The Texas Stars' offensive struggles continue as they were bested by division rival Milwaukee Admirals 2-1 tonight. The playoff atmosphere and sellout crowd brought out heaps of emotion and physicality from both teams. The loss sets up a pivotal game on Sunday, in which the Admirals can tie the Stars for the lead in the Central Division with 83 points apiece.
The entertainment began tonight before the puck even dropped. As the two teams came together for the opening faceoff, a couple of shoves were given on either side of the faceoff dot. This eventually led to a full-blown scrum, with the opponents trading facewashes and sly gloved punches. Players had to be pulled apart by the linesmen before the game could finally begin.
“We match up with that well,” Anthony Romano said when asked about the physicality of the game and the pregame scuffle. “We got to just stay in between the whistles, keep playing, playing our game, and everything will take care of itself.”
The Stars’ first line was held off the score sheet for the third game in a row and marks the longest point drought of the season for their leading scorer Matěj Blümel. “Sometimes when you lose your identity as a team for a couple games, as we did earlier in the week versus Iowa, the first step is refinding your identity,” Texas Stars’ head coach Neil Graham said when asked about the first line's lack of production. “And we had to get our work boots back on. We had to compete again. We had to make sure we were working, and now hopefully we can re-find a way to break through offensively a little bit better than we have.”
Once the actual hockey began, the Stars were on their front foot. They outshot the Admirals 9-1 in the first 15 minutes of the game. Kole Lind and Jack Becker especially had quality early scoring chances, but former Star and current Admirals’ netminder Matt Murray was up to the task.
With four minutes remaining, Admirals’ defenseman Ryan Ufko took the 1-0 lead on just the third shot of the game for Milwaukee. Being down a goal despite starting so well felt like a gut punch for Texas. It looked like it, too, as the Admirals finally got their first sustained pressure in the Stars’ end to finish the first period.
The Stars bounced back in the middle frame and got back to their game, outshooting their opponent by more than double. The Stars had several scoring chances throughout the period, but Milwaukee was staunch with their defending around their own goalie. They took away space in the prime scoring locations and ensured that when Texas did get a shot on goal, they cleaned up the subsequent rebound.
“Tight checking,” coach Graham said. “Not a lot of huge grade As on either side.”
With three minutes remaining in the period, Romano drew a cross-checking penalty with some dogged work behind the Admirals’ net. This was a massive opportunity for Texas to capitalize on their hard work in the period. However, Texas was no match for the Admirals’ 3rd best in the league penalty kill. The Stars did not record a single shot on goal and remained goal-less through forty minutes of play.
“We failed to see a couple opportunities that presented themselves,” coach Graham said on his team’s power play. “And that's what can happen when there's a pressure PK on the other side. If you can recognize the play a little bit faster, you might have the opportunity for a big one.”
Just as the third period began, an unlikely hero, Anthony Romano, scored on the first shot of the period. Cameron Hughes drove the puck in from the wing all the way below the icing line; he then centered the puck to Romano, who jammed the Stars' first goal from the top of the Admirals’ crease. This was only Romano’s third goal of the season.
Shortly after Romano broke the ice for the Stars, the officials called a two-minute roughing penalty on Curtis McKenzie, much to his chagrin. McKenzie was knocked off his skates before the puck reached him in the Admirals’ zone. In retaliation, the Stars’ captain returned the favor and planted the Milwaukee defender to the ice but got his hand up too high. McKenzie was up in arms and screaming at the official as he skated to the box.
Admirals forward Grigori Denisenko scored on the subsequent powerplay off a great backdoor feed from Turner Ottenbreit. The goal sucked the air out of the building. Just three minutes prior, the H-E-B Center was raucous, but they quickly found themselves right back where they had started the period.
Despite a strong push and a 6-on-5 empty net opportunity, Texas could not put another puck past the Admirals' netminder.
The Stars have a massive matchup against the Admirals on Sunday night at 5 PM at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. If the Stars lose, both teams will be tied for the lead in the Central Division with only two weeks remaining in the regular season.
Tonight’s lines
Blümel-Hyrckowian-Lind
Hughes-Hyry-Romano
Shlaine-Becker-Pettersen
McKenzie-Scott-Seminoff
Capobianco-Krys
Taylor-Petrovic
Karow-White
Hellberg
Injuries, scratches and notes
Bergsland, Ertel, Chisholm, Martino, Wheatcroft, Looft(scratch)
Stranges (injury)
McDonald (lower-body injury)
Tonight’s attendance was 6,778, a sellout.
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