Broken Boards Batter Stars, Texas Falls to Firebirds 6-3

(Credit: Christian Chambers/100 Degree Hockey)

The Parking Spot advertisement behind the Stars’ net should have earned two primary assists in the most unhinged contest we’ve seen at the H-E-B Center this year. That's right. Two pucks took insane bounces off the exact same spot on the boards out in front of the Stars’ goal for two easy tallies for the visitors. Those two goals plus an empty-netter were the difference in the 6-3 game.

 
After the first bounce, the officials and ice crew came out to inspect a potential protrusion, but it was determined not to be too drastic to stop play. Nonetheless, a member of the ice crew came out during a dry scrape with an impact driver and appeared to screw the board back to be more flush. That proved to be fruitless after the second bounce off the same spot.

Stars' goalie Remi Poirier was incensed, as he turned around and smashed his stick to bits on the crossbar. His net is right in front of the gate where all the ice crew stand. Head coach Toby Petersen did not have much to say on it after the game, “We were told it was fixed. We watched him fix it, and it happened again. So, you know, not much you can say about this stuff. It's out of our control. It is what it is.”

Beyond the boards, there were still more issues. Midway through the third period, the clock and scoreboard completely froze up. Officials restarted play while the off-ice officials kept time, but coaches and players did not know the time remaining on the clock for about five minutes of game time.

The rink issues tonight were a very bad look for the proud Texas Stars organization. Media availability was delayed post-game, presumably due to several meetings about the issues that occurred. These types of mistakes are things that cannot, and surely will not, be repeated. Tonight, those mistakes may have cost this team a point or two in the standings.

Unfortunately, the Stars' performance matched the performance of their rink for large parts of the contest. The first period saw the puck get chipped around the ice without much really being accomplished. That didn’t stop the vulcanized rubber from finding the back of the net, though. Coachella kicked things off early with a point shot that was partially blocked but still found its way past the goal line. Poirier even got his blocker on it, and it still found a way to loop past him.

Midway through the frame, another blocked shot from the blueline went straight to a Firebird on the back door. Carson Rehkopf neatly deposited it into the practically empty net, giving the Firebirds a strange 2-0 lead despite no one really controlling the game.

Texas responded almost immediately on the man advantage. Cameron Hughes whistled the puck across the offensive zone to Antonio Stranges, who neatly netted a wrister into the yawning cage. One of the only pretty things that occurred in the period. That goal seemed to jump-start the Stars' offense that proceeded to shoot seven of the next eight SOGs. Unfortunately, shots on goal don’t count on the scoreboard, so the period ended 2-1 in favor of the Firebirds. 

Texas struggled mightily in the second period to string multiple passes together, which fueled the Firebirds' forecheck. The visitors spent almost the entire frame in the offensive zone, finally breaking through with 2:43 remaining in the second. A botched defensive assignment led to a partial breakaway from the blue line. The attacker deftly snuck the puck through Poirier’s five-hole to extend their lead.

Luke Krys answered immediately though, with a wrister from the point that snuck through a mass of humanity in front of the Firebirds’ net. That tally felt massively important to keep a mostly stalled Stars team within striking distance.

Then the building fell apart in the third. The Stars answered the first of two beautiful passes from The Parking Spot. Matthew Seminoff sniped the top corner, bringing the Stars within a goal and giving Hughes his third primary assist of the game.

The Parking Spot board could not be beat, though. The final funky bounce goal was the nail in the coffin. Texas had a spirited 6-on-5 attempt but eventually conceded the empty netter.

The Stars are back in action at 7 PM this Saturday at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park against Ontario.

Tonight’s Lines
Hughes - Shlaine - Seminoff
Hanas - Scott - Lind
Stranges - Becker - McDonald

Ertel - Chisholm - McKenzie

Taylor - Krys
Karow - Looft

Hreschuk - Bergsland

Poirier

Injuries, scratches and notes
Martino, Punnett (scratch)
Hyry, Tuomaala, White, Wheatcroft, Bertucci (injured)

Tonight’s attendance was 4,580.

AHL Gamesheet - Texas v. Coachella Valley - January 14 2026