in front of a crowd of 5,550. The fans on hand were also there to celebrate Alex Petrovic’s 700th professional game.
“Our first was alright, despite the score. The second period, we kind of had to hang on,” said Texas Stars head coach Neil Graham. “We talked during intermission. We said, 'Listen. Let’s avoid some of the frustrations and potential derailers.
"Our guys were collected. Our guys dug in, they played the game the right way, and now we’re rewarded at the end of the game.”
That reward came despite trailing 2-0 as late as 38 minutes in the contest. Texas scored an unanswered five goals to storm back and push their home record to 5-1 and overall record to 7-3. Coach Graham and the man of the hour, Alex Petrovic, both commented that the team did not come out the way they wanted in Colorado and felt it was important to re-establish their winning ways this weekend before a three-game stint in the Midwest.
The Stars and Moose came into the first, both determined to get on the board first and keep the lead. While the number of penalties in the first were nowhere near last night’s numbers, it would be Manitoba who would take the early lead on a power play.
Just under 20 seconds after that Moose goal, a weird bounce off the board behind the net would send the puck straight to former Stars Dawson Barteaux, who dished to Ben King for the 2-0 score going into the locker room. Texas' Magnus Hellberg, who improved his record to a flawless 6-0 tonight, was visibly upset with the play and made explicit eye contact with the ice and building crew members after the period ended, imploring them to fix any issues that might have led to the goal.
Texas came into the second frame looking to even the score, but with tempers flaring and more pushing and shoving, Texas found themselves on the receiving end of 20 plus minutes in the penalty box. Antonio Stranges scored a huge goal for Texas before the end of the frame to set the momentum for the third, drifting left to right at the hashes. The second frame ended shortly after a brawl between Stars captain Curtis McKenzie and Manitoba’s Parker Ford with Manitoba leading Texas 2-1, with Texas only getting four shots on goal to Manitoba’s 16.
Not to let the game get away from them, the Stars came into the third looking to tighten up their offense and to even the score. Lian Bichsel lit the lamp early in the third with assists by Arttu Hyry and Kyle Capobianco, to get his first goal of the season and even the score 2-2.
With less than five minutes left in the game, things looked set for overtime. A fourth line grindy goal ended up being the winner as Kyle McDonald, known for his netfront presence on the power play last season, used those same skills to sweep the puck past Thomas Milic and put Texas up by one. Manitoba pulled Milic to no avail. A turnover by Simon Lundmark ended up on the stick of Blümel, who dished to McKenzie for the 4-2 score.
That reward came despite trailing 2-0 as late as 38 minutes in the contest. Texas scored an unanswered five goals to storm back and push their home record to 5-1 and overall record to 7-3. Coach Graham and the man of the hour, Alex Petrovic, both commented that the team did not come out the way they wanted in Colorado and felt it was important to re-establish their winning ways this weekend before a three-game stint in the Midwest.
The Stars and Moose came into the first, both determined to get on the board first and keep the lead. While the number of penalties in the first were nowhere near last night’s numbers, it would be Manitoba who would take the early lead on a power play.
Just under 20 seconds after that Moose goal, a weird bounce off the board behind the net would send the puck straight to former Stars Dawson Barteaux, who dished to Ben King for the 2-0 score going into the locker room. Texas' Magnus Hellberg, who improved his record to a flawless 6-0 tonight, was visibly upset with the play and made explicit eye contact with the ice and building crew members after the period ended, imploring them to fix any issues that might have led to the goal.
Texas came into the second frame looking to even the score, but with tempers flaring and more pushing and shoving, Texas found themselves on the receiving end of 20 plus minutes in the penalty box. Antonio Stranges scored a huge goal for Texas before the end of the frame to set the momentum for the third, drifting left to right at the hashes. The second frame ended shortly after a brawl between Stars captain Curtis McKenzie and Manitoba’s Parker Ford with Manitoba leading Texas 2-1, with Texas only getting four shots on goal to Manitoba’s 16.
Not to let the game get away from them, the Stars came into the third looking to tighten up their offense and to even the score. Lian Bichsel lit the lamp early in the third with assists by Arttu Hyry and Kyle Capobianco, to get his first goal of the season and even the score 2-2.
With less than five minutes left in the game, things looked set for overtime. A fourth line grindy goal ended up being the winner as Kyle McDonald, known for his netfront presence on the power play last season, used those same skills to sweep the puck past Thomas Milic and put Texas up by one. Manitoba pulled Milic to no avail. A turnover by Simon Lundmark ended up on the stick of Blümel, who dished to McKenzie for the 4-2 score.
Manitoba would once again pull Milic, but Lian Bichsel would find the empty net from his own end, giving the Stars another goal and ending the game 5-2, the identical score to last night's game.
Tonight’s win was also big milestone for alternate captain Petrovic, who played in his 700th professional career game. “It’s been a privilege to work with him. He’s meant a lot to our organization at multiple levels. And from our organizational standpoint, he was there when we needed him,” said Coach Graham.
When asked about tonight’s milestone, Petrovic said, “It’s surreal. It goes by fast and, you know, it’s just a lot of memories. My family was here to celebrate [the 700th game]. So to be able to celebrate it with your family here and the video to bring back memories throughout your career, from going back to Juniors to when your pro career started. It was unexpected.”
The Stars hit the road for a two-game series against the Iowa Wild and game one of three against the Rockford IceHogs before heading back to Cedar Park for the remaining two games on Friday, November 22 and Saturday, November 23.
Tonight's lines
Stranges-Hryckowian-Lind
Wheatcroft-Hyry-Blümel
Pettersen-Seminoff-McKenzie
Romano-Becker-McDonald
Looft-Petrovic
Capobianco-Bichsel
Karow-Krys
Hellberg
Injuries, scratches and notes
Hughes (day-to-day, injury)
White, Arcuri, Kyrou (scratch)
Tonight’s game wax number 700 for Alex Petrovic.
When asked about tonight’s milestone, Petrovic said, “It’s surreal. It goes by fast and, you know, it’s just a lot of memories. My family was here to celebrate [the 700th game]. So to be able to celebrate it with your family here and the video to bring back memories throughout your career, from going back to Juniors to when your pro career started. It was unexpected.”
The Stars hit the road for a two-game series against the Iowa Wild and game one of three against the Rockford IceHogs before heading back to Cedar Park for the remaining two games on Friday, November 22 and Saturday, November 23.
Tonight's lines
Stranges-Hryckowian-Lind
Wheatcroft-Hyry-Blümel
Pettersen-Seminoff-McKenzie
Romano-Becker-McDonald
Looft-Petrovic
Capobianco-Bichsel
Karow-Krys
Hellberg
Injuries, scratches and notes
Hughes (day-to-day, injury)
White, Arcuri, Kyrou (scratch)
Tonight’s game wax number 700 for Alex Petrovic.
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