The Texas Stars couldn’t quite find the equalizer on teddy bear toss night as the Barracuda outlasted the Stars 3-2. Texas had just returned from a relatively fruitful road trip, earning points in four of their six contests in Southern California. The loss was the Stars’ third in a row, and keeps them four points out of a playoff spot.
The Stars responded to adversity really well, despite the loss. Both of their goals were scored less than a minute after a Barracuda goal. The only San Jose tally without an immediate response on the scoreboard led to the Stars' best stretch of hockey in the middle of the second period.
“Good responses are great, but we need to start better so that we aren't having to respond the way we are,” head coach Toby Petersen said post-game. “So we aren't having to find goals late in games and pull our goalie all the time and try to get that last-second goal or that last-minute goal.”
The turning point of the contest came at the end of the second, just before the Barracuda’s eventual game winner. The Stars earned a power play after a dominant stretch in the second period, but they were outshot 2-0 on that man advantage and lost all momentum.
“Even when you don't score, you have to find a way to build momentum off [the power play],” Petersen said. “... So the next shift, the guys are on their toes and the other teams on their heels. That's something we're striving for; we just didn't have it tonight.”
Tristan Bertucci seems to have turned a corner recently as he extended his point streak to three games with a primary assist on Curtis McKenzie’s goal. “[Bertucci] is getting thrown into a larger role than we probably would have thought,” McKenzie said. “We usually get some time to ease these guys in, but he's doing great. He's a great player, and he'll get better. Bright future.”
The Stars started the contest on the right foot, spending the majority of time in the Barracuda’s zone thanks to a strong forecheck. Midway through the frame, they held a 4-2 shot advantage and had several chances that did not register as shots on goal.
However, following a media timeout, San Jose made a great mid-period adjustment that stole the momentum and led to the first goal of the contest. Barracuda forward Jimmy Huntington was unobstructed in the slot and deftly deflected a point shot past the Stars’ netminder.
The Stars clapped back immediately. In an eerily similar play, Bertucci let a floaty wrister go from the blue line, and McKenzie capitalized, deflecting the shot into the net, unleashing the teddy bears from the grandstands. 3,988 stuffed animals poured onto the ice to be donated to Operation Blue Santa, an Austin Police charity that helps give toys to families in need. Visit the link below to donate your time, toys or money to this great cause.
Both teams were dismissed to their respective dressing rooms while toys were being collected for the game's first intermission, even though there was still 2:18 remaining in the first period. The remaining time was played following the intermission. The goalies then switched sides, the ice was scraped and the puck was immediately dropped for the second frame.
The final few minutes of the first trickled away without much incident. The same could not be said for the first few of the second, as the Barracuda scored off another deflection. This time, the deflection came from right around the crease as Patrick Giles made himself some space and got his stick on it.
Despite this immediate setback, the Stars responded well by hounding the Barracuda in their own zone, forcing turnover after turnover. This led to a myriad of quality scoring chances, but the back of the net eluded them. At one point, a botched scoring chance flabbergasted Cross Hanas on the Stars bench so much that his hands instinctively grabbed his head in disbelief.
The Stars' offensive zone pressure eventually earned them a power play, but their league-worst man advantage seemed to do more harm than good. After two minutes 5-on-4 with no shots on goal, Huntington got his second of the night for the visitors, with a couple of sweet dekes that culminated in a bar-down wrister to give San Jose the 3-1 lead with less than two minutes remaining in the period.
The Stars again immediately answered with one of their own, again, not even a minute later. Jack Becker netted his shot off the rush after some nifty dishes from Cameron Hughes and Arttu Hyry. The late tally helped minimize the sting of the Barracuda goal and kept the game within reach for the Stars as they entered the second intermission. That secondary assist from Hughes was his 300th career AHL point, quite the milestone for the Stars' point leader.
San Jose played an exceptional third period to keep the Stars at bay. Their incessant turnovers from the second gave way to quick, smooth zone exits and a strong forecheck on the Stars’ end of the ice. Texas could not get any extended offensive zone time. Hyry had a somewhat open net after some quick passing with the goalie pulled, but his one-timer was launched way over the top of the net. The Stars did not record a shot on goal with their goalie pulled.
Texas will attempt to snap yet another losing streak tomorrow at 7 pm against these same San Jose Barracuda.
Tonight’s Lines:
Hughes-Hyry-Seminoff
Stranges-Shlaine-Lind
Wheatcroft-Scott-McKenzie
Hanas-Becker-Ertel
Taylor-Bergsland
Bertucci-Karow
Looft-White
Poirier
Injuries, scratches and notes:
Chisholm, Punnett (scratch)
McDonald, Tuomaala (injured)
Martino (warm-up)
Tonight’s attendance was 6,142.
AHL Gamesheet - Texas v. San Jose - December 12th, 2025
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