Offense Awoken: Stars Dominate Condors 6-2 in Penalty-Laden Affair

 

Credit: Texas Stars

The Stars rolled over the Condors with a 6-2 blowout in their second game of the weekend. Tallies from Cameron Hughes and Antonio Stranges in the first two minutes kicked off an offensive explosion, earning the Stars a pivotal two points to tie the Moose for third in the Central Division. 

The six goals were a sight for sore eyes after the Stars only managed to net one in the prior game. “We did generate more [offense] just by keeping it simple, getting pucks deep,” head coach Toby Petersen said post game. “We talked about making sure we weren't over complicating things by trying to make extra passes. That's just typical hockey stuff, typical smart hockey.”

Despite the lopsided final score, Texas was taking on water in the first period, getting outshot 17-10. The Stars bent, but they didn’t break, thanks in large part to goaltender Remi Poirier. “There were some big performances tonight, but none were bigger than Remi [Poirier],” Peteresen said. “Heartbreaker that we gave up the goals at the end of the game. That was a shutout worthy performance, but he was just awesome all night, and especially in the first.”

The Condors turned it into fight night once the score felt out of reach. Three of the Condors' top four penalty-minute leaders dropped the gloves, and they used their experience in delinquency to their advantage, pretty easily winning all four fights (Clattenburg got in two fights for the Condors). The game totalled 92 penalty minutes with three misconducts. Despite the outcome of the fights, Matthew Seminoff was pleased with how his team responded to the aggression of Bakersfield. 

“We might not be the biggest team but we stick up for each other, and guys are willing to go to battle for each other. I think throughout the year, we've learned how to do that. We've done a great job of just sticking up for each other and playing physical when we need to.”

Overall, this was an impressive response to the previous game's lack of offense. The Stars proved their offensive woes are truly behind them, and a one-game falter was just that, one game. They also managed the heightened physicality relatively well, which will only ramp up as we head down the stretch and into the playoffs. They might need some boxing lessons to win a fight, though. 

The Stars roared into this game with two goals in less than two minutes. The first was a point shot by Trey Taylor that hit traffic in front and fell right to Hughes at the top of the crease. Texas’ leading point scorer made quick work of that opportunity, lifting it top shelf past Condors goalie Calvin Pickard, who got yanked after the first period. Stranges scored the second with a top corner snipe off the rush. Stars Captain Curtis McKenzie earned his 500th career AHL point on the tally with a primary assist. 

“We were celebrating in [the dressing room] with him. Just kind of excited for him. I was there for the first one, so to see 500 and 501…, is pretty special. So it's awesome, great milestone for [McKenzie]. It's not an easy number to reach, and not many guys do it.”

Bakersfield responded with an offensive onslaught of their own, but they could not find their way past Remi Poirier. He stopped 17 shots from the Condors following the Stars' second goal, many of them off the rush and on one-timers. His best of the night was on the penalty kill, where he made a diving glove save, stopping what would’ve been a sure goal. 

Texas survived the push by Bakersfield and even responded at the end of the frame. Harrison Scott snuck a wrister five-hole off a three-on-one rush, giving the Stars the 3-0 lead in a period where it felt like they were on the back foot. 

The Stars were even better in the middle frame, scoring three more goals, running away with the game, and taking a 6-0 lead into the second intermission. Two of the three were power play goals from Seminoff, a welcome sight following the Stars' 0-for-6 power play run the night before. Seminoff's second was a beauty; he took the puck straight to the net along the goal line and snapped the pill to the far corner from in tight.  

Michael Karow netted the fifth goal of the night on a nifty one-touch shot as he was tripped from behind. Immediately following the goal, Ethan Keppen cross-checked Jeremie Poirier in the face in retaliation for a slash he received earlier in the play. Karow, in the middle of the celebratory hugs, dropped the gloves, chased down Keppen, and the pair threw knuckles. Keppen would be ejected after saying something to the officials when he was finally released from the box following the fight. 

The third saw some continued fisticuffs and two goals from the Condors in garbage time to spoil Poirier’s shutout bid but the frame was ultimately inconsequential. 

Texas will look to take this momentum into a big midweek, two-game series against the division rival Chicago Wolves, starting Tuesday at 7:00 PM at the HEB Center at Cedar Park. 

Tonight’s Lines: 

Hughes-Shlaine-Seminoff

Hanas-Becker-Lind

Stranges-Scott-McKenzie

Martino-Chisholm-Pearson

Taylor-Krys

Poirier-Karow

Bertucci-Kolyachonok

Poirier

Injuries, scratches and notes: 

McDonald(scratch)

Ertel, Looft (warm-up)

Wheatcroft, Tuomaala (Injured)

Tonight’s attendance was 6,778, a sellout.

AHL Gamesheet - Texas v. Bakersfield -  March 14th, 2026