Remi Poirier Stops 41 Shots but Texas Stars Fall 3-2 to Coachella Valley in Shootout

 

 

 (Credit: Coachella Valley) 

 

 

It was a matter of time for Texas Stars goaltender Remi Poirier Wednesday night against the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Through 59 minutes of regulation time he had stopped 41 of the Firebirds’ 42 shots against. He held the 2-2 tie through five extra minutes of overtime hockey, but it took one shot in the seventh round of the shootout to ring closing time for Texas as the Firebirds secured the 3-2 shootout win.

 

It was the first time in Poirier’s AHL career that he didn’t secure the extra point in the skills competition, after having done it six previous times, and it ended what was otherwise a massive night for the Star’s No. 1 goaltender.

 

“Remi has come a long way,” said Texas Stars General Manager Scott White to play-by-play announcer John Peterson in a pre-game interview in Coachella Valley. “He’s become a better athlete and finds ways to get going because there aren’t too many nights since last January where he hasn’t been on.”

 

And on he was from minute one Wednesday evening as the Firebirds, who had made adjustments in their attack since their last meeting Saturday night, were able to stretch the Stars’ defense and produce several quality shots in the first period.

 

They carried that momentum into the second period where they launched 20 of their total 43 shots against in the match. At 14:14 of the second John Hayden was the first to break the stalemate when he found just enough space high on Poirier’s blocker side to make it 1-0.

 

The Stars would not let their goaltender’s efforts go unrewarded, though, as Micheal Karow tied the game at one with 44 seconds left in the second period. It was a classic Texas Stars goal that started with Cameron Hughes working behind the net finding Arttu Hyry in the slot who, in turn, quickly fed it to a pinching Karow for a wide open glove-side shot that made it 1-1.

 

Texas would take their first lead of the night at 6:31 of the third period when Trey Taylor started a quick give-and-go with Kole Lind on the left boards that opened up a lane for Taylor to deposit his own snipe and make it 2-1. It would take a deflection from Logan Morrison in the dying seconds of regulation that sent the game to overtime, an ironic twist of fate considering the goalie duel that had emerged between Poirier and Nikke Kokko.

 

Poirier would not allow a single goal through the extra frame and seven rounds of the shootout until a toe-drag to backhand move from Oscar Fisker Mølgaard finally ended it. 

 

Despite the loss, the Stars reached the halfway point of their six-game California road trip with five out of a possible six points and unbeaten in regulation in their last three games. They’ll look to extend that point-streak Friday night against the San Diego Gulls. 

Tonight’s lines 

Lind-Hyry-Hughes
Stranges-Scott-McKenzie
Seminoff-Shlaine-Tuomaala
Ertel-Becker-Wheatcroft
 

Taylor-Bergsland
Bertucci-Karow
Punnett-Looft

Poirier
 

Injuries, scratches and notes

Capobianco, Kolyachonok (callup)
Hanas (hand injury)
White, Chisholm, Martino (scratch)

Tonight’s attendance was 5,899.