Blümel Scores 38th Goal to Break Team Record as Stars Sweep Road Trip with 3-1 Win

(Credit: Cleveland Monsters)

For the second time this season, the Stars have won five games in a row. Behind strong goaltending by Remi Poirier, who won his seventh game in the month of March, the Stars prevailed 3-1 to win their 40th game of the year. The victory pushed their lead in the Central Division to four points over the Milwaukee Admirals. 

In desperate need of points to keep pace in the playoff race, the Monsters started the first period intent on maintaining possession and putting pressure on the Stars. Midway through the first, Cleveland outshot Texas 7-2 and carried much of the play in the period. The best chances the away team had was an attempt by Chase Wheatcroft that was stopped by Jet Greaves' skate blade and Anthony Romano ringing a shot off the post. 

The lone power play the Stars had was unsuccessful. However, for the second night in a row Trey Taylor "quarterbacked" the second unit and was joined by Clarkson University teammate Ayrton Martino. Prior to the game, Texas Stars play by play voice John Peterson asked Texas head coach Neil Graham about all of the new signings, and the coach noted, "They're really good hockey players, and they're coming off their own college season. They just finished playoffs, so they've been in some pretty important games very recently, and you can see some of those habits in their game translate. And obviously this is a jump up at the American Hockey League level, but so far, I've been impressed really, with the commitment to the plan."

Later in the period, the home team did finally get on the scoreboard when Luca Del Bel Belluz beat Poirier blocker side high to put the home team up 1-0. The first ended with Cleveland outshooting Texas 9-8.

The second period saw both teams looking to control pace of play with Cleveland outshooting the Stars 6-3 midway through the period. But, as we seen repeatedly by Texas this season, they can strike quickly. Cameron Hughes sent a backhanded pass between his skates from behind the net to a waiting Kole Lind in front of the net, and he didn't miss. It was Lind's third goal in the last two games and 19th on the season.

Less than two minutes later, Kyle Looft scored his third goal of the season on a wrist shot from the left circle giving the Stars their first lead of the game. Getting the assists on the goal were Kyle Capobianco (38th) and Justin Hryckowian (37th). The second period would end with Texas outshooting Cleveland 10-7 in the frame and maintaining a 2-1 advantage. 

The third period became a game of special teams, with a combined five penalties within the first ten minutes. Both netminders were equal to the task, keeping the score unchanged. Cleveland, needing a goal, pulled netminder Greaves with just under three minutes remaining. Needing only one goal to break the team record for goals in a season, Blümel officially put the game "on ice" when he tapped in the puck for his 38th on the year, breaking the record previously held by Matt Fraser. The goal ensured the Stars were to return home victorious and ended the road trip with a perfect 5-0 record.

Next up, the Stars return home to the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park for a four-game homestand starting on Tuesday, April 1st against the Iowa Wild at 7 PM.

Tonight's lines
Blümel-Hryckowian-McKenzie
Hughes-Chisholm-Lind
Romano-Hyry-Martino
Pettersen-Becker-Wheatcroft

Taylor-Petrovic
Capobianco-Looft
Karow-Bergsland

Poirier

Injuries, scratches and notes
Kyrou, Ertel, White, Seminoff, Shlaine (scratch)
Stranges, Krys (injury)
McDonald (lower-body injury)

Tonight's attendance was 14,604.

AHL Gamesheet - Texas at Cleveland - March 29 2025